Thermal Plate Stack for Cryogenic Circuit Card Cooling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current solutions for achieving desired operating temperatures in superconducting supercomputers, such as using dewars or cryocoolers, result in significant thermal parasitic load and latency due to long cables, making large-scale applications infeasible.
Innovation Solution
A scalable apparatus comprising a stack of card units with thin, planar thermal plates and a laterally extending plate coupler to maintain thermal plates at different temperatures, reducing thermal parasitic heat transfer and allowing close proximity of circuit card assemblies.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If dewars with liquid helium and liquid nitrogen are used for each cryogenic temperature, then the desired operating temperatures (4K and 77K) are achieved, but thermal parasitic load increases and system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple thermal plates (4K plate, 77K plate, and intermediate temperature plates) into a single integrated cryogenic circuit card assembly. This merging eliminates the need for separate dewars and long cables, reducing thermal parasitic load while maintaining the required temperature differential between 4K and 77K operating regions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a nested structure where thermal plates are stacked in transverse layers with intermediate temperature plates positioned between the 4K and 77K plates. This nesting arrangement creates a compact thermal gradient structure that minimizes conductive thermal paths while maintaining distinct temperature zones, thereby reducing thermal parasitic load.
2Temperature
If dewars with separate cabling are used for 4K and 77K regions, then temperature control is achieved, but latency increases and device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the 4K and 77K circuit card assemblies into a single integrated unit with direct transverse adjacency. This eliminates long interconnect cables between temperature zones, significantly reducing signal latency while maintaining precise temperature control through the stacked thermal plate structure.
3Length of moving object
If cryocooler with intermediate stage is used for both temperatures, then the two temperature sides are brought closer together, but scalability to large applications is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the cryogenic system into multiple independent thermal plates (4K plate, intermediate temperature plates, 77K plate) that can be stacked in transverse layers. This segmentation allows the system to be scaled by adding or removing card units while maintaining the required temperature differential, enabling scalability to large applications unlike a fixed cryocooler design.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from a single-dimensional cryocooler approach to a multi-dimensional stacked configuration where thermal plates are arranged in transverse layers. This dimensional change allows multiple card units to be stacked vertically, providing scalability while keeping temperature zones close together through the compact stacked architecture.
4Productivity
If circuit card assemblies are placed in close proximity, then thermal management efficiency improves, but thermal parasitic heat transfer between assemblies increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies different thermal properties to different regions of the circuit card assembly. The 4K thermal plate and 77K thermal plate are thermally isolated from each other through intermediate temperature plates and vacuum insulation, allowing close proximity placement for efficient thermal management while preventing thermal parasitic heat transfer between the cold and warm regions through localized thermal barriers.
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 enables efficient thermal management with low thermal parasitic heat transfer between circuit card assemblies at different temperatures, enhancing scalability and reducing power consumption.
Implementation Method 1
two longitudinally adjacent circuit card assemblies can be maintained in close spatial proximity to each other, each at a different temperature, with low thermal parasitic heat transfer between the two circuit card assemblies
Data Source
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AI summary
An apparatus for, and method of, providing a desired temperature-differential circuit card environment includes a plurality of card units. Each card unit comprises a first thermal plate having front and back first plate sides oriented in a lateral-longitudinal plane, the first thermal plate operating at a first plate temperature. A second thermal plate has front and back second plate sides oriented in the lateral-longitudinal plane, the second thermal plate operating at a second plate temperature. A coupler is oriented in the lateral-longitudinal plane and is connected to front and/or back first plate sides and to the front and/or back second plate sides to form a card unit. The card units are arranged in a transversely oriented stack with the front first and second plate sides of a second card unit being directly transversely adjacent the back first and second plate sides of the first card unit.