Cold plate with pins

Abstract

A cold plate includes an enclosure with an inlet, an outlet, a base and a lid. The inlet and outlet are in fluid communication, so fluid can flow from the inlet though the enclosure to the outlet. The base is formed from a base plate, and the base plate includes an island facing into the enclosure. A plurality of pins extends from the island toward the lid. The pins can have a spiral shape, where the cross sectional profile of the pins change along the length of the pin.

1 . A cold plate comprising:
 an enclosure having an inlet, an outlet, a base and a lid;   a base plate forming the enclosure base, where the base plate includes an island; and   a plurality of pins extending from the island toward the enclosure lid, the pins including a bottom where the pin connects to the base plate, a top opposite the bottom, a length extending from the bottom to the top, an axis central to the pin, a side surface, and a generally quadrilateral cross sectional profile having an orientation, where the orientation of the cross sectional profile spirals along the length of the pin, the axis bends along the length of the pin, the side surface includes at least two textures where one texture includes a plurality of dimples, and the pin and the base plate are monolithic.   
     
     
         2 . The cold plate of  claim 1  where the pin further includes a cross sectional area, and where for at least a portion of the pin the cross sectional area increases with increased distance from the pin bottom. 
     
     
         3 . A cold plate comprising:
 an enclosure having a base, a lid, an inlet and an outlet;   a base plate forming the enclosure base, where the base plate includes an island; and   a plurality of pins within the enclosure extending from the base plate toward the enclosure lid, where each pin has a length and a cross sectional profile with an orientation, and where the cross sectional profile orientation changes along the pin length.   
     
     
         4 . The cold plate of  claim 3  where the pin has an axis, a bottom and a top, and the pin axis bends between the bottom and the top. 
     
     
         5 . The cold plate of  claim 3  where the pin has a cross sectional area and a bottom where the pin connects to the base plate, and for at least some portion of the pin the cross sectional area increases with an increased distance from the pin bottom. 
     
     
         6 . The cold plate of  claim 3  where the pin has side surfaces with at least two different textures on the side surfaces, and where at least one texture includes a plurality of dimples. 
     
     
         7 . The cold plate of  claim 6  where the pin has at least three different textures on the side surface. 
     
     
         8 . The cold plate of  claim 3  where the pin has a width essentially perpendicular to the length, and the pin has an aspect ratio of twenty to one, where the aspect ratio is the ratio of the pin length to the pin width. 
     
     
         9 . The cold plate of  claim 3  including a flow line essentially straight between the inlet and outlet, and where the pins are aligned essentially parallel to the flow line. 
     
     
         10 . The cold plate of  claim 3  including a flow line essentially straight between the inlet and outlet, and where the pins are staggered relative to the flow line. 
     
     
         11 . The cold plate of  claim 3  where the pin is monolithic with the base plate. 
     
     
         12 . A cold plate comprising:
 an enclosure having a base, a lid, an inlet, and an outlet;   a base plate forming the enclosure base, where the base plate includes an island; and   a plurality of pins extending from the island toward the enclosure lid, where each pin includes at least two textures, and where at least one texture includes a plurality of dimples.   
     
     
         13 . The cold plate of  claim 12  where the pin has a bottom and a cross sectional area, and where for at least a portion of the pin the cross sectional area increases with increasing distance from the bottom. 
     
     
         14 . The cold plate of  claim 12  where the pin has a bottom, a top, and an axis, and where the axis bends between the bottom and the top. 
     
     
         15 . The cold plate of  claim 12  where the pin is monolithic with the base plate. 
     
     
         16 . A cold plate comprising:
 an enclosure having an inlet, an outlet, a base and a lid;   a base plate forming the enclosure base, where the base plate includes an island; and   a plurality of pins extending from the island toward the enclosure lid, where each pin includes a length and an axis, and where the axis bends along the pin length.   
     
     
         17 . The cold plate of  claim 16  where the pin includes a bottom and a cross sectional area, and where the cross sectional area increases with increased distance from the bottom for at least a portion of the pin. 
     
     
         18 . A cold plate comprising:
 an enclosure having an inlet, an outlet, a base and a lid;   a base plate forming the enclosure base, where the base plate includes an island; and   a plurality of pins extending from the island toward the enclosure lid, where each pin has a cross sectional area, a bottom where the pin connects to the island, and a top opposite the bottom, and where for at least a portion of the pin the cross sectional area increases with an increased distance from the pin bottom.   
     
     
         19 . A method of producing a cold plate comprising:
 slicing a base plate to form a plurality of fins;   cross-slicing the base plate after the fins are formed to form a plurality of pins;   attaching a cover to the base plate such that the plurality of pins are contained within an enclosure between the cover and the base plate; and   forming an inlet and an outlet to the enclosure.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19  where the base plate is sliced such that the pins spiral between a pin bottom and a pin top. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 19  where the base plate is sliced such that a pin axis bends along a length of the pin. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 19  where the base plate is sliced without removing material so the fins elevate from the base plate. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 19  where the base plate is sliced without removing material so the pins elevate from the fins. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 19  where the base plate is sliced with a tool to produce at least two textures on a side surface of the pins. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 24  where at least one texture of the side surface includes a plurality of dimples. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 19  where the base plate is sliced such that a lower portion of the pin tapers to a smaller cross sectional area further towards a pin bottom.