Two-Phase Heat Sink With Expansion Chamber for HPC Cooling

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing heat sink technologies are inefficient in effectively managing thermal dissipation from electronic components, particularly in high-performance computing devices where heat generation is significant.

Innovation Solution

A heat sink with an expansion chamber that adiabatically expands a working fluid, utilizing an orifice and flaring passage to vaporize and transfer heat from the heat source to the working fluid, enhancing thermal management through vaporization and adiabatic expansion.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If traditional heat sink designs are used, then the structure is simple, but thermal dissipation efficiency is insufficient for high-performance computing devices

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvethermal dissipation efficiencyVSAvoidheat sink structure complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The heat sink body is divided into multiple functional zones including a liquid phase region, vapor phase region, and two-phase region separated by transverse partitions and longitudinal baffles. This segmentation allows independent optimization of each zone for specific thermal management functions, improving overall thermal dissipation efficiency while maintaining manageable structural complexity through modular design

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The heat sink employs nested structures where longitudinal baffles are positioned within the body, transverse partitions create compartments that contain the baffles, and electronic components are nested within the liquid phase region. This nested arrangement maximizes heat transfer surface area within a compact volume, enhancing thermal efficiency without proportionally increasing external dimensions

Inventive Principle:

Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

2Power

If high-performance computing devices are used, then computational power increases, but heat generation becomes significant and difficult to manage

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecomputational powerVSAvoidheat generation

Core Design Contradiction:

PowerVSTemperature

Solution Approach 1:

The heat sink utilizes phase transition of the working fluid from liquid to vapor in the two-phase region, where electronic components are immersed in liquid that absorbs heat and vaporizes upon contact with heated surfaces. This phase change process provides high latent heat absorption, effectively managing the significant heat generation from high-power computing devices

Inventive Principle:

Principle #36Phase transitions

Solution Approach 2:

The system changes the physical state parameters of the working fluid through controlled pressure and temperature variations. The liquid phase region maintains high pressure to keep the working fluid in liquid state for immersion, while the vapor phase region allows pressure reduction to facilitate vaporization, dynamically adjusting parameters to optimize heat transfer at different stages

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

3Productivity

If working fluid is vaporized to cool the heat sink, then thermal management efficiency improves, but the working fluid temperature must be reduced effectively

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvethermal management efficiencyVSAvoidcooling process time

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The working fluid is pre-cooled in the liquid phase region before entering the two-phase region where vaporization occurs. This preliminary cooling ensures the fluid is at optimal temperature for efficient phase change, reducing the time required for effective heat absorption and vaporization in subsequent stages

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The heat sink maintains continuous circulation of the working fluid through coordinated operation of the liquid phase region, vapor phase region, and two-phase region. The transverse partitions and longitudinal baffles ensure continuous flow paths, preventing stagnation and maintaining uninterrupted heat transfer and phase change processes, which reduces overall cooling cycle time

Inventive Principle:

Principle #20Continuity of useful action

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 effectively cools the heat sink by vaporizing the working fluid, reducing its temperature and transferring heat away from the electronic components, thereby improving thermal management efficiency.

Implementation Method 1

an expansion chamber configured to expand a working fluid from an inlet port of the heat sink to an outlet port of the heat sink

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectAdiabatic expansion: Adiabatic Cooling

Implementation Method 2

The solution effectively cools the heat sink by vaporizing the working fluid, reducing its temperature and transferring heat away from the electronic components

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectVaporization: Evaporation

Data Source

PatentUS12501580B2Systems and methods for two-phase cooling of electronic components

Publication Date: 2025.12.16 MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING LLC

AI summary

A heat sink includes a body with an expansion chamber therein. The body is configured to receive heat from a heat source. The expansion chamber is configured to expand a working fluid from an inlet port to an outlet port of the heat sink. An immersion system includes a heat sink and a pressurizing mechanism for pressurizing the working fluid prior to the inlet port.