Electronic device enclosures and edge computing systems

By designing fully enclosed electronic device housings in data centers and edge computing devices, combining liquid and air cooling technologies, thermal management challenges in high-density environments are solved, effective heat transfer and equipment stability are achieved, and different thermal design specifications are adapted to different thermal design specifications demand.

CN113056161BActive Publication Date: 2025-01-03BAIDU USA LLC
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Patent Information

Application Number
CN202010512215.7
Authority / Receiving Office
CN · China
Patent Type
Patents(China)
Current Assignee / Owner
Priority Date
2019-12-27
Filing Date
2020-06-08
Publication Date
2025-01-03
Estimated Expiration
2040-06-08

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

Existing data center and edge computing devices are difficult to effectively cool in high-density environments, leading to thermal management challenges, especially in fully enclosed environments, where traditional air cooling and liquid cooling are combined with increased complexity and edge computing devices need to be harsh. Deployment, thermal design and specification are different in the environment.

Method used

Design a fully enclosed electronic equipment housing, combining liquid cooling and air cooling technology, and form a fully enclosed container through multiple shell panels, using liquid cooling liquid to flow into the liquid distribution channel to extract heat, and cool the interior through the liquid to the air heat exchanger Air, realizes hybrid cooling method, suitable for high-density data processing systems and edge computing devices.

Benefits of technology

It effectively solves the problem of computing hardware cooling in fully enclosed environments, improves the thermal management capabilities of data centers and edge computing devices, adapts to the needs of different thermal design power and specifications, and enhances the reliability and upgrade efficiency of the equipment.

✦ Generated by Eureka AI based on patent content.

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Abstract

An electronic device housing for accommodating a data processing system is disclosed, comprising a plurality of housing panels forming a fully enclosed container to accommodate the electronic device, the plurality of housing panels comprising a first housing panel having a liquid cooling component therein and a second housing panel having an air cooling component therein. The housing performs thermal management by implementing these panels. The first housing panel comprises: an inlet port for receiving cooling liquid from an external cooling liquid source; a cooling plate disposed on an inner surface of the first housing panel for receiving a motherboard of the data processing system and extracting heat from the motherboard using the cooling liquid; and an outlet port for returning the cooling liquid to the external liquid source. The second housing panel comprises a liquid-to-air heat exchanger to use at least a portion of the cooling liquid to cool air flowing through the air space within the fully enclosed container.
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Description

Technical Field

[0001] Embodiments of the present invention generally relate to data centers. More specifically, embodiments of the present invention relate to cooling designs for electronic equipment enclosures. Background Art

[0002] Thermal management of a data center that includes several active electronic racks is critical to ensuring proper performance of the servers and other IT equipment running in the racks. Without proper thermal management, the thermal environment within the rack may exceed the operating threshold, causing operational consequences (e.g., server failures, etc.). One way to manage the thermal environment is to use cooling air to cool the IT equipment. Most existing data centers are air-cooled. Recently, data centers have deployed higher power density electronic racks, where higher density chips are packed more closely together to provide greater processing power. How to cool these high-density racks by maintaining a proper thermal environment is a problem in existing cooling systems.

[0003] A data center can be a large system consisting of two main parts: IT equipment and facilities. These two parts are closely connected to each other in all stages of operation. However, the life of a facility is usually much longer than the IT equipment it houses. Therefore, it is a challenge to enable the facility to continuously support and meet the needs of IT deployments. These difficulties are compounded when air cooling and liquid cooling technologies are used simultaneously to cool IT equipment.

[0004] In addition, edge computing has become an important and popular technology recently, especially in conjunction with 5G technology. Edge computing requires more computing and storage workloads to be processed closer to the end user rather than in a core data center or central cloud environment. For example, in an autonomous vehicle, multiple sensors are assembled on the vehicle. The data collected by the sensors needs to be processed locally, which requires local vehicle computing hardware. The processing power requirements for edge computing applications (such as autonomous vehicles) are increasing, and the environment in which edge computing applications are deployed can be very different from the very well-controlled environment of a data center. Edge computing devices can be deployed in harsh environments, including harsh temperature, humidity, air quality, and weather conditions. Therefore, these devices can be deployed in fully enclosed packages. However, controlling the thermal environment of devices with different thermal design powers and thermal specifications in a fully enclosed package has become a challenge that has received much attention. Summary of the invention

[0005] Embodiments of the present disclosure provide an electronic device housing and an edge computing system for housing a data processing system.

