Patent Publication Number: US-2005128710-A1

Title: Cooling system for electronic components

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
      Microprocessors have been developed to operate at faster speeds while occupying smaller spaces. In addition, electronic systems that house these microprocessors have also been developed to include a relatively dense configuration of microprocessors and other components to maximize processing power while minimizing the space required by the electronic systems. As the microprocessors and electronic systems become smaller and more dense, they also generate larger amounts of heat, thereby increasing the difficulty in maintaining the microprocessors and other components within desired temperature levels.  
      A heat sink is typically employed to dissipate the heat generated by the components contained in the electronic systems. More particularly, heat generated by the components is conducted to the heat sink where the heat is dissipated into air surrounding the components. The heat sink typically includes a configuration that enhances heat dissipation into the surrounding air. One heat sink configuration includes protruding fins that increase the surface area over which heat is dissipated from the heat sink to the surrounding air. Heat is typically dissipated into the surrounding air through convection, which may be enhanced through use of fans to increase air circulation over the heat sink fins.  
      Heat transfer within the heat sink has also been enhanced through use of heat pipes, either formed in the heat sink or formed in a separated housing and attached to the heat sink. In one respect, the heat pipes transfer heat from areas of high heat generation to other areas of the heat sink to thereby spread the heat uniformly throughout the heat sink. Consequently, the heat generated by the components may be dissipated over a larger surface area of the heat sink.  
      Individual heat sinks are typically employed to dissipate heat from individual heat-generating components. The heat sinks are oftentimes adhesively bonded to or otherwise mounted adjacent to a face of the individual heat-generating components. In addition, the heat sinks are typically sized to match the size of the heat-generating components to which they are attached. The individual heat sinks are usually sufficient to cool the heat-generating components in electronic systems having sufficient spacing between the heat-generating components. However, as the electronic systems have become more dense and the spacing between the heat-generating components has decreased, the ability of known heat sinks to dissipate adequate amounts of heat from the heat-generating components has diminished.  
      To compensate for the reduced spacing in the electronic systems, heat sinks have been developed with a greater number of relatively tall fins spaced substantially close together. In this regard, the surface area over which heat may be dissipated from the heat sinks has increased, but the airflow produced through the heat sinks has decreased due to higher impedance from the higher fin density. In other words, the aspect ratio (the height of the fins divided by the distance between the fins) for these heat sinks is relatively high, for instance, 12 or higher. Unfortunately, heat sinks having relatively high aspect ratios are associated with relatively high flow resistance and pressure drops across the heat sinks, for instance, 0.15 inches of water or greater. One result of the relatively high pressure drops across the heat sinks is that fans capable of moving large amounts of air are required to cause an adequate supply of airflow through these heat sinks.  
      Fans capable of supplying sufficient airflow through relatively high aspect ratio heat sinks are typically too large for use in densely packed computer systems. In addition, smaller fans that may be suitable for use in densely packed computer systems often have to operate at substantially high speeds in order to provide adequate airflow levels through the heat sinks. However, operating the smaller fans at the higher speeds require greater amounts of energy, therefore increasing the costs associated with operating the computer systems. In addition, the smaller fans operating at high speeds often generate high acoustic noise, which may be disruptive to users.  
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
      According to an embodiment, the present invention pertains to a cooling system for an electronic system housing a heat-generating component. The cooling system generally includes a heat sink having a length and a width. The heat sink is configured to dissipate heat generated by the heat-generating component and has a base and a plurality of fins attached to the base. The plurality of fins are spaced apart from one another to have a relatively low height to width aspect ratio in the spacing between the plurality of fins. In addition, the heat-generating component has PATENT a length and a width, and at least one of the length and the width of the heat sink is substantially larger than at least one of an associated length and width of the heat-generating component. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
      Features of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following description with reference to the figures, in which:  
       FIG. 1  shows a simplified partially cut-out, perspective view of an electronic system according to an embodiment of the invention;  
       FIG. 2  illustrates a cross-sectional, front elevational view of the electronic system shown in  FIG. 1 , according to an embodiment of the invention;  
       FIG. 3  is a partially exploded, perspective view of an electronic system according to an embodiment of the invention;  
       FIG. 4A  is a cross-sectional front view of an electronic system according to another embodiment of the invention; and  
       FIG. 4B  is a cross-sectional front view of an electronic system according to another embodiment of the invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
      For simplicity and illustrative purposes, the present invention is described by referring mainly to an exemplary embodiment thereof In the following description, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. It will be apparent however, to one of ordinary skill in the art, that the present invention may be practiced without limitation to these specific details. In other instances, well known methods and structures have not been described in detail so as not to unnecessarily obscure the present invention.  
