Structure for detection and collection of leaked coolant

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12317449-B2
Application number	US-202217816889-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 2, 2022
Priority date	Aug 2, 2022
Publication date	May 27, 2025
Grant date	May 27, 2025

Abstract

A structure for protecting an electronic component from coolant leaking from a liquid cooling system is disclosed. The liquid cooling system has a manifold collecting and supplying coolant to a cold plate via inlet and outlet tubes. The cold plate is mounted over a heat-generating component on a circuit board. The structure includes a drip tray having a top surface and a length approximately the distance between the manifold and the cold plate. The drip tray includes a trough for collection of leaking coolant. The tray is inserted between the circuit board and the inlet and outlet tubes.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A structure for protecting an electronic component from leaking coolant from a liquid cooling system, the liquid cooling system having a manifold collecting and supplying coolant to a cold plate via inlet and outlet tubes, wherein the cold plate is mounted over a heat-generating component on a circuit board, the structure comprising:
a drip tray having a top surface and a length approximately a distance between the manifold and the cold plate, the drip tray including a trough under the top surface for collection of the leaking coolant and a plurality of sloped surfaces that each slope down from edges of the top surface and cause the leaking coolant from the liquid cooling system in contact with the drip tray to flow toward the trough, the drip tray being insertable between the circuit board and the inlet and outlet tubes, and the edges of the top surface comprising a lower edge and a higher edge raised higher than the lower edge, wherein one sloped surface of the plurality of sloped surfaces slopes down from the lower edge, and another sloped surface of the plurality of sloped surfaces slopes down from the higher edge; and
a coolant leak sensor including a ground trace and a sensor trace on a bottom surface of the trough, wherein collected leaking coolant causes a short circuit between the ground trace and sensor trace.

2. The structure of claim 1 , further comprising a porous layer positioned over the coolant leak sensor in the trough to collect the leaking coolant and allow the leaking coolant to flow through the porous layer to the coolant leak sensor.

3. The structure of claim 1 , further comprising a hydrophobic coating applied over the top surface of the drip tray.

4. The structure of claim 1 , wherein the heat-generating component is a processor chip mounted on the circuit board.

5. The structure of claim 4 , wherein the processor chip is one of a graphic processing unit (GPU) chip or a central processing unit (CPU) chip.

6. The structure of claim 1 , wherein the edges of the top surface include barriers to prevent flow of the leaking coolant from the liquid cooling system to the circuit board.

7. The structure of claim 1 , wherein the drip tray includes a plastic base member.

8. The structure of claim 1 , wherein the circuit board includes another cold plate fluidly coupled to the manifold, wherein the drip tray is interposed between the manifold and the another cold plate.

9. A computer device comprising:
a circuit board;
a heat-generating component mounted on the circuit board;
a manifold supplying and collecting coolant;
a cold plate having a bottom contact surface to thermally contact the heat-generating component;
a supply tube fluidly connected to the cold plate to supply coolant from the manifold;
a collection tube fluidly connected to the cold plate and the manifold to collect coolant from the cold plate;
a drip tray inserted between the cold plate and the manifold, the drip tray having sloped surfaces that each slope down from edges to funnel leaked coolant to a trough, the drip tray being suspended between the circuit board and the supply and collection tubes, and the edges of the sloped surfaces of the drip tray comprising a lower edge and a higher edge raised higher than the lower edge, wherein one sloped surface of the sloped surfaces of the drip tray slopes down from the lower edge, and another sloped surface of the sloped surfaces of the drip tray slopes down from the higher edge; and
a coolant leak sensor including a ground trace and a sensor trace on a bottom surface of the trough, wherein collected leaking coolant causes a short circuit between the ground trace and sensor trace.

10. The computer device of claim 9 , further comprising a porous layer positioned over the coolant leak sensor in the trough to collect the leaked coolant and allow the leaking coolant to flow through the porous layer to the coolant leak sensor.

11. The computer device of claim 9 , wherein the drip tray has a top surface over which a hydrophobic coating is applied.

12. The computer device of claim 9 , wherein the heat-generating component is a processor chip.

13. The computer device of claim 12 , wherein the processor chip is one of a graphic processing unit (GPU) chip or a central processing unit (CPU) chip.

14. The computer device of claim 9 , wherein the edges of the sloped surfaces of the drip tray include barriers to prevent flow of the leaked coolant to the circuit board.

15. The computer device of claim 9 , wherein the drip tray includes a plastic base member.

16. The computer device of claim 9 , further comprising another cold plate fluidly coupled to the manifold, wherein the drip tray is interposed between the manifold and the another cold plate.

Assignees

• Quanta Comp Inc

Inventors

• Chen Yi-Chieh
• Wu Yueh-Chang
• Chen Yan-Kuei
• Wang Yu-Hung

Classifications

• H05K7/20254

  Cold plates transferring heat from heat source to coolant · CPC title

• G01M3/40

  by using electric means, e.g. by observing electric discharges · CPC title

• G06F1/206

  comprising thermal management · CPC title

• H05K7/20272 Primary

  Accessories for moving fluid, for expanding fluid, for connecting fluid conduits, for distributing fluid, for removing gas or for preventing leakage, e.g. pumps, tanks or manifolds · CPC title

• G06F1/20

  Cooling means · CPC title