Cooling system for electronic components

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9342121-B2
Application number	US-41792109-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 3, 2009
Priority date	May 6, 2008
Publication date	May 17, 2016
Grant date	May 17, 2016

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention provide for non interruptive fluid cooling of an electronic enclosure. One or more electronic component packages may be removable from a circuit card having a fluid flow system. When installed, the electronic component packages are coincident to and in a thermal relationship with the fluid flow system. If a particular electronic component package becomes non-functional, it may be removed from the electronic enclosure without affecting either the fluid flow system or other neighboring electronic component packages.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An electronic apparatus, comprising:
An electronic circuit board assembly having at least one first heat generating electronic component mounted thereto;
a fluid cooled heat sink fixedly attached to said electronic circuit board assembly, said fluid cooled heat sink being thermally coupled to said at least one first heat generating electronic component mounted to said electronic circuit board assembly to provide cooling thereto, said fluid cooled heat sink comprising a thermally conductive riser projecting from a surface of said electronic circuit board assembly and thermally coupled to a pipe for transmitting cooling fluid for cooling said fluid cooled heat sink, said pipe running substantially parallel to said surface of said electronic circuit board assembly;
an electronic component package removably coupled to said electronic circuit board assembly, said electronic component package having at least one second heat generating component, said fluid cooled heat sink providing cooling to said electronic component package when the electronic component package is coupled to said electronic circuit board assembly;
wherein said electronic component package is independently removable from said electronic circuit board assembly without interrupting cooling operation of said fluid cooled heat sink to said electronic circuit board assembly, removal of said electronic component package from said electronic circuit board assembly causing thermal decoupling of said electronic component package from said fluid cooled heat sink without thermally decoupling said at least one first heat generating electronic component mounted to said electronic circuit board assembly from said fluid cooled heat sink, wherein said riser comprises a respective recess on a side thereof facing said electronic component package, and said electronic component package further comprises a protrusion, wherein the recess accepts the protrusion aiding in the retention of the electronic component package to the electronic circuit board assembly.

2. The electronic apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said electronic component package further comprises:
a heat spreader substantially coincident to said fluid cooled heat sink and thermally coupled thereto when the electronic component package is attached to said electronic circuit board assembly; and
a component circuit board having the at least one second heat generating electronic component mounted thereto, the at least one second heat generating electronic component being in thermal contact with said heat spreader.

3. The electronic apparatus of claim 2 , wherein said electronic component package further comprises a compliant thermal interface material layered upon at least a portion of said heat spreader.

4. The electronic apparatus of claim 1 , comprising:
a first and a second electronic component package removably coupled to said electronic circuit board assembly at opposite sides of said fluid cooled heat sink, each said electronic component package having at least one respective second heat generating component, said fluid cooled heat sink providing cooling to each electronic component package when the respective electronic component package is coupled to said electronic circuit board assembly;
wherein each said electronic component package is independently removable from said electronic circuit board assembly without interrupting cooling operation of said fluid cooled heat sink to said electronic circuit board assembly, removal of a respective electronic component package from said electronic circuit board assembly causing thermal decoupling of the respective heat spreader from said fluid cooled heat sink without thermally decoupling said at least one first heat generating electronic component mounted to said electronic circuit board assembly from said fluid cooled heat sink.

5. The electronic apparatus of claim 4 , further comprising a means for applying a force, the force applying means connected to the first electronic component package and the second electronic component package, the force applying means forcing the first electronic component package and the second electronic component package into contact with the fluid cooled heat sink, the means for applying a force being selected from a group comprising of a latch, cam, clamp, bracket, clasp, banding, fastener, and spring.

6. The electronic apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said electronic circuit board assembly is a motherboard of a digital data system.

7. An electronic apparatus, comprising:
an electronic circuit board assembly having at least one first heat generating electronic component mounted thereto;
a fluid cooled heat sink fixedly attached to said electronic circuit board assembly, said fluid cooled heat sink being thermally coupled to said at least one first heat generating electronic component mounted to said electronic circuit board assembly to provide cooling thereto;
an electronic component package removably attached to said electronic circuit board assembly, the fluid cooled heat sink providing cooling to the electronic component package when the electronic component package is attached to said electronic circuit board assembly, the electronic component package comprising: (a) a heat spreader substantially coincident to said fluid cooled heat sink and thermally coupled thereto when the electronic component package is attached to said electronic circuit board assembly, and (b) a component circuit board having at least one second heat generating electronic component mounted thereto, said at least one second heat generating electronic component being in thermal contact with said heat spreader;
wherein said electronic component package is independently removable from said electronic circuit board assembly without interrupting cooling operation of said fluid cooled heat sink to said electronic circuit board assembly, removal of said electronic component package from said electronic circuit board assembly causing thermal decoupling of said heat spreader from said fluid cooled heat sink without thermally decoupling said at least one first heat generating electronic component mounted to said electronic circuit board assembly from said fluid cooled heat sink, wherein said riser comprises a respective recess on a side thereof facing said electronic component package, and said electronic component package further comprises a protrusion, wherein the recess accepts the protrusion aiding in the retention of the electronic component package to the electronic circuit board assembly.

8. The electronic apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the fluid cooled heat sink comprises:
a thermally conductive riser projecting above a surface of said electronic circuit board assembly and thermally coupled to a pipe running substantially parallel to the surface of said electronic circuit board assembly, the pipe for transmitting cooling fluid of the fluid cooled heat sink.

9. The electronic apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the first electronic component package further comprises a compliant thermal interface material layered upon at least a portion of said heat spreader.

10. The electronic apparatus of claim 7 , comprising:
a first and a second electronic component package removably attached to said electronic circuit board assembly at opposite sides of said fluid cooled heat sink, the fluid cooled heat sink providing cooling to each electronic component package when the respective electronic component package is attached to said electronic circuit board assembly, each electronic component package comprising: (a) a respective heat spreader substantially coincident to said fluid cooled heat sink and thermally coupled thereto when the respective electr

Assignees

• Anderl William James
• Colgan Evan George
• Gerken James Dorance
• Marroquin Christopher Michael
• Tian Shurong
• IBM

Inventors

• Anderl William James
• Colgan Evan George
• Gerken James Dorance
• Marroquin Christopher Michael
• Tian Shurong

Classifications

• H10W40/641 Primary

  Snap-on arrangements, e.g. clips · CPC title

• H10W40/47

  by flowing liquids, e.g. forced water cooling · CPC title

• G06F1/206 Primary

  comprising thermal management · CPC title

• H01L23/473

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H01L2924/00

  Electricity · mapped topic