US20080104840A1 - Heat transfer unit extrusion process - Google Patents
Heat transfer unit extrusion process Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- US20080104840A1 US20080104840A1 US11/593,202 US59320206A US2008104840A1 US 20080104840 A1 US20080104840 A1 US 20080104840A1 US 59320206 A US59320206 A US 59320206A US 2008104840 A1 US2008104840 A1 US 2008104840A1
- Authority
- US
- United States
- Prior art keywords
- heat transfer
- transfer unit
- set forth
- unit housing
- extruded portion
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Abandoned
Links
Images
Classifications
-
- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F28—HEAT EXCHANGE IN GENERAL
- F28D—HEAT-EXCHANGE APPARATUS, NOT PROVIDED FOR IN ANOTHER SUBCLASS, IN WHICH THE HEAT-EXCHANGE MEDIA DO NOT COME INTO DIRECT CONTACT
- F28D15/00—Heat-exchange apparatus with the intermediate heat-transfer medium in closed tubes passing into or through the conduit walls ; Heat-exchange apparatus employing intermediate heat-transfer medium or bodies
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B21—MECHANICAL METAL-WORKING WITHOUT ESSENTIALLY REMOVING MATERIAL; PUNCHING METAL
- B21C—MANUFACTURE OF METAL SHEETS, WIRE, RODS, TUBES OR PROFILES, OTHERWISE THAN BY ROLLING; AUXILIARY OPERATIONS USED IN CONNECTION WITH METAL-WORKING WITHOUT ESSENTIALLY REMOVING MATERIAL
- B21C23/00—Extruding metal; Impact extrusion
- B21C23/02—Making uncoated products
- B21C23/04—Making uncoated products by direct extrusion
- B21C23/14—Making other products
-
- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F28—HEAT EXCHANGE IN GENERAL
- F28F—DETAILS OF HEAT-EXCHANGE AND HEAT-TRANSFER APPARATUS, OF GENERAL APPLICATION
- F28F3/00—Plate-like or laminated elements; Assemblies of plate-like or laminated elements
- F28F3/12—Elements constructed in the shape of a hollow panel, e.g. with channels
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
- G06F—ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING
- G06F1/00—Details not covered by groups G06F3/00 - G06F13/00 and G06F21/00
- G06F1/16—Constructional details or arrangements
- G06F1/20—Cooling means
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
- H01L21/00—Processes or apparatus adapted for the manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or solid state devices or of parts thereof
- H01L21/02—Manufacture or treatment of semiconductor devices or of parts thereof
- H01L21/04—Manufacture or treatment of semiconductor devices or of parts thereof the devices having at least one potential-jump barrier or surface barrier, e.g. PN junction, depletion layer or carrier concentration layer
- H01L21/48—Manufacture or treatment of parts, e.g. containers, prior to assembly of the devices, using processes not provided for in a single one of the subgroups H01L21/06 - H01L21/326
- H01L21/4814—Conductive parts
- H01L21/4871—Bases, plates or heatsinks
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
- H01L23/00—Details of semiconductor or other solid state devices
- H01L23/34—Arrangements for cooling, heating, ventilating or temperature compensation ; Temperature sensing arrangements
- H01L23/46—Arrangements for cooling, heating, ventilating or temperature compensation ; Temperature sensing arrangements involving the transfer of heat by flowing fluids
- H01L23/473—Arrangements for cooling, heating, ventilating or temperature compensation ; Temperature sensing arrangements involving the transfer of heat by flowing fluids by flowing liquids
-
- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F28—HEAT EXCHANGE IN GENERAL
- F28F—DETAILS OF HEAT-EXCHANGE AND HEAT-TRANSFER APPARATUS, OF GENERAL APPLICATION
- F28F2255/00—Heat exchanger elements made of materials having special features or resulting from particular manufacturing processes
- F28F2255/16—Heat exchanger elements made of materials having special features or resulting from particular manufacturing processes extruded
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
- H01L2924/00—Indexing scheme for arrangements or methods for connecting or disconnecting semiconductor or solid-state bodies as covered by H01L24/00
- H01L2924/0001—Technical content checked by a classifier
- H01L2924/0002—Not covered by any one of groups H01L24/00, H01L24/00 and H01L2224/00
-
- Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
- Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
- Y10T—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION
- Y10T29/00—Metal working
- Y10T29/49—Method of mechanical manufacture
- Y10T29/4935—Heat exchanger or boiler making
Definitions
- processors and other heat-generating components which are becoming increasingly more powerful and generating increasing amounts of heat.
- more powerful cooling systems are required to prevent these components from thermal overload and resulting system malfunctions or slowdowns.
- Cooling systems which use a liquid or gas or a combination there of to cool these heat generating components are becoming increasingly needed and more viable. These systems utilize heat transfer units thermally coupled to the heat generating components for absorbing or extracting heat from the heat generating components into a coolant flowing there through. The coolant, now heated, is directed to a heat exchanger where heat is dissipated from the coolant, creating cooled coolant and returned to the heat transfer unit to repeat the cycle.
- the heat transfer units typically comprise a housing with a cavity there through for the coolant to flow through.
- the contact surface (with the heat generating components) must have excellent thermal transfer capability and a wide variety of materials can be used such as copper.
- a method for fabricating a portion of a heat transfer unit used for cooling heat-generating components in an electronic system comprising the step of extruding a first material to form an extruded portion of one or more heat transfer unit housings.
- the method as described above further comprising the steps of adjusting the first material to a malleable state; forming the malleable first material into the shape of the extruded portion of the heat transfer unit housing; and hardening the extruded portion of the heat transfer unit housing.
