COLD PLATE DEVICE FOR A TWO-PHASE COOLING SYSTEM

• US 20180098459A1
• Filed: 01/20/2017
• Published: 04/05/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Chainer, Timothy Joseph, Parida, Pritish Ranjan, Yang, Fanghao
• Granted Patent: US 10,085,362 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 3/12 Elements constructed in the shape of a hollow panel, e.g. with channels F28D1/02, F28D1/03 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/4882 Assembly of heatsink parts
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/473 by flowing liquids H01L23/4332, H01L23/4338 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20254 Cold plates transferring heat from heat source to coolant
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20272 Accessories for moving fluid, for expanding fluid, for connecting fluid conduits, for distributing fluid, for removing gas or for preventing leakage, e.g. pumps, tanks or manifolds

Abstract

Techniques that facilitate two-phase liquid cooling of an electronic device are provided. In one example, an apparatus, such as a cold plate device, comprises a first stackable layer and a second stackable layer. The first stackable layer comprises a first channel formed within the first stackable layer. The first channel comprises a first channel width and the first channel receives a coolant fluid via an inlet port of the apparatus. The second stackable layer comprises a second channel that provides a path for the coolant fluid to flow between the first channel and an outlet port of the apparatus. A width of the second channel increases along a flow direction of the coolant fluid that flows between the inlet port and the outlet port.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a first stackable layer that comprises a first channel formed within the first stackable layer, wherein the first channel comprises a first channel width, and wherein the first channel receives a coolant fluid via an inlet port of the apparatus; and

a second stackable layer that comprises a second channel that provides a path for the coolant fluid to flow between the first channel and an outlet port of the apparatus, wherein a width of the second channel increases along a flow direction of the coolant fluid that flows between the inlet port and the outlet port.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second channel comprises a first channel height that is different than a second channel height of the first channel.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first channel and the second channel form a set of expanding channels for the apparatus, and wherein a height of the set of expanding channels and a width of the set of expanding channels increases along a flow direction of the coolant fluid through the apparatus.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first channel comprises a plurality of raised step structures.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein a height of a raised step structure from the plurality of raised step structures is less than another height of the first channel.

6. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein an orientation of the plurality of raised step structures is perpendicular to a flow direction of the coolant fluid through the apparatus.

7. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein an orientation of the plurality of raised step structures is angled relative to a flow direction of the coolant fluid through the apparatus.

8. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the apparatus is coupled to an electronic device, and wherein a location of at least a portion of the plurality of raised step structures corresponds to a region of the electronic device that satisfies a defined criterion.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first channel comprises a first raised structure, wherein there is a defined distance between the first raised structure and a second raised structure, and wherein a solid material region is located between the first raised structure and the second raised structure.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second channel is a patterned through-hole region of the second stackable layer.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the path is a first path, and wherein the second stackable layer comprises a through-hole region that provides a second path for the coolant fluid to flow between the inlet port and the first channel.

12. A method, comprising:

receiving coolant fluid via an inlet port of a cold plate device coupled to an electronic device;

facilitating flow of the coolant fluid through the cold plate device based on a set of expanding channels in the cold plate device, wherein a width of the set of expanding channels increases along a flow direction of the coolant fluid through the cold plate device; and

facilitating flow of the coolant fluid from the cold plate device via an outlet port of the cold plate device, wherein the outlet port receives the coolant fluid from the set of expanding channels.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the facilitating the flow of the coolant fluid comprises facilitating the flow of the coolant fluid through the cold plate device via a set of raised step structures.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the facilitating the flow of the coolant fluid comprises inducing turbulence associated with the coolant fluid via a set of raised step structures.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the facilitating the flow of the coolant fluid through the cold plate device via the set of expanding channels comprises reducing a temperature of the electronic device coupled to the cold plate device.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the facilitating the flow of the coolant fluid through the cold plate device via the set of expanding channels results in improved energy efficiency of a two-phase cooling system that provides the coolant fluid to the cold plate device.

17. A cold plate device, comprising:

a first stackable layer that comprises a first channel formed within the first stackable layer, wherein the first channel receives a coolant fluid via an inlet port of the cold plate device; and

a second stackable layer that comprises a second channel formed within the second stackable layer, wherein the first channel and the second channel form a set of expanding channels, and wherein a width of the set of expanding channels increases along a path for the coolant fluid to flow between the inlet port and an outlet port of the cold plate device.

18. The cold plate device of claim 17, wherein the first channel comprises a set of raised step structures.

19. The cold plate device of claim 17, wherein the first channel and the second channel are substantially parallel channels within the cold plate device.

20. The cold plate device of claim 17, wherein the second channel is a patterned through-hole region of the second stackable layer that allows the coolant fluid to flow between the first stackable layer and the second stackable layer.