Modular Thermal Interposer for Adapter Card Liquid Cooling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current liquid cooling systems for electronic components are not adaptable to a wide range of components, difficult to modify or replace without breaching coolant pathways, and often increase space requirements and strain on other cooling components.
Innovation Solution
A modular thermal interposer system with a thermally conducting body and a removably coupled cold plate assembly that allows for easy integration with existing liquid cooling systems, enabling efficient cooling of multiple components without draining or breaching the coolant flow, and maintaining compact dimensions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If specialized liquid cooling systems are installed for individual components, then the operating temperatures of individual components are maintained within acceptable limits, but the systems are not adaptable to a wide variety of components and are difficult to modify or replace
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling system is divided into separate modular components: a cold plate assembly that interfaces with the heat source and a radiator assembly that dissipates heat. These modules can be independently configured and replaced for different applications without affecting the entire cooling system.
Solution Approach 2:
The cold plate assembly is designed as a universal interface that can be adapted to multiple different heat source configurations and component types. The standardized mounting and thermal interface allow the same cold plate to serve various components, enhancing system versatility.
2Temperature
If specialized liquid cooling systems are installed for individual components, then the operating temperatures of individual components are maintained within acceptable limits, but the systems are difficult to replace, insert, or remove components from
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling system is divided into separate modular components: a cold plate assembly that interfaces with the heat source and a radiator assembly that dissipates heat. These modules can be independently configured and replaced for different applications without affecting the entire cooling system.
Solution Approach 2:
The system employs removable and reconfigurable connections between the cold plate, thermal interposer, and radiator components. This dynamic design allows components to be easily installed, removed, or replaced without permanent modifications or system drainage.
3Temperature
If cold plate components and thermal radiators are used for cooling adapter cards, then the main processor on the adapter card is cooled, but significant space requirements are added to the adapter card
Solution Approach 1:
The thermal interposer is designed to fit within the existing adapter card footprint, with the cold plate assembly integrating into the available space. The radiator components are positioned to minimize additional profile height, nesting the cooling function within the existing form factor constraints.
Solution Approach 2:
The cooling solution utilizes the thickness dimension of the adapter card by positioning the thermal interposer between the processor and the card's rear surface. This allows effective heat dissipation without significantly increasing the card's length or width.
4Temperature
If thermal radiators are used for air cooling components on the adapter card, then cooling is provided, but heat is contributed to the internal environment within the computer chassis
Solution Approach 1:
The system replaces air-based cooling with liquid-based cooling, using a closed-loop liquid cooling system that efficiently transports heat away from the adapter card to a separate radiator location. This hydraulic cooling approach removes heat from the chassis internal environment while maintaining effective component cooling.
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
Facilitates efficient cooling of various electronic components by standardizing the cold plate assembly for reuse across different thermal interposer components, simplifying system modifications and reducing the risk of coolant loss or air introduction, while minimizing space requirements and strain on other cooling components.
Implementation Method 1
a thermally conducting body that is configured to be thermally coupled to the electronic component... a first region that is adapted to be in thermal contact with a surface of the electronic component
Implementation Method 2
a cooling liquid circulates between a heat exchanger and a thermal interposer assembly... an inlet adapted to receive a cooling liquid into the cold plate assembly and an outlet adapted to discharge the cooling liquid from the cold plate assembly
Implementation Method 3
a heat exchanger adapted for cooling a cooling liquid... to exchange the high temperature internal air with cooler external air
Data Source
AI summary
A thermal interposer for a heat-generating electronic component located on an adapter card of a computer includes a thermally conducting planar body. The thermally conducting planar body may be configured to be coupled to the adapter card such that a first surface of the planar body is in thermal contact with a surface of the electronic component. The thermal interposer may also include a cold plate assembly removably coupled to a second surface of the planar body opposite the first surface. The cold plate assembly may include an inlet adapted to receive a cooling liquid into the cold plate assembly and an outlet adapted to discharge the cooling liquid from the cold plate assembly.