Compact liquid cooled heat sink

Abstract

A heat sink apparatus for use with a liquid refrigerant that tends to generate gas during the cooling process wherein at least some of the gas tends to accumulate on the internal surfaces of heat sink liquid channels forming gaseous pockets that in turn cause surface hot spots, the apparatus for minimizing the surface host spots and comprising a first sink member having first and second substantially oppositely facing surfaces, the second surface for receiving at least one heat generating component, a second sink member having at least a first surface, the first surface of the second sink member secured to the first surface of the first sink member, the first surface of one of the sink members forming a cavity extending between first and second cavity ends and including a cavity surface, the first side of the other of the sink members including a cover surface that substantially covers the cavity and substantially oppositely faces the cavity surface so as to form a channel, at least one of the cavity surface and the cover surface forming a plurality of protuberances between the first and second cavity ends that extend into the cavity, the protuberances increasing turbidity of the liquid flowing therethrough such that channel surface air pockets are substantially eliminated, at least one of the first and second sink members forming an inlet at the first end of the channel and at least one of the first and second sink members forming an outlet at the second end of the channel.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A heat sink apparatus for use with a liquid refrigerant that tends to generate gas during the cooling process wherein at least some of the gas tends to accumulate on the internal surfaces of heat sink liquid channels forming gaseous pockets that in turn cause surface hot spots, the apparatus for minimizing the surface host spots and comprising: 
 a first sink member having first and second substantially oppositely facing surfaces, the second surface for receiving at least one heat generating component;    a second sink member having at least a first surface, the first surface of the second sink member secured to the first surface of the first sink member, the first surface of one of the sink members forming a cavity extending between first and second cavity ends and including a cavity surface, the first side of the other of the sink members including a cover surface that substantially covers the cavity and substantially oppositely faces the cavity surface so as to form a channel;    at least one of the cavity surface and the cover surface forming a plurality of protuberances between the first and second cavity ends that extend into the cavity, the protuberances increasing turbidity of the liquid flowing therethrough such that channel surface air pockets are substantially eliminated;    at least one of the first and second sink members forming an inlet at the first end of the channel; and    at least one of the first and second sink members forming an outlet at the second end of the channel.    
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the first sink member forms the cavity.  
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 2  wherein the first sink member forms the protuberances.  
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 3  wherein the cavity includes a substantially elongated cavity and wherein the protuberances are formed substantially along the entire length of the cavity.  
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 4  wherein the channel is a first channel and wherein at least one of the first and second sink members forms a channel divider member that extends into the cavity substantially along the entire length of the cavity so that the cavity also forms a second channel that is substantially parallel to the first channel, the first sink member forming protuberances along the lengths of each of the first and second channels.  
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 5  wherein each of the first and second channels are substantially rectilinear.  
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 6  wherein the first sink member forms the channel divider.  
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 7  wherein the protuberances include first and second protuberance sets, the first protuberance set includes protuberances arranged in a line substantially along the center of the first channel and the second protuberance set includes protuberances arranged in a line substantially along the center of the second channel.  
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 8  wherein the protuberances are separated by spaces therebetween and the protuberances are equi-spaced along the channel lengths.  
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 9  wherein the dimension between the first surface of the first sink member and the channel surface is a channel depth and wherein each of the protuberances and the divider member substantially extend the channel depth from the channel surface.  
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 10  wherein the first sink member also forms a manifold that links the inlet to each of the first and second channels.  
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 11  wherein the manifold includes a receiving chamber and restricted first and second nozzle passages, the inlet opens into the receiving chamber and the first and second nozzles separately link the receiving chamber to the first and second channels, respectively.  
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 12  wherein the receiving chamber has a cross sectional dimension that is greater than the cross sectional dimensions of each of the first and second nozzle passageways.  
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 13  wherein the receiving chamber has a cross sectional dimension that is greater than the combined cross sectional dimensions of the first and second nozzle passageways.  
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 14  wherein the cross sectional dimensions of the first and second channels are greater than the cross sectional areas of the first and second nozzle passageways, respectively.  
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 10  wherein the divider member terminates before the outlet end of the cavity so that the outlet ends of the first and second channels are linked.  
     
     
         17 . The apparatus of  claim 16  wherein the second surface has a width dimension that is similar to a width dimension of the devices to be mounted thereto and has a length dimension substantially parallel to a length dimension of the channels, the length dimension of the second surface substantially perpendicular to the width dimension of the second surface.  
     
     
         18 . The apparatus of  claim 17  for use with devices that have a heat generating footprint, the footprint having a footprint width, the channels together having a channel width dimension that is similar to the footprint width.  
     
     
         19 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the first and second sink members are each formed of one of aluminum and copper.  
     
     
         20 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the second sink member forms the inlet.  
     
     
         21 . The apparatus of  claim 20  wherein the second sink member forms the outlet.  
     
     
         22 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the first surfaces of the first and second sink members are hermetically sealed together.  
     
     
         23 . The apparatus of  claim 22  wherein the first surfaces are vacuum brazed together.  
     
     
         24 . The apparatus of  claim 1  further including a high pressure fluid source linked to the inlet and wherein the fluid is one of R-134a refrigerant and R123 refrigerant.  
     
     
         25 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the first sink member forms the protuberances.  
     
     
         26 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the cavity includes a substantially elongated channel and wherein the protuberances are provided substantially along the entire length of the channel.  
     
