Flattened tube cold plate for liquid cooling electrical components

• US 20030010485A1
• Filed: 07/15/2002
• Published: 01/16/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 07/13/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lytron, Inc. (LTI Flexible Products Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Lytron, Inc. (LTI Flexible Products Inc.)
• Inventors: Akselband, Boris, Goldman, Richard D., Franchina, John, Gerbutavich, Charles J.
• Granted Patent: US 7,178,586 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 165/183
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/367 Cooling facilitated by shape of device H01L23/38, H01L23/40, H01L23/42, H01L23/44, H01L23/46 take precedence
• 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 7/20 Modifications to facilitate cooling, ventilating, or heating
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/4935 Heat exchanger or boiler making
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49378 Finned tube
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49385 Made from unitary workpiece, i.e., no assembly
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49391 Tube making or reforming

Abstract

A cold plate and a method of forming the cold plate are provided that efficiently and cost effectively cools electrical components. The cold plate includes a flattened tube formed from a circular extruded tube to have a top surface and a bottom surface that are substantially parallel and contiguously connected by rounded corners and defining an interior space. The circular extruded tube includes a plurality of ins extending into the interior space form inner walls thereof to form a plurality of channels in said flattened tube between said fins for defining a cooling liquid passage therethrough. The fins may extend parallel to the direction that the flattened tube extends, or extend at a predetermined angle to the direction that the flattened tube extends. Also, the fins associated with the top surface may extend at an angle to the fins associated with the bottom surface to form a plurality of intersecting points which form a torturous fluid flow path.

Claims

1. A cold plate for liquid cooling electrical components, comprising:

a flattened tube formed from a circular extruded tube to have a top surface and a bottom surface that are substantially parallel and contiguously connected by rounded corners and defining an interior space, said circular extruded tube including,

a plurality of fins extending into said interior space from inner walls thereof to form a plurality of channels in said flattened tube between said fins for defining a cooling liquid passage therethrough.

2. A cold plate according to claim 1, further comprising first and second header tubes connected to opposite edges of said flattened tube which connect to said plurality of channels and provide an inlet for said cooling liquid at said first header tube and an outlet for said cooling liquid after passing through said channels at said second header tube.

3. A cold plate according to claim 1, wherein said flattened tube extends in a direction, and said fins extend parallel to said direction.

4. A cold plate according to claim 1, wherein said flattened tube extends in a direction and said fins extend at a predetermined angle to said direction.

5. A cold plate according to claim 1, wherein said fins associated with said top surface extend at an angle to the fins associated with said bottom surface forming a plurality of intersecting points to form a torturous fluid flow path.

6. A cold plate according to claim 4, wherein said flattened tube comprises extruded portions spaced around said interior wall of said flattened tube.

7. A cold plate according to claim 1, wherein said flattened tube comprises copper.

8. A cold plate according to claim 1, wherein said cooling liquid comprises water.

9. A cold plate according to claim 2, wherein a plurality of said flattened tubes are connected between said first and second header tubes.

10. A cold plate according to claim 1, wherein th top surface of said flattened tube comprises a plurality of attaching mounts extending therefrom for receiving the electrical components.

11. A method of forming a cold plate system for liquid cooling electrical components, comprising the steps of:

(a) extruding metal in a circular tube comprising a plurality of fins extending from the interior surface of said tube, said fins being equally spaced and of a predetermined height; and

(b) flattening said tube so that a top surface and a bottom surface are substantially parallel and contiguously connected by rounded corners and said fins extend into an interior between said top and bottom surfaces.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein said fins on opposite surfaces contact each other to form a plurality of channels.

13. The method according to claim 11, further including the step of connecting first and second header tubes to edges of said flattened tube to provide an inlet for a cooling liquid to said channels at said first header tube and an outlet for said cooling liquid at said second header tube.

14. The method according to claim 11, wherein said flattened tube extends in a direction and said fins extend parallel to said direction.

15. The method according to claim 11, wherein said flattened tube extends in a direction and said fins extend at a predetermined angle to said direction.

16. The method according to claim 11, wherein said fins associated with said top surface extend at an angle to the fins associated with said bottom surface forming a plurality of intersecting oints to form a torturous fluid flow path.

17. The method according to claim 11, wherein said flattened tube is extended at said step (a) to comprise portions spaced around said interior wall of said flattened tube.

18. The method according to claim 11, wherein said flattened tube is extruded from copper at said step (a).

19. The method according to claim 13, wherein said cooling liquid comprises water.

20. The method according to claim 13, further comprising the step of connecting a plurality of said flattened tubes between said first and second header tubes.