Electroformed microchannel cooler and methods of making same

Abstract

An electroformed microchannel cooler for liquid cooling has an upper component and a lower component. Each component includes a sheet, a plurality of electroformed partition walls and a boundary wall electroformed outwardly of the plurality of partition walls. The partition and boundary walls of the upper component are attached to the boundary and partition walls of the lower part to provide a plurality of microchannels for flowing liquid through the cooler in a heat exchange relationship. One of the components has gates at each end opening into plenums inside the boundary walls. An alternate embodiment has a corrugated electroformed member attached to upper an lower sheets forming a plurality of parallel microchannels. Methods of making the electroformed microchannel coolers are also disclosed.

1 . An electroformed microchannel cooler for liquid cooling comprising: 
 an upper sheet a lower sheet and a plurality of electroformed partition walls disposed between the upper sheet and the lower sheet to provide a plurality of microchannels for flowing liquid through the cooler.    
   
   
       2 . An electroformed microchannel cooler for liquid cooling comprising: 
 an upper component and a lower component,    each component comprising a sheet and a plurality of electroformed partition walls,    the partition walls of the upper part engaging the partition walls of the lower part to provide a plurality of microchannels for flowing liquid through the cooler in a heat exchange relationship.    
   
   
       3 . The electroformed microchannel cooler as defined in  claim 2  wherein the partition walls of each component have ends engaging the ends of the other component.  
   
   
       4 . The electroformed microchannel cooler as defined in  claim 3  wherein the ends of the partition walls of one component are soldered to the partition walls of the other component.  
   
   
       5 . The electroformed microchannel cooler as defined in  claim 3  wherein each component has a boundary wall outwardly of the plurality of partition walls forming plenums at each end of the cooler and wherein one of the components has gates at each and opening into the plenums.  
   
   
       6 . The electroformed microchannel cooler as defined in  claim 5  wherein the components are made of copper.  
   
   
       7 . The electroformed microchannel cooler as defined in  claim 6  wherein the sheets have a thickness of about 0.002 inches, the boundary and partition walls have a thickness of about  0 . 004  inches, and the microchannels are about 0.008 inches wide and 0.008 inches tall.  
   
   
       8 . (canceled)  
   
   
       9 . (canceled)  
   
   
       10 . (canceled)  
   
   
       11 . (canceled)  
   
   
       12 . (canceled)  
   
   
       13 . (canceled)  
   
   
       14 . (canceled)  
   
   
       15 . (canceled)  
   
   
       16 . A microchannel cooler for liquid cooling comprising: 
 an upper component and a lower component,    each component comprising a sheet and a plurality of partition walls,    the partition walls of the upper part engaging the partition walls of the lower part to provide a plurality of microchannels for flowing liquid through the cooler in a heat exchange relationship,    the plurality of partition walls of each component having ends engaging the ends of the plurality of partition walls of the other component.    
   
   
       17 . The microchannel cooler as defined in  claim 16  wherein the ends of the partition walls of one component are attached to the ends of the partition walls of the other component.  
   
   
       18 . The microchannel cooler as defined in  claim 16  wherein the ends of the partition walls of one component are soldered to the ends of the partition walls of the other component.  
   
   
       19 . The microchannel cooler as defined in  claim 16  wherein each component has a boundary wall outwardly of the plurality of partition walls forming plenums at each end of the cooler and wherein one of the components has gates at each end opening into the plenums.  
   
   
       20 . The microchannel cooler as defined in  claim 19  wherein the components are made of copper.  
   
   
       21 . The microchannel cooler as defined in  claim 19  wherein the sheets have a thickness of about 0.002 inches, the boundary and partition walls have a thickness of about 0.004 inches, and the microchannels are about 0.008 inches wide and 0.008 inches tall.  
   
   
       22 . A microchannel cooler for liquid cooling comprising: 
 an upper component and a lower component,    each component comprising a sheet and a plurality of partition walls,    the partition walls of the upper part engaging the partition walls of the lower part to provide a plurality of microchannels for flowing liquid through the cooler in a heat exchange relationship,    the plurality of partition walls of each component having ends attached to the ends of the plurality of partition walls of the other component,    each component having a boundary wall outwardly of the plurality of partition walls forming plenums at each end of the cooler, and    one of the components having gates at each end opening into the plenums.    
   
   
       23 . The microchannel cooler as defined in  claim 22  wherein the components are made of copper.  
   
   
       24 . The microchannel cooler as defined in  claim 22  wherein the sheets have a thickness of about 0.002 inches, the boundary and partition walls have a thickness of about 0.004 inches, and the microchannels are about 0.008 inches wide and 0.008 inches tall.