      A cooling system for relatively densely packed electronic systems, for instance, computers, servers, receivers, image projectors, etc., substantially optimizes the limited available space in the electronic systems. The cooling system generally includes a heat sink designed to conduct heat from one or more heat-generating components. The heat sink comprises a footprint that is substantially larger than the footprints of the one or more heat-generating components.  
      The heat sink also has fins attached to a base. The fins are configured with a relatively low aspect ratio (the height of the fins divided by the distance between the fins) to thereby reduce the pressure drop across the heat sink. In one regard, air may flow between the fins with relatively low resistance, such that, relatively small, low-capacity fans may be employed to move adequate amounts of air through the fins to dissipate heat from the heat-generating components. Consequently, the amount of space required by the fans as well as the costs associated with operating the fans may be substantially reduced in comparison to known cooling systems.  
      In one example, the base of the heat sink includes one or more heat pipes to generally spread heat from one or more locations of the heat sink to other locations in the heat sink to thereby create a substantially isothermal surface on the heat sink. In this regard, heat conducted from the one or more heat-generating components may be dissipated over a larger surface area of the heat sink to increase heat removal capabilities from the one or more heat-generating components. A thermally conductive material may also be provided as an interface between the base of the heat sink and the one or more heat-generating components to also increase heat conduction from the one or more heat-generating components to the heat sink.  
      The heat sink may also include a roll bond panel having a fluid with a low boiling temperature, for example, water at reduced pressure, fluorinert, etc. In addition, or alternatively, the heat sink may comprise a panel constructed of a metallic base having chambers or openings created therein, for instance, through extrusion, casting, thixomolded magnesium, etc. The heat sink may also include a vapor chamber, for example, copper containing water at a reduced pressure, cast aluminum containing a fluid with a low boiling point temperature, for instance, FC-72, R-134a, etc.  
      In another example, the cooling system may be designed to include various configurations to substantially maximize the spaces available in the electronic systems. More particularly, the heat sink of the cooling system may be designed in conjunction with the components contained in the electronic systems such that the heat sink comprises a shape designed to occupy substantially PATENT all of the spaces available in the electronic systems. Alternatively, the electronic systems may be designed in conjunction with the heat sink such that the components contained in the electronic systems are arranged to accommodate the configuration of the heat sink. In any regard, the surface area available for dissipation of heat produced by the heat-generating components may be significantly increased over known cooling systems. Moreover, heat sinks having relatively lower aspect ratios may be employed to thereby reduce the pressure drop level across the electronic component.  
      In yet another example, the cooling system may be fabricated as part of the housing for the electronic systems. For instance, the heat sink of the cooling system may be substantially integrally fabricated with a top section of the electronic systems. In one regard, the heat sink may be designed such that the heat sink contacts one or more heat-generating components contained in the electronic component as the top section of the electronic systems are mated with the remaining sections of the electronic systems. In addition, some or all of the heat-generating components may be attached to the heat sink such that these heat-generating components may be positioned in the electronic systems as the top section is attached to a bottom section of the electronic systems.  
      With reference now to the drawings and particularly to  FIG. 1 , there is shown a simplified partially cut-out, perspective view of an electronic system  100  according to an embodiment of the invention. The electronic system  100  depicted in  FIG. 1  represents a generalized illustration. Therefore, other components and design features may be added or existing components or design features may be removed or modified without departing from the scope of the invention. For example, the electronic system  100  may include various openings for venting air through an interior of the electronic system  100 . The electronic system  100  may also include various other components in addition to those illustrated in  FIG. 1 .  
      The electronic system  100  may comprise any system that houses heat-generating components. The electronic system  100  may therefore comprise, for instance, a computer, a server, a server mountable on a rack, a stereo receiver, etc. The electronic system  100  includes a housing  102  which may contain similar features to housings for electronic systems known in the art. A front section of the housing  102  has been omitted from the electronic system  100  in order to more clearly illustrate an interior of the electronic system  100 . It should, however, be understood that the housing  102  includes a front section for both aesthetic and functional purposes.  
