Patent Application
20240247882
The present disclosure relates to a liquid-cooling heat dissipation structure having a nonlinear fin array and a method of manufacturing the same, and more particularly to a liquid-cooling heat dissipation structure having a nonlinear fin array for improving heat dissipation through liquid, which is particularly suitable for heat dissipation of automotive electronics.
Radiators are widely used in various products. Generally, higher-end products adopt water-cooling or liquid-cooling radiators, which have advantages of quietness and a stable cooling performance compared to air-cooling coolers. However, as chips are operating on faster and faster clock speeds, a heat dissipation effect provided by existing liquid coolers are no longer able to meet heat dissipation requirements of such chips.
Specifically, as there are high requirements for heat dissipation and stable performance in automobiles, the water-cooling radiators need to provide maximum heat dissipation efficiency, a stable leak-proof structure, and high reliability.
Therefore, how to improve heat dissipation of the liquid-cooling radiator to overcome the above issues has become one of the important issues to be addressed in the related field.
In response to the above-referenced technical inadequacies, the present disclosure provides a liquid-cooling heat dissipation structure having a nonlinear fin array and a method for manufacturing the same, by which maximum heat dissipation efficiency, a stable leak-proof structure, and high reliability can be achieved.
In one aspect, the present disclosure provides a liquid-cooling heat dissipation structure having a nonlinear fin array, which includes an upper plate, a lower plate, and a flow guide member. The upper plate has an accommodating groove formed by stamping and an upper brazing area arranged around the accommodating groove. An inner side of the accommodating groove has an upper joint area formed thereon. The lower plate has a lower joint area and a lower brazing area arranged around the lower joint area. A position of the lower joint area corresponds to a position of the upper joint area. The flow guide member is disposed between the upper plate and the lower plate. The flow guide member includes a heat dissipation plate body and a plurality of heat dissipation columns that are column shaped. The heat dissipation plate body has a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface, and the plurality of heat dissipation columns are integrally disposed on the second surface of the heat dissipation plate body. The upper brazing area of the upper plate is connected to the lower brazing area of the lower plate, and two ends of the flow guide member are respectively connected to the upper joint area and the lower joint area so as to form a cavity that is enclosed for accommodating the plurality of heat dissipation columns.
In another aspect, the present disclosure provides a method of manufacturing a liquid-cooling heat dissipation structure having a nonlinear fin array, which includes: providing an upper plate and stamping the upper plate to form an accommodating groove, providing a lower plate and stamping the lower plate to form a lower joint area, providing a flow guide member and forming a heat dissipation plate body and a plurality of heat dissipation columns that are column shaped in the flow guide member, joining the upper brazing area of the upper plate to the lower brazing area of the lower plate, and joining two ends of the flow guide member respectively to the upper joint area and the lower joint area so as to form a cavity that is enclosed for accommodating the plurality of heat dissipation columns. An upper joint area is formed on an inner side of the accommodating groove, and an upper brazing area is formed around the accommodating groove. A position of the lower joint area corresponds to a position of the upper joint area, and a lower brazing area is formed around the lower joint area. The heat dissipation plate body has a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface, and the plurality of heat dissipation columns are integrally disposed on the second surface of the heat dissipation plate body.
Therefore, in the liquid-cooling heat dissipation structure having the nonlinear fin array provided by the present disclosure, by virtue of “the upper plate has the accommodating groove formed by stamping,” “the upper brazing area of the upper plate is connected to the lower brazing area of the lower plate,” and “the two ends of the flow guide member are respectively connected to the upper joint area and the lower joint area,” a leak-proof ability of the liquid-cooling heat dissipation structure can be strengthened and a reliability of product can be improved.
These and other aspects of the present disclosure will become apparent from the following description of the embodiment taken in conjunction with the following drawings and their captions, although variations and modifications therein may be affected without departing from the spirit and scope of the novel concepts of the disclosure.