[0006] In one aspect of the present disclosure, an electronic device housing for accommodating a data processing system includes: a plurality of housing panels forming a fully enclosed container to accommodate the data processing system, the plurality of housing panels including a first housing panel having a liquid cooling component therein and a second housing panel having an air cooling component therein. The first housing panel includes: an inlet port for receiving cooling liquid from an external cooling liquid source, a cooling plate having a liquid distribution channel therein and disposed on an inner surface of the first housing panel to receive a motherboard of the data processing system and extract heat from the motherboard using the cooling liquid flowing in the liquid distribution channel, and an outlet port to return the cooling liquid to the external cooling liquid source. The second housing panel includes: a liquid-to-air heat exchanger embedded in the second housing panel to use at least a portion of the cooling liquid to cool air flowing through the air space within the fully enclosed container.

[0007] In another aspect of the present disclosure, an edge computing system includes: a data processing system having one or more processors and a memory disposed on a motherboard; and a fully enclosed container containing the data processing system therein. The fully enclosed container includes: a plurality of housing panels forming the fully enclosed container to accommodate the data processing system, the plurality of housing panels including a first housing panel having a liquid cooling component therein and a second housing panel having an air cooling component therein. The first housing panel includes: an inlet port for receiving cooling liquid from an external cooling liquid source, a cooling plate having a liquid distribution channel therein and disposed on an inner surface of the first housing panel to receive the motherboard of the data processing system and extract heat from the motherboard using the cooling liquid flowing in the liquid distribution channel, and an outlet port to return the cooling liquid to the external cooling liquid source. The second housing panel includes: a liquid-to-air heat exchanger embedded in the second housing panel to use at least a portion of the cooling liquid to cool air flowing through the air space within the fully enclosed container. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0008] Embodiments of the invention are illustrated by way of example, and not by way of limitation, in the figures of the accompanying drawings in which like references indicate similar elements.

[0009] Figure 1 is a block diagram illustrating a cooling design for an electronic device housing according to one embodiment.

[0010] Figure 2 is an exploded view of an electronic device housing according to one embodiment.

[0011] Figure 3A A side view of an air cooling panel for an electronic device housing is shown according to one embodiment.

[0012] Figure 3B A side view of a liquid cooling panel for an electronic device housing is shown according to one embodiment.

[0013] Figure 3C A side view of an air duct panel for an electronic equipment enclosure is shown according to one embodiment.

[0014] Figure 3D A side view of a fluid extension panel for an electronic device housing is shown according to one embodiment.

[0015] Figure 4 A side view of a cooling design for an electronic device housing is shown according to another embodiment.

[0016] Figure 5 A side view showing a cooling design for an electronic device housing according to another embodiment.

[0017] Figure 6 A system for using a cooling design for an electronic device enclosure according to another embodiment is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0018] Various embodiments and aspects of the present invention will be described with reference to the details discussed below, and the accompanying drawings will illustrate various embodiments. The following description and accompanying drawings are illustrative of the present invention and do not constitute a limitation of the present invention. Many specific details are described to provide a thorough understanding of various embodiments of the present invention. However, in some cases, in order to provide a concise discussion of embodiments of the present invention, known or conventional details are not described.

[0019] Reference in the specification to "one embodiment" or "an embodiment" means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in conjunction with the embodiment may be included in at least one embodiment of the present invention. The phrase "in one embodiment" appearing in various places in the specification does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment.

[0020] The present disclosure solves the problem of cooling computing hardware in a fully enclosed environment. Embodiments of the present invention provide a cooling design for a fully enclosed electronic device housing. Specifically, the present disclosure describes a cooling housing that uses a cooling liquid exchange from an external source. The design includes a direct liquid cooling loop, an air duct system for air recirculation, a server cooler, and a fluid distribution device. The electronic equipment within the housing is cooled by a liquid cooling method, an air cooling method, or a mixed air plus liquid cooling method. Cooling liquid is used in the liquid cooling loop and the liquid cooling device to provide direct liquid cooling. Cooling liquid is used at the server cooler to cool the recirculating air. The described components can be assembled in a panel of the housing. These components can be assembled in different ways, with different combinations of components in the panel to provide liquid cooling and air cooling to the fully enclosed electronic device housing.

