Shark-Fin Cooling Stacks for Recirculation Mitigation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Convection-based cooling systems face challenges with heat exchange efficiency due to recirculation and turbulent flow effects, surface drag, and limited tuning of parameters like plate gaps and thicknesses, which reduce thermal design power and efficiency.
Innovation Solution
Incorporation of biomimetic shark-fin shaped fins in the cooling system stacks that include holes to balance pressure and induce air mixing, mitigating recirculation effects and enhancing flow rate.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional plate-based fin structures are used, then manufacturing is simpler, but heat exchange efficiency is reduced due to recirculation and turbulent flow effects
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies curved fin surfaces with specific radii of curvature to disrupt recirculation patterns and turbulent flow. The curved geometry redirects airflow to follow a more uniform path through the fin channels, reducing eddy formation and improving heat exchange efficiency without significantly complicating manufacturing processes.
Solution Approach 2:
The fin structure employs asymmetric channel geometries and non-uniform spacing between fins to optimize flow distribution. By varying channel widths and fin distances strategically, the design mitigates recirculation zones while maintaining manufacturing feasibility through standardized fin components.
2Ease of manufacture
If plate gaps and thicknesses are kept simple for ease of manufacture, then manufacturing is easier, but tuning capability is limited reducing thermal design power
Solution Approach 1:
The fin structure is divided into multiple sections with independently adjustable parameters. Each fin segment can be manufactured separately with standardized processes, then assembled into configurations that provide fine-tuned thermal performance. This segmentation enables both manufacturing simplicity and design flexibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements variable fin parameters including changing gap distances, thickness variations, and curvature radii along the fin length. These parameter changes are achieved through progressive forming techniques that maintain manufacturing efficiency while providing extensive tuning capability for optimal thermal design power across different operating conditions.
3Reliability
If air flow rate is increased to improve cooling, then heat exchange efficiency improves, but energy losses and drag increase
Solution Approach 1:
The curved fin surfaces guide airflow smoothly through the heat exchange channels, reducing turbulence and pressure drops. This curvature design allows higher flow rates to be achieved with minimal energy loss, as the streamlined geometry minimizes flow separation and recirculation that would otherwise increase drag and reduce efficiency.
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 solution increases heat exchange efficiency, improves thermal design power, and reduces manufacturing costs compared to prior systems, while minimizing energy losses and drag.
Implementation Method 1
disrupt the flow of air over a surface of the plate to induce mixing between a comparatively slow hot air near the surface and a comparatively fast cool air in a middle of the channel
Implementation Method 2
a base plate, which transfers heat from a heat-producing component
Implementation Method 3
Convection-based cooling systems typically include fans, which drive a flow of air over the fin structure and transfer heat from the fin structure into the ambient environment
Implementation Method 4
the holes in the fins balance pressure between adjacent channels
Data Source
AI summary
Cooling systems including stacks with shark fin surface features. An example compute device including a heat-producing component, a stack thermally coupled to the heat-producing component, the stack including a first plate, a second plate, the first plate and the second plate defining a channel therebetween, a fin extending from a surface of the first plate into the channel, the fin including a first end adjacent to the surface, a second end distal to the surface, a spine extending between the first end and the second end, the spine inclined at an angle relative to the surface, and a fan to direct air through the channel.