Thermally Conductive Plastic Cold Plate With External Heat Pipe Mounting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conductive plastic cold plates used in computing devices face challenges in integrating flat heat pipes due to pressure issues during molding, which can damage the heat pipes, limiting their ability to efficiently transfer heat through the coolant channels.
Innovation Solution
The use of thermally conductive plastic cold plates with a coupling mechanism that allows for the external mounting of heat pipes, utilizing a heat pipe support to align and maintain contact with the cold plate, and incorporating a heat spreader with fins to enhance heat transfer into the coolant channel, while avoiding the need to mold heat pipes into the plastic.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If flat heat pipes are molded into the thermally conductive plastic cold plate, then heat transfer efficiency is improved, but the heat pipes are damaged due to molding pressure
Solution Approach 1:
The cold plate is divided into two functional parts: the thermally conductive plastic body and the heat pipe assembly. The heat pipes are not integrated into the plastic mold but are instead mounted separately on the cold plate surface, allowing each component to be optimized independently without the damaging effects of high-pressure molding on delicate heat pipe structures.
Solution Approach 2:
The heat pipes are pre-assembled and positioned on the cold plate before the cold plate is put into service. This preliminary assembly allows the heat pipes to be installed in their optimal configuration without exposure to the high-stress molding process, preserving their structural integrity while maintaining heat transfer efficiency.
2Reliability
If heat pipes are externally mounted on the cold plate, then heat pipe damage is avoided, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The coupling mechanism serves multiple functions simultaneously: it provides mechanical support for the heat pipes, ensures thermal contact between the heat pipes and cold plate, and allows for assembly and disassembly. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate components for each function, thereby minimizing overall device complexity despite the external mounting approach.
3Weight of moving object
If thermally conductive plastic is used for the cold plate, then weight is reduced, but heat transfer capability is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The cold plate employs a composite structure combining thermally conductive plastic with heat pipe assemblies. The plastic provides lightweight structural support while the heat pipes deliver high heat transfer capability. This composite approach allows the system to achieve both low weight and effective heat transfer by leveraging the complementary strengths of different materials.
Solution Approach 2:
The heat pipes act as intermediary elements between the heat-generating components and the thermally conductive plastic cold plate. They mediate the heat transfer process by efficiently conducting heat from the components to the plastic body, which then distributes the heat to the coolant channels, thereby overcoming the limited thermal conductivity of the plastic material.
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 enables effective heat transfer from high-performance components to the coolant, reducing the risk of heat pipe damage and improving cooling efficiency without increasing the weight of the cold plate, even with flat heat pipes that cannot be molded into the plastic.
Implementation Method 1
a thermally conductive plastic forming a coolant channel that includes a heat spreader formed into the thermally conductive plastic
Implementation Method 2
the heat spreader can be utilized to transfer heat from an exterior area of the coolant channel into the water or coolant within the coolant channel
Implementation Method 3
the coolant channel can move the water or coolant away from the components to a heat exchanger
Data Source
AI summary
Cold plates are described herein. In one example, a cold plate can include a thermally conductive plastic forming a coolant channel that includes a heat spreader formed into the thermally conductive plastic and an exterior surface of the thermally conductive plastic with a coupling location to couple a heat pipe to the exterior surface of the thermally conductive plastic.