[0021] According to one embodiment, an electronic device housing for accommodating a data processing system includes a plurality of housing panels that form a fully enclosed container to accommodate the data processing system. The plurality of housing panels include a first housing panel having a liquid cooling component therein and a second housing panel having an air cooling component therein. The first housing panel includes an inlet port for receiving a cooling liquid from an external cooling liquid source and a cooling plate having a liquid distribution channel therein. The cooling plate is disposed on an inner surface of the first housing panel to receive a motherboard of the data processing system and to extract heat from the motherboard using the cooling liquid flowing in the liquid distribution channel. The first housing panel also includes an outlet port for returning the cooling liquid to an external liquid source. The second housing panel includes a liquid-to-air heat exchanger embedded therein to cool air flowing through an air space within the fully enclosed container using at least a portion of the cooling liquid.

[0022] In one embodiment, the housing panel further comprises a third housing panel connected to the second housing panel. The third housing panel comprises a first vent to receive cooled air from the second housing panel and a second vent to direct the cooled air received from the second housing panel toward the data processing system. In another embodiment, the third housing panel comprises a duct to provide cooling liquid to the liquid cooling component of the first housing panel and the air cooling component of the second housing panel.

[0023] In one embodiment, the motherboard is mounted on a liquid cooling component of the first housing panel. In one embodiment, a liquid cooling device is coupled to the liquid cooling component of the first housing panel. The liquid cooling device is positioned on one or more electronic devices of the data processing system located on a top surface of the motherboard. The liquid cooling device extracts heat from the one or more electronic devices using at least a portion of the cooling liquid.

[0024] In one embodiment, the first housing panel and the second housing panel are the same panel of the electronic device housing, which can also be understood as a combined housing. In different embodiments, the first housing panel and the second housing panel are different panels of the electronic device housing.

[0025] In one embodiment, the second housing panel further comprises vents on opposite ends of the second housing panel for providing air inlet and air outlet to the liquid to air heat exchanger; and a fan for drawing air through the second housing panel and circulating the air through the housing.

[0026] Figure 1 is a system diagram of a cooling design for an electronic device enclosure according to one embodiment. Figure 1 A design concept diagram is presented. Since the housing is completely closed, no outside air is allowed to enter the housing. The entire housing receives only a liquid cooling source from an external source. Therefore, the only cooling medium is the liquid cooling fluid that circulates through the housing. The cooling fluid enters the housing and is used for different cooling designs. A loop is designed for a liquid cooling loop. The liquid cooling loop is used for pure liquid devices and electronic devices. This means that the heat generated by the electronic device or the heat taken by the cooling device is transferred only within the fluid in the cooling loop.

[0027] Another loop is designed to cool the recirculating air. Since there will be many different types of electronic devices (these electronic devices have different factors, different functions, different power densities and heat densities) packaged on the motherboard, it is a challenge to apply liquid cooling equipment to all of these electronic devices. Although it may be a technically feasible solution, the corresponding cost and reliability will be some other major challenges that need to be solved. Therefore, the design considers using internal recirculating airflow to cool some of the electronic devices (such as low power density electronic devices) in combination with liquid cooling. In this second loop, liquid is used to cool the server cooler, which can be understood as a liquid to air heat exchanger. An air duct system is used to manage the airflow flowing through the electronic equipment area and the server cooler to continuously absorb heat into the liquid through the air.

[0028] In one embodiment, two loops can be designed in series. In another embodiment, multiple loops can be designed in the electronic device housing.

[0029] In one embodiment, reference Figure 1, the cooling design includes a chassis-level package 102 that provides cooling for air-cooled electronic devices 112 and liquid-cooled electronic devices 114. The chassis-level package 102 may include a housing panel that encloses a data processing system. The housing may be completely enclosed, not allowing outside air to enter the housing. At least one housing panel includes a server cooler 104, and at least one housing panel includes a liquid cooling device 110. The server cooler 104 may be a liquid-to-air heat exchanger to extract heat from the air circulating in the electronic device housing 100. The chassis-level package 102 also includes an air duct 106 to circulate and guide the air flow in the electronic device housing 100. The air duct 106 may be included in the housing panel of the chassis-level package 102. Therefore, the server cooler 104 and the air duct 106 provide air cooling (heat transfer through air) to the air-cooled electronic device 112 by cooling the recirculating air in the housing. The air-cooled electronic device 112 may include low power density devices, such as PCIE switches.