The described embodiments may be better understood by reference to the following description and the accompanying drawings, in which:
The present disclosure is more particularly described in the following examples that are intended as illustrative only since numerous modifications and variations therein will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Like numbers in the drawings indicate like components throughout the views. As used in the description herein and throughout the claims that follow, unless the context clearly dictates otherwise, the meaning of “a”, “an”, and “the” includes plural reference, and the meaning of “in” includes “in” and “on”. Titles or subtitles can be used herein for the convenience of a reader, which shall have no influence on the scope of the present disclosure.
The terms used herein generally have their ordinary meanings in the art. In the case of conflict, the present document, including any definitions given herein, will prevail. The same thing can be expressed in more than one way. Alternative language and synonyms can be used for any term(s) discussed herein, and no special significance is to be placed upon whether a term is elaborated or discussed herein. A recital of one or more synonyms does not exclude the use of other synonyms. The use of examples anywhere in this specification including examples of any terms is illustrative only, and in no way limits the scope and meaning of the present disclosure or of any exemplified term. Likewise, the present disclosure is not limited to various embodiments given herein. Numbering terms such as “first”, “second” or “third” can be used to describe various components, signals or the like, which are for distinguishing one component/signal from another one only, and are not intended to, nor should be construed to impose any substantive limitations on the components, signals or the like.
Referring to
The upper plate 10 has an accommodating groove 12 formed by stamping and an upper brazing area 14. The upper brazing area 14 is arranged around the accommodating groove 12, and the upper brazing area 14 of the present embodiment is generally rectangular frame-shaped. An upper joint area 121 is formed on an inner side of the accommodating groove 12, and the upper joint area 121 is used to be joined to an upper end or a lower end of the flow guide member 30. The accommodating groove 12 is generally rectangular. A material of the upper plate 10 can be copper, copper alloy, aluminum, or aluminum alloy, and can be formed by stamping, molding, etc. However, the present disclosure is not limited thereto.
The lower plate 20 of the present embodiment is in the shape of a flat plate. The lower plate 20 has a lower joint area 22 and a lower brazing area 24. The lower brazing area 24 is arranged around the lower joint area 22, and the lower brazing area 24 of the present embodiment is generally in the shape of a rectangular frame. The upper brazing area 14 corresponds to the lower brazing area 24. A position of the lower joint area 22 substantially corresponds to a position of the upper joint area 121 for being joined to the upper end or the lower end of the flow guide member 30. A material of the lower plate 20 can be copper, copper alloy, aluminum, or aluminum alloy, and can be formed by stamping, molding, etc. However, the present disclosure is not limited thereto.
The flow guide member 30 is disposed between the upper plate 10 and the lower plate 20. The flow guide member 30 includes a heat dissipation body 31 and a plurality of heat dissipation columns 33 that are column-shaped. The heat dissipation column 33 can be cylindrical, square column, elliptical column, etc. The heat dissipation plate body 31 has a first surface S1 and a second surface S2 opposite to the first surface S1. The first surface S1 is planar, and the second surface S2 can be planar or non-planar. The plurality of heat dissipation columns 33 of the present embodiment can be integrally disposed on the second surface S2 of the heat dissipation plate body 31. The plurality of heat dissipation columns 33 can be divided into a plurality of fin sets so as to respectively provide heat dissipation to a plurality of heat producing elements. For example, as shown in
In the present embodiment, the upper brazing area 14 of the upper plate 10 is joined to the lower brazing area 24 of the lower plate 20 by brazing. The brazing process adopted by the present disclosure is different from the conventional open radiator using a sealing ring to achieve pressing or locking, so that reliability of the liquid-cooling heat dissipation structure 1 of the present disclosure can be improved. Two ends of the flow guide member 30 are respectively brazed to the upper joint area 121 and the lower joint area 22, After jointing, a cavity S that is enclosed for accommodating the plurality of heat dissipation columns 33 is formed between the accommodating groove 12 of the upper plate 10 and the lower joint area 22 of the lower plate 20. In the present embodiment, the upper end of the flow guide member 30 is brazed to the upper joint area 121, and the lower end of the flow guide member 30 is brazed to the lower joint area 22. After brazing, the upper plate 10, the lower plate 20, and the flow guide member 30 jointly define the cavity S that is enclosed, and the heat dissipation columns are disposed in the cavity S. However, the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and examples will be described in the following.