- step of forming the malleable first material into the shape of the extruded portion of the heat transfer unit housing comprises inserting the malleable first material into and through a die.
- the method as described above further comprising the additional step of adjusting the extruded portion of the heat transfer unit housing to a desired length.
- the extruded portion of the heat transfer unit housing is a body having a cavity therethrough, the method further comprising the additional step of closing one or more ends of the extruded portion shortly after the extrusion exits the die and while the material is still malleable thereby resulting an enclosed cavity.
- the extruded portion of the heat transfer unit housing is a body having a cavity therethrough, the method further comprising the additional step of closing one or more ends by applying pressure to change the shape of the extrusion thereby resulting an enclosed cavity.
- the extruded portion of the heat transfer unit housing is a body having a cavity therethrough, the method further comprising the additional step of closing one or more ends by applying additional material thereby resulting an enclosed cavity.
- the extruded portion of the heat transfer unit housing is a partial housing with at least one open side, the method further comprising the additional steps of forming a multi-sided, second portion of the heat transfer unit housing from a second material; and attaching the second portion to the extruded portion of the heat transfer unit thereby forming an enclosed cavity.
- the second portion of the heat transfer unit housing has one or more openings and means coupled to the openings for mating with a coolant pathway.
- the extruded portion of the heat transfer unit housing is a partial housing having an open surface and no ends, the method further comprising the additional steps of forming ends to the extruded portion of the heat transfer unit housing thereby forming a housing with an open or partially open surface.
- ends are formed by attaching one or more end plates to the extruded portion of the heat transfer unit housing, the ends having an opening and means coupled to the openings for mating with a coolant pathway.
- the method as described above further comprising the additional step of attaching the heat transfer unit housing to the surface of a heat-generating component such that the open or partially open surface of the heat transfer unit is coupled to such surface of the heat-generating component, whereby, in operation, coolant circulating through the heat transfer unit can directly contact the surface of the heat-generating component to be cooled.
- the method as described above further comprising the additional step of attaching a third material to the ends and the extruded portion of the heat transfer unit housing thereby eliminating the open surface of the heat transfer unit and forming a heat transfer unit with an enclosed cavity.
- FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a cooling system.
- FIG. 2A is a cross-sectional view of a die for extruding a portion of the heat transfer unit.
- FIG. 2B is a three-dimensional view of the portion of the heat transfer unit extruded from the die of FIG. 2A .
- FIG. 2C is a front view of an end piece to be attached to the portion of the heat transfer unit of FIG. 2B .
- FIG. 3A is a cross-sectional view of another die for extruding a portion of the heat transfer unit.
- FIG. 3B is a three-dimensional view of the portion of the heat transfer unit extruded from the die of FIG. 3A .
- FIG. 3C is a three-dimensional view of a second portion of the heat transfer unit to be attached to the portion of the heat transfer unit of FIG. 3B .
- FIG. 4A is a cross-sectional view of another die for extruding a portion of the heat transfer unit.
- FIG. 4B is a three-dimensional view of the portion of the heat transfer unit extruded from the die of FIG. 3A .
- FIG. 4C is a front view of an end piece to be attached to the portion of the heat transfer unit of FIG. 4B .
- FIG. 5 is a three-dimensional an assembled of a heat transfer unit.
- the present invention may be utilized to make heat transfer units for a number of computing, communications, and personal convenience applications.
- the heat transfer units made with the present invention could be implemented in a variety of servers, workstations, exchanges, networks, controllers, digital switches, routers, personal computers which are portable or stationary, optical, data processing units, cell phones, and personal digital assistants (PDAs) and many others.
- PDAs personal digital assistants
- Heat transfer units made with the present invention are equally applicable to a number of heat-generating components (e.g., central processing units, optical devices, data storage devices, digital signal processors or any component that generates significant heat in operation) within such systems. Furthermore, the dissipation of heat in this cooling system may be accomplished in any number of ways by a heat exchange unit of various designs, but which are not discussed in detail in this application.
- heat-generating components e.g., central processing units, optical devices, data storage devices, digital signal processors or any component that generates significant heat in operation
- the dissipation of heat in this cooling system may be accomplished in any number of ways by a heat exchange unit of various designs, but which are not discussed in detail in this application.
- FIG. 1 a schematic diagram of a cooling system 100 is depicted.
- a heat-generating component 101 such as, but not limited to, a micro-processor, to be cooled is thermally coupled to a heat transfer unit 102 .
- the heat transfer unit is depicted with an outlet 103 and an inlet 104 .
- a coolant pathway 108 A/ 108 B connects the outlet 103 of the heat transfer unit 102 to the inlet 106 of a heat exchange unit or dissipater 105 .
- a coolant pathway 109 A/ 109 B connects the outlet 107 of the heat exchange unit 105 to the inlet 104 of a heat transfer unit 102 .
- the coolant follows the directional arrows depicted. Cooled coolant enters the inlet 104 of the heat transfer unit 102 . Heat from the heat generating component 101 is transferred to the coolant thereby creating heated coolant and cooling the heat generating component. The heated coolant exits the heat transfer unit through outlet 103 and then, via coolant pathway 108 A/ 108 B enters the heat exchange unit 105 through inlet 106 . The heat exchange unit dissipates heat from the coolant thereby creating cooled coolant which exits the heat exchange unit through outlet 107 and is returned to the heat transfer unit via coolant pathway 109 A/ 109 B. This cycle is continuously repeated.
- the coolant in the system 100 may be water or a mixture such as, for example, a propylene glycol based coolant or a gas.
- the outlet 103 of the heat transfer unit 102 and the inlet 106 of the heat exchange unit 105 are depicted as being above the inlet 104 and the outlet 107 , respectively. Whenever possible, the arrangement should be chosen to let convective circulation assist with the circulation of the coolant through the system.