[0030] The liquid cooling device 110 of the chassis level enclosure 102 may be a device having one or more liquid distribution channels through which cooling liquid flows to extract heat generated by liquid-cooled electronic devices 114. The liquid-cooled electronic devices 114 may include high-performance processors or other electronic devices with high power density. The liquid cooling loop 108 may provide cooling liquid to the liquid cooling device 110 and obtain cooling liquid from the liquid cooling device 110. The cooling loop 108 may include pipes that transport cooling liquid from a liquid inlet 116 of the electronic device housing 100 to the liquid cooling device 110 and return the cooling liquid to a liquid outlet 118 of the electronic device housing 100. In some embodiments, the liquid cooling loop 108 additionally provides cooling liquid to a server cooler 104 for providing liquid-to-air heat exchange.

[0031] Figure 2 An electronic device housing (eg Figure 1 An exploded view of an electronic device housing 100). Figure 2 A simplified three-dimensional (3D) packaging design for an enclosure is shown. Multiple panels are used to package the electronic device to form a completely enclosed environment. The enclosure can be represented as Figure 2 Although the six panels are shown as separate components, some of them may be designed as a single component in an actual product.

[0032] The cooling function and cooling products are packaged within the panel. This means Figure 1The system shown in will be implemented using panels. Using the method proposed in this article, the cooling system and corresponding components and equipment can be pre-assembled with the housing chassis and can be spaced apart from the electronic equipment as much as possible. In some actual use cases, the electronic equipment board may change significantly, especially in the design stage. Therefore, this design reduces the impact of the electronic equipment cooling design on the system design. At the same time, the cooling configuration and the cooling system design and specifications can be easily adjusted without affecting the electronic equipment system. This significantly improves the design and system upgrade efficiency.

[0033] Reference Figure 2 According to one embodiment, the electronic device housing includes a front housing panel 202, a rear housing panel 204, two side housing panels 206 and 208, a bottom housing panel 210, and a top housing panel 212. Each of the housing panels 202 to 212 may include one or more cooling components embedded in and / or on the panel surface. In some embodiments, one or more of the housing panels 202 to 212 may be a flat plate that does not include a cooling component. For example, one or more panels may simply be a flat metal housing panel. Therefore, any number of the housing panels 202 to 212 may include a cooling component, while others do not. In some embodiments, the housing panels that do not include a cooling component may include additional thermal insulation to provide a more stable environment within the electronic device housing. Although described as separate panels, in some embodiments, two or more panels may be designed as a single structure.

[0034] As an example, the bottom shell panel 210 may include a liquid cooling component located on the inner surface of the bottom shell panel and an air cooling component embedded within the bottom shell panel. The side shell panels 206 and 208 may additionally include vents that direct air to and from the air cooling component of the bottom shell panel 210 so that the air is cooled and to direct air flow and air circulation through the electronic device housing. It should be noted that the cooling component may be embedded in any of the shell panels 202 to 212. In addition, more than one liquid cooling component may be included within the shell panels 202 to 212 (e.g., the bottom shell panel 210 and the side shell panel 208 may each include a liquid cooling component). More than one air cooling component may also be included (e.g., the bottom shell panel 210 and the top shell panel 212 may each include an air cooling component). The cooling components of the electronic device housing may be organized within the shell panels 202 to 212 into many possible structures (the following are examples of the cooling components of the electronic device housing). Figures 4 to 6 Several representative ones are shown).

[0035] Figure 3AA side view of an air cooling panel 300A that may be included in a cooling design for an electronic device enclosure is shown. Figure 3A An air cooling panel is shown which can be implemented on either side of the panel. It is recommended to use on the top or bottom panel to better manage the airflow. The key feature is a liquid to air heat exchanger mounted inside the panel. It can be understood as a server cooler. It can be a liquid to air heat exchanger or any other air cooling device. A fan or fan system can be mounted inside the panel. The fan is separated from the motherboard or the electronic equipment, and reliability is increased because the impact of changes caused by the fan operation is limited. Since the panel is equipped with a server cooler, it also serves as an air cooling panel. On the air cooling panel, openings are included for air to enter the panel or air to leave the panel. Vents are mounted on the openings for airflow management. The server cooler requires a supply of cooling fluid and a return to connect to the supply source (not shown).

