Passive conductive cooling module

• US 7,952,873 B2
• Filed: 06/26/2006
• Issued: 05/31/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Raytheon Company (Rtx Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Raytheon Company (Rtx Corporation)
• Inventors: Glahn, Timothy J., Kurtz, Robert G. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pape; Zachary M
• Application Number:
  US11/426,435
• Publication Number:
  US 20070297137A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,800 Days
• Field of Search: 361698-702, 361/711, 361/679.53, 165 804- 805, 165/104.33, 165/185, 174/15.1, 174/15.2, 174/252, 257/714
• US Class Current: 361/699
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/1404 by edge clamping, e.g. wedges
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20454 with a conformable or flexible structure compensating for irregularities, e.g. cushion bags, thermal paste
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20636 within sub-racks for removing heat from electronic boards

Abstract

A cooling module includes a thermally conductive plate, a bladder disposed on at least one side of the plate, the bladder have a chamber, and fluid disposed in the chamber of the bladder wherein the bladder in an inflated state impresses the cooling module against an adjacent electronic circuit card. where the cooling module is forcibly pressed against adjacent electronic circuit card providing increased physical stability to the electronic circuit card as well as provide a cooling technique for the circuit card.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a conduction cooled chassis;

at least one electronic circuit card disposed on the conduction cooled chassis;

at least one cooling module disposed on the conduction cooled chassis and adjacent at least one electronic circuit card, the cooling module comprising;

a thermally conductive plate;

a bladder disposed on at least one side of the plate, the bladder having a chamber; and

fluid disposed in the chamber of the bladder wherein the bladder in an inflated state compresses a portion of the bladder of the cooling module against the electronic circuit card; and

wherein the thermally conductive plate includes a coolant supply channel connected to an input port and coolant injection ports exiting into the chamber and a coolant recovery channel connected to an output port and coolant recovery ports entering from the chamber, the chamber connected with the coolant injection ports and the coolant recovery ports to pass fluid with the chamber, a portion of the coolant supply channel being proximal to a center portion of the thermal conductive plate and the coolant recovery channel being disposed around the portion of the coolant supply channel; and

a second cooling module disposed on the conduction cooled chassis and adjacent the at least one electronic circuit card wherein the at least one cooling module and the second cooling module sandwich the at least one electronic circuit card when the bladder is in an inflated state.

2. The apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein the volume of fluid in the chamber is controlled by the amount of fluid fed into the input port from an external source and released by the output port to the external source.

3. A cooling module comprising:

a thermally conductive plate having a coolant supply channel connected to an input port and coolant injection ports and a coolant recovery channel connected to an output port and coolant recovery ports, the coolant supply channel and coolant recovery channel disposed within the thermally conductive plate, a portion of the coolant supply channel being proximal to a center portion of the thermal conductive plate and the coolant recovery channel being disposed around the portion of the coolant supply channel; and

a bladder disposed on at least one side of the plate, the bladder having a chamber connected with the coolant injection ports and the coolant recovery ports; and

fluid disposed in the chamber of the bladder, the volume of fluid controlled by the amount of fluid fed into the input port from an external source and released by the output port to the external source wherein the bladder is inflatable to expand to make contact with an adjacent circuit card.

4. The cooling module as recited in claim 3 wherein a second bladder is disposed on an opposing side of the plate.

5. The cooling module as recited in claim 3 comprising a pressure relief valve connected to the output port.