More specifically, the plurality of heat dissipation columns 33 of the flow guide member 33 are brazed to the upper joint area 121 of the accommodating groove 12, and in one particular embodiment, more than 80% of a total area of a top surface of the plurality of heat dissipation columns 33 is in direct contact (i.e., connection) with the upper joint area 121, thereby strengthening a joint strength between the flow guide member 30 and the upper plate 10. The above mentioned joining process can also be a friction stir welding (FSW) process, which respectively use heat produced by the melting and re-solidification of a solder, and heat produced by friction of a stirring head to soften and mix the material; and then the material is applied to a joint position to implement the joining process. However, the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and other joining methods may also be used to a similar effect. The preferred joint method of the present disclosure includes using the brazing process and the FSW process.
As shown in
It should be noted that, in the present embodiment, a stepped portion 312 is formed at the periphery of the heat dissipation plate body 31, and the side surface of the through hole 220 are correspondingly formed in a stepped shape. A joint area between the periphery of the heat dissipation plate body 31 and the side surface of the through hole 220 through the stepped structures, so that a joint strength between the heat dissipation plate body 31 and the through hole 220 can be increased and a path across which moisture has to travel can be extended. Therefore, a leak-proof ability of the liquid-cooling heat dissipation structure 1 can be strengthened, and the reliability of the liquid-cooling heat dissipation structure 1 can be improved.
Referring to
In the present embodiment, the non-penetrating positioning structure includes at least two protrusions 123, and the at least two protrusions 123 are snap-fitted to the heat dissipation plate body 31a. The at least two protrusions 123 can match with the heat dissipation plate body 31a in terms of area of shape. Specifically, a height of each of the at least two protrusions 123 is greater than or equal to 0.3 mm and less than or equal to 1 mm. Correspondingly, a recessed portion 310 that faces upward is formed in the heat dissipation plate body 31a. The first surface S1 of the heat dissipation plate body 31a is brazed to the upper joint area 121, and the joining process can also be the FSW process.
Similarly, another non-penetrating positioning structure (also referred to as a non-penetrating lower positioning structure) can be formed in the lower plate 20a so as to be engaged to the guide flow member 30a. The non-penetrating lower positioning structure can be, for example, a plane, a convex, or the recessed structure. In other words, the non-penetrating lower positioning structure is different from the through hole in a penetrating manner of the first embodiment. The lower joint area 22 of the lower plate 20a has a lower groove 222, which is in a shape of a shallow basin and has a flat bottom surface. The plurality of heat dissipation columns 33 of the flow guide member 30a are brazed to the flat bottom surface of the lower groove 22 of the lower joint area 22, and more than 80% of the total area of the top surface of the plurality of heat dissipation columns 33 is in contact with the lower joint area 22, thereby strengthening a joint strength between the flow guide member 30 and the lower plate 20a. The joining process can also be the FSW process.
As shown in
In the present embodiment, a non-penetrating lower positioning structure is that, the lower joint area 22 of the lower plate 20b is a planar structure without protrusions or depressions. The lower joint area 22 and the lower brazing area 24 have flat surfaces of equal height and connected to each other. The plurality of heat dissipation columns 33 of the flow guide member 30b are brazed to a top surface of the lower joint area 22. Similarly, more than 80% of the total area of the top surface of the plurality of heat dissipation columns 33 is in contact with the lower joint area 22. The joining process can also be the FSW process.
As shown in
In the present embodiment, the non-penetrating lower positioning structure is that, the lower joint area 22 of the lower plate 20c has a protrusion 224 that is platform-shaped. One end of the flow guide member 30c (i.e., the plurality of heat dissipation columns 33) is brazed to the protrusion 224. Similarly, more than 80% of the total area of the top surface of the plurality of heat dissipation columns 33 is in contact with the lower joint area 22. The joining process can also be the FSW process.