- coolant pathways 108 A/ 108 B and 109 A/ 109 B may be a single conduit or a combination of components as shown and connected with connectors as required.
- the heat exchange unit 105 may be one of a variety of types of heat exchange units such as those discussed in cross-referenced pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/688,587.
- the heat transfer unit 102 is depicted as a rectangular housing with a hollow cavity there through.
- One surface of the heat transfer unit is thermally coupled to the heat generating component 101 .
- the present invention is not limited to heat transfer units of rectangular shape and that other shapes may be used.
- the only limitation on the shape of the heat transfer unit 102 is that it should cover the surface of the heat generating component 101 to which it is thermally coupled and be of a shape and contour that will facilitate a good thermal coupling with the surface of the heat generating component 101 .
- FIG. 5 a complete heat transfer unit 501 made using the present invention is depicted. It will be understood that the heat transfer unit 501 , including the inlet 502 and the outlet 503 , is the result when the process described in FIGS. 2A , 2 B and 2 C, or FIGS. 3A , 3 B and 3 C or FIGS. 4A , 4 B and 4 C is used.
- FIG. 2A a cross-sectional view of a die 201 for forming a portion of the heat transfer unit 202 in FIG. 2B housing is depicted.
- the die 201 is shaped such that, when a malleable material is inserted into and through the die 201 (or forced through the die 201 ), a rectangular shaped casing will result when it exits the die 201 .
- any shape for the housing can be selected merely by forming the die correspondingly.
- a material such as copper, brass, aluminum or a variety of other materials is heated or adjusted to the point of malleability.
- the material it is preferable to adjust the material so that it is malleable, but not liquid, and can be easily extruded through the die 201 and still retain the desired shape after exiting the die 201 .
- Materials not requiring heat malleability can also be used in this process, including, but not limited to, epoxies, composites, plastics, phenol formaldehyde or a wide variety of other materials and/or any combination of these materials.
- Malleable and non-malleable materials may be combined in the extrusion process or after the extrusion process.
- FIG. 2B the resulting housing for the heat transfer unit 202 after being formed by the die is depicted.
- the housing is cut or otherwise adjusted or altered to the desired length to appropriately couple to the heat generating component that it eventually will be used to cool.
- the resulting housing for the portion of heat transfer unit 202 in the example depicted in FIG. 2B , then will be rectangular in shape with no end pieces.
- the die 201 in FIG. 2A is depicted such that the thickness of each side of the resulting portion of the heat transfer unit 202 is the same. It will be appreciated, however, that this is not a requirement and that the thicknesses of each side may vary. In fact, it may be preferable to form the die such that one side of the resulting portion of the housing for the heat transfer unit 202 is substantially thinner or thicker than the others. The resulting side of the heat transfer unit housing 202 would then be used as the side which is thermally coupled to the heat generating component. This is preferable because the ability to vary the thickness allows the head transfer unit to produce different results to suite a wide variety of applications.
- FIG. 2C a side view of an end plate 203 for the housing 202 is depicted.
- the end plate 203 is depicted with an opening and coupling mechanism 204 .
- An end plate 203 is fastened to both open ends of the portion of the heat transfer unit 202 by welding or any number of suitable methods to form the complete heat transfer unit 501 as shown in FIG. 5 .
- the end plates may be made from any suitable material and need not be the same material as used the extruded portion of the heat transfer unit 202 .
- a hole may be cut or drilled into the end plate and a coupling mechanism assembled thereto to form a device for coupling with the coolant pathway.
- the complete heat transfer unit 501 When the complete heat transfer unit 501 is assembled, it has an appropriate inlet 502 and outlet 503 .
- the two hole and coupling assemblies 204 may be disposed on the portion of the heat transfer unit 202 instead of on the end plate(s) 203 .
- the housing 202 could be made oversized enough so that the open ends could be crimped or otherwise forced together to form an enclosed housing.
- the housing could be machined at both open ends to create flaps that can be folded over and sealed together to form a sealed, enclosed housing.
- the open ends could also be sealed with a wide variety of other materials such as, but not limited to, epoxies, polymers, or other suitable materials. It should also be appreciated that any combination of these methods can be utilized to close the extrusion.
- the open ends may also be closed with tubes or conduits inserted in the opening, the opening could be sealed by any of the methods previously mentioned.
- FIG. 3A a cross-sectional view of a die 301 for forming a portion of the heat transfer unit 302 in FIG. 3B housing is depicted.
- This die 301 is similar to the die 201 in FIG. 2A except that the resulting portion of the heat transfer unit 302 only has 3 sides.
- any shape for the housing can be selected merely by forming the die correspondingly.
- the die 301 could be formed such that the shape of the housing 302 is a half-cylinder as long as the other portion of the heat transfer unit 303 is formed to assemble or mate with it.
- the portion of the heat transfer unit 302 is then formed in the same manner as that described for FIGS. 2A and 2B .
- the mating piece 303 for the portion of the heat transfer unit 302 depicted in FIG. 3B is depicted.
- the mating piece 303 may be formed from a sheet of any suitable material that is bent, for example, along the lines shown at 306 and 307 to form a mating piece for the portion of the heat transfer unit 302 .
- other means may be employed to fabricate piece 303 including the extrusion process of the present invention.
- a die similar to die 301 may be made to produce in one step the mating piece 303 . This die may also be constructed such that the three sides of the resulting mating piece 303 have different thicknesses as desired.
- One advantage of the process described for FIGS. 3A , 3 B and 3 C to construct the heat transfer unit 501 over the process described for FIGS. 2A , 2 B and 2 C occurs when it is desirable to use different materials in the heat transfer unit 501 .
