U.S. patent application number 12/748572 was filed with the patent office on 2011-09-29 for compact cold plate configuration utilizing ramped closure bars.
Invention is credited to Mark A. Zaffetti.
Application Number | 20110232882 12/748572 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 44148408 |
Filed Date | 2011-09-29 |
United States Patent
Application |
20110232882 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Zaffetti; Mark A. |
September 29, 2011 |
COMPACT COLD PLATE CONFIGURATION UTILIZING RAMPED CLOSURE BARS
Abstract
A method of communicating fluid through a cold plate includes
communicating fluid through an internal header.
Inventors: |
Zaffetti; Mark A.;
(Suffield, CT) |
Family ID: |
44148408 |
Appl. No.: |
12/748572 |
Filed: |
March 29, 2010 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
165/168 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H01L 2924/0002 20130101;
H01L 2924/0002 20130101; F28F 9/0246 20130101; H01L 23/473
20130101; F28F 3/12 20130101; F28F 3/08 20130101; H01L 2924/00
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
165/168 |
International
Class: |
F28F 3/12 20060101
F28F003/12 |
Goverment Interests
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT
[0001] This invention was made with government support with the
National Aeronautics and Space Administration under Contract No.:
NNJ06TA25C. The government therefore has certain rights in this
invention.
Claims
1. A cold plate assembly comprising: an internal header with a
fluid port, said fluid port in fluid communication with a fluid
path B fin structure in a second layer which contains said fluid
path B fin structure through a fluid outlet in a fluid path closure
bar in a first layer which contains a fluid path A fin
structure.
2. The cold plate assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein said
fluid outlet includes a ramped surface.
3. The cold plate assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein said
fluid outlet includes a stepped surface.
4. A cold plate assembly comprising: a port; an upper end sheet
mounted to said port; an upper parting sheet attached to said upper
end sheet, said upper parting sheet includes an opening in
communication with said port; a fluid path B closure bar attached
to said upper parting sheet, said fluid path B closure bar contains
a fluid path B fin structure and a fluid path B channel; a fluid
path A closure bar, said fluid path A closure bar contains a fluid
path A fin structure, said fluid path A closure bar defines a fluid
path A closure bar outlet in communication with said fluid path B
channel; a middle parting sheet attached between said fluid path B
closure bar and said fluid path A closure bar, said middle parting
sheet includes a first opening in communication with said fluid
path A closure bar outlet and a second opening in communication
with said port.
5. The cold plate assembly as recited in claim 4, wherein said
fluid path A closure bar outlet includes a ramped surface.
6. The cold plate assembly as recited in claim 4, wherein said
fluid path A closure bar outlet includes a stepped surface.
7. The cold plate assembly as recited in claim 4, wherein a lower
parting sheet is attached to said fluid path A closure bar opposite
said middle parting sheet.
8. The cold plate assembly as recited in claim 7, further
comprising a lower end sheet attached to said lower parting
sheet.
9. A method of communicating fluid through a cold plate comprising:
communicating fluid through an internal header of the cold plate,
the internal header communicates fluid through a fluid inlet which
passes through a common layer of the cold plate with a fluid
outlet.
10. A method as recited in claim 9, further comprising ramping the
fluid to a first layer which first receives the fluid from an inlet
port from a second layer which receives fluid from the first
layer.
11. A method as recited in claim 9, further comprising stepping the
fluid to a first layer which first receives the fluid from an inlet
port from a second layer which receives fluid from the first layer.
Description
BACKGROUND
[0002] The present disclosure relates to a heat transfer device,
and more particularly to a cold plate assembly.
[0003] Operation of high speed electronic components such as
microprocessors, graphics processors and other modules produces
heat. The heat may need to be removed for efficient operation. Heat
removal provides, for example, lower operating temperatures, higher
operating speeds, greater computing power and higher
reliability.
[0004] Cold plates are liquid cooled structures which provide a
heat transfer function for components mounted thereto. A header
which communicates the liquid into the cold plate is typically a
separate component attached to the main cold plate. The header may
increase the overall geometric envelope.
