Modular Chip Cooling Package With Swappable Heat Transfer Plates
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Solution Overview
Problem
Heterogeneous computing architectures face challenges in cooling due to varying thermal design powers and specifications of different hardware modules, leading to costly and inflexible cooling systems that struggle to accommodate changing hardware and chips.
Innovation Solution
A cooling system comprising a base stiffener, top stiffener with a mounting channel, and heat transfer plates that can be inserted to contact hardware modules, using different heat transfer technologies such as vapor chambers, thermoelectric coolers, and copper plates, with elastic structures for protection and gap formation to prevent heat spreading.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If natural convection cooling systems are pre-attached to dies and electronics, then cooling is provided to hardware modules, but the system becomes costly and not flexible enough to accommodate different thermal specifications
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling system is segmented into modular components: a reusable cooling device and interchangeable heat transfer plates. Each heat transfer plate is designed for specific hardware module types, allowing selection and replacement based on thermal requirements. This segmentation enables the system to adapt to different thermal specifications without redesigning the entire cooling infrastructure.
Solution Approach 2:
The cooling device is designed as a universal component that can work with multiple types of hardware modules through the standardized mounting channel interface. The single cooling device serves multiple functions by accommodating different heat transfer plates, eliminating the need for custom cooling solutions for each hardware type while maintaining effective cooling across diverse thermal requirements.
2Temperature
If cooling systems are designed for specific heterogeneous hardware configurations, then cooling performance is optimized, but the system becomes inflexible and costly when hardware changes
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling system incorporates dynamic adaptability through the ability to swap heat transfer plates based on hardware configuration changes. The mounting channel allows quick replacement of plates without modifying the cooling device itself, enabling the system to dynamically adapt to different hardware thermal profiles while maintaining optimized cooling performance for each configuration.
Solution Approach 2:
The system allows parameter changes in thermal management by selecting different heat transfer plates with varying thermal conductivity, size, and contact surface characteristics. This enables optimization of cooling performance for different thermal design powers (TDP) and thermal specifications without changing the fundamental cooling device structure.
3Device complexity
If uniform cooling media delivery is used for all hardware modules, then system complexity is reduced, but cooling effectiveness decreases for heterogeneous thermal requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The heat transfer plates provide localized thermal management solutions with different material properties, surface areas, and thermal conductivities tailored to specific hardware module requirements. This local quality approach allows each plate to be optimized for its specific application while maintaining a simple overall system architecture through the standardized mounting channel interface.
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 allows for flexible integration of various heat transfer plates based on hardware needs, improving cooling performance without increasing costs and enhancing the reliability and expandability of heterogeneous computing architectures.
Implementation Method 1
one or more heat transfer plates inserted into the top stiffener by sliding the one or more heat transfer plates via the mounting channel, wherein the one or more heat transfer plates are in contact with an external surface of the plurality of hardware modules to transfer heat generated by the plurality of hardware modules to the cooling device
Data Source
Figure 1~3
Figure 4A~5A
Figure 5B~7A
AI summary
Described herein are cooling hardware and methods for cooling a heterogeneous computing architecture. A system (100) for cooling a heterogeneous computing architecture includes a base stiffener (107); a top stiffener (103) including a mounting channel (109, 509, 1025); a printed circuit board (105) including multiple electronics and chips, the printed circuit board (105) that is attached to the base stiffener (107); and a cooling device (115) mounted on top of the top stiffener (103). One or more heat transfer plates (300, 501, 601, 701, 703, 704, 801, 803, 804, 805, 807, 1007, 1009, 1011, 1013) are inserted into the top stiffener (103) via the mounting channel (109, 509, 1025) to transfer heat generated by the hardware modules to the cooling device (115).