- hole and mating assemblies 304 and 305 may be disposed on the portion of the heat transfer unit housing 302 instead of mating piece 303 .
- FIG. 4A a cross-sectional view of a die 401 for forming a portion of the heat transfer unit 402 in FIG. 4B housing is depicted.
- This die 401 is similar to the die 301 in FIG. 3A .
- the resulting portion of heat transfer unit 402 is similar to the resulting porting of the heat transfer unit 302 .
- any shape for the housing can be selected merely by forming the die correspondingly.
- the die 401 could be formed such that the shape of the housing 402 is a half-cylinder as long as the end plate(s) 403 is/are formed to be assembled or mated with it.
- the portion of the heat transfer unit 402 is then formed in the same manner as that described for FIGS. 3A and 3B .
- FIG. 4C a side view of an end plate 403 for the housing 402 is depicted.
- the end plate 403 is similar to the end plate 203 in FIG. 2C and is fastened or secured to the housing 402 in a similar manner as that described above.
- a heat transfer unit 501 is formed which has an open surface.
- the open surface of the heat transfer unit must be sized to create a tight seal with the surface of the heat generating component so that coolant cannot leak or escape.
Abstract
An extrusion process for forming heat transfer units or portions thereof for use in a cooling system for cooling heat generating components in an electronic system. Several embodiments of the present invention are presented. In one embodiment, a material is extruded through a die and a housing is formed that can be used as the housing or a portion thereof, for the heat transfer unit.
Description
- Reference is made to pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/688,587 filed Oct. 18, 2003 for a detailed description of cooling systems and various heat transfer units and heat exchangers and their operation.
- At the heart of data processing and telecommunication devices are processors and other heat-generating components which are becoming increasingly more powerful and generating increasing amounts of heat. As a result, more powerful cooling systems are required to prevent these components from thermal overload and resulting system malfunctions or slowdowns.
- Traditional cooling approaches such as heat sinks and heat pipes are unable to practically keep up with this growing heat problem. As these components become increasingly more powerful, the size and weight of air-cooled solutions become more problematic as well. In smaller housings or rack mounted systems, the space required for air-cooled solutions becomes unacceptable. Cooling systems which use a liquid or gas or a combination there of to cool these heat generating components are becoming increasingly needed and more viable. These systems utilize heat transfer units thermally coupled to the heat generating components for absorbing or extracting heat from the heat generating components into a coolant flowing there through. The coolant, now heated, is directed to a heat exchanger where heat is dissipated from the coolant, creating cooled coolant and returned to the heat transfer unit to repeat the cycle.
- The heat transfer units typically comprise a housing with a cavity there through for the coolant to flow through. The contact surface (with the heat generating components) must have excellent thermal transfer capability and a wide variety of materials can be used such as copper.
- Currently, these heat transfer units are produced by a variety of methods which are not optimal
- Thus, there is a need in the art for a method to cost-effectively produce heat transfer units seamless and fast method of thermally coupling heat transfer units to heat generating components on line. There is also a need in the art for a cost-effective conduit arrangement which will retain its shape and not deter coolant flow when bent or formed to curve or angle and which will not create undesired suction effects on the coolant transport system.
- A method for fabricating a portion of a heat transfer unit used for cooling heat-generating components in an electronic system comprising the step of extruding a first material to form an extruded portion of one or more heat transfer unit housings.
- The method as described above further comprising the steps of adjusting the first material to a malleable state; forming the malleable first material into the shape of the extruded portion of the heat transfer unit housing; and hardening the extruded portion of the heat transfer unit housing.
- The method as described above wherein the step of forming the malleable first material into the shape of the extruded portion of the heat transfer unit housing comprises inserting the malleable first material into and through a die.
- The method as described above wherein the die is configured such that at least one side of the extruded portion of the heat transfer unit housing has a different thickness than the other sides.
- The method as described above further comprising the additional step of adjusting the extruded portion of the heat transfer unit housing to a desired length.
- The method as described above wherein the extruded portion of the heat transfer unit housing is a body having a cavity therethrough, the method further comprising the additional step of closing one or more ends of the extruded portion shortly after the extrusion exits the die and while the material is still malleable thereby resulting an enclosed cavity.
- The method as described above wherein the extruded portion of the heat transfer unit housing is a body having a cavity therethrough, the method further comprising the additional step of closing one or more ends in a separate process thereby resulting an enclosed cavity.
- The method as described above wherein the extruded portion of the heat transfer unit housing is a body having a cavity therethrough, the method further comprising the additional step of closing one or more ends by applying pressure to change the shape of the extrusion thereby resulting an enclosed cavity.
- The method as described above wherein the extruded portion of the heat transfer unit housing is a body having a cavity therethrough, the method further comprising the additional step of closing one or more ends by applying additional material thereby resulting an enclosed cavity.
- The method as described above wherein the ends are closed by attaching one or more end plates to the extruded portion of the heat transfer unit housing, the ends having an opening and means coupled to the openings for mating with a coolant pathway.
- The method as described above wherein the extruded portion of the heat transfer unit housing is a partial housing with at least one open side, the method further comprising the additional steps of forming a multi-sided, second portion of the heat transfer unit housing from a second material; and attaching the second portion to the extruded portion of the heat transfer unit thereby forming an enclosed cavity.
- The method as described above wherein the second portion of the heat transfer unit housing has one or more openings and means coupled to the openings for mating with a coolant pathway.
- The method as described above wherein the second material is a different material than the first material.
- The method as described above wherein the second portion is formed by extrusion.
