Liquid cooling system for high power solid state AM transmitter

A liquid cooling system apparatus for removing heat generated by a power amplifier, comprising:

• a power amplifier characterized in that it generates heat;
• a thermally conductive block having an inner planar side and an outer planar side, said power amplifier being mounted to the inner planar side of said thermally conductive block such that said thermally conductive block dissipates heat generated by said power amplifier;
• a liquid cooled plate including a thermal block having two planar sides, and further including at least one coolant pipe running through the thermal block, said coolant pipe containing a liquid coolant flowing through said coolant pipe;
• means for resiliently biasing the outer planar side of said thermally conductive block against one of the planar sides of said thermal block of said liquid cooled plate such that the heat generated by said power amplifier is conductively transferred from said amplifier to the liquid coolant flowing through the at least one coolant pipe;
• and means for removably securing said conductive block against said thermal block.

A liquid cooling system apparatus for removing heat generated by a power amplifier, comprising:

• a power amplifier characterized in that it generates heat;
• a thermally conductive block having an inner planar side and an outer planar side, said power amplifier being mounted to the inner planar side of said thermally conductive block such that said thermally conductive block dissipates heat generated by said power amplifier;
• a liquid cooled plate including a thermal block having two planar sides, and further including at least one coolant pipe running through the thermal block, said coolant pipe containing a liquid coolant flowing through said coolant pipe;
• means for biasing the outer planar side of said thermally conductive block against one of the planar sides of said thermal block of said liquid cooled plate such that the heat generated by said power amplifier is conductively transferred from said amplifier to the liquid coolant flowing through the at least one coolant pipe;
• a thermally conductive pad disposed on the outer planar side of said thermally conductive block, said thermally conductive pad having the characteristic that as temperature increases the thermally conductive pad expands.

A liquid cooling system apparatus for removing heat generated by a plurality of radio frequency(RF) power amplifiers contained in a high power AM broadcast transmitter, comprising:

• a cabinet having a vertical length, a front and a back, and two sides for housing the RF power amplifiers and liquid cooling system;
• a center liquid cooled plate comprising a thermal block having two parallel planar sides and a length, and four coolant pipes running through the thermal block parallel to the planar sides, said four coolant pipes containing a liquid coolant flowing through said four coolant pipes, said center liquid cooled plate being positioned in the center of said cabinet such that the length of said thermal block runs along the vertical length of said cabinet;
• a first side liquid cooled plate comprising a thermal block having two parallel planar sides and a length, and four coolant pipes running through the thermal block parallel to the planar sides, said four coolant pipes containing a liquid coolant flowing through said four coolant pipes, said first side liquid cooled plate being positioned on one side of said cabinet such that the length of said thermal block runs along the vertical length of said cabinet;
• a second side liquid cooled plate comprising a thermal block having two parallel planar sides and a length, and four coolant pipes running through the thermal block parallel to the planar sides, said four coolant pipes containing a liquid coolant flowing through said four coolant pipes, said second side liquid cooled plate being positioned on the other side of said cabinet such that the length of said thermal block runs along the vertical length of said cabinet;
• a pump operatively connected to the liquid coolant pipes of said center liquid cooled plate, said first side liquid cooled plate, and said second side liquid cooled plate for pumping the liquid coolant through the liquid coolant pipes;
• a plurality of RF power amplifiers, each RF power amplifier including four power MOSFET transistors for providing a high power output from said amplifier, and each of said power MOSFET transistors characterized in that it generates heat, said RF power amplifiers further including a thermally conductive block having an inner side and an outer side and said power MOSFET transistors being physically mounted to the inner side said thermally conductive block so that heat generated by each power MOSFET transistor is conductively transferred to the thermally conductive block to which the power MOSFET transistor is mounted;
• a plurality of RF modules, each of said RF modules comprising a circuit board having a planar side, a front and back edge, and two side edges where two of said RF power amplifiers are contained on said planar side of said RF module, and each of the thermally conductive blocks is mounted to said circuit board so that its outer side is parallel to the side edges of said circuit board;
• means for mounting each RF module between one of said center liquid cooled plate and said first side liquid cooled plate and said center liquid cooled plate and said second side liquid cooled plate, each said RF module being mounted such that the outer side of the thermally conductive block is in contact with one of the planar side of said center liquid cooled plate, and said outer side of the other thermally conductive block is in contact with one of the planar sides of at least one of the first side liquid cooled plate and said second side liquid cooled plate;
• means for biasing each said thermally conductive block against the liquid cooled plate with which it is in contact so that the heat transferred to each thermally conductive block from the power MOSFETs mounted on that block is conductively transferred to the liquid coolant plate with which the block is in contact.