      Supported on a bottom section  104  of the housing  102  is a mounting board  106 . The mounting board  106  may comprise a circuit board supporting a plurality of components, for instance, microprocessors, integrated circuits, and the like. A plurality of components  108 - 116  is illustrated in  FIG. 1  as being mounted on the mounting board  106 . It should be understood that one or more of the components  108 - 116  may be supported directly on the bottom section  104  or on some other mounting device other than the mounting board  106  without departing from the scope of the invention. The components  108 - 116  may comprise heat-generating components, for instance, microprocessors, disk drives, memory controllers, power supplies, power converters, and other components known to generate heat within electronic systems.  
      A cooling system  120  is provided adjacent to surfaces of the components  108 - 114  to conduct heat away from the components  108 - 114  and to dissipate the conducted heat. The cooling system  120  is generally configured to optimize the space available in the housing  102  to dissipate heat generated by the heat-generating components  108 - 114 . The cooling system  120  comprises a heat sink having a base  122  with a plurality of fins  124  extending therefrom. The fins  124  are generally sized and spaced from one another such that they have a relatively low aspect ratio (the height of the fins  124  divided by the distance between the fins  124 ). For instance, the aspect ratio of the fins  124  is between approximately 6 and 9. In addition, the fins  124  are designed such that a pressure drop from one side of the cooling system  120  to the other side of the cooling system  120  is between approximately 0.03 and 0.09 inches of water. In one respect, the low aspect ratio of the fins  124  may be implemented to sufficiently cool the heat-generating components  108 - 114  by virtue of the space occupied by the cooling system  120 . More particularly, because the heat received by the cooling system  120  may be spread over a relatively larger area as compared with known cooling systems, the low aspect ratio fins  124  generally enables adequate heat dissipation to maintain the heat-generating components  108 - 114  within desired temperature levels.  
      As illustrated in  FIG. 1 , the cooling system  120  is generally designed to accommodate for variously sized components  108 - 116 . For instance, the base  122  includes sections  126   a  and  126   b  having various heights such that the base  122  may be positioned adjacent components  108 - 114  having different heights. Although the cooling system  120  is illustrated as having two sections  126   a  and  126   b,  the cooling system  120  may comprise any number of sections having any number of various heights to contact components having any number of various heights.  
      In addition, the extension of the base  122  and the fins  124  into the electronic system  100  may also vary to accommodate for components contained in the electronic system  100 . For instance, as shown in  FIG. 1 , the base  122  and the fins  124  include portions having relatively shorter extensions into an interior of the housing  102 . The space created in the base  122  and the fins  124  generally enables placement of components, for instance, the component  116 . Although not explicitly shown in  FIG. 1 , spaces in the base  122  and the fins  124  may also be included to generally enable placement of devices in the electronic system  100  that may not generate sufficient heat for dissipation by the cooling system  120 . In addition, the cooling system  120  may comprise separate elements spaced apart from one another to generally enable the placement of these devices and to utilize substantially all of the available space within the housing  102  to dissipate heat generated by the heat-generating components  108 - 114 .  
      The spaces in the base  122  and the fins  124  may also be provided to enable the inclusion of one or more fans  118 . The one or more fans  118  may be provided to enhance heat dissipation from the fins  124  by creating greater airflow around the fins  124  and by blowing heated air out of the housing  102 . In addition, the one or more fans  118  may comprise relatively low capacity fans or high capacity fans operated at relatively low speeds to thereby enable greater airflow through the fins  124  while producing relatively low acoustic noise. The one or more fans  118  may have relatively low operating capacities due to, for instance, the relatively low pressure drop across the cooling system  120 . The one or more fans  118  may be unnecessary, for instance, in situations where the cooling system  120  is configured to dissipate heat from relatively low power systems because the relatively low aspect ratio of the fins  124  generally provides a greater free convection environment. Examples of relatively low power systems may include power converters, memory controllers, etc.  
      Although the use of fans to increase circulation within the housing  102  is generally optional according to embodiments of the invention, fans having relatively lower capacity as compared with fans employed in known cooling systems may be utilized with examples of the invention. In one regard, the fans may be relatively smaller and/or have lower outputs due to the relatively low aspect ratio of the fins  1 . 24  and the reduced pressure drop across the cooling system  120 .  
