Cooling apparatus having vertical flow channels

• US 10,455,734 B2
• Filed: 06/14/2017
• Issued: 10/22/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
• Inventors: Tochiyama, Shigenobu, Haga, Seiji, Tamura, Masayoshi, Ishibashi, Satoshi, Idenoue, Shinsuke
• Primary Examiner(s): Alvare, Paul
• Application Number:
  US15/622,187
• Publication Number:
  US 20170280589A1
• Time in Patent Office: 860 Days
• Field of Search: 165 804
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/3677 Wire-like or pin-like cooling fins or heat sinks
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/473 by flowing liquids H01L23/4332, H01L23/4338 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00 Indexing scheme for arrangements or methods for connecting or disconnecting semiconductor or solid-state bodies as covered by H01L24/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/0002 Not covered by any one of groups H01L24/00, H01L24/00 and H01L2224/00
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20281 Thermal management, e.g. liquid flow control
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20927 Liquid coolant without phase change

Abstract

A liquid coolant supplying header is configured on a central portion in the width direction between an upper portion heatsink and a partitioning plate, a liquid coolant discharging header is configured on a central portion in the width direction between a lower portion heatsink and the partitioning plate so as to be parallel to the liquid coolant supplying header, vertical flow channels are formed so as to pass through the partitioning plate vertically on two sides in the width direction so as to be parallel to the liquid coolant supplying header, a liquid coolant distributing structural body is disposed inside the liquid coolant supplying header, and an external shape of the liquid coolant distributing structural body is formed such that flow channel cross-sectional area of the liquid coolant supplying header becomes gradually smaller from an upstream end toward a downstream end.

Claims

1. A cooling apparatus, comprising:

a main body portion that has upper and lower openings;

an upper portion heatsink and a lower portion heatsink that are mounted above and below said main body portion so as to cover said upper and lower openings of said main body portion;

a partitioning plate that is disposed so as to divide an internal portion space of said main body portion into upper and lower sections, so as to form an upper portion space with said upper portion heatsink, and so as to form a lower portion space with said lower portion heatsink;

a liquid coolant supplying header that is formed between one of said upper and lower portion heatsinks and said partitioning plate;

a liquid coolant discharging header that is formed between the other of said upper and lower portion heatsinks and said partitioning plate so as to have a flow channel direction that is parallel to a flow channel direction of said liquid coolant supplying header;

a vertical flow channel that is separated from said liquid coolant supplying header by a predetermined distance in a width direction that is perpendicular to said flow channel directions, that passes through said partitioning plate vertically, that extends at least parallel to said flow channel direction of said liquid coolant supplying header, and that communicates between said upper portion space and said lower portion space; and

a liquid coolant distributing structural body that is disposed inside said liquid coolant supplying header, extending from a first side of said internal portion space to a second side of said internal portion space opposite to said first side in a direction that is parallel to said partitioning plate, that is configured into a shape such that a flow channel cross-sectional area of said liquid coolant supplying header becomes gradually smaller from said first side of said internal portion space toward said second side of said internal portion space, and that distributes a liquid coolant that flows through said liquid coolant supplying header toward said vertical flow channel,

wherein the liquid coolant supplying header and the liquid coolant discharging header are two separate channels through which the liquid coolant flows, and

wherein a width t of said vertical flow channel satisfies 0.75 mm≤

t≤

6.5 mm.

2. A cooling apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said main body portion and said partitioning plate are configured into an integrated body.

3. A cooling apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said liquid coolant supplying header and said liquid coolant discharging header are disposed at a central portion in said width direction inside said main body portion, and two of said vertical flow channels are disposed on two sides in said width direction inside said main body portion.

4. A cooling apparatus according to claim 3, wherein, when said liquid coolant is flowing through at least one of said liquid coolant supplying header and said liquid coolant discharging header, a direction of flow of said liquid coolant that flows through said liquid coolant supplying header and a direction of flow of said liquid coolant that flows through said liquid coolant discharging header are identical directions.

5. A cooling apparatus according to claim 3, wherein a direction of flow of said liquid coolant that flows through said liquid coolant supplying header and a direction of flow of said liquid coolant that flows through said liquid coolant discharging header are opposite directions.

6. A cooling apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said liquid coolant supplying header and said liquid coolant discharging header are disposed on two sides in said width direction inside said main body portion, and said vertical flow channel is disposed centrally in said width direction inside said main body portion.

7. A cooling apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a direction of flow of said liquid coolant that flows through said liquid coolant supplying header and a direction of flow of said liquid coolant that flows through said liquid coolant discharging header are identical directions.

8. A cooling apparatus according to claim 6, wherein a direction of flow of said liquid coolant that flows through said liquid coolant supplying header and a direction of flow of said liquid coolant that flows through said liquid coolant discharging header are opposite directions.

9. A cooling apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a side surface of said liquid coolant distributing structural body is constituted by a flat surface.

10. A cooling apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a side surface of said liquid coolant distributing structural body is constituted by a curved surface.

11. A cooling apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said coolant enters said liquid coolant supplying header at a liquid coolant supplying port and exits said liquid coolant discharging header at a liquid coolant discharging port, and said flow channel direction is parallel to a line between said liquid coolant supplying port and said liquid coolant discharging port.

