Contact cooled electronic enclosure

Abstract

Various embodiments disclose a system and an associated method to provide cooling to a plurality of electronic components mounted proximately to one another in an electronic enclosure is disclosed. The system comprises a cold plate that is mounted on the electronic enclosure to conduct heat thermally. The cold plate has a first surface to mount proximate to the plurality of electronic components and a second surface to mount distal from the plurality of electronic components. One or more heat risers are configured to be thermally coupled between the first surface of the cold plate and at least one of the plurality of electronic components.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A thermal interface that thermally couples an electronic component to a heat-removal mechanism, the thermal interface comprising:
 a first pliable strength layer that provides strength to the thermal interface and substantially conforms to the profile of the electronic component, the first strength layer comprising a thin polymeric sheet;   a second pliable strength layer that provides strength to the thermal interface and substantially conforms to the profile of the heat-removal mechanism, the second strength layer comprising thin polymeric sheet;   a first and a second pliable conductive layer that facilitates heat transfer from the strength layer, the first and second conductive layers comprising thin metallic sheets, the first and second conductive layers coupled along a broad face to a broad face of the first and second strength layers, respectively, to form a first and second sheet;   a thermally conductive fluid, thermally coupled to the first and second conductive layers, that facilitates heat transfer from the first conductive layer to the heat-removal mechanism, wherein the thermally conductive fluid is substantially self-leveling, inert, and electrically insular; and   an auxiliary layer, fluidly coupled to the thermally conductive fluid, that facilitates diffusion of heat from the first conductive layer throughout the thermally conductive fluid, the auxiliary layer having a first and a second broad face;   wherein the first sheet encapsulates the thermally conductive fluid against the first broad face of the auxiliary layer.   
     
     
         2 . The interface of  claim 1 , wherein the strength layer comprises polyester. 
     
     
         3 . The interface of  claim 1 , wherein the conductive layer includes aluminum. 
     
     
         4 . The interface of  claim 1 , wherein the thermally conductive layer includes metal paste. 
     
     
         5 . The interface of  claim 1 , wherein the heat-removal mechanism is a prismatic cold plate. 
     
     
         6 . The interface of  claim 1 , wherein an entire broad face of the first and second conductive layers is substantially laminated to an entire broad face of the first and second strength layers to form the first and second sheets, respectively. 
     
     
         7 . The interface of  claim 1 , wherein the edges of the first and second sheets are joined together to form a pouch that encapsulates the auxiliary layer, wherein the first and second conductive layers are in fluid communication with the thermally conductive fluid. 
     
     
         8 . The interface of  claim 7 , wherein the first and second conductive layers comprise a single sheet, and the first and second strength layers comprise a single sheet. 
     
     
         9 . The interface of  claim 1 , wherein the first sheet is joined to opposing edges of the first broad face of the auxiliary layer, and the second sheet is joined to opposing edges of the second broad face of the auxiliary layer. 
     
     
         10 . The interface of  claim 9 , wherein the first sheet is joined to the perimeter of the first broad face of the auxiliary layer, the second sheet is joined to the perimeter of the second broad face of the auxiliary layer, the first sheet encapsulating the thermally conductive fluid against the first broad face of the auxiliary layer, the thermal interface further including a second thermally conductive fluid, wherein the second sheet encapsulates the second thermally conductive fluid against the second broad face of the auxiliary layer. 
     
     
         11 . The interface of  claim 10 , wherein the first and second thermally conductive fluid have substantially the same composition. 
     
     
         12 . The interface of  claim 9 , wherein the first and second sheets are joined to the auxiliary layer by adhesive. 
     
     
         13 . The interface of  claim 1 , wherein the auxiliary layer is substantially metallic. 
     
     
         14 . The interface of  claim 13 , wherein the auxiliary layer is a flexible plate. 
     
     
         15 . The interface of  claim 13 , wherein the auxiliary layer electromagnetically shields the electronic component. 
     
     
         16 . The interface of  claim 13 , wherein the interface is coupled to a hole in an enclosure wall, wherein the interface is substantially coplanar with the enclosure wall. 
     
     
         17 . The interface of  claim 1 , wherein the auxiliary layer is porous. 
     
     
         18 . The interface of  claim 1 , further including a coupling mechanism that couples the heat-removal mechanism and the thermal interface to the electronic component, wherein the thermal interface is disposed between the heat-removal mechanism and the electronic component. 
     
     
         19 . The interface of  claim 18 , wherein the coupling mechanism includes metallicized adhesive. 
     
     
         20 . The interface of  claim 18 , wherein the coupling mechanism comprises a clip that couples to an edge of the heat-removal mechanism and an edge of the electronic component and applies a substantially normal compressive force against a broad face of the heat-removal mechanism towards the electronic component. 
     
     
         21 . The interface of  claim 19 , wherein the clip is a spring clip comprising two compressive tines coupled by a spring element, wherein the spring element applies a restorative reaction force to the tines when the tines are displaced from a resting position. 
     
     
         22 . The interface of  claim 20 , wherein the end of each tine curves away from the opposing tine. 
     
     
         23 . The interface of  claim 21 , wherein the coupling mechanism comprises multiple clips joined along a rail. 
     
     
         24 . The interface of  claim 19 , wherein coupling the thermal interface to the heat-removal mechanism conforms the second sheet to the profile of the heat-removal mechanism by inflating a contact area of the second sheet, wherein the contact area is inflated by forcing the thermally conductive fluid away from the coupled area. 
     
     
         25 . The interface of  claim 18 , further including a second coupling mechanism substantially identical to the first that couples the opposing edge of the heat-removal mechanism to the opposing edge of the thermal interface. 
     
     
         26 . A cooling system that cools an electronic component, the cooling system comprising:
 a cold plate coupled to an enclosure;   a thermal interface coupled between the cold plate and the electronic component, the thermal interface including:   a first pliable strength layer that provides strength to the thermal interface and substantially conforms to the profile of the electronic component, the first strength layer comprising a thin sheet,   a second pliable strength layer that provides strength to the thermal interface and substantially conforms to the profile of the cold plate, the second strength layer comprising thin sheet,   a first and a second pliable conductive layer that facilitates heat transfer from the strength layer, the first and second conductive layers comprising thin sheets, the first and second conductive layers joined along a broad face to a broad face of the first and second strength layers, respectively, to form a first and second sheet,   a thermally conductive fluid, fluidly coupled to the first and second conductive layers, that facilitates heat transfer from a conductive layer to the heat-removal mechanism, wherein the thermally conductive fluid is substantially self-leveling, inert, and electrically insular, and   a planar auxiliary layer, fluidly coupled to the thermally conductive fluid, that facilitates heat diffusion throughout the thermally conductive fluid and structurally supports the first and second sheets, the auxiliary layer having a first and a second broad face,   wherein the first and second sheets encapsulate the thermally conductive fluid against the first and second broad faces of the auxiliary layer, respectively; and   a clip that couples the thermal interface to the cold plate comprising two tines with outwardly curved ends, the tines coupled by a spring element, wherein the spring element applies a compressive normal force through the tines to the opposing broad faces of the thermal interface and the cold plate.   
     
     
         25 . A cooling interface that thermally couples an electronic component to a heat-removal mechanism, the cooling interface comprising:
 a first thermally conductive strip, including a first section and a short section substantially perpendicular to the long section;   a second thermally conductive strip, substantially identical to the first;   wherein the first sections of the first and second strips couple to opposing broad surfaces of the electronic component, and the second sections couple to a second surface adjacent the broad surfaces, wherein the second section of the first strip at least partially overlaps the second section of the second strip on the second surface.