[0036] Reference Figure 3A According to one embodiment, the air cooling panel 300A includes a server cooler 302, an air vent 304 at one end of the panel, and an air vent 306 at the other end of the panel opposite to the air vent 304. The air cooling panel 300A also includes a fan 308 to draw air through the server cooler 302. The air can flow through the air vent 304 to the server cooler 302, where the air is cooled. The cooled air can then flow out of the air cooling panel 300A through the air vent 306. The cooled air can leave the air cooling panel 300A and reach the housing containing the data processing system. Alternatively, the cooled air can be directed through additional air ducts. The air cooling panel 300A can be implemented on either side of the housing.

[0037] The server cooler 302 may be a liquid to air heat exchanger, or any other cooling device that uses a cooling liquid to extract heat from the air flowing through the air cooling panel 300A. The cooling liquid may be received from a cooling liquid source external to the electronic equipment enclosure to the server cooler 302. The cooling liquid then flows through the server cooler 302, extracting heat from the air and returning to the cooling liquid source.

[0038] Figure 3B Depicted is a liquid cooling panel 300B that may be included in a cooling design for an electronic device enclosure according to one embodiment. Figure 3BA liquid cooling panel equipped with a liquid cooling plate or liquid cooling loop / component is shown. The cooling plate can be a motherboard cooling cold plate with a micro-water fin structure or any other structure inside it. If necessary, fluid extension ports or additional fluid distribution manifolds can be assembled on the cooling plate. The motherboard is positioned on the cooling surface by means of thermal pads. In the current proposal, it is recommended to mount the motherboard on top of the liquid cooling panel for higher reliability. This means that the liquid cooling panel is recommended to be used as a base plate. The housing main fluid supply port and return port are also mounted on this panel.

[0039] Reference Figure 3B According to one embodiment, the liquid cooling panel 300B includes a liquid cooling substrate 312 and a cooling surface 310. The liquid cooling panel 300B may include a main fluid supply and return for the electronic device housing. The fluid inlet 314 and the fluid outlet 316 provide cooling liquid to and obtain cooling liquid from the liquid cooling substrate 312 of the liquid cooling panel 300B. The liquid cooling substrate 312 may have a liquid distribution channel therein that distributes the cooling liquid through the liquid cooling substrate 312. The liquid cooling substrate 312 may include micro-water fins to increase the conductive heat transfer area from the cooling surface 310 to the cooling liquid.

[0040] The cooling surface 310 can be exposed to the inner surface of the liquid cooling panel 300B to receive the motherboard of the data processing system and extract heat from the motherboard using the cooling liquid flowing in the liquid distribution channel. A thermal pad or thermal interface material can be placed between the cooling surface 310 and the motherboard. The fluid inlet 314 can receive cooling liquid from a source outside the electronic device housing. The cooling liquid flows through the liquid distribution channel of the liquid cooling substrate 312, thereby extracting the heat generated by the electronic equipment of the data processing system. The cooling liquid can then be returned to the cooling liquid source via the fluid outlet 316. The liquid cooling panel 300B can also include one or more fluid extension ports or fluid distribution manifolds to extend the fluid distribution to other cooling devices.

[0041] Figure 3C An air duct panel 300C is depicted that may be included in a cooling design for an electronic device enclosure according to one embodiment. Figure 3C Air duct panels are shown. The air duct panels are used to direct the airflow and connect the air paths between the motherboard area and the air cooling panels. Therefore, openings and corresponding vents are used on these panels. Note that since these panels are pre-assembled, additional structures such as air baffles can be added for better airflow arrangement or to avoid airflow vortices.

