Cold plate with dam isolation
Apparatuses, systems and methods associated with design of cold plates for cooling electrical systems are disclosed herein. In embodiments, a cold plate may include a base and a lid affixed to a side of the base via a braze joint, wherein the braze joint may extend around a perimeter of the lid. The lid may include a dam having a perimeter located inside of the perimeter of the lid, wherein the dam may be compressed against the side of the base and may be liquid-tight to the side of the base, and wherein a cavity may be located between the base and the lid within the perimeter of the dam to provide a circulation passage for a liquid coolant. Other embodiments may be described and/or claimed.
1. A cold plate, comprising: a base; and a lid affixed to the base via a braze joint, wherein the braze joint extends around a perimeter of the lid, and wherein one of the lid or the base includes: a dam having a perimeter located inside of the perimeter of the lid, wherein the dam is compressed against another of the lid or the base and is liquid-tight to the other of the lid or the base, wherein the dam is unitary with the lid or the base, and wherein a cavity is located between the base and the lid within the perimeter of the dam to provide a circulation passage for a liquid coolant; wherein the base includes a first side and a second side opposite to the first side, wherein the lid is affixed to the first side of the base, wherein the first side of the base includes a first surface and a second surface, wherein the second surface is further from the second side than the first surface is from the second side, and wherein the braze joint affixes the lid to the first surface and the dam is compressed against the second surface.
2. The cold plate of claim 1 , wherein the base includes one or more fins that extend from a side of the base into the cavity, wherein the lid is affixed to the side of the base.
3. The cold plate of claim 1 , wherein a pressure at which the dam is compressed against the other of the lid or the base is greater than a pressure at which the liquid coolant is circulated through the cavity.
4. The cold plate of claim 1 , wherein a portion of the other of the lid or the base to which the dam is compressed has a roughness of less than 63 micro inches.
5. The cold plate of claim 1 , wherein a portion of the other of the lid or the base to which the dam is compressed has a flatness of less than 0.002 inches.
6. The cold plate of claim 1 , wherein the base and the lid are formed of a first material, and wherein the braze joint is formed of a second material that is different than the first material.
7. The cold plate of claim 6 , wherein the first material occupies a different position in a galvanic series than the second material.
8. The cold plate of claim 1 , wherein the first surface is parallel to the second surface.
9. The cold plate of claim 1 , wherein the cavity is a first cavity, and wherein a second cavity is located between the base and the lid in an area between the perimeter of the lid and the perimeter of the dam.
10. A method of generating a cold plate, comprising: aligning a lid of the cold plate with a base of the cold plate; wherein the base includes a first side and a second side opposite to the first side, applying force to at least one of the lid or the base to compress a side of the lid against the first or second side of the base, wherein compressing the side of the lid against the first or second side of the base causes a seal feature of a first one of the lid or the base, which extends toward a second one of the lid or the base when the lid and base are aligned, to be compressed against the second one of the lid or the base and deformed to the second one of the lid or the base, and wherein the seal feature encloses a cavity formed between the lid and base when the seal feature is compressed against the second one of the lid or the base and wherein the seal feature is unitary with the first one of the lid or base: brazing the lid to the base along a perimeter of the lid, wherein a perimeter of the seal feature is inside of the perimeter of the lid; and removing the force from the at least one of the lid or the base, wherein the seal feature remains compressed against the second one of the lid or the base after the force is removed; wherein the lid is affixed to the first side of the base, wherein the first side of the base includes a first surface and a second surface, wherein the second surface is further from the second side of the base than the first surface is from the second side, and wherein the braze joint affixes the lid to the first surface and the dam is compressed against the second surface.
11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the lid and the base are formed of a first material, and wherein the brazing is performed with a second material different than the first material.
12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the first material occupies a different position in a galvanic series than the second material.
13. A system, comprising: a circuit board; a component mounted to the circuit board, the component to produce heat during operation of the component; and a cold plate affixed to the component, the cold plate to conduct the heat away from the component, wherein cold plate comprises: a base; and a lid affixed to the base via a braze joint, wherein the braze joint extends around a perimeter of the lid, and wherein one of the lid or the base includes: a dam having a perimeter located inside of the perimeter of the lid, wherein the dam is compressed against another of the lid or the base and is liquid-tight to the other of the lid or the base, wherein the dam is unitary with the lid or the base, and wherein a cavity is located between the base and the lid within the perimeter of the dam to provide a circulation passage for a liquid coolant; wherein the base includes a first side and a second side opposite to the first side, wherein the lid is affixed to the first side of the base, wherein the first side of the base includes a first surface and a second surface, wherein the second surface is further from the second side than the first surface is from the second side, and wherein the braze joint affixes the lid to the first surface and the dam is compressed against the second surface.
14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the base includes one or more fins that extend from a side of the base into the cavity, wherein the lid is affixed to the side of the base.
15. The system of claim 13 , wherein a pressure at which the dam is compressed against the second one of the lid or the base is greater than a pressure at which the liquid coolant is circulated through the cavity.
16. The system of claim 13 , wherein a portion of the other of the lid or the base to which the dam is compressed has a roughness of less than 63 micro inches.
17. The system of claim 13 , wherein the base and the lid are formed of a first material, and wherein the braze joint is formed of a second material that is different than the first material.
18. The system of claim 17 , wherein the first material occupies a different position in a galvanic series than the second material.