Referring to
In the present embodiment, a cross section of each of the heat dissipation columns 33 in the first heat dissipation area A1, the second heat dissipation area A2, and the third heat dissipation area A3 is circle shaped. However, the present disclosure is not limited thereto. For example, the cross section of each of the heat dissipation columns 33 in the first heat dissipation area A1 can be drop-shaped or oval-shaped, and the cross section of each of the heat dissipation columns 33 in the second heat dissipation area A2 and the third heat dissipation area A3 can be rectangular or circular.
Further, in the present embodiment, the heat dissipation columns 33 in the first heat dissipation area A1, the second heat dissipation area A2, or the third heat dissipation area A3 are spaced apart from each other. However, the present disclosure is not limited thereto. For example, an average distance between the heat dissipation columns 33 in the first heat dissipation area A1 is greater than an average distance between the heat dissipation columns 33 in the second heat dissipation area A2, and the average distance between the heat dissipation columns 33 in the second heat dissipation area A2 is greater than or equal to an average distance between the heat dissipation columns 33 in the third heat dissipation area A3.
In order to implement the above liquid-cooling heat dissipation structure, the present disclosure further provides a method of manufacturing the liquid-cooling heat dissipation structure having the nonlinear fin array. Taking the first embodiment as an example, but it can be applied the other embodiments, the method includes the following steps.
Step (a) is to provide an upper plate 10 and stamp the upper plate 10 to form an accommodating groove 12. An upper joint area 121 is formed on an inner side of the accommodating groove 12, and an upper brazing area 14 is formed around the accommodating groove 12.
Step (b) is to provide a lower plate 20 and stamp the lower plate 20 to form a lower joint area 22. A position of the lower joint area 22 corresponds to a position of the upper joint area 121, and a lower brazing area 24 is formed around the lower joint area 22.
Step (c) is to provide a flow guide member 30 and form a heat dissipation plate body 31 and a plurality of heat dissipation columns 33 that are column shaped. The heat dissipation plate body 31 has a first surface S1 and a second surface S2 opposite to the first surface S1. The plurality of heat dissipation columns 33 are integrally disposed on the second surface S2 of the heat dissipation plate body 31.
Step (d) is to braze the upper brazing area 14 of the upper plate 10 to the lower brazing area 24 of the lower plate 20. A cavity S that is enclosed for accommodating the flow guide member 30 is formed between the accommodating groove 12 and the lower joint area 22.
Step (e) is to braze two ends of the flow guide member 30 to the upper joint area 121 and the lower joint area 22, respectively.
The flow guide member 30 can be formed by forging, a groove forming process, injection molding, or laminate molding.
When the flow guide member 30 is formed by forging or the groove forming process, the flow guide member 30 is made of copper, copper alloy, aluminum, or aluminum alloy. When the flow guide member 30 is formed by injection molding, the flow guide member 30 is made of copper or copper alloy. When the flow guide member 30 is formed by laminate molding, the flow guide member 30 is made of aluminum or aluminum alloy. The adoption of the above processes can achieve a cost reduction of the flow guide member 30. Such manufacturing method can provide the flow guide member integrally formed, so that an assembly tolerance can be avoided and production efficiency can be increased. Further, the flow guide member 30 integrally formed has an improved structural strength and can maximize a heat dissipation effect.
In conclusion, in the liquid-cooling heat dissipation structure 1 having the nonlinear fin array provided by the present disclosure, by virtue of “the upper plate 10 has the accommodating groove 12 formed by stamping,” “the upper brazing area 14 of the upper plate 10 is connected to the lower brazing area 24 of the lower plate 20” and “the two ends of the flow guide member 30 are respectively connected to the upper joint area 121 and the lower joint area 22,” the leak-proof ability of the liquid-cooling heat dissipation structure 1 can be strengthened and a reliability of product can be improved.
The foregoing description of the exemplary embodiments of the disclosure has been presented only for the purposes of illustration and description and is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the disclosure to the precise forms disclosed. Many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teaching.
The embodiments were chosen and described in order to explain the principles of the disclosure and their practical application so as to enable others skilled in the art to utilize the disclosure and various embodiments and with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. Alternative embodiments will become apparent to those skilled in the art to which the present disclosure pertains without departing from its spirit and scope.