- The method as described above wherein the extruded portion of the heat transfer unit housing is a partial housing having an open surface and no ends, the method further comprising the additional steps of forming ends to the extruded portion of the heat transfer unit housing thereby forming a housing with an open or partially open surface.
- The method as described above wherein the ends are formed by attaching one or more end plates to the extruded portion of the heat transfer unit housing, the ends having an opening and means coupled to the openings for mating with a coolant pathway.
- The method as described above further comprising the additional step of attaching the heat transfer unit housing to the surface of a heat-generating component such that the open or partially open surface of the heat transfer unit is coupled to such surface of the heat-generating component, whereby, in operation, coolant circulating through the heat transfer unit can directly contact the surface of the heat-generating component to be cooled.
- The method as described above further comprising the additional step of attaching a third material to the ends and the extruded portion of the heat transfer unit housing thereby eliminating the open surface of the heat transfer unit and forming a heat transfer unit with an enclosed cavity.
- The method as described above wherein one or more ends have an opening and means coupled to the openings for mating with a coolant pathway.
- The method as described above wherein the third material is fabricated from a different material than the first material.
-
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a cooling system. -
FIG. 2A is a cross-sectional view of a die for extruding a portion of the heat transfer unit. -
FIG. 2B is a three-dimensional view of the portion of the heat transfer unit extruded from the die ofFIG. 2A . -
FIG. 2C is a front view of an end piece to be attached to the portion of the heat transfer unit ofFIG. 2B . -
FIG. 3A is a cross-sectional view of another die for extruding a portion of the heat transfer unit. -
FIG. 3B is a three-dimensional view of the portion of the heat transfer unit extruded from the die ofFIG. 3A . -
FIG. 3C is a three-dimensional view of a second portion of the heat transfer unit to be attached to the portion of the heat transfer unit ofFIG. 3B . -
FIG. 4A is a cross-sectional view of another die for extruding a portion of the heat transfer unit. -
FIG. 4B is a three-dimensional view of the portion of the heat transfer unit extruded from the die ofFIG. 3A . -
FIG. 4C is a front view of an end piece to be attached to the portion of the heat transfer unit ofFIG. 4B . -
FIG. 5 is a three-dimensional an assembled of a heat transfer unit. - Whilst the making and using of various embodiments of the present invention are discussed in detail below, it should be appreciated that the present invention provides many applicable inventive concepts, which can be embodied in a wide variety of specific contexts. The specific embodiments discussed herein are merely illustrative of specific ways to make and use the invention and do not limit the scope of the invention.
- It should be understood that the principles and applications disclosed herein can be used to make heat transfer units in a wide range of data processing systems, telecommunication systems and other systems such as electrical and electronic systems.
- The present invention may be utilized to make heat transfer units for a number of computing, communications, and personal convenience applications. For example, the heat transfer units made with the present invention could be implemented in a variety of servers, workstations, exchanges, networks, controllers, digital switches, routers, personal computers which are portable or stationary, optical, data processing units, cell phones, and personal digital assistants (PDAs) and many others.
- Heat transfer units made with the present invention are equally applicable to a number of heat-generating components (e.g., central processing units, optical devices, data storage devices, digital signal processors or any component that generates significant heat in operation) within such systems. Furthermore, the dissipation of heat in this cooling system may be accomplished in any number of ways by a heat exchange unit of various designs, but which are not discussed in detail in this application.
- Referring now to
FIG. 1 , a schematic diagram of acooling system 100 is depicted. A heat-generatingcomponent 101 such as, but not limited to, a micro-processor, to be cooled is thermally coupled to aheat transfer unit 102. The heat transfer unit is depicted with anoutlet 103 and aninlet 104. Acoolant pathway 108A/108B connects theoutlet 103 of theheat transfer unit 102 to theinlet 106 of a heat exchange unit ordissipater 105. Acoolant pathway 109A/109B connects theoutlet 107 of theheat exchange unit 105 to theinlet 104 of aheat transfer unit 102. - In operation, the coolant follows the directional arrows depicted. Cooled coolant enters the
inlet 104 of theheat transfer unit 102. Heat from theheat generating component 101 is transferred to the coolant thereby creating heated coolant and cooling the heat generating component. The heated coolant exits the heat transfer unit throughoutlet 103 and then, viacoolant pathway 108A/108B enters theheat exchange unit 105 throughinlet 106. The heat exchange unit dissipates heat from the coolant thereby creating cooled coolant which exits the heat exchange unit throughoutlet 107 and is returned to the heat transfer unit viacoolant pathway 109A/109B. This cycle is continuously repeated. The coolant in thesystem 100 may be water or a mixture such as, for example, a propylene glycol based coolant or a gas. - In
FIG. 1 , theoutlet 103 of theheat transfer unit 102 and theinlet 106 of theheat exchange unit 105 are depicted as being above theinlet 104 and theoutlet 107, respectively. Whenever possible, the arrangement should be chosen to let convective circulation assist with the circulation of the coolant through the system. - It will be appreciated that
coolant pathways 108A/108B and 109A/109B may be a single conduit or a combination of components as shown and connected with connectors as required. It will also be appreciated that theheat exchange unit 105 may be one of a variety of types of heat exchange units such as those discussed in cross-referenced pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/688,587. - In
FIG. 1 , theheat transfer unit 102 is depicted as a rectangular housing with a hollow cavity there through. One surface of the heat transfer unit is thermally coupled to theheat generating component 101. It will be appreciated that the present invention is not limited to heat transfer units of rectangular shape and that other shapes may be used. The only limitation on the shape of theheat transfer unit 102 is that it should cover the surface of theheat generating component 101 to which it is thermally coupled and be of a shape and contour that will facilitate a good thermal coupling with the surface of theheat generating component 101. - In
FIG. 5 , a completeheat transfer unit 501 made using the present invention is depicted. It will be understood that theheat transfer unit 501, including theinlet 502 and theoutlet 503, is the result when the process described inFIGS. 2A , 2B and 2C, orFIGS. 3A , 3B and 3C orFIGS. 4A , 4B and 4C is used. - In