SUMMARY
[0005] A method of communicating fluid through a cold plate
according to an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure includes
communicating fluid through an internal header.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0006] Various features will become apparent to those skilled in
the art from the following detailed description of the disclosed
non-limiting embodiment. The drawings that accompany the detailed
description can be briefly described as follows:
[0007] FIG. 1 is a general exploded view of a cold plate assembly
and structural panel;
[0008] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the cold plate assembly;
[0009] FIG. 3 is a sectional view along line 3-3 in FIG. 2 through
an inlet port arrangement with an internal header for the cold
plate assembly;
[0010] FIG. 4 is an expanded view of an outlet port arrangement
with an internal header for the cold plate assembly;
[0011] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the cold plate assembly and
structural panel of FIG. 1;
[0012] FIG. 6 is a sectional view along line 6-6 in FIG. 2;
[0013] FIG. 7 is a partial assembled view of the cold plate
assembly at an upper fluid path layer;
[0014] FIG. 8 is a partial assembled view of the cold plate
assembly at middle parting sheet between an upper fluid path layer
and a lower fluid path layer;
[0015] FIG. 9 is a partial assembled view of the cold plate
assembly at a lower fluid path layer;
[0016] FIG. 10 is a partial assembled view of the cold plate
assembly at a upper parting sheet level above an upper fluid path
layer; and
[0017] FIG. 11 is a sectional view of another non-limiting
embodiment of the internal header along line 6-6 in FIG. 2.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0018] FIG. 1 schematically illustrates a cold plate assembly 20.
The cold plate assembly 20 is typically mounted to a support panel
22. The support panel 22 may be fabricated from an upper face sheet
24A and a lower face sheet 24B which sandwich a frame 28 and a core
30 such as a honeycomb core therebetween. The support panel 22 is
typically assembled with an adhesive to bond the upper face sheet
24A and the lower face sheet 24B to the frame 28 and the core 30.
It should be understood that the cold plate assembly 20 may be
mounted to various components other than the support panel 22
through fasteners, adhesives or various combinations thereof.
[0019] The cold plate assembly 20 generally includes an upper end
sheet 40, an upper parting sheet 42, a fluid path B closure bar 44,
a fluid path B fin structure 46 (illustrated schematically), a
middle parting sheet 48, a fluid path A closure bar 50, a fluid
path A fin structure 52 (illustrated schematically), a lower
parting sheet 54 and a lower end sheet 56. In one non-limiting
embodiment, the upper end sheet 40 may be manufactured of 3004
Aluminum with a nominal thickness of 0.04 inches (1 mm), the upper
parting sheet 42 may be manufactured of a braze material, such as
CT-23, or a Multiclad alloy with a nominal thickness of 0.016
inches (0.4 mm), the fluid path B closure bar 44 may be
manufactured of 6951 Aluminum with a nominal thickness of 0.05
inches (1.3 mm), the fluid path B fin structure 46 may be
manufactured of 6951 Aluminum with a nominal thickness of 0.005
inches (0.13 mm), the middle parting sheet 48 may be manufactured
of a braze material, such as CT-23, or a Multiclad alloy with a
nominal thickness of 0.016 inches (0.4 mm), the fluid path A
closure bar 50 may be manufactured of 6951 Aluminum with a nominal
thickness of 0.05 inches (1.3 mm), the fluid path A fin structure
52 may be manufactured of 6951 Aluminum with a nominal thickness of
0.005 inches (0.13 mm), the lower parting sheet 54 may be
manufactured of a braze material, such as CT-23, or a Multiclad
alloy with a nominal thickness of 0.016 inches (0.4 mm) and the
lower end sheet 56 may be manufactured of 3004 Aluminum with a
nominal thickness of 0.04 inches (1 mm). It should be understood
that various materials and nominal thickness may alternatively be
utilized.
[0020] The parting sheets 42, 48 and 54 include a braze alloy that
melts during a brazing process that creates an integral assembly
between the sheets 40-56. It should be understood that other
bonding or assembly methods may alternatively or additionally be
utilized.
[0021] Generally, the assembly is brazed together such that: the
upper end sheet 40 is brazed to the upper parting sheet 42; the
upper parting sheet 42 is brazed to the upper end sheet 40, the
path B closure bar 44 and the fluid path B fin structure 46; the
fluid path B closure bar 44 is brazed to the upper parting sheet 42
and the middle parting sheet 48; the fluid path B fin structure 46
is brazed to the upper parting sheet 42 and the middle parting
sheet 48; the middle parting sheet 48 is brazed to the fluid path B
fin structure 46, the fluid path B closure bar 44, the fluid path A
fin structure 52 and the fluid path A closure bar 50; the fluid
path A closure bar 50 is brazed to the middle parting sheet 48 and
to the lower parting sheet 54; the fluid path A fin structure 52 is
brazed to the middle parting sheet 48 and to the lower parting
sheet 54; and the lower parting sheet 54 is brazed to the fluid
path A fin structure 52, the fluid path A closure bar 50 and the
lower end sheet 56.