12. A cooling apparatus characterized in comprising:

a main body portion that has upper and lower openings;

an upper portion heatsink and a lower portion heatsink that are mounted above and below said main body portion so as to cover said upper and lower openings of said main body portion;

a partitioning plate that is disposed so as to divide an internal portion of said main body portion into upper and lower sections, so as to form an upper portion space with said upper portion heatsinks, and so as to form a lower portion space with said lower portion heatsink;

a liquid coolant supplying header that is formed between one of said upper and lower portion heatsinks and said partitioning plate;

a liquid coolant discharging header that is formed between the other of said upper and lower portion heatsinks and said partitioning plate so as to have a flow channel direction that is parallel to a flow channel direction of said liquid coolant supplying header;

a vertical flow channel that is separated from said liquid coolant supplying header by a predetermined distance in a width direction that is perpendicular to said flow channel directions, that passes through said partitioning plate vertically, that extends at least parallel to said flow channel direction of said liquid coolant supplying header, and that communicates between said upper portion space and said lower portion space; and

a liquid coolant distributing structural body that is disposed inside said liquid coolant supplying header, that is configured into a shape such that a flow channel cross-sectional area of said liquid coolant supplying header becomes gradually smaller from an upstream end toward a downstream end, and that distributes a liquid coolant that flows through said liquid coolant supplying header toward said vertical flow channel,

wherein the liquid coolant supplying header and the liquid coolant discharging header are two separate channels through which the liquid coolant flows,

wherein a width t of said vertical flow channel satisfies 0.75 mm≤

t≤

6.5 mm,

wherein said upper portion heatsink and said lower portion heatsink comprise groups of radiating fins that are housed in said upper portion space and said lower portion space, and

wherein a portion of a group of said radiating fins extend into at least one of said liquid coolant supplying header and said liquid coolant discharging header, and are formed such that fin height decreases gradually toward a central portion of said header.

13. A cooling apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said groups of said radiating fins are configured such that said radiating fins are arranged such that said liquid coolant meanders.

14. A cooling apparatus characterized in comprising:

a main body portion that has upper and lower openings;

an upper portion heatsink and a lower portion heatsink that are mounted above and below said main body portion so as to cover said upper and lower openings of said main body portion;

a partitioning plate that is disposed so as to divide an internal portion of said main body portion into upper and lower sections, so as to form an upper portion space with said upper portion heatsinks, and so as to form a lower portion space with said lower portion heatsink;

a liquid coolant discharging header that is formed between the other of said upper and lower portion heatsinks and said partitioning plate so as to have a flow channel direction that is parallel to a flow channel direction of said liquid coolant supplying header;

a vertical flow channel that is separated from said liquid coolant supplying header by a predetermined distance in a width direction that is perpendicular to said flow channel directions, channel direction of said liquid coolant supplying header, and that communicates between said upper portion space and said lower portion space; and

a liquid coolant distributing structural body that is disposed inside said liquid coolant supplying header, that is configured into a shape such that a flow channel cross-sectional area of said liquid coolant supplying header becomes gradually smaller from an upstream end toward a downstream end, and that distributes a liquid coolant that flows through said liquid coolant supplying header toward said vertical flow channel,

wherein the liquid coolant supplying header and the liquid coolant discharging header are two separate channels through which the liquid coolant flows,

wherein a width t of said vertical flow channel satisfies 0.75 mm≤

t≤

6.5 mm, and

wherein said partitioning plate comprises a single resin molded body.

15. A cooling apparatus , comprising:

a main body portion that has upper and lower openings;

an upper portion heatsink and a lower portion heatsink that are mounted above and below said main body portion so as to cover said upper and lower openings of said main body portion;

a partitioning plate that is disposed so as to divide an internal portion space of said main body portion into upper and lower sections, so as to form an upper portion space with said upper portion heatsink, and so as to form a lower portion space with said lower portion heatsink;

a liquid coolant supplying header that is formed between one of said upper and lower portion heatsinks and said partitioning plate and carrying liquid coolant in a flow channel direction over a supply flow channel, with said liquid coolant exiting said supply flow channel, in at least one direction transverse to said flow channel direction, at multiple locations along said flow channel direction;

a liquid coolant discharging header that is formed between the other of said upper and lower portion heatsinks and said partitioning plate so as to have a discharge flow channel which substantially overlaps said supply flow channel along said flow channel direction and which carries liquid coolant in a direction that is parallel to said flow channel direction;

a vertical flow channel that is separated from said liquid coolant supplying header by a predetermined distance in a width direction that is perpendicular to said flow channel directions, that passes through said partitioning plate vertically, that extends at least parallel to said flow channel direction of said liquid coolant supplying header, and that communicates between said upper portion space and said lower portion space; and

a liquid coolant distributing structural body that is disposed inside said liquid coolant supplying header, extending from a first side of said internal action s lace to a second side of said internal portion space opposite to said first side in a direction that is parallel to said partitioning plate, that is configured into a shape such that a flow channel cross-sectional area of said liquid coolant supplying header becomes gradually smaller from said first side of said internal portion space toward said second side of said internal portion space, and that distributes a liquid coolant that flows through said liquid coolant supplying header toward said vertical flow channel, and

wherein the liquid coolant supplying header and the liquid coolant discharging header are two separate channels through which the liquid coolant flows.

16. A cooling apparatus according to claim 15, wherein said coolant enters said liquid coolant supplying header at a liquid coolant supplying port and exits said liquid coolant discharging header at a liquid coolant discharging port, and said flow channel direction is parallel to a line between said liquid coolant supplying port and said liquid coolant discharging port.