Heat transfer cold plate arrangement

• US 6,230,791 B1
• Filed: 08/30/1999
• Issued: 05/15/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Electric Boat Corporation (General Dynamics Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Electric Boat Corporation (General Dynamics Corporation)
• Inventors: Linkinhoker, Jeffrey, Smith, James S., Thaxton, Edgar S., Van Dine, Pieter
• Primary Examiner(s): FLANIGAN, ALLEN J
• Application Number:
  US09/385,277
• Time in Patent Office: 624 Days
• Field of Search: 165/80.4, 165/170, 165/168, 361/699, 361/702
• US Class Current: 165/80.4
• 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

Abstract

In the embodiments described in the specification a metal heat transfer cold plate has two sets of parallel coolant passages extending between opposite end surfaces and non-metallic headers made of electrically insulating material are attached to the opposite ends of the metal plate. One of the headers provides an inlet to one set of coolant passages and an outlet from the other set of coolant passages and the other header provides fluid communication between the two sets of coolant passages. The headers are affixed to the cold plate by adhesive or by a snap-in connection having a sealing gasket between each header and the cold plate and the assembled cold plate and headers are insulatively supported by mounting feet attached to the electrically insulating headers.

Claims

1. A heat transfer cold plate arrangement comprising:

a metallic cold plate provided with coolant passages for circulating a coolant;

an inlet/outlet header made of electrically insulating material affixed to one end of the metallic cold plate to supply coolant through an inlet nozzle to a first set of coolant passages in the cold plate and to receive coolant from a second set of coolant passages in the cold plate for transfer to an outlet nozzle;

a return header made of electrically insulating material affixed to an opposite end of the cold plate providing communication between the first and second set of coolant passages;

the headers and the ends of the cold plate being joined by projections received in recesses; and

mounting means on at least one of the headers whereby the cold plate is supported in an electrically insulating manner.

2. A heat transfer cold plate arrangement according to claim 1 wherein the cold plate has a projecting end portion of reduced width at each end which is received in and affixed to a recess in the corresponding header.

3. A heat transfer cold plate arrangement according to claim 2 including interengageable projections on the cold plate end portions and the headers permitting the headers to be snapped into place on the cold plate end portions.

4. A heat transfer cold plate arrangement according to claim 3 including a gasket disposed between each header and an adjacent end surface of the cold plate so that the gasket is compressed to form a seal when the corresponding header is mounted in place on the cold plate end portion.

5. A heat transfer cold plate arrangement according to claim 1 including a layer of adhesive between each header and an adjacent end surface of the cold plate to form an adhesive seal between the headers and the cold plate.

6. A heat transfer cold plate arrangement according to claim 1, wherein each header has two mounting feet disposed on the same side and at opposite ends of the header for supporting the assembled cold plate and headers in an electrically insulating manner.

7. A heat transfer cold plate arrangement according to claim 1 including an integral partition in the inlet/outlet header separating an inlet region from an outlet region.

8. A heat transfer cold plate arrangement according to claim 1 including a plurality of mounting holes in one side surface of the heat transfer cold plate having a depth which is less than the distance between that side surface and the coolant passages in the cold plate.

9. A heat transfer cold plate arrangement according to claim 1 wherein the inlet/outlet header has an inlet nozzle and an outlet nozzle each oriented in a plane extending parallel to the plane of the coolant passages in the cold plate.

10. A heat transfer cold plate arrangement according to claim 1 wherein the inlet/outlet header has inlet and outlet nozzles extending at an angle to a plane extending parallel to the coolant passages in the cold plate.