[0022] Referring to FIG. 2, an inlet header assembly 32A with a
first inlet port 34A-1 and a second inlet port 34A-2 communicates
fluid into the cold plate assembly 20. The first inlet port 34A-1
and the second inlet port 34A-2 are in fluid communication with a
respective first and second fluid layer first through a single
layer (FIG. 3). Fluid is communicated from the respective fluid
layers through an outlet header assembly 34B having a first outlet
port 34B-1 and second outlet port 34B-2 (FIG. 4) to circulate the
fluid through a fluid system 38 as generally understood
(illustrated schematically; FIG. 5). It should be understood that
although a single outlet port in the outlet header assembly 34B
will be described in detail herein, at least one port in the inlet
header assembly 32A may also be constructed generally in accords
therewith but need not be described in specific detail herein.
[0023] Referring to FIG. 6, the second inlet port 34A-2 (FIG. 3)
communicates with an upper fluid layer path B--through
communication of the fluid first through the lower fluid
layer--path A--prior to communication out through outlet port
34B-2. That is, communication through the fluid outlet port 34B-2
from the upper fluid path B layer is actually first communicated to
the lower fluid path A layer in the fluid path A closure bar 50 but
not into the fluid path A fin structure 52 which defines the
separate fluid layer. It should be understood that the lower fluid
path A layer does not require a similar flow path as the upper
fluid path B layer already provides the necessary clearance for
internal header flow.
[0024] From the upper fluid path B fin structure 46 layer, fluid is
communicated through a channel 44C (FIG. 7) and through an inlet
aperture 481 in the middle parting sheet 48 (FIG. 8). Fluid is
communicated down a ramp 50R formed in the fluid path A closure bar
50 (FIG. 9) to flow adjacent the lower parting sheet 54 at the
lower fluid path A fin structure 52 but separated therefrom by the
fluid path A closure bar 50. That is, the fluid path A closure bar
50 receives fluid flow from the upper fluid path B layer but does
not communicated the fluid into the lower fluid path A fin
structure 52.
[0025] The fluid from the ramp 50R is then communicated upward
through a middle parting sheet outlet aperture 48o (FIG. 8) in the
middle parting sheet 48 then through an aligned outlet 44o in the
fluid path B closure bar 44 (FIG. 7). The fluid from the aligned
outlet 44o is communicated through an aligned aperture 42o through
the upper parting sheet 42 (FIG. 10) then out through the outlet
port 34B-2 which is attached thereto adjacent to the upper end
sheet 40.
[0026] In another non-limiting embodiment, the ramp 50R is replaced
with a step 50S. (FIG. 11). It should be understood that various
other geometric arrangements may alternatively or additionally be
provided.
[0027] The internal header eliminates the heretofor requirement of
an external header through usage of the fluid path A closure bar
and the fluid path B closure bar area to communicate fluid from an
adjacent level. That is, the fluid is communicated from an upper
fluid layer to the lower fluid layer prior to communication out
through the outlet port 34B. This arrangement permits the fluid
inlet port to be communicated into the same layer that the fluid
exits because the ramp has passed the fluid back to the adjacent
lower layer. The overall geometric envelope of the cold plate
assembly 20 is thereby reduced. Total part count and weight
reduction is provided through the elimination of external header
components as there is no separate external header assembly for the
fluid inlet and outlet. Furthermore, a more structurally sound cold
plate assembly results as the external header area is eliminated as
a potential area for failure.
[0028] It should be understood that like reference numerals
identify corresponding or similar elements throughout the several
drawings. It should also be understood that although a particular
component arrangement is disclosed in the illustrated embodiment,
other arrangements will benefit herefrom.
[0029] Although particular step sequences are shown, described, and
claimed, it should be understood that steps may be performed in any
order, separated or combined unless otherwise indicated and will
still benefit from the present disclosure.
[0030] The foregoing description is exemplary rather than defined
by the limitations within. Various non-limiting embodiments are
disclosed herein, however, one of ordinary skill in the art would
recognize that various modifications and variations in light of the
above teachings will fall within the scope of the appended claims.
It is therefore to be understood that within the scope of the
appended claims, the disclosure may be practiced other than as
specifically described. For that reason the appended claims should
be studied to determine true scope and content.
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