      In an example of the cooling system  120 , the base  122  includes a plurality of heat pipes  128 . The heat pipes  128  may comprise any reasonably suitable, commercially available heat pipes, for instance, heat pipes available from THERMACORE of Lancaster, Pa., or from FUJIKURA, of Japan. The heat pipes  128  generally operate to transfer heat received at various locations of the base  122  to other areas of the base  122 . In this respect, the heat pipes  128  may spread out the received heat to thereby create a substantially isothermal distribution of heat throughout the base  122 . Through spreading of the heat to various areas of the base  122 , heat may be dissipated over a relatively larger number of fins  124 , and therefore over a relatively larger surface area.  
      Although the heat pipes  128  are illustrated as extending in a direction from a front of the housing  102  to a rear of the housing  102 , the heat pipes  128  may be arranged in any reasonably suitable orientation without departing from the scope of the invention. For instance, some or all of the heat pipes  128  may extend from one side section  130  to the other side section  132  of the housing  102 . In addition, the heat pipes  128  may be arranged in a generally serpentine configuration and may therefore extend in various directions.  
      In addition or alternatively, the base  122  may comprise a roll bond panel, for instance, a panel that is defined by a fluid channel in the form of a closed labyrinth containing a working fluid. A suitable working fluid may comprise, e.g., water at reduced pressure, 3M FLOURINERT, hydrofluoroether, alcohol, etc. Suitable roll bond panels may be obtained from, for instance, Showa Aluminum Corporation, of Tokyo, Japan. In this example, heat generated by the heat-generating components  108 - 114  may be absorbed, for instance, by evaporation, by the working fluid contained in the base  122  and distributed throughout the labyrinth of the base  122  to heat the base  122  to a substantially uniform temperature. The distributed heat may then be dissipated through the fins  124  to thereby cool the heat-generating components  108 - 114 .  
      In another embodiment, the base  122  may comprise a panel constructed of a metallic base having chambers or openings created therein, for instance, through extrusion, casting, thixomolded magnesium, etc. The base  122  may include heat pipes that are integrated into the base  122 . For instance, the base  122  may include a vapor chamber, for instance, copper containing water at a reduced pressure, cast aluminum containing a fluid with a low boiling point temperature, e.g., FC-72, R-134a, etc. Again, heat generated by the heat-generating components  108 - 114  may be absorbed by the working fluid contained in the vapor chamber and distributed throughout the base  122 . The distributed heat may be dissipated through a number of fins  124  positioned at various locations on the base  122  to thereby cool the heat-generating components  108 - 114 .  
      Also shown in  FIG. 1 , is an optional interface material  134  positioned between the heat-generating components  110  and  112  and the second section  126   b  of the base  122 . The interface material  134  generally comprises any reasonably suitable material designed to enhance thermal conduction between the heat-generating components  110  and  112  and the base  122 . The interface material  134  may also accommodate for possible irregularities in the surfaces between the heat-generating components  110  and  112  and the base  122 . Interface materials suitable for use with embodiments of the invention are available from, for instance, The Bergquist Company of Chanhassen, Minn. The interface material  134  may comprise a relatively thin strip of material and may have varying thicknesses. For instance, the interface material  134  may be thinner at locations of relatively high power components, for instance, microprocessors, etc., than locations of relatively low power components, for instance, memory controllers, power converters, etc. For example, the interface material  134  may comprise a thickness of around 0.001 to 0.003 inches at locations of the relatively high power components and a thickness of around 0.010 to 0.030 inches at locations of the relatively low power components. In addition, the thickness of the interface material  134  may vary to accommodate for irregularilities in the heights of the components  108 - 114 .  
      Although the interface material  134  is illustrated as being positioned between the heat-generating components  110  and  112  and the base  122 , interface material  134  may be provided at any reasonably suitable location where heat is to be conducted from one component to another without departing from the scope of the invention. For instance, the interface material  134  may also be provided between the heat-generating components  108  and  114  and the base  122 .  
       FIG. 2  illustrates a cross-sectional, front elevational view of the electronic system  100  shown in  FIG. 1 , according to an embodiment of the invention. As illustrated in  FIG. 2 , the electronic system  100  includes a housing  102  and a mounting board  106 . Positioned on the mounting board  106  are heat-generating components  108 - 112 . The heat-generating components  108 - 112  each comprise a different height and the cooling system  120  is generally configured to receive heat from the heat-generating components  108 - 112  by accommodating for the various heights of the heat-generating components  108 - 112 . As shown in  FIG. 2 , the cooling system  120  includes various heights to allow for sufficient space below the cooling system  120  for the variously sized heat-generating components  108 - 112  while maintaining thermal contact with the heat-generating components  108 - 112 .  
