Coolant-cooled heat sink configured for accelerating coolant flow

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9414525-B2
Application number	US-201514827588-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 17, 2015
Priority date	Oct 21, 2013
Publication date	Aug 9, 2016
Grant date	Aug 9, 2016

Abstract

Cooling apparatuses, cooled electronic modules, and methods of fabrication are provided which facilitate heat transfer from one or more electronic components to a coolant. The cooling apparatus includes a coolant-cooled heat sink with a thermally conductive structure having a coolant-carrying compartment including a varying cross-sectional coolant flow area through which coolant flows in a direction substantially parallel to a main heat transfer surface of the structure coupled to the electronic component(s). The coolant-cooled heat sink includes a coolant inlet and a coolant outlet in fluid communication with the coolant-carrying compartment, and the coolant flow area of the coolant-carrying compartment decreases, at least in part, in a direction of coolant flow through the coolant-carrying compartment. The decreasing coolant flow area facilitates an increasing effective heat transfer coefficient between the main heat transfer surface and the coolant by, at least in part, accelerating the coolant flow within the coolant-carrying compartment.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
providing a coolant-cooled heat sink configured to facilitate cooling at least one electronic component, the providing the coolant-cooled heat sink comprising:
providing a thermally conductive structure with a coolant-carrying compartment comprising, at least in part, a plurality of thermally conductive fins defining there between a plurality of coolant flow channels through which coolant flows in a direction substantially parallel to a main heat transfer surface of the thermally conductive structure, the plurality of thermally conductive fins decreasing in height and increasing in width in the direction of coolant flow, and the plurality of coolant flow channels each having a cross-sectional coolant flow area which decreases in height and decreases in width in the direction of coolant flow through the coolant-carrying compartment;
a baffle within the coolant-carrying compartment disposed over, and in contact with, the plurality of thermally conductive fins, throughout the plurality of thermally conductive fins in the direction of coolant flow, the baffle increasing in height in the direction of coolant flow in proportion to the decreasing in height of the plurality of thermally conductive fins in the direction of coolant flow, and the baffle ensuring that all coolant flow through the coolant-carrying compartment flows between the plurality of thermally conductive fins, within the plurality of coolant flow channels of decreasing cross-sectional flow area;
providing a coolant inlet manifold region and a coolant outlet manifold region within the coolant-carrying compartment of the thermally conductive structure to facilitate coolant flow through the plurality of coolant flow channels, the plurality of thermally conductive fins extending between the coolant inlet manifold region and the coolant outlet manifold region; and
wherein the decreasing height and width of the respective cross-sectional coolant flow area of each coolant flow channel of the plurality of coolant flow channels facilitates an increasing effective heat transfer coefficient between the main heat transfer surface and the coolant within the plurality of coolant flow channels in the direction of coolant flow by, at least in part, accelerating the coolant flow within the plurality of coolant flow channels of the coolant-cooled heat sink.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the baffle disposed within the coolant-carrying compartment rests on top of the plurality of thermally conductive fins and is a distinct structure from the thermally conductive structure having the coolant-carrying compartment.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein each thermally conductive fin of the plurality of thermally conductive fins is trapezoidal-shaped in cross-section.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the baffle defines, in part, the coolant outlet manifold region within the coolant-carrying compartment of the thermally conductive structure, and is spaced from the coolant inlet manifold region within the coolant-carrying compartment by the plurality of thermally conductive fins, and does not define, in part, the coolant inlet manifold region within the coolant-carrying compartment.

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Campbell Levi A
• Chu Richard C
• David Milnes P
• Ellsworth Jr Michael J
• Iyengar Madhusudan K
• Schmidt Roger R
• Simons Robert E

Classifications

• H05K7/20772

  within server blades for removing heat from heat source · CPC title

• H05K7/20254 Primary

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

• H05K7/2039 Primary

  characterised by the heat transfer by conduction from the heat generating element to a dissipating body (arrangements for increasing/decreasing heat-transfer, e.g. fins details, F28F13/00) · CPC title