Method and device for combined air and liquid cooling of stacked electronic module

Abstract

An enclosure apparatus provides for combined air and liquid cooling of rack mounted stacked electronic components. A heat exchanger is mounted on the side of the stacked electronics and air flows side to side within the enclosure, impelled by air-moving devices mounted behind the electronics. Auxiliary air-moving devices may be mounted within the enclosure to increase the air flow. In an alternative embodiment, air-to-liquid heat exchangers are provided across the front and back of the enclosure, and a closed air flow loop is created by a converging supply plenum, electronics drawers through which air is directed by air-moving devices, diverging return plenum, and a connecting duct in the bottom. In a variant of this embodiment, connecting ducts are in both top and bottom, and supply and return ducts are doubly convergent and doubly divergent, respectively. Auxiliary blowers may be added to increase total system air flow. The enclosure also may be provided with automatically opening vent panels to allow room air to circulate and cool in the event of an over-temperature condition. The design of the enclosure permits it to be constructed apart from the rack-mounted apparatus and subsequently attached to the rack, if desired, at the facility at which the rack had been previously operating.

Description

technical field [0001] The present invention generally relates to systems and methods for cooling rack-mounted assemblies of individual electronic units, such as rack-mounted computer server units. Background technique [0002] The power consumption of integrated circuit chips, as well as the modules containing the chips, continues to increase in order to achieve increases in processor performance. This trend presents cooling challenges at both the module and system levels. Increased airflow velocities are required to effectively cool high powered modules and limit the temperature of the air discharged into the computer center. [0003] In many large server applications, processors and their associated electronics (eg, memory, disk drives, power supplies, etc.) are assembled in removable drawer structures that are stacked within a rack or frame. In other cases, the electronic device may be in a fixed position within a rack or frame. Typically, the components are cooled by...

AI Technical Summary

Problems solved by technology

Finally, as operating frequencies continue to increase, we are approaching a situation where electromagnetic (EMC) crosstalk between closely spaced computer frames is a problem primarily due to the openings in the cover that are required for air flow

Images