Modular Air-Liquid Cooling System with Integrated Heat Sink
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cooling devices for high-power electronic components face limitations in heat dissipation performance, particularly in achieving high power density while maintaining low costs, and often require complex interfaces that reduce cooling efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A modular cooling system that integrates an air cooler with a liquid cooler, where the air cooler features a heat sink with ribs or fingers and a mechanical interface for a detachable liquid cooler, allowing for three operating modes: air cooling, liquid cooling, or combined air and liquid cooling, thereby enhancing heat dissipation without additional interfaces and material boundaries.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Power
If a liquid cooler is mounted on an air cooler with a mechanical interface, then cooling capacity is increased, but heat transfer efficiency is reduced due to additional interfaces and material boundaries
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the liquid cooler and air cooler into a single integrated cooling device. The liquid cooling channels are embedded within the heat sink structure, eliminating the need for separate mechanical interfaces between two distinct coolers. This integration removes material boundaries that would impede heat transfer, while still providing both liquid and air cooling capabilities through the unified structure.
2Device complexity
If air cooling is used for low power requirements, then device complexity is reduced, but cooling capacity is insufficient for high power applications
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling system is designed to be dynamically adaptable to different power requirements. The integrated structure allows the device to operate in different cooling modes (air cooling only, liquid cooling only, or combined) depending on the thermal load. This dynamic capability enables the system to handle both low power applications with simple air cooling and high power applications with full liquid and air cooling, without requiring separate cooling systems for different scenarios.
3Adaptability or versatility
If a modular cooling system with detachable liquid cooler is used, then adaptability is improved, but device complexity increases due to mechanical interface requirements
Solution Approach 1:
By integrating the liquid cooling channels directly into the heat sink structure, the patent eliminates the need for complex mechanical interfaces required for mounting separate liquid coolers. The liquid cooling functionality is merged into the core heat dissipation structure, providing adaptability for different cooling modes without adding mechanical interface complexity. This integration maintains versatility while simplifying the overall device architecture.
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 significantly increases the cooling capacity of air coolers by allowing for efficient heat transfer within a single part, reduces material boundaries, and enables flexible operation depending on power requirements, achieving higher heat dissipation with optional water cooling without heating ambient air.
Implementation Method 1
heat sink with ribs or fingers for dissipating heat to the air flowing past
Implementation Method 2
dissipating heat to the air flowing past
Implementation Method 3
liquid cooler mounted on the air cooler... efficient heat transfer within a single part
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to an appliance, a series of appliances, and a device, comprising heat-generating components and a cooling device for carrying off the heat, the cooling device being embodied in such a way that it can be operated wither pneumatically or hydraulically. The pneumatic cooling device especially comprises an interface on which a hydraulic cooling device can be mounted.