Liquid Cooling Manifold Using Cold Plates for Dense Memory Cooling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current cooling methods for memory sub-systems face challenges with high storage power density leading to thermal issues, acoustic noise, and increased energy costs, resulting in design limitations and reduced performance due to fan redundancy and restricted power dissipation.
Innovation Solution
A liquid cooling manifold system using liquid-cooled cold plates to cool processor, memory, and drive components, reducing noise and power requirements while supporting increased power consumption, and improving cooling efficiency over air-cooled systems.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If air-cooled systems with static pressure fans are used, then cooling capability is provided, but acoustic noise increases and energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical air-cooling system with static pressure fans with a liquid cooling system using cold plates and coolant flow. This substitution eliminates the need for high-speed rotating fans, thereby reducing acoustic noise while maintaining effective heat removal from high-density storage components
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements liquid cooling through cold plates that circulate coolant through channels in direct contact with heat-generating components. This hydraulic cooling method provides superior heat transfer efficiency compared to air cooling, enabling effective temperature control without the noise and energy consumption associated with high-power fans
2Temperature
If air-cooled systems with static pressure fans are used, then cooling capability is provided, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces energy-intensive static pressure fans with a liquid cooling system that uses pumps operating at lower power levels. The liquid cooling system achieves the same or better cooling performance with reduced energy consumption, directly addressing the energy efficiency requirement for high-density storage systems
Solution Approach 2:
The liquid cooling system uses coolant circulation through cold plate channels to transfer heat away from components. This hydraulic approach provides more efficient heat removal per unit of energy consumed compared to air cooling with high-power fans, reducing overall system energy requirements
3Reliability
If fan redundancy is implemented, then reliability is improved, but device complexity increases and power dissipation is restricted
Solution Approach 1:
The liquid cooling system with cold plates provides inherently more reliable cooling for high-density storage components because liquid has superior heat capacity and thermal conductivity compared to air. This reliable thermal management allows the system to operate without redundant fans, simplifying the overall design while maintaining or improving cooling reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the cooling medium from air to liquid, fundamentally altering the thermal management parameters. This parameter change enables effective cooling of high-power density components without requiring multiple fans or complex control systems, thereby reducing device complexity while maintaining reliability
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
The liquid cooling manifold enhances computation and data accessibility by supporting higher power consumption, reducing noise, and minimizing system footprint, while improving cooling efficiency and reducing reliance on static pressure fans.
Implementation Method 1
A liquid cooling manifold can include liquid cooled cold plates that cool a processor component, a memory component, and a drive component of a system
Data Source
AI summary
A method includes a liquid cooling manifold cooling a processor component of a system by liquid cooling a first cold plate coupled to the processor component, cooling a memory component of the system by liquid cooling the first cold plate coupled to the memory component, and a liquid cooling a drive component of the system by liquid cooling a second cold plate coupled to the drive component.