FIG. 2A , a cross-sectional view of adie 201 for forming a portion of theheat transfer unit 202 inFIG. 2B housing is depicted. Thedie 201 is shaped such that, when a malleable material is inserted into and through the die 201 (or forced through the die 201), a rectangular shaped casing will result when it exits thedie 201. It will be appreciated and any shape for the housing can be selected merely by forming the die correspondingly. To fabricate the housing for theheat transfer unit 202, a material such as copper, brass, aluminum or a variety of other materials is heated or adjusted to the point of malleability. It is preferable to adjust the material so that it is malleable, but not liquid, and can be easily extruded through thedie 201 and still retain the desired shape after exiting thedie 201. Materials not requiring heat malleability can also be used in this process, including, but not limited to, epoxies, composites, plastics, phenol formaldehyde or a wide variety of other materials and/or any combination of these materials. Malleable and non-malleable materials may be combined in the extrusion process or after the extrusion process. - In
FIG. 2B , the resulting housing for theheat transfer unit 202 after being formed by the die is depicted. When the material exits thedie 201, it is cooled or allowed to cool to or otherwise hardened After hardening, the housing is cut or otherwise adjusted or altered to the desired length to appropriately couple to the heat generating component that it eventually will be used to cool. As will be obvious to anyone skilled in the art, it is preferable, but not necessary, to have the length of the housing exiting the die be such that many housings forheat transfer units 202 can be cut from it. The resulting housing for the portion ofheat transfer unit 202, in the example depicted inFIG. 2B , then will be rectangular in shape with no end pieces. - The
die 201 inFIG. 2A is depicted such that the thickness of each side of the resulting portion of theheat transfer unit 202 is the same. It will be appreciated, however, that this is not a requirement and that the thicknesses of each side may vary. In fact, it may be preferable to form the die such that one side of the resulting portion of the housing for theheat transfer unit 202 is substantially thinner or thicker than the others. The resulting side of the heattransfer unit housing 202 would then be used as the side which is thermally coupled to the heat generating component. This is preferable because the ability to vary the thickness allows the head transfer unit to produce different results to suite a wide variety of applications. - Referring now to
FIG. 2C , a side view of anend plate 203 for thehousing 202 is depicted. Theend plate 203 is depicted with an opening andcoupling mechanism 204. Anend plate 203 is fastened to both open ends of the portion of theheat transfer unit 202 by welding or any number of suitable methods to form the completeheat transfer unit 501 as shown inFIG. 5 . The end plates may be made from any suitable material and need not be the same material as used the extruded portion of theheat transfer unit 202. A hole may be cut or drilled into the end plate and a coupling mechanism assembled thereto to form a device for coupling with the coolant pathway. When the completeheat transfer unit 501 is assembled, it has anappropriate inlet 502 andoutlet 503. - It will be further appreciated that the two hole and
coupling assemblies 204 may be disposed on the portion of theheat transfer unit 202 instead of on the end plate(s) 203. Moreover, it will be appreciated that other methods of forming the end plate(s) 203 or in lieu of the end plates may be utilized within the scope of the present invention. For example, thehousing 202 could be made oversized enough so that the open ends could be crimped or otherwise forced together to form an enclosed housing. Alternatively, the housing could be machined at both open ends to create flaps that can be folded over and sealed together to form a sealed, enclosed housing. The open ends could also be sealed with a wide variety of other materials such as, but not limited to, epoxies, polymers, or other suitable materials. It should also be appreciated that any combination of these methods can be utilized to close the extrusion. The open ends may also be closed with tubes or conduits inserted in the opening, the opening could be sealed by any of the methods previously mentioned. - In
FIG. 3A , a cross-sectional view of adie 301 for forming a portion of theheat transfer unit 302 inFIG. 3B housing is depicted. This die 301 is similar to thedie 201 inFIG. 2A except that the resulting portion of theheat transfer unit 302 only has 3 sides. It will be appreciated that any shape for the housing can be selected merely by forming the die correspondingly. For example, thedie 301 could be formed such that the shape of thehousing 302 is a half-cylinder as long as the other portion of theheat transfer unit 303 is formed to assemble or mate with it. The portion of theheat transfer unit 302 is then formed in the same manner as that described forFIGS. 2A and 2B . - In
FIG. 3C , themating piece 303 for the portion of theheat transfer unit 302 depicted inFIG. 3B , is depicted. Themating piece 303 may be formed from a sheet of any suitable material that is bent, for example, along the lines shown at 306 and 307 to form a mating piece for the portion of theheat transfer unit 302. It will be appreciated that other means may be employed to fabricatepiece 303 including the extrusion process of the present invention. For example, a die similar to die 301 may be made to produce in one step themating piece 303. This die may also be constructed such that the three sides of the resultingmating piece 303 have different thicknesses as desired. - One advantage of the process described for
FIGS. 3A , 3B and 3C to construct theheat transfer unit 501 over the process described forFIGS. 2A , 2B and 2C occurs when it is desirable to use different materials in theheat transfer unit 501. For example, it may be desirable, for certain applications, to fabricate the side of theheat transfer unit 501 that will be thermally coupled to the heat generating component out of a more expensive, higher coefficient of heat transfer, material (e.g. copper) than the material (e.g. brass or aluminum) used for other parts of theheat transfer unit 501. - It will also be appreciated that the hole and
mating assemblies 304 and 305 may be disposed on the portion of the heattransfer unit housing 302 instead ofmating piece 303. - In
FIG. 4A , a cross-sectional view of adie 401 for forming a portion of theheat transfer unit 402 inFIG. 4B housing is depicted. This die 401 is similar to thedie 301 inFIG. 3A . Also, the resulting portion ofheat transfer unit 402 is similar to the resulting porting of theheat transfer unit 302. It will be appreciated that any shape for the housing can be selected merely by forming the die correspondingly. For example, thedie 401 could be formed such that the shape of thehousing 402 is a half-cylinder as long as the end plate(s) 403 is/are formed to be assembled or mated with it. The portion of theheat transfer unit 402 is then formed in the same manner as that described forFIGS. 3A and 3B . - Referring now to
FIG. 4C , a side view of anend plate 403 for thehousing 402 is depicted. Theend plate 403 is similar to theend plate 203 inFIG. 2C and is fastened or secured to thehousing 402 in a similar manner as that described above. - When
housing 402 and twoend plates 403 are fastened together, aheat transfer unit 501 is formed which has an open surface. When thermally coupling this heat transfer unit to a heat generating component, the open surface of the heat transfer unit must be sized to create a tight seal with the surface of the heat generating component so that coolant cannot leak or escape. An advantage of such a heat transfer unit is that it allows direct contact of the coolant with the surface of the heat generating component. This eliminates the thermal resistance of the contact surface of theheat transfer unit 502 thus improving the coefficient of heat transfer. - Thus, the present invention has been described herein with reference to particular embodiments for particular applications. Those having ordinary skill in the art and access to the present teachings will recognize additional modifications, applications, and embodiments within the scope thereof.
