Method and apparatus for delivering a thermal shock

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2023084486-A1
Application number	US-202217992449-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 22, 2022
Priority date	Jan 30, 2020
Publication date	Mar 16, 2023
Grant date	—

Abstract

The subject disclosure relates to a system and method for testing units-under-test (UUT) with a thermal shock. The thermal shock testing system can include a chamber having an inlet and an outlet, the chamber being configured to provide a thermal shock to a unit-under-test (UUT), a pump configured to fluidly connect to the inlet of the chamber and direct a temperature controlled liquid through a channel embedded in the chamber, and a boiler and a chiller fluidly connected to the pump, the temperature of the liquid being controlled by at least one valve configured to alternatively direct hot or cold fluid to the inlet of the chamber.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A thermal testing system comprising:
a chamber configured to thermally shock a unit-under-test (UUT); a pump fluidly connected to the chamber and configured to direct a liquid through the chamber; a boiler fluidly connected to the pump; a chiller fluidly connected to the pump; and at least one valve configured to direct hot or cold fluid to the chamber to control a temperature of the liquid.

2 . The thermal testing system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a regulated coldplate in the chamber.

3 . The thermal testing system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a liquid cooling system of the UUT fluidly coupled to the pump.

4 . The thermal testing system of claim 3 , wherein the liquid cooling system thermally shocks the UUT.

5 . The thermal testing system of claim 3 , wherein the liquid cooling system regulates a coldplate in the chamber.

6 . The thermal testing system of claim 3 , wherein the liquid cooling system houses and thermally regulates the UUT.

7 . The thermal testing system of claim 6 , wherein thermally regulating the UUT includes controlling the temperature of the liquid.

8 . The thermal testing system of claim 3 wherein the liquid cooling system includes channels integrated into a casing of the UUT.

9 . The thermal testing system of claim 3 , wherein an outer casing of the UUT includes channels embedded within and traverse throughout the outer casing of the UUT, and wherein the channels of the liquid cooling system are fluidly coupled to the channels.

10 . The thermal testing system of claim 3 , wherein the liquid is utilized by the liquid cooling system.

11 . A method comprising:
fluidly connecting a pump to a chamber configured to thermally shock a unit-under test (UUT), wherein the pump is configured to direct a liquid through the chamber; fluidly connecting a boiler to the pump; fluidly connecting a chiller to the pump; and connecting at least one valve to at least one of the boiler and the chiller, wherein the at least one valve is configured to direct hot or cold fluid to the chamber to control a temperature of the liquid.

12 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
fluidly connecting a coldplate between the pump and at least one of the boiler and chiller.

13 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
fluidly coupling a liquid cooling system of the UUT to the pump.

14 . The method of claim 13 , further comprising:
thermally shocking the UUT with the liquid cooling system.

15 . The method of claim 13 , further comprising:
regulating a coldplate in the chamber with the liquid cooling system.

16 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the liquid cooling system houses and thermally regulates the UUT.

17 . The method of claim 16 , further comprising:
controlling the temperature of the liquid to thermally regulate the UUT.

18 . The method of claim 13 , further comprising:
integrating channels of the liquid cooling system into a casing of the UUT.

19 . The method of claim 13 , further comprising:
fluidly connecting channels of the liquid cooling system to channels embedded within and traversing throughout an outer casing of the UUT.

20 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
cooling the UUT during normal operation.

Assignees

• Gm Cruise Holdings Llc

Inventors

• Chen Fen
• Fain David
• Maines Geoffrey
• Tang Wen-Chieh

Classifications

• G01M99/002 Primary

  Thermal testing (flaw detection G01N25/72) · CPC title

• G01R31/2832

  Specific tests of electronic circuits not provided for elsewhere (G01R31/2801, G01R31/316 take precedence) · CPC title

• G01R31/2872

  related to electrical or environmental aspects, e.g. temperature, humidity, vibration, nuclear radiation · CPC title

• G01M17/007

  Wheeled or endless-tracked vehicles (G01M17/08 takes precedence) · CPC title