[0042] Reference Figure 3CAccording to one embodiment, air duct panel 300C includes vents 320 and 322 and air duct 324 embedded therein. Vents 320 and 322 allow air to move in and out of air duct 324. Air duct panel 300C can be used in a cooling design for an electronic equipment enclosure to allow air to move between server coolers 302 of air cooling panel 300A and the interior of the enclosure containing a data processing system. For example, vent 320 can receive cooled air from vent 306 of air cooling panel 300A and provide cooled air to the enclosure through vent 322. Additional structures, such as air baffles, can be added to air duct panel 300C to provide additional airflow management.

[0043] Figure 3D A fluid extension panel 300D is shown that may be included in a cooling design for an electronic device enclosure according to one embodiment. Figure 3D A fluid extension panel is shown in which fluid distribution, fluid hoses, connectors or additional fluid piping / connections are assembled. This is an optional panel in the system, but it is used in certain use cases, such as when the air cooling panel and liquid cooling panel are separated by different panels. The fluid extension panel is connected to the liquid cooling panel through the fluid inlet port and the fluid outlet port.

[0044] Reference Figure 3D According to one embodiment, the fluid extension panel 300D includes a fluid extension and distribution path 330. The fluid extension and distribution path 330 may include fluid pipes, hoses, and / or other connectors to transport cooling liquid from an external cooling liquid source to one or more liquid cooling devices (e.g., cooling panels) and / or air cooling devices (e.g., liquid to air heat exchangers). In particular, when the air cooling panel 300A and the liquid cooling panel 300B are different panels of the housing, the fluid extension panel 300D may be included. The fluid extension panel 300D may include a plurality of extension ports to which the liquid cooling device or the air cooling device may be connected.

[0045] Figure 4An example of a cooling design for an electronic device housing 400 according to an embodiment is shown. It can be seen that both air-cooled electronic devices and liquid-cooled electronic devices are encapsulated on a motherboard within the housing. In this design, two air duct panels are used as side panels. The top panel is a pure panel. Both the liquid cooling panel and the air cooling panel are assembled at the bottom of the housing, and they are considered to be a single panel. The airflow passes through the central area to cool the air-cooled electronic devices. The airflow then enters the air duct panel, the bottom panel (where the hot airflow is cooled), the air duct panel on the other side, and then enters the central area again. The illustrated cooling plate is used to cool the liquid-cooled electronic devices. A cooling fluid circuit including supply and return for the cooling plate is connected to the cooling plate. It should be mentioned that different cooling devices can be used in the design, not just cooling plates. In addition, based on actual use, the fluid cooling circuit can be assembled with a cooling plate or a liquid cooling panel.

[0046] Reference Figure 4 In one embodiment, the electronic equipment housing 400 includes a bottom panel 402 having a server cooler 404 and a liquid cooling base plate 406, two air duct side panels 410 and 420, and a top panel 430. The housing 400 may also include a front housing panel and a rear housing panel (not shown) to form a completely enclosed space within the housing. The server cooler 404 may be a liquid to air heat exchanger that uses a cooling liquid to extract heat from the air flowing through the bottom panel 402. The cooling liquid at the server cooler 404 may be received from a cooling liquid source outside the electronic equipment housing. The cooling liquid flows through the server cooler 404, extracts heat from the air, and returns to the cooling liquid source.

[0047] The liquid cooling substrate 406 may have a liquid distribution channel therein that distributes cooling liquid through the liquid cooling substrate 406. The cooling surface of the liquid cooling substrate 406 may be exposed to the inner surface of the bottom panel 402 to receive the motherboard 440 of the data processing system and extract heat from the motherboard 440 using the cooling liquid flowing in the liquid distribution channel. The fluid inlet of the liquid cooling substrate 406 may receive cooling liquid from a source outside the electronic device housing. The cooling liquid flows through the liquid distribution channel of the liquid cooling substrate 406, extracting heat generated by the electronic devices of the data processing system. The cooling liquid can then be returned to the cooling liquid source via the fluid outlet of the liquid cooling substrate 406.

[0048] Liquid-cooled electronic devices 442 and air-cooled electronic devices 444A and 444B (collectively referred to as air-cooled electronic devices 444) are connected to motherboard 440. Liquid-cooled electronic devices 442 may include high-performance processors, or other components with high power density. Because liquid-cooled electronic devices 442 have higher power density, they generate a large amount of heat, which requires the use of liquid cooling methods, such as cooling plates 446, to keep the thermal environment within the operating range. Cooling plates 446 can be directly attached to liquid-cooled electronic devices 442. Cooling plates 446 can be connected to liquid-cooled baseplate 406 via cooling plate loops 448 to receive and return cooling liquid from liquid-cooled baseplate 406.