      As described hereinabove, interface material  134  may be positioned between the cooling system  120  and the heat-generating components  108 - 112  to enhance thermal conduction therebetween. The interface material  134  may comprise a relatively resilient and deformable material to enable relatively effective thermal contact with the heat-generating components  108 - 112  by accommodating for possible irregularities in the surfaces between the heat-generating components  108 - 112  and the base  122  of the cooling system  120 . For instance, the interface material  134  may enable a relatively effective thermal connection when the heat-generating component  112  includes a heat sink  136 . In this instance, heat generated by the heat-generating component  112  is conducted through the heat sink  136  and the interface material  134  to the cooling system  122 .  
       FIG. 3  is a partially exploded, perspective view of an electronic system  150  according to an embodiment of the invention. The electronic system  150  depicted in  FIG. 3  comprises a server configured for mounting in a rack (not shown). The electronic system  150  represents a generalized illustration and, therefore, other components and design features may be added or existing components or design features may be removed or modified without departing from the scope of the invention. For example, the electronic system  150  may include various openings for venting air through an interior of the electronic system  150 .  
      The electronic system  150  includes a housing  152  with a top section of the housing  152  being removed for purposes of illustration. In addition, a part of a front section  154  of the housing  152  has been cut-away to more clearly show some of the components contained in the electronic system  150 . The front section  154  is illustrated as containing various features to enable access to components mounted in the electronic system  150 . For instance, the front section  154  includes openings  156  and  158  for insertion of various media, for example, diskettes, flash memory cards, CD-Roms, etc. Located substantially directly behind the openings  156  and  158  are data storage devices  160  and  162  configured to read and/or write onto the various media. The front section  154  also includes vents  164  for enabling airflow into the housing  152 .  
      The housing  152  also includes a plurality of side sections  166  and  168  and a rear section  170 . The rear section  170  includes openings  172  to generally enable airflow out of the housing  152 . Although not clearly shown in  FIG. 3 , the rear section  170  also includes openings for insertion of wires, cables, and the like into the housing  152  for connection to various components contained in the housing  152 . In addition, some of the openings  172  in the rear section  170  may include devices to enable interfacing of certain components contained in the housing  152 .  
      Contained within the housing  152  are a plurality of heat-generating components  174 - 182 . Some of the heat-generating components  174 - 182  may comprise microprocessors, power converters, memory controllers, power supplies, disk drives, etc. It should be readily appreciated that the electronic system  150  depicted in  FIG. 3  represents a generalized illustration and that other components and design features may be added or existing components or design features may be removed or modified without departing from the scope of the invention. For example, the housing  152  may include various other openings for venting air through an interior of the housing  152  and various devices for mating the electronic system  150  to a rack. The electronic system  150  may also include various other components in addition to those illustrated in  FIG. 3 .  
      A cooling system  200  is also illustrated in  FIG. 3 . The cooling system  200  includes a first heat sink  201  having a similar construction to the cooling system  120  illustrated in FIGS. I and  2  and therefore a relatively detailed description of the first heat sink  201  is omitted. Instead, the disclosure cited hereinabove pertaining to the cooling system  120  is relied upon as providing adequate disclosure of the various elements and examples of the first heat sink  201 .  
      The first heat sink  201  comprises a base  202  and a plurality of fins  204 . Extending through the base  202  is a pair of heat pipes  206 . Alternatively, the base  202  may comprise any of the configurations described hereinabove with respect to the cooling system  120 . The first heat sink  201  is also illustrated as having a configuration which enables the first heat sink  201  to occupy available spaces in the housing  152 . In addition, the configuration of the first heat sink  201  generally enables the cooling system  200  to thermally contact surfaces of a plurality of heat-generating components  174 - 182 . In this regard, the first heat sink  201  may be inserted into the housing  152  as indicated by the arrows  184  and  186 .  
