Heat exchange – With retainer for removable article – Electrical component
Reexamination Certificate
1996-02-22
2001-10-23
Leo, Leonard (Department: 3743)
Heat exchange
With retainer for removable article
Electrical component
C165S080400, C165S185000, C174S016300, C257S714000, C257S722000, C361S698000, C361S699000, C361S702000, C361S704000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06305463
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to computer circuit modules and more specifically to a cold plate for dissipating heat generated by the clock module electronic components.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
High speed electronic digital computers of the type produced by Cray Research, Inc., the assignee hereof, generally utilize densely packaged or stacked banks of circuit modules including what are commonly known as clock modules. A circuit module often includes a pair of printed circuit board assemblies with a heat sink or “cold plate” sandwiched between them for dissipating heat generated by the electronic devices mounted to the board. Each clock module typically includes a single clock printed circuit board assembly which carries thereon a number of circuit, logic and memory devices including numerous integrated circuits. The clock circuit board assembly is also mounted to a cold plate. Typically, the cold plate for the clock circuit board must be custom designed for end application.
Proper cooling is essential in supercomputers; excess heat can build up, causing malfunction and failure of integrated circuits and other electronic components. The importance of effective and efficient cooling for each application grows as circuit board assemblies become smaller and more densely packed with ever smaller, faster components. Some supercomputers can get by with a less expensive, lower maintenance air cooling system. Others require the more efficient cooling of a liquid cooled system.
In today's competitive market, the computer industry is driven to reduce the size and increase the speed of computers and components, reduce the number of parts and part variations, reduce manufacturing and assembly complexity, and reduce manufacturing, assembly and part costs. One of the ways the industry has used to achieve the these goals is to produce standardized, interchangeable components and modular assemblies to eliminate the prior practice of using custom designed components.
In the past, the type of cold plate for any given clock module design would depend on whether the cooling system of the particular computer application into which it was installed was air or liquid cooled. Companies would have to build and maintain an air cooled version constructed utilizing an air cooled cold plate and a liquid cooled version constructed using a liquid cooled cold plate.
What is needed is a single cold plate that will replace both a liquid cooled and air cooled cold plate. What is also needed is a single cold plate which will satisfactorily cool a variety of clock modules and components. Additionally, what is needed is a cold plate that will provide efficient cooling in both air cooled and liquid cooled computer applications. What is further needed is an apparatus which will function as either a liquid cooled or air cooled cold plate.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention teaches an apparatus for dissipating heat generated by electronic computer components mounted on a clock printed circuit board assembly. The apparatus may be used in applications requiring either air cooling or liquid cooling to dissipate heat from the module.
A cold plate for a clock module has a cover and a mounting plate spaced apart from one another. The mounting plate has a board mounting surface on one side for carrying thereon a printed circuit board assembly. A cooling chamber is defined by the space between the cover and the mounting plate for housing therein both a liquid cooled and an air cooled section.
The liquid cooled section is constructed to direct a liquid coolant therethrough for carrying away heat generated by the clock printed circuit board assembly. The air cooled section is constructed to direct air therethrough for carrying away the generated heat. The liquid and air cooled sections are arranged so that either one may be used independent of the other, depending on the type of application in which it is to be installed. Either section provides adequate dissipation of heat from the clock board assembly through the mounting plate and into the cooling chamber to be carried away either by the coolant flowing through the liquid cooled section or air flowing through the air cooled section.
The liquid cooled section has a coolant inlet, a coolant outlet and a coolant flow channel. Coolant flows from the coolant inlet through the coolant flow channel to the coolant outlet and collects heat as it flows therethrough. The air cooled section has an air inlet, an air outlet and an air flow channel. Air flows from the air inlet through the air flow channel to the air outlet and collects heat as it flows therethrough.
According to one aspect of the present invention, the cold plate is adaptable for use in circuit modules requiring either air cooling or liquid cooling. The cold plate provides adequate and efficient air or liquid cooling for computer circuit modules.
According to another aspect of the present invention, the cold plate replaces two separate liquid cooled and air cooled cold plates thereby reducing the number of parts required to build circuit modules for different applications.
According to yet another aspect of the present invention, the invention simplifies the module manufacturing process by reducing the variety of parts to track and stock.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3327776 (1967-06-01), Butt
patent: 4635709 (1987-01-01), Altoz
patent: 4884168 (1989-11-01), August et al.
patent: 4941530 (1990-07-01), Crowe
patent: 5006924 (1991-04-01), Frankeny et al.
patent: 5034852 (1991-07-01), Rosenberg
Chu, R.C. “Counter-Flow Cooling System”, IBM TDB , vol. 8, No. 11, Apr. 1966, p. 1692.
Leo Leonard
Schwegman Lundberg Woessner & Kluth P.A.
Silicon Graphics Inc.
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