Liquid cooling of multiple components on a circuit board

摘要

An apparatus includes a primary cold plate, a secondary cold plate, and spring biased retainers moveably securing the primary cold plate to the secondary cold plate. The secondary cold plate is securable to a circuit board for thermal engagement with heat-generating components on the circuit board. The primary cold plate is aligned for thermal engagement with a processor on the circuit board and includes an internal liquid cooling channel. The apparatus further comprises compressible thermal interface material disposed between the primary cold plate and the secondary cold plate to conduct heat from the secondary cold plate to the primary cold plate and remove the heat in a liquid flowing through the liquid cooling channel. The apparatus provides thermal engagement and cooling of multiple components having different heights.

主权项

1. An apparatus, comprising:
a secondary cold plate securable to a circuit board, wherein the secondary cold plate has a first surface aligned for thermal engagement with a plurality of heat-generating components on a surface of the circuit board; a plurality of spacers allowing the secondary cold plate to be secured to the circuit board with the first surface a predetermined spaced distance from the circuit board; a primary cold plate aligned for thermal engagement with a processor on the circuit board, wherein the primary cold plate includes an internal liquid cooling channel; two or more spring biased retainers extending between the primary cold plate and the secondary cold plate and moveably securing the primary cold plate to the secondary cold plate, wherein the two or more spring biased retainers bias the primary cold plate in a direction away from the secondary cold plate while limiting the distance that the primary cold plate can move away from the secondary cold plate, and wherein the primary cold plate moves toward the secondary cold plate under a force overcoming the two or more spring biased retainers, wherein the two or more spring biased retainers define an axial direction and guide the primary cold plate to move in the axial direction, wherein the primary cold plate and the secondary cold plate have parallel surfaces that compress the thermal interface material in response to the primary cold plate moving toward the secondary cold plate, wherein the parallel surfaces are angled between 30 and 60 degrees relative to the axial direction; and compressible thermal interface material disposed between the primary cold plate and the secondary cold plate for conducting heat from the secondary cold plate to the primary cold plate for removal in a liquid flowing through the liquid cooling channel, wherein the thermal interface material is compressed between the primary cold plate and the secondary cold plate in response to the primary cold plate moving toward the secondary cold plate.