Active cold plate/heat sink

Abstract

A heat sink apparatus for gathering and dissipating heat from a heat source having a heat source housing includes an impeller chamber having a chamber interior containing a heat transfer fluid and comprising a heat transfer wall for transferring heat from the heat source into the chamber; a heat transfer fluid within the chamber; a fluid circulation path including the chamber interior; a fluid propelling mechanism for propelling the fluid through the circulation path and across the heat transfer wall so that the fluid absorbs heat at the heat transfer wall and flows to a heat discharge region remote from the heat transfer wall where the heat is dissipated into the surrounding environment; where the fluid propelling mechanism includes a mechanical fluid driving structure including blades within the chamber rotatably secured to the apparatus with a blade mounting structure to move adjacent to and along the heat transfer wall and within the flow layer of the fluid adjacent to the heat transfer wall to mechanically force convection of the fluid close to the heat transfer wall. The blades preferably include an impeller having a central impeller hub and several impeller blades secured to and extending radially from the central impeller hub adjacent to and along the heat transfer wall and within the flow layer of the fluid adjacent to the heat transfer wall.