Apparatus and method for adjusting coolant flow resistance through liquid-cooled electronics rack(s)

Abstract

Apparatuses and methods are presented for adjusting coolant flow resistance through one or more liquid-cooled electronics racks. Flow restrictors are employed in association with multiple heat exchange tube sections of a heat exchange assembly, or in association with a plurality of coolant supply lines or coolant return lines feeding multiple heat exchange assemblies. Flow restrictors associated with respective heat exchange tube sections (or respective heat exchange assemblies) are disposed at the coolant channel inlet or coolant channel outlet of the tube sections (or of the heat exchange assemblies). These flow restrictors tailor coolant flow resistance through the heat exchange tube sections or through the heat exchange assemblies to enhance overall heat transfer within the tube sections or across heat exchange assemblies by tailoring coolant flow. In one embodiment, the flow restrictors tailor a coolant flow distribution differential across multiple heat exchange tube sections or across multiple heat exchange assemblies.

Description

BACKGROUND[0001]The present invention relates in general to a method and apparatus for adjusting coolant flow resistance within one or more liquid-cooled electronics racks or between multiple electronics racks.[0002]The power dissipation of integrated circuit chips, and the modules containing the chips, continues to increase in order to achieve increases in processor performance. This trend poses a cooling challenge at both module and system level. Increased airflow rates are needed to effectively cool high power modules and to limit the temperature of the air that is exhausted into the computer center.[0003]In many large server applications, processors along with their associated electronics (e.g., memory, disk drives, power supplies, etc.) are packaged in removable drawer configurations stacked within a rack or frame. In other cases, the electronics may be in fixed locations within the rack or frame. Typically, the components are cooled by air moving in parallel airflow paths, usu...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0005]In one aspect, the shortcomings of the prior art are overcome and additional advantages are provided through the provision of a cooling apparatus for an electronics rack. The cooling apparatus includes an air-to-liquid heat exchange assembly for the electronics rack, wherein air moves through the electronics rack from an air inlet side to an air outlet side thereof, and the air-to-liquid heat exchange assembly is configured to couple to the electronics rack at one of the air inlet side or the air outlet side. The air-to-liquid heat exchange assembly includes an air-to-liquid heat exchanger and at least one flow restrictor. The air-to-liquid heat exchanger comprises a coolant inlet plenum, a coolant outlet plenum, and multiple heat exchange tube sections coupled in parallel between the coolant inlet plenum and the coolant outlet plenum. Each heat exchange tube section includes a coolant channel having a coolant channel inlet and a coolant channel outlet. Each coolant channel inlet is in fluid communication with the coolant inlet plenum and each coolant channel outlet is in fluid communication with the coolant outlet plenum, wherein coolant flows through the multiple heat exchange tube sections in parallel. The at least one flow restrictor is associated with the multiple heat exchange tube sections. Each flow restrictor of the at least one flow restrictor is associated with a respective heat exchange tube section and is disposed at one of the coolant channel inlet or the coolant channel outlet thereof. When operational, the at least one flow restrictor tailors coolant flow resistance through the respective heat exchange tube section to enhance heat transfer within the multiple heat exchange tube sections of the air-to-liquid heat exchanger.

[0006]In another aspect, a cooling apparatus for a plurality of electronics racks is provided, wherein each electronics rack includes a heat exchange assembly. The cooling apparatus includes a coolant distribution unit, a plurality of coolant supply lines, a plurality of coolant return lines, and a plurality of flow restrictors. The coolant distribution unit supplies cooled system coolant to the heat exchange assemblies of the plurality of electronics racks, and each coolant supply line of the plurality of coolant supply lines is coupled in fluid communication with the coolant distribution unit and the heat exchange assembly of a respective electronics rack for facilitating supply of system coolant from the coolant distribution unit to the respective heat exchange assembly. Each coolant return line is coupled in fluid communication between the heat exchange assembly of a respective electronics rack and the coolant distribution unit for facilitating return of exhausted system coolant from the heat exchange assembly to the coolant distribution unit. In operation, system coolant circulates in a closed loop between the coolant distribution unit and the heat exchange assemblies via, at least in part, the plurality of coolant supply lines and the plurality of coolant return lines. The plurality of flow restrictors are associated with at least one of the plurality of coolant supply lines or the plurality of coolant return lines. Each flow restrictor is associated with a respective coolant line of the plurality of coolant supply lines or the plurality of coolant return lines for tailoring coolant flow resistance through the respective heat exchange assembly. The plurality of flow restrictors tailor coolant flow resistance through at least one of the plurality of coolant supply lines or the plurality of coolant return lines to enhance overall heat transfer through the heat exchange assemblies of the plurality of electronics racks.

Problems solved by technology

This trend poses a cooling challenge at both module and system level.

However, this approach is becoming problematic at the rack level in the context of a computer installation (i.e., data center).

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