Thermal Shunt Enclosure for Printed Circuit Board Heat Dissipation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional air transport rack (ATR) systems are bulky and inefficient in heat dissipation, especially as electronic components miniaturize, leading to increased power density and thermal challenges, with existing cooling methods being costly, heavy, and prone to failure.
Innovation Solution
A modular electronic component system featuring a thermally conductive shell with a thermal shunt and enhanced heat dissipation means, including a thermally conductive path from the circuit board to multiple surfaces of the enclosure, allowing for efficient heat transfer without the need for machined channels, reducing weight and failure points.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If conventional ATR boxes are used to package miniaturized components, then the components are housed, but the box volume becomes needlessly large and contributes unnecessary weight
Solution Approach 1:
The invention divides the traditional monolithic ATR box into modular components: a removable front panel with integrated heat dissipation features, a rear panel, and side walls. This segmentation allows for optimized thermal management while reducing overall volume requirements compared to conventional solid-constructed ATR boxes.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention transitions from conventional air-cooling approaches to a heat spreader-based thermal management system that utilizes the surface area of the front panel. By distributing heat across a larger surface area in a different dimensional approach, the system achieves effective cooling in a more compact volume.
2Temperature
If air cooling is used to dissipate heat from densely packed components, then heat dissipation is achieved, but additional components such as fans and filters increase cost and weight
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the heat dissipation function from complex active cooling systems (fans, filters) and implements it through a passive heat spreader integrated into the front panel. This removes unnecessary components while maintaining effective heat dissipation capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The heat spreader is designed to passively dissipate heat through its thermal conductivity and surface area without requiring external power sources or moving parts. The system serves its own cooling needs through the inherent thermal properties of the heat spreader material and structure.
3Temperature
If water or liquid cooling is used to dissipate heat, then heat dissipation is improved, but the system becomes more expensive, heavy, and includes additional components that may fail
Solution Approach 1:
The invention replaces complex liquid cooling systems with a passive thermal management approach using a heat spreader. This substitution eliminates pumps, reservoirs, and coolant lines, thereby improving reliability while maintaining heat dissipation effectiveness.
4Temperature
If heat spreaders are used to disperse heat to heat sinks, then heat dissipation is achieved, but the contact area between circuit board edges and heat sink grooves is limited, reducing heat transfer efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The invention merges the heat spreader function directly with the front panel structure, creating an integrated assembly. This integration eliminates the need for separate heat sink grooves and locking mechanisms, thereby increasing the effective heat transfer contact area while simplifying the overall structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The front panel serves multiple functions: it provides structural support, enables module insertion/removal, and acts as a heat spreader. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate dedicated heat sink components, thereby increasing the heat transfer surface area.
5Temperature
If Wedge-Lock retainers are used to mount heat sinks, then heat dissipation is achieved, but mechanical overhead increases due to locking adapters and machined channels
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and eliminates the Wedge-Lock retainer mechanism entirely, replacing it with a simpler integrated mounting approach where the heat spreader is formed as part of the front panel structure. This removes the need for separate locking adapters and machined channels.
Solution Approach 2:
The heat spreader mounting function is merged with the front panel structure itself, eliminating the need for separate mounting hardware. The integrated design allows direct attachment of heat dissipation components to the panel without intermediate locking mechanisms.
6Volume of moving object
If conventional ATR boxes are miniaturized, then space and weight are reduced, but thermal management becomes more challenging due to increased power density
Solution Approach 1:
The invention addresses thermal management in miniaturized systems by utilizing surface area expansion through the front panel heat spreader. By distributing heat across a larger two-dimensional surface area, the system effectively manages thermal density in a compact three-dimensional volume.
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 system achieves significant compactness and improved thermal management, reducing volume by half compared to traditional ATR boxes while maintaining effective heat dissipation with lower flux density and reduced mechanical overhead, enhancing reliability and efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
A thermal shunt comprised of a thermally conductive material is disposed between the circuit board and the front surface of the enclosure and provides a thermally conductive path between at least some of the electronic components and the front surface of the enclosure
Implementation Method 2
the front surface of the enclosure conducts heat to at least one of the top, left, and right surfaces of the enclosure
Data Source
AI summary
A modular electronic component includes a circuit board having disposed thereon one or more electronic components and an enclosure for housing the circuit board. The enclosure comprises a thermally conductive shell having front and back surfaces being substantially parallel to the plane of the circuit board and being disposed on opposite sides of the circuit board from each other, left and right surfaces being substantially perpendicular to the plane of the circuit board and being disposed on opposite sides of the circuit board from each other, and top and bottom surfaces being substantially perpendicular to the left and right surfaces and substantially perpendicular to the top and bottom surfaces and being disposed on opposite sides of the circuit board from each other. A thermal shunt comprised of a thermally conductive material is disposed between the circuit board and the front surface of the enclosure and provides a thermally conductive path between at least some of the electronic components and the front surface of the enclosure, where the front surface of the enclosure conducts heat to at least one of the top, left, and right surfaces of the enclosure.