Fabricating a liquid-cooling apparatus with coolant filter
First Claim
1. A method comprising:
- providing a liquid-cooled heat sink configured to facilitate cooling at least one electronic component, the liquid-cooled heat sink comprising;
a thermally conductive structure with a coolant-carrying compartment comprising, at least in part, a region of reduced cross-sectional coolant flow area through which coolant flows;
a coolant inlet and a coolant outlet associated with the thermally conductive structure and in fluid communication with the coolant-carrying compartment of the thermally conductive structure to facilitate coolant flow therethrough; and
wherein the region of reduced cross-sectional coolant flow area of the coolant-carrying compartment provides an increased effective heat transfer coefficient between a main heat transfer surface of the thermally conductive structure and the coolant within the coolant-carrying compartment;
coupling a coolant loop to the coolant inlet and the coolant outlet of the liquid-cooled heat sink to facilitate flow of coolant through the coolant-carrying compartment thereof;
providing a coolant filter positioned to filter contaminants from the coolant passing through the liquid-cooled heat sink, the coolant filter having a larger cross-sectional coolant flow area than the region of reduced cross-sectional coolant flow area of the coolant-carrying compartment within the thermally conductive structure of the liquid-cooled heat sink;
wherein the coolant filter is positioned within the thermally conductive structure of the liquid-cooled heat sink upstream of the region of reduced cross-sectional coolant flow area of the coolant-carrying compartment; and
wherein the coolant-carrying compartment comprises a converging inlet plenum with angled inner walls converging towards the region of reduced cross-sectional coolant flow area, and the coolant filter is disposed within the converging inlet plenum in contact with the angled inner walls thereof.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Methods of fabricating cooling apparatuses with coolant filters are provided which facilitate heat transfer from an electronic component(s). The method includes providing a cooling apparatus which includes a liquid-cooled heat sink with a thermally conductive structure having a coolant-carrying compartment including a region of reduced cross-sectional coolant flow area. The heat sink includes a coolant inlet and outlet in fluid communication with the compartment, and the region of reduced cross-sectional coolant flow area provides an increased effective heat transfer coefficient between a main heat transfer surface of the conductive structure and the coolant. A coolant loop is also provided coupled to the coolant inlet and outlet to facilitate flow of coolant through the coolant-carrying compartment, and a coolant filter positioned to filter contaminants from the coolant passing through the heat sink. The coolant filter has a larger cross-sectional coolant flow area than the region of reduced cross-sectional coolant flow area.
36 Citations
8 Claims
-
1. A method comprising:
-
providing a liquid-cooled heat sink configured to facilitate cooling at least one electronic component, the liquid-cooled heat sink comprising; a thermally conductive structure with a coolant-carrying compartment comprising, at least in part, a region of reduced cross-sectional coolant flow area through which coolant flows; a coolant inlet and a coolant outlet associated with the thermally conductive structure and in fluid communication with the coolant-carrying compartment of the thermally conductive structure to facilitate coolant flow therethrough; and wherein the region of reduced cross-sectional coolant flow area of the coolant-carrying compartment provides an increased effective heat transfer coefficient between a main heat transfer surface of the thermally conductive structure and the coolant within the coolant-carrying compartment; coupling a coolant loop to the coolant inlet and the coolant outlet of the liquid-cooled heat sink to facilitate flow of coolant through the coolant-carrying compartment thereof; providing a coolant filter positioned to filter contaminants from the coolant passing through the liquid-cooled heat sink, the coolant filter having a larger cross-sectional coolant flow area than the region of reduced cross-sectional coolant flow area of the coolant-carrying compartment within the thermally conductive structure of the liquid-cooled heat sink; wherein the coolant filter is positioned within the thermally conductive structure of the liquid-cooled heat sink upstream of the region of reduced cross-sectional coolant flow area of the coolant-carrying compartment; and wherein the coolant-carrying compartment comprises a converging inlet plenum with angled inner walls converging towards the region of reduced cross-sectional coolant flow area, and the coolant filter is disposed within the converging inlet plenum in contact with the angled inner walls thereof. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
-
-
5. A method comprising:
-
providing a liquid-cooled heat sink configured to facilitate cooling at least one electronic component, the liquid-cooled heat sink comprising; a thermally conductive structure with a coolant-carrying compartment comprising, at least in part, a region of reduced cross-sectional coolant flow area through which coolant flows; a coolant inlet and a coolant outlet associated with the thermally conductive structure and in fluid communication with the coolant-carrying compartment of the thermally conductive structure to facilitate coolant flow therethrough; and wherein the region of reduced cross-sectional coolant flow area of the coolant-carrying compartment provides an increased effective heat transfer coefficient between a main heat transfer surface of the thermally conductive structure and the coolant within the coolant-carrying compartment; coupling a coolant loop to the coolant inlet and the coolant outlet of the liquid-cooled heat sink to facilitate flow of coolant through the coolant-carrying compartment thereof; providing a coolant filter positioned to filter contaminants from the coolant passing through the liquid-cooled heat sink, the coolant filter having a larger cross-sectional coolant flow area than the region of reduced cross-sectional coolant flow area of the coolant-carrying compartment within the thermally conductive structure of the liquid-cooled heat sink; wherein the coolant filter is positioned within the thermally conductive structure of the liquid-cooled heat sink upstream of the region of reduced cross-sectional coolant flow area of the coolant-carrying compartment; and wherein the coolant filter encircles the region of reduced cross-sectional coolant flow area within the coolant-carrying compartment, and the coolant outlet is disposed over the region of reduced cross-sectional flow area, and wherein coolant enters the coolant-carrying compartment through the coolant inlet, passes through the coolant filter into the region of reduced cross-sectional coolant flow area before exiting the coolant-carrying compartment through the coolant outlet disposed over the region of reduced cross-sectional coolant flow area. - View Dependent Claims (6)
-
-
7. A method comprising:
-
providing a liquid-cooled heat sink configured to facilitate cooling at least one electronic component, the liquid-cooled heat sink comprising; a thermally conductive structure with a coolant-carrying compartment comprising, at least in part, a region of reduced cross-sectional coolant flow area through which coolant flows; a coolant inlet and a coolant outlet associated with the thermally conductive structure and in fluid communication with the coolant-carrying compartment of the thermally conductive structure to facilitate coolant flow therethrough; and wherein the region of reduced cross-sectional coolant flow area of the coolant-carrying compartment provides an increased effective heat transfer coefficient between a main heat transfer surface of the thermally conductive structure and the coolant within the coolant-carrying compartment; coupling a coolant loop to the coolant inlet and the coolant outlet of the liquid-cooled heat sink to facilitate flow of coolant through the coolant-carrying compartment thereof; providing a coolant filter positioned to filter contaminants from the coolant passing through the liquid-cooled heat sink, the coolant filter having a larger cross-sectional coolant flow area than the region of reduced cross-sectional coolant flow area of the coolant-carrying compartment within the thermally conductive structure of the liquid-cooled heat sink; wherein the coolant filter is associated with a coolant loop for filtering the coolant before egressing via the coolant inlet into the coolant-carrying compartment of the thermally conductive structure of the liquid cooled heat sink; and wherein the coolant filter is disposed upstream of the liquid-cooled heat sink within a coolant loop connection subassembly, wherein the cross-sectional coolant flow area of the coolant filter is larger than a cross-sectional coolant flow area of the coolant loop. - View Dependent Claims (8)
-
Specification