Air-flow-by cooling technology and air-flow-by circuit board modules
Inventors
McKenney, Darryl J. • Zuidema, Paul • Blanchet, Donald • Coolidge, Daniel
Assignees
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Publication Number
US-9389654-B2
Publication Date
2016-07-12
Expiration Date
Abstract
Various embodiments provide a circuit board module include a primary cover, a secondary cover and a circuit board sandwiched between the primary cover and the secondary cover. A first set of fins or channels may be provided on a surface of the primary cover. The first set of fins or channels guide cooling air flowing on the surface of the primary cover. A second set of fins or channels may be provided on a surface of the second cover. The second set of fins or channels guide the cooling air flowing on the surface of the secondary cover. The second set of fins or channels intermates with the first set of fins or channels to form a sealed casing enclosing the circuit board. The sealed casing forms a Faraday cage to protect the circuit board from electromagnetic interference.
Core Innovation
The document describes an air-flow-by circuit board module having a primary cover and a secondary cover that intermate to form a sealed casing that acts as a faraday cage. A circuit board is sandwiched between the primary cover and the secondary cover, and a gasket seal along a perimeter of the primary cover forms a continuous unbroken shell. The gasket seal is configured to prevent external environmental contaminants from penetrating inside the module and to protect the module from electromagnetic interference by reducing an electromagnetic field generated by the circuit board.
Each cover includes fins or channels for guiding cooling air flowing on a surface of the primary cover or on a surface of the secondary cover. The module geometry uses cooling-air airflow effects created by the fin or channel features on the cover surfaces, including geometry and/or spacing that is non-uniform. The non-uniform geometry causes different amounts of cooling air flowing over different fins or different channels.
Multiple circuit board modules are coupled to a backplane, where the primary cover of a first circuit board module faces the secondary cover of a second circuit board module. When coupled, fins or channels are out of alignment along a longitudinal axis so that an air gap exists between facing fins or channels, creating a vortex of air between the first and second circuit board modules as cooling air passes between them. The geometry and controlled spacing form each other and do not touch, and the vortex is controlled by rising and lowering of the geometry to impact air flow and air speed.
Claims Coverage
The document provides one independent claim covering the combined cooling, sealing, and Faraday cage behavior of multiple covered circuit board modules coupled to a backplane, with a controlled vortex airflow created by fin/channel geometry and spacing, including non-uniform geometry.
Faraday cage sealed circuit board module with gasket perimeter shell
A circuit board module having a primary cover and a secondary cover, with a gasket seal along a perimeter of the primary cover so that the primary cover, the secondary cover and the gasket seal form a continuous unbroken shell that acts as a faraday cage, where the gasket is configured to prevent external environmental contaminants from penetrating inside the module and is configured to protect the module from electromagnetic interference by reducing an electromagnetic field generated by the circuit board.
Fins or channels guiding cooling air over both primary and secondary cover surfaces
Each circuit board module includes a primary cover including a plurality of fins or channels for guiding cooling air flowing on a surface of the primary cover and a secondary cover including a plurality of fins or channels for guiding cooling air flowing on a surface of the secondary cover, with the circuit board sandwiched between the primary cover and the secondary cover.
Controlled vortex created by out-of-alignment modules with an air gap
A backplane with multiple circuit board modules coupled so that the primary cover of a first circuit board module faces the secondary cover of a second circuit board module, the fins or channels are out of alignment along a longitudinal axis, and an air gap exists between the fins or channels of the primary cover and the fins or channels of the secondary cover so that a vortex of air is created between the first and second circuit board modules when cooling air passes between them.
Non-uniform fin/channel geometry and controlled spacing to affect airflow amounts
Geometry and/or spacing of the fins or the channels is non-uniform so that an amount of cooling air flowing over a first of the fins substantially differs from an amount of cooling air flowing over a second of the fins, or an amount of cooling air flowing over a first of the channels substantially differs from an amount of cooling air that flows over a second of the channels, and the geometry created by the covers having controlled spacing form each other and do not touch each other to control the vortex of air by rising and lowering of the geometry to impact air flow and air speed.
Backplane cover plate sealing to limit contaminants reaching inside the backplane
A backplane cover plate coupled to the backplane, provided between the backplane and the plurality of modules coupled to the backplane, serving as a seal to limit external contaminants from reaching inside the backplane.
Claim coverage centers on a system of multiple circuit board modules coupled to a backplane that use primary and secondary covers with fins or channels to guide air, a gasket perimeter to form a continuous unbroken faraday cage shell that limits contaminants and reduces electromagnetic interference, and an air-gap arrangement that creates a vortex of air between facing modules, with non-uniform fin/channel geometry and controlled spacing used to impact cooling airflow and air speed, together with a backplane cover plate that limits external contaminants to the backplane.
Stated Advantages
Prevents external environmental contaminants from penetrating inside the module.
Protects the module from electromagnetic interference by reducing an electromagnetic field generated by the circuit board.
Creates a controlled vortex of air between modules when cooling air passes between them.
Controls the vortex of air by rising and lowering of the geometry to impact air flow and air speed.
Serves as a seal to limit external contaminants from reaching inside the backplane.
Documented Applications
Cooling of a plurality of circuit board modules coupled to a backplane using air-flow-by cooling with filterless cooling air passing between adjacent modules.
Use of wind tunnel and thermal images to show temperature uniformity improvements for the described cooling arrangement.
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