      The configuration of the first heat sink  201  depicted in  FIG. 3  is for illustration purposes and is not intended to limit the invention in any respect. Instead, the first heat sink  201  may comprise any reasonably suitable configuration configured to-enable heat conduction from the heat-generating components  174 - 182  and dissipated by the first heat sink  201 , while maintaining the aspect ratio of the fins  204  at a relatively low level.  
      According to an example of the electronic system  150 , the cooling system  200  includes a second heat sink  208 , which is illustrated as forming a separate component from the first heat sink  201 . The second heat sink  208  generally includes a base  210  and fins  212 . The fins  212  of the second heat sink  208  are horizontally arranged and include heat pipes  214  extending vertically through the fins  212 . The heat pipes  214  generally operate to conduct heat from the base  210  through the fins  212 , where the heat may be dissipated, for instance, through convection with air flowing between the fins  212 .  
      The fins  212  are arranged such that they have spaced relatively far apart from each other. For instance, the fins  212  maybe spaced around  0 . 106  inch to  0 . 2  inch spacing. In addition, the fins  124  are designed such that a pressure drop from one side of the second heat sink  208  to the other side of the second heat sink  208  is between approximately 0.03 and 0.09 inches of water.  
      In one respect, the low aspect ratio of the fins  212  may be implemented to sufficiently cool the heat-generating components, for instance, components  180  and  182 , by virtue of the space occupied by the second heat sink  208 . More particularly, because the heat received by the second heat sink  208  may be spread over a relatively larger area as compared with known cooling systems, the spacing between the fins  212  generally enables adequate heat dissipation to maintain the heat-generating components  180  and  182  within desired temperature levels.  
      Although the second heat sink  208  has been shown as comprising a component that is separate from the first heat sink  201 , the second heat sink  208  may be integrally formed with the first heat sink  201  without departing from the scope of the invention. The second heat sink  208  may also be configured for thermal contact with the first heat sink  201 . In this regard, heat collected by the second heat sink  208  may be spread to the first heat sink  201 . In addition, heat collected by the first heat sink  201  may be spread to the second heat sink  208 . Consequently, the surface area over which heat may be dissipated from the components  174 - 182  may be increased.  
      The cooling system  200  may also include a fan cell  220  composed of fans for blowing air through the first heat sink  201  and the second heat sink  208 . The fan cell  220  is depicted as containing five fans for illustrative purposes only and may therefore contain any reasonably suitable number of fans, for instance, from 1 to 10 or more fans. The fans contained in the fan cell  220  may comprise relatively low capacity fans or they may comprise high capacity fans that may be operated at low capacity levels. In addition, the fans may have sufficiently small dimensions to enable their placement in the housing  152  without, for instance, substantially interfering with the operations of other components contained in the housing  152 . For instance, the fans of the fan cell  220  may be  40  mm fans which may be operated in low pressure drop conditions, for instance, around 0.03 to 0.09 inches of water. In addition, the fans of the fan cell  220  may be configured to generate airflow at around 5-10 cfin.  
      The fan cell  220  may be positioned in the housing  152  in a fan mount  222  as indicated by the arrows  224  and  226 . As shown in  FIG. 3 , the fan cell  220  may be positioned in the housing  152  to enhance airflow through the cooling system  200 . More particularly, the fan cell  220  is positioned to increase airflow through the first heat sink  201  and the second heat sink  208  to thereby increase heat dissipation through convection from the fins  204  and  212  of the first heat sink  201  and the second heat sink  208 .  
       FIG. 4A  is a cross-sectional front view of an electronic system  250  according to another embodiment of the invention. The electronic system  250  may comprise a computer system or server configured for mounting in a rack (not shown). In addition, the electronic system  250  represents a generalized illustration and, therefore, other components and design features may be added or existing components or design features may be removed or modified without departing from the scope of the invention. For example, the electronic system  150  may include various openings for venting air through an interior of the electronic system  150 . Moreover, the electronic system  250  may include components known to be contained in computer systems or servers in addition to those described hereinbelow with respect to  FIG. 4A .  
      The electronic system  250  includes a housing  252  having a top section  254  and a bottom section  256 . A front section and a rear section of the housing  252  are not shown in  FIG. 4A  to enable a clearer illustration of the interior of electronic system  250 . The front and rear section may be formed separately from either the top section  254  or the bottom section  256 . Alternatively, either of the front section and the rear section may be formed as part of either the top section  254  or the bottom section  256 . In any regard, the housing  252  may form an enclosure around the components contained in the electronic system  250 .  
