Optimization Design of a High-Efficiency Cold Plate for Thermal Management Using Additive Manufacturing

Cold plates play a pivotal role in dissipating heat and maintaining the optimal operating temperature of electronic devices. In this paper, we propose an innovative cold-plate design that leverages the geometric freedom offered by additive manufacturing (AM). The design features a bionic configuration composed of tailored micro-fins and porous guide walls. The fins adopt a leaf-vein–inspired pattern with turbo-fan–shaped elements, while curved guide walls channel high-velocity coolant to edge zones. COMSOL simulations demonstrate that the design achieves an average base-plate temperature reduction from 306 K to 301 K as the flow rate increases from 1 L/min to 2 L/min. A 68% improvement in cooling performance over conventional fin-type cold plates was observed, with a mass of just 21g and a thermal resistance as low as 0.0274 K/W. This bio-inspired, lightweight solution adheres to AM fabrication constraints while maintaining low pressure drop and enhanced cooling performance.