Integrated Liquid Cooling Pump Unit With Fewer Seals and Lower Footprint
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing liquid cooling units face challenges with excessive size, weight, and assembly complexity, leading to potential damage, leakage, and improper operation due to numerous parts and seals, which can harm components and the environment.
Innovation Solution
A simplified liquid cooling pumping unit design with a reduced number of parts and seals, featuring a cover, housing, base, and thermal plate configuration that decreases assembly steps and leakage areas, utilizing a rotor with an impeller and magnetic component for efficient fluid flow and sealing, and a streamlined assembly process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Power
If liquid cooling units are made larger to handle heat extraction requirements, then cooling capacity is improved, but size and weight exceed limitations of heat producing components
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple functional components (pump housing, thermal plate, mounting structure, and fluid channels) into a single integrated unit. The pump housing directly contains the thermal plate with fluid channels, eliminating the need for separate components and reducing overall weight while maintaining cooling capacity.
Solution Approach 2:
The integrated pump unit serves multiple functions simultaneously: it pumps cooling fluid, provides thermal contact through the thermal plate, offers mounting interfaces for heat producing components, and includes fluid channels for heat extraction. This multi-functionality reduces the number of separate components needed.
2Power
If liquid cooling units are made larger to handle heat extraction requirements, then cooling capacity is improved, but the unit exceeds dedicated footprint in heated environments
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the pump housing, thermal plate, and mounting structure into a single compact integrated unit. This consolidation reduces the horizontal footprint significantly compared to separate components, allowing the unit to fit within dedicated footprints in heated environments while maintaining adequate cooling capacity.
Solution Approach 2:
The thermal plate is nested within the pump housing, with fluid channels integrated into the housing structure. The mounting structure is nested within the same assembly, creating a compact nested configuration that minimizes the overall footprint while preserving all necessary functional volumes.
3Adaptability or versatility
If modalized parts and seals are used to fit different heat producing components, then adaptability is improved, but the number of parts and seals increases leading to greater opportunity for damage and leakage
Solution Approach 1:
The integrated pump unit employs a universal mounting structure with standardized interfaces that can accommodate various heat producing components without requiring different seals or parts. The thermal plate and fluid channels are designed to work with multiple component types, reducing the need for specialized seals and parts for each application.
Solution Approach 2:
By combining all sealing surfaces and interfaces into the integrated pump housing and thermal plate assembly, the design reduces the total number of separate seals and parts. The mounting structure itself incorporates sealing features, eliminating the need for additional seal components and reducing opportunities for leakage.
4Adaptability or versatility
If more parts and seals are used in modalized liquid cooling units, then adaptability to different components is improved, but assembly complexity increases leading to more assembly steps and potential leakage areas
Solution Approach 1:
The patent integrates all functional components into a single assembled unit that is mounted as one piece to the heat producing component. This eliminates the need for separate assembly steps for pump housing, thermal plate, and mounting structures, significantly reducing assembly complexity while maintaining adaptability through standardized interfaces.
Solution Approach 2:
The universal mounting structure and integrated design allow the same pump unit to be applied to different heat producing components without requiring different assembly procedures or additional sealing steps. The standardized interfaces enable straightforward installation while reducing the number of assembly operations needed.
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 design reduces assembly errors, leakage risks, and component damage, enhancing system lifetime and cooling efficiency while minimizing footprint and weight, ensuring reliable operation in heated environments.
Implementation Method 1
The rotor includes an impeller and a magnetic component. The impeller is rotatable in the first fluid chamber and the magnetic component is configured to rotate the impeller.
Implementation Method 2
a base having an outlet, and a thermal plate... the base above the thermal plate
Data Source
AI summary
A liquid cooling pumping unit including a cover, rotor, housing, driver, flow spray plate, and thermal plate is provided. The cover is configured above the housing, the housing above the base, and the base above the thermal plate. A first fluid chamber is defined by a chamber of the cover and an annular chamber of the housing. An inlet of the housing is in fluid connection with the first fluid chamber. A second fluid chamber is defined by the flow spray plate and a recess of the thermal base. An outlet of the base is in fluid connection with the second fluid chamber. An impeller of the rotor is rotatable in the first fluid chamber. The driver is configured above the base and under the housing, driving the rotor to rotate with respect to the housing. The first fluid chamber is in fluid communication with the second fluid chamber.