With the increasing demand for heat dissipation in data centers, immersion liquid cooling technology is experiencing explosive growth. As a critical component of immersion liquid cooling systems, the production and manufacturing of liquid cooling plates have become paramount. This article delves into the technologies and equipment required for producing immersion liquid cooling plates and explores their future development trends.
Immersion Liquid Cooling Plates: The Core of Efficient Heat Dissipation
Immersion liquid cooling is a heat dissipation method that submerges heat-generating electronic components (such as CPUs, GPUs, and memory) directly into a cooling liquid. The cooling liquid directly contacts the heat source, efficiently absorbing heat. In some immersion liquid cooling solutions, liquid cooling plates serve as auxiliary heat dissipation components, particularly for critical parts like hard drives and motherboard modules.
Key Technologies for Manufacturing Immersion Liquid Cooling Plates
- Material Selection and Processing Technology:
- High Thermal Conductivity Materials: Typically, materials like aluminum alloy (e.g., 6063 aluminum) or copper are chosen for their high thermal conductivity.
- Processing Techniques: Processes such as stamping, cutting, forming, and welding are required.
- Anti-Corrosion Treatment: Considerations must be made for the corrosiveness of the cooling liquid, with appropriate anti-corrosion treatments applied. Fluorinated liquids are often selected as coolants.
- Flow Channel Design and Manufacturing Technology:
- Flow Channel Optimization: Utilizing thermal simulation analysis and fluid dynamics knowledge to design efficient cooling liquid flow channels for optimal heat dissipation.
- Precision Manufacturing: Techniques like brazing, welding, and extrusion molding ensure the dimensions and shapes of the flow channels meet design requirements. The contour tolerance of brazed flow channels can be controlled within ±0.1mm.
- Connection Technology:
- Sealing: Ensuring the sealing between the liquid cooling plate and the cooling system to prevent coolant leakage.
- Welding Techniques: Proficiency in brazing technology is essential.
- Testing and Inspection Technology:
- Flatness/Dimensional Inspection: Using precision measurement equipment to inspect the flatness and dimensional accuracy of the liquid cooling plate.
- Helium Leak Testing: Conducting helium leak tests to ensure product airtightness.
- Thermal Resistance Testing: Employing thermal resistance testing equipment to evaluate heat dissipation performance.
- Pressure Testing: Assessing the pressure-bearing capacity of the liquid cooling plate.
Core Equipment for Manufacturing Immersion Liquid Cooling Plates
- Hydraulic Press: Used for stamping and forming.
- Forming Molds: Used for stamping and shaping the liquid cooling plates.
- Degreasing Furnace: Used to clean oil stains from the surface of the liquid cooling plates.
- Automatic Brazing Flux Spraying Equipment: Used to spray brazing flux on welding surfaces.
- Brazing Furnace: Used for brazing and welding the liquid cooling plates.
- Helium Leak Detector: Used to test the airtightness of the liquid cooling plates.
- Coordinate Measuring Machine (CMM): Used to inspect the dimensional accuracy of the liquid cooling plates.
Future Trends in Immersion Liquid Cooling Plates
- Lightweight Design: Using lighter materials and more optimized structural designs to reduce the weight of liquid cooling plates.
- Microchannel Technology: Applying microchannel technology to increase the contact area between the cooling liquid and the heat dissipation surface, improving heat dissipation efficiency.
- Intelligent Control: Integrating sensors and control systems for real-time monitoring and intelligent regulation of liquid cooling plate temperatures.
- Customization: Providing customized liquid cooling plate solutions tailored to different application scenarios.
- High-Efficiency Coolants: Developing coolants with higher thermal conductivity and lower viscosity to enhance heat dissipation efficiency and reduce energy consumption.
Conclusion
Producing high-quality immersion liquid cooling plates requires mastery of multiple key technologies and equipment. As technology continues to advance, immersion liquid cooling plates will play an increasingly significant role in data centers, energy storage systems, and other fields, driving green and efficient development across industries.