      Located on the bottom section  256  of the housing  252  is a mounting board  258 . The mounting board  258  may comprise a circuit board supporting a plurality of components, for instance, microprocessors, integrated circuits, and the like. A plurality of components  260 - 264  is illustrated in  FIG. 4A  as being mounted on the mounting board  258 . It should be understood that one or more of the components  260 - 264  may be supported directly on the bottom section  256  or on some other mounting device other than the mounting board  258  without departing from the scope of the invention. The components  260 - 264  may comprise heat-generating components, for instance, microprocessors, disk drives, memory controllers, power supplies, power converters, and other components known to generate heat within electronic systems, for instance, computers, servers, and the like.  
      The component  264  is illustrated as containing a heat sink  266  having a plurality of fins  268  configured to dissipate heat collected from the component  264 . It should be understood, however, that any or all of the components  260 - 264  may include separate heat sinks or that none of the components  260 - 264  includes separate heat sinks without departing from the scope of the invention.  
      The electronic system  250  includes a cooling system  270  having a base  272  and fins  274  extending from the base  272 . The cooling system  270  generally includes a similar configuration to, for instance, the cooling system  120  illustrated in FIGS. I and  2 , and therefore a relatively detailed description of the cooling system  270  is omitted. Instead, the disclosure cited hereinabove pertaining to the cooling system  120  is relied upon as providing adequate disclosure of the various elements and examples of the cooling system  270 .  
      Extending through the base  272  are heat pipes  276   a  and  276   b.  The heat pipes  276   a  are illustrated as extending into  FIG. 4A  and the heat pipes  276   b  are illustrated as extending in a lateral direction of the base  272 . The heat pipes  276   a  and  276   b  may comprise any reasonably suitable, commercially available heat pipes, for instance, heat pipes available from THERMACORE of Lancaster, Pa., or from FUJIKURA, of Japan. A more detailed description of the heat pipes  276   a  and  276   b  may be found hereinabove with respect to the description of the heat pipes  128  in  FIG. 1 .  
      Although the heat pipes  276   a  and  276   b  are illustrated as extending in varying directions, the heat pipes  276   a  and  276   b  may be arranged in any reasonably suitable orientation without departing from the scope of the invention. For instance, some or all of the heat pipes  276   a  and  276   b  may extend in substantially the same direction. In addition, some or all of the heat pipes  276   a  and  276   b  may be arranged in a generally serpentine configuration and may therefore extend in various directions.  
      In addition or alternatively, the base  272  may comprise a roll bond panel, for instance, a panel that is defined by a fluid channel in the form of a closed labyrinth containing a working fluid. A suitable working fluid may comprise, e.g., water at reduced pressure, 3M FLOURINERT, hydrofluoroether, alcohol, etc. Suitable roll bond panels may be obtained from, for instance, Showa Aluminum Corporation, of Tokyo, Japan. In this example, heat generated by the components  260 - 264  may be transferred by evaporation of the working fluid contained in the base  272  and distributed throughout the labyrinth of the base  272  to heat the base  272  to a substantially uniform temperature. The distributed heat may then be dissipated through the fins  274  to thereby cool the components  260 - 264 .  
      According to another example, the base  272  may comprise a panel constructed of a metallic base having chambers or openings created therein, for instance, through extrusion, casting, thixomolded magnesium, etc. The base  272  may include heat pipes that are integrated into the base  272 . For instance, the base  272  may include a vapor chamber, for instance, copper containing water at a reduced pressure, cast aluminum containing a fluid with a low boiling point temperature, e.g., FC-72, R-134a, etc. Again, heat generated by the components  260 - 264  may be absorbed by the working fluid contained in the vapor chamber and distributed throughout the base  272 . The distributed heat may be dissipated through the fins  274  positioned at various locations on the base  272  to thereby dissipate the heat generated by the components  260 - 264 .  
      As shown in  FIG. 4A , the cooling system  270  is attached to the top section  254 . More particularly, the base  272  of the cooling system  270  is depicted as being attached to inner surfaces of the top section  254 . According to this example, the cooling system  270  may be attached to the top section  254  through any reasonably suitable means. For instance, the cooling system  270  may be attached to the top section  254  with welds, adhesives, mechanical fasteners, etc. In addition, part or all of the cooling system  270  may be integrally formed with the top section  254 .  
