Liquid-Cooled Electronics Rack With Segmented Thermal Interface
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional air cooling methods are inadequate for high heat load, high heat flux electronic devices, necessitating the development of aggressive thermal management techniques, particularly for densely packed circuits where traditional air cooling techniques are limited in extracting heat effectively.
Innovation Solution
A liquid-cooled cooling apparatus with a front-mounted cooling structure featuring a coolant inlet, outlet, and a horizontally extending thermally conductive bar, combined with a heat transfer element that includes a thermally conductive heat transfer member and interface plate, allowing for efficient heat conduction from electronic components to the coolant without breaking fluid connections during subsystem docking or undocking.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If conventional air cooling methods are used, then the cooling system is simple to implement, but they are inadequate for high heat load, high heat flux electronic devices
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from air cooling to liquid cooling by introducing a coolant circulation system with pumps, heat exchangers, and coolant channels. The liquid coolant flows through channels in thermal contact with electronic components, efficiently removing heat from high heat load devices while maintaining system reliability.
2Reliability
If liquid cooling is implemented with traditional configurations, then cooling effectiveness improves, but coolant leakage risks increase during subsystem docking or undocking
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling system is segmented into modular components with self-contained coolant loops. Each electronic subsystem has its own coolant channels and thermal management elements, allowing subsystems to be docked or undocked without breaking fluid connections. The coolant is confined within sealed channels that remain intact during mechanical operations.
Solution Approach 2:
Thermal interface materials and intermediate thermal coupling elements are introduced between the coolant channels and electronic components. These intermediaries provide reliable thermal contact while maintaining sealed fluid pathways, preventing coolant leakage during subsystem assembly and disassembly operations.
3Productivity
If electronic devices are densely packed to increase productivity, then heat flux increases, but traditional air cooling techniques become limited in extracting heat effectively
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements liquid cooling channels in direct thermal contact with densely packed electronic components. The liquid coolant flows through these channels, providing efficient heat extraction from high heat flux devices. This hydraulic cooling approach overcomes the limitations of air cooling and enables effective thermal management of densely packed electronics.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This solution enables effective heat transfer from high heat generating electronic components to a coolant, maintaining operational reliability and serviceability by minimizing coolant leakage risks and eliminating the need to break fluid connections during maintenance, thus addressing the limitations of air cooling methods.
Implementation Method 1
a horizontally extending thermally conductive bar formed of thermally conductive material between coolant inlet and the coolant outlet; and, a heat transfer element comprising a horizontally extending thermally conductive heat transfer member secured to a circuit board of the electronic subsystem and in contact with one or more heat generating components mounted on the circuit board, and a vertically extending thermally conductive thermal interface plate connected to one end of the heat transfer member
Implementation Method 2
a liquid cooled cooling structure mounted to a front of a housing having a docking slot therein, the cooling structure comprising a coolant inlet coolant outlet, and a horizontally extending coolant carrying bar formed of thermally conductive material between coolant inlet and the coolant outlet
Data Source
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AI summary
Liquid-cooled electronics racks and methods of fabrication are provided wherein a liquid-based cooling apparatus facilitates cooling of electronic subsystems when docked within the electronics rack. The cooling apparatus includes a liquid-cooled cooling structure mounted to a front of the rack, and a plurality of heat transfer elements. The cooling structure is a thermally conductive material which has a coolant-carrying channel for facilitating coolant flow through the structure. Each heat transfer element couples to one or more heat-generating components of a respective electronic subsystem, physically contacts the cooling structure when that electronic subsystem is docked within the rack, and provides a thermal transport path from the heat-generating components of the electronic subsystem to the liquid-cooled cooling structure. Advantageously, electronic subsystems may be docked within or undocked from the electronics rack without affecting flow of coolant through the liquid-cooled cooling structure.