- It is, therefore, intended by the appended claims to cover any and all such applications, modifications, and embodiments within the scope of the present invention.
Claims (20)
1. A method for fabricating a portion of a heat transfer unit used for cooling heat-generating components in an electronic system, the method comprising the step of:
extruding a first material to form an extruded portion of one or more heat transfer unit housings.
2. The method as set forth in claim 1 wherein the step of extruding the first material comprises the steps of:
adjusting the first material to a malleable state;
forming the malleable first material into the shape of the extruded portion of the heat transfer unit housing; and
hardening the extruded portion of the heat transfer unit housing.
3. The method as set forth in claim 2 wherein the step of forming the malleable first material into the shape of the extruded portion of the heat transfer unit housing comprises:
inserting the malleable first material into and through a die.
4. The method as set forth in claim 3 wherein the die is configured such that at least one side of the extruded portion of the heat transfer unit housing has a different thickness than the other sides.
5. The method as set forth in claim 2 comprising the additional step of:
adjusting the extruded portion of the heat transfer unit housing to a desired length.
6. The method as set forth in claim 2 wherein the extruded portion of the heat transfer unit housing is a body having a cavity therethrough, the method comprising the additional step of:
closing one or more ends of the extruded portion shortly after the extrusion exits the die and while the material is still malleable thereby resulting an enclosed cavity.
7. The method as set forth in claim 2 wherein the extruded portion of the heat transfer unit housing is a body having a cavity therethrough, the method comprising the additional step of:
closing one or more ends in a separate process thereby resulting an enclosed cavity.
8. The method as set forth in claim 2 wherein the extruded portion of the heat transfer unit housing is a body having a cavity therethrough, the method comprising the additional step of:
closing one or more ends by applying pressure to change the shape of the extrusion thereby resulting an enclosed cavity.
9. The method as set forth in claim 2 wherein the extruded portion of the heat transfer unit housing is a body having a cavity therethrough, the method comprising the additional step of:
closing one or more ends by applying additional material thereby resulting an enclosed cavity.
10. The method as set forth in claim 9 wherein the ends are closed by attaching one or more end plates to the extruded portion of the heat transfer unit housing, the ends having an opening and means coupled to the openings for mating with a coolant pathway.
11. The method as set forth in claim 2 wherein the extruded portion of the heat transfer unit housing is a partial housing with at least one open side, the method comprising the additional steps of:
forming a multi-sided, second portion of the heat transfer unit housing from a second material; and
attaching the second portion to the extruded portion of the heat transfer unit thereby forming an enclosed cavity.
12. The method as set forth in claim 11 wherein the second portion of the heat transfer unit housing has one or more openings and means coupled to the openings for mating with a coolant pathway.
13. The method as set forth in claim 11 wherein the second material is a different material than the first material.
14. The method as set forth in claim 11 wherein the second portion is formed by extrusion.
15. The method as set forth in claim 2 wherein the extruded portion of the heat transfer unit housing is a partial housing having an open surface and no ends, the method comprising the additional steps of
forming ends to the extruded portion of the heat transfer unit housing thereby forming a housing with an open or partially open surface.
16. The method as set forth in claim 15 wherein the ends are formed by attaching one or more end plates to the extruded portion of the heat transfer unit housing, the ends having an opening and means coupled to the openings for mating with a coolant pathway.
17. The method as set forth in claim 15 comprising the additional step of:
attaching the heat transfer unit housing to the surface of a heat-generating component such that the open or partially open surface of the heat transfer unit is coupled to such surface of the heat-generating component, whereby, in operation, coolant circulating through the heat transfer unit can directly contact the surface of the heat-generating component to be cooled.
18. The method as set forth in claim 15 comprising the additional step of:
attaching a third material to the ends and the extruded portion of the heat transfer unit housing thereby eliminating the open surface of the heat transfer unit and forming a heat transfer unit with an enclosed cavity.
19. The method as set forth in claim 18 wherein one or more ends have an opening and means coupled to the openings for mating with a coolant pathway.