      The cooling system  270  may be attached to the top section  254  through various other reasonably suitable means without departing from the scope of the invention. For instance, the fins  274  of the cooling system  270  may be attached to the top section  254  in any of the manners described hereinabove with respect to the attachment of the base  272  to the top section  254 . As another example, brackets or other mechanical devices may be attached to the interior of the top section  254  and may be employed to support the cooling system  270 .  
      In any regard, the cooling system  270  is configured to thermally contact the components  260 - 264  when the top section  254  is placed on the bottom section  256 . In addition, interface material  278 , for instance, interface material  134 , configured to enhance thermal conduction between the components  260 - 264  and the cooling system  270  may be positioned at various locations along the base  272 . The interface material  278  may also enable substantially enhanced thermal contact between the components  260 - 264  and the base  272  by accommodating for various irregularities in the contact surfaces of the components  260 - 264  and the base  272 .  
      In addition, the cooling system  270  is configured to disengage from the components  260 - 264  when the top section  254  is disengaged from the bottom section  256 . In this regard, the components  260 - 264  may be relatively easily accessed through removal of the top section  254 .  
      The configuration of the cooling system  270  is for illustration purposes and is not intended to limit the invention in any respect. Instead, the cooling system  270  may comprise any reasonably suitable configuration configured to enable heat conduction from the components  260 - 264  and dissipated by the cooling system  270 , while maintaining the aspect ratio of the fins  274  at a relatively low level.  
       FIG. 4B  is a cross-sectional front view of an electronic system  250 ′ according to another embodiment of the invention. The electronic system  250 ′ includes all of the elements disclosed hereinabove with respect to the electronic system  250  depicted in  FIG. 4A . Accordingly, only those elements that differ in the electronic system  250 ′ are described in substantial detail.  
      As depicted in  FIG. 4B , the components  260  and  262  are attached to the cooling system  270 . The components  260  and  262  are illustrated as being attached to the interface materials  276   a  and  276   b.  According to an example of the electronic system  250 ′, the components  260  and  262  may be removably attached to the interface materials  276   a  and  276   b,  for instance, through use of mechanical devices or removable adhesives. In this regard, the components  260  and  262  may be relatively easily removed and/or replaced. According to another example, the components  260  and  262  may be attached to the interface materials  276   a  and  276   b  through relatively permanent means, for instance, stronger adhesives, and the like.  
      The components  260  and  262  are illustrated as containing contacting pins  280 . The contacting pins  280  generally comprise male connectors configured to mate with, for instance, female connectors  282  on the mounting board  258 . The connection between the contacting pins  280  and the female connectors  282  generally enables communication between the components  260  and  262  and the mounting board  258 . Thus, as the top section  254  is lowered onto the bottom section  256 , the contacting pins  280  may be inserted into the respective female connectors  282 . In addition, after assembly of the top section  254  and the bottom section  256 , the connectors  260  and  262  may be decoupled from the female connectors  282  by withdrawing the top section  254  from the bottom section  256 . Although the contacting pins  280  have been illustrated as extending from the components  260  and  262 , it should be understood that the components  260  and  262  may include the female connectors  282  and that the contacting pins  280  may extend from the mounting board  258  without deviating from the operability of the present example.  
      The top section  254  is illustrated as containing male connectors  284  configured for insertion into openings  286  in the bottom section  256 . The male connectors  284  and the openings  286  generally operate to removably connect the top section  254  to the bottom section  256 . In addition, the male connectors  284  may operate as guides during the insertion of the contacting pins  280  into the female connectors  282 . In one regard, the male connectors  284  may operate to generally protect the contacting pins  280  as they are inserted into the female connectors  282  by substantially absorbing lateral stresses that may be applied during mating of the top section  254  to the bottom section  256 .  
      In one regard, according to this example, the amount of time required to position the components  260  and  262  may be substantially reduced as they may substantially automatically be positioned during connection of the top section  254  to the bottom section  256 .  
      What has been described and illustrated herein is a preferred embodiment of the invention along with some of its variations. The terms, descriptions and figures used herein are set forth by way of illustration only and are not meant as limitations. Those skilled in the art will recognize that many variations are possible within the spirit and scope of the invention, which is intended to be defined by the following claims—and their equivalents—in which all terms are meant in their broadest reasonable sense unless otherwise indicated.