     
         27 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the channel is a first channel and wherein at least one of the first and second sink members forms a channel divider member that extends into the cavity substantially along the entire length of the cavity so that the cavity also forms a second channel that is substantially parallel to the first channel, the protuberances formed extending into the channels along the lengths of each of the first and second channels.  
     
     
         28 . The apparatus of  claim 27  wherein the fist sink member forms the channel divider.  
     
     
         29 . The apparatus of  claim 27  wherein the divider member is a first divider member and at least one of the first and second sink members forms a second divider member and a third divider member juxtaposed on opposite sides of the first divider member within the cavity so as to form additional channels and wherein each of the second and third divider members forms a plurality of openings, the divider member sections between the openings comprising the protuberances.  
     
     
         30 . The apparatus of  claim 29  wherein the openings are equi-spaced along the divider member lengths.  
     
     
         31 . The apparatus of  claim 30  wherein the divider members terminate before the outlet end of the cavity so that the outlet ends of the first and second channels are linked.  
     
     
         32 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the dimension between the cover surface and the channel surface is a channel depth and wherein each of the protuberances substantially extend the channel depth.  
     
     
         33 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the second surface has a width dimension that is similar to a width dimension of the devices to be mounted thereto and has a length dimension substantially parallel to a length dimension of the channel, the length dimension of the second surface substantially perpendicular to the width dimension of the second surface.  
     
     
         34 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the apparatus is juxtaposed so that the outlet is vertically above the inlet.  
     
     
         35 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the protuberances form a texture on at least part of at least one of the cavity surface and the cover surface.  
     
     
         36 . A heat sink apparatus for use with a liquid refrigerant that tends to generate gas during the cooling process wherein at least some of the gas tends to accumulate on the internal surfaces of heat sink liquid channels forming gaseous pockets that in turn cause surface hot spots, the apparatus for minimizing the surface host spots and comprising: 
 a sink member having a receiving surface for receiving at least one heat generating component, the sink member internally forming an elongated channel that extends from an inlet end to an outlet end and forming an inlet and an outlet that open into the inlet and outlet ends, respectively, the channel including at least first and second oppositely facing surfaces and forming a plurality of protuberances between the first and second channel ends that extend into the channel, the protuberances increasing turbidity of the liquid flowing therethrough such that channel surface air pockets are substantially eliminated.    
     
     
         37 . The apparatus of  claim 36  wherein the protuberances are spaced out along the length of the channel between the inlet and outlet ends.  
     
     
         38 . The apparatus of  claim 36  wherein the protuberances extend to the second surface.  
     
     
         39 . The apparatus of  claim 36  wherein the first surface of the channel is substantially flat and is substantially parallel to the receiving surface.  
     
     
         40 . The apparatus of  claim 36  wherein the channel is a first channel and the sink member forms a divider member that extends from the first to the second channel surfaces thereby forming a second channel adjacent and substantially parallel to the first channel that extends from the inlet to the outlet ends, the sink member also forming a plurality of protuberances that extend from the first surface to the second surface within the second channel, the protuberances in the second channel spaced out along the length of the channel between the inlet and outlet ends.  
     
     
         41 . The apparatus of  claim 40  wherein the protuberances include first and second protuberance sets, the first protuberance set includes protuberances linearly arranged substantially along the center of the first channel and the second protuberance set includes protuberances linearly arranged substantially along the center of the second channel.  
     
     
         42 . The apparatus of  claim 40  wherein the sink member also forms a manifold at the inlet end that opens separately into each of the first and second channels.  
     
     
         43 . The apparatus of  claim 40  wherein the divider member terminates before the outlet end so that the outlet ends of the first and second channels are linked.  
     
     
         44 . A heat sink apparatus for use with a liquid refrigerant that tends to generate gas during the cooling process wherein at least some of the gas tends to accumulate on the internal surfaces of heat sink liquid channels forming gaseous pockets that in turn cause surface hot spots, the apparatus for minimizing the surface host spots and comprising: 
 a body member having first and second substantially oppositely facing surfaces, the first surface forming an elongated cavity that extends from an inlet end to an outlet end, forming a first divider member that extends substantially along the length of the cavity and forming second and third divider members juxtaposed on opposite sides of the first divider member such that the divider members separate the cavity into four substantially parallel channels, the second and third divider members forming openings that facilitate passage between adjacent channels, the second surface for receiving at least one heat generating component;    a cover member having a first surface secured to the first surface of the body member such that the first surface substantially covers the first and second channels and such that distal ends of each of the divider members contacts the first surface of the cover member, the cover member forming an inlet and an outlet that open into the inlet and outlet ends of the cavity, respectively; and    a liquid refrigerant source linked to the inlet end of the sink for providing liquid refrigerant thereto.    
     
     
         45 . The apparatus of  claim 44  wherein each of the second and third divider members forms a plurality of openings along the divider member length.  
     
     
         46 . The apparatus of  claim 45  wherein each of the divider members is terminated prior to the outlet end, the first divider member extends to the inlet end and wherein the body member also forms a manifold between the inlet and the channels, the manifold including a receiving chamber and restricted first and second nozzle passages, the inlet opening into the receiving chamber and the first and second nozzles separately linking the receiving chamber to the first and second channels and to the third and fourth channels, respectively.