20. The method as set forth in claim 18 wherein the third material is fabricated from a different material than the first material.
Priority Applications (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US11/593,202 US20080104840A1 (en) | 2006-11-03 | 2006-11-03 | Heat transfer unit extrusion process |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US11/593,202 US20080104840A1 (en) | 2006-11-03 | 2006-11-03 | Heat transfer unit extrusion process |
Publications (1)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
US20080104840A1 true US20080104840A1 (en) | 2008-05-08 |
Family
ID=39358448
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
US11/593,202 Abandoned US20080104840A1 (en) | 2006-11-03 | 2006-11-03 | Heat transfer unit extrusion process |
Country Status (1)
Country | Link |
---|---|
US (1) | US20080104840A1 (en) |
Cited By (3)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US20090060583A1 (en) * | 2007-08-31 | 2009-03-05 | Taku Amada | Light source unit, optical scan apparatus, and image formation apparatus |
US20140027100A1 (en) * | 2011-04-03 | 2014-01-30 | Nec Corporation | Piping structure of cooling device, method for making the same, and method for connecting pipes |
US20140352149A1 (en) * | 2010-12-06 | 2014-12-04 | Transistor Devices, Inc. D/B/A Tdi Power | Heat Exchanger for Electronic Assemblies |
Citations (5)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US2123416A (en) * | 1938-07-12 | graham | ||
US5405423A (en) * | 1992-10-16 | 1995-04-11 | Schwaebische Huettenwerke Gmbh | Filter for the separation of impurities from waste gases |
US6354002B1 (en) * | 1997-06-30 | 2002-03-12 | Solid State Cooling Systems | Method of making a thick, low cost liquid heat transfer plate with vertically aligned fluid channels |
US20050103472A1 (en) * | 2003-11-19 | 2005-05-19 | Lofland Steve J. | Cold plate |
US20060237166A1 (en) * | 2005-04-22 | 2006-10-26 | Otey Robert W | High Efficiency Fluid Heat Exchanger and Method of Manufacture |
-
2006
- 2006-11-03 US US11/593,202 patent/US20080104840A1/en not_active Abandoned
Patent Citations (5)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US2123416A (en) * | 1938-07-12 | graham | ||
US5405423A (en) * | 1992-10-16 | 1995-04-11 | Schwaebische Huettenwerke Gmbh | Filter for the separation of impurities from waste gases |
US6354002B1 (en) * | 1997-06-30 | 2002-03-12 | Solid State Cooling Systems | Method of making a thick, low cost liquid heat transfer plate with vertically aligned fluid channels |
US20050103472A1 (en) * | 2003-11-19 | 2005-05-19 | Lofland Steve J. | Cold plate |
US20060237166A1 (en) * | 2005-04-22 | 2006-10-26 | Otey Robert W | High Efficiency Fluid Heat Exchanger and Method of Manufacture |
Cited By (3)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US20090060583A1 (en) * | 2007-08-31 | 2009-03-05 | Taku Amada | Light source unit, optical scan apparatus, and image formation apparatus |
US20140352149A1 (en) * | 2010-12-06 | 2014-12-04 | Transistor Devices, Inc. D/B/A Tdi Power | Heat Exchanger for Electronic Assemblies |
US20140027100A1 (en) * | 2011-04-03 | 2014-01-30 | Nec Corporation | Piping structure of cooling device, method for making the same, and method for connecting pipes |
Similar Documents
Publication | Publication Date | Title |
---|---|---|
US10734307B2 (en) | Composite heat sink structures | |
US6411512B1 (en) | High performance cold plate | |
KR100806261B1 (en) | Cooling jacket | |
EP2812769B1 (en) | Heat dissipating system | |
US20070163270A1 (en) | Liquid cooling system with thermoeletric cooling module | |
US20090065178A1 (en) | Liquid cooling jacket | |
CN1392768A (en) | Heat control system | |
JP2005150755A (en) | Cold plate | |
US20140352149A1 (en) | Heat Exchanger for Electronic Assemblies | |
US20060203451A1 (en) | Heat dissipation apparatus with second degree curve shape heat pipe | |
CN212278664U (en) | Liquid cooling plate suitable for liquid cooling heat dissipation of electronic equipment and heat dissipation unit with same | |
WO2022100164A1 (en) | Radiator structure and motor controller | |
US20080104840A1 (en) | Heat transfer unit extrusion process | |
US11910564B2 (en) | Liquid cooling device and manufacturing method thereof | |
CN111190473A (en) | Heat radiation structure for ruggedized computer and ruggedized computer | |
WO1995017765A2 (en) | Liquid cooled heat sink for cooling electronic components | |
US20180202722A1 (en) | Heat transfer device incorporating a helical flow element within a fluid conduit | |
TWI730907B (en) | Memory components | |
CN211786964U (en) | Heat radiation structure for ruggedized computer and ruggedized computer | |
US20030116309A1 (en) | Heat exchanging apparatus and method of manufacture | |
CN211792634U (en) | Air-cooled case using vapor chamber technology | |
CN212013075U (en) | Heating module and heating device | |
CN100470446C (en) | Heat sink | |
KR101765153B1 (en) | Radiator for air cooling type | |
CN211702710U (en) | Sealed heat dissipation case |
Legal Events
Date | Code | Title | Description |
---|---|---|---|
AS | Assignment |
Owner name: QNX COOLING SYSTEMS INC., TEXAS Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNOR:HAMMAN, BRIAN A.;REEL/FRAME:018526/0941 Effective date: 20061027 |
|
STCB | Information on status: application discontinuation |
Free format text: ABANDONED -- FAILURE TO RESPOND TO AN OFFICE ACTION |