[0049] Air-cooled electronic devices 444 may include lower power density devices, such as PCIE switches. Air-cooled electronic devices 444 may be cooled using air circulated through the electronic device housing. Figure 4 As shown, the air flow can be circulated through the housing with one or more fans 408. The air flow can flow through the housing to the bottom panel 402 through the vents 414 and 412 of the air duct side panel 410. The air flow then flows through the server cooler 404 of the bottom panel 402 where the air is cooled. The air flow then flows out of the bottom panel 402 and back into the housing through the vents 422 and 424 of the air duct side panel 420.

[0050] Figure 5 Another example of a cooling design for an electronic device housing 500 is shown according to one embodiment. Figure 5 A cooling assembly design using three air duct panels and one bottom panel is shown. The additional side panels are just pure chassis panels that may have some insulation or material. Three air duct channels with different opening and vent designs create air flow patterns within the enclosure. Likewise, the bottom panel has both liquid cooling panel functionality and air cooling panel functionality. It should be mentioned that since the main fluid supply and return are designed to be located on the liquid cooling panel, the server cooler liquid cooling loop will be connected to the inside of the cold plate.

[0051] Reference Figure 5 In one embodiment, the electronic equipment enclosure 500 includes a bottom panel 502 having a server cooler 504 and a liquid cooling baseplate 506, two air duct side panels 520 and 530, and an air duct top panel 540. The enclosure 500 may also include a front enclosure panel and a rear enclosure panel (not shown) to form a completely enclosed space within the enclosure.

[0052] Liquid cooling base plate 506 and server cooler 504 can be respectively Figure 4The liquid cooling base plate 406 and the server cooler 404 are the same or similar. The liquid cooling base plate 506 and the server cooler 504 can exchange cooling liquid internally. Due to the addition of the air duct top panel 540, Figure 5 The air flows through the housing in different paths. The air flows through the housing through the vents 522 and 524 of the air duct side panel 520 to the server cooler 504. The air flow is then cooled by the server cooler 504. The air flow containing the cooled air then passes through the air duct side panel 530 via the vents 534 and 532 to the air duct top panel 540. The air flow is then directed downward out of the air duct top panel 540 through the vents 542 into the housing and toward the motherboard.

[0053] Figure 6 Another example of a cooling design for an electronic device housing 600 is shown according to one embodiment. Figure 6 A design is shown using an air cooling panel on the top and air duct channels on the sides. A liquid cooling panel is used on the bottom and connected to an external cooling source. On the other side of the panel, a fluid extension panel is used for additional fluid distribution and ducting for the enclosure. It can be seen that fluid supply and return loops are designed into this panel for the air cooling panel and the server coolers within it.

[0054] Reference Figure 6 In one embodiment, an electronic device housing 600 includes a liquid cooled bottom panel 602 having a liquid cooled base plate 604, an air duct side panel 610, a fluid extension side panel 620, and an air cooled top panel 630 in which a server cooler 632 is embedded.

[0055] Liquid cooling substrate 604 can be used with Figure 4 The server cooler 632 may be the same or similar to the liquid cooling base plate 404 of the embodiment of the present invention. Thus, the motherboard may be attached to the cooling surface of the liquid cooling base plate 604 to extract heat from the motherboard. In addition, the server cooler 632 may be connected to the liquid cooling base plate 604 of the embodiment of the present invention. Figure 4 The server cooler 632 is the same or similar to the server cooler 406 of FIG. 60 . However, the server cooler 632 is embedded in the air cooling top panel 630 instead of being embedded in the bottom panel 602. The fluid extension side panel 620 includes ducts for supplying cooling liquid to the server cooler 632 and taking cooling liquid from the server cooler 632. The fluid extension side panel 620 can also be used as an air duct panel. Figure 6 The air flows through the housing through the vents of the fluid extension side panel to the air cooling top panel 630. The air flow then flows through the server cooler 632 where the air is cooled using a cooling liquid. The air flow then leaves the air cooling top panel 630 through the vents of the air duct side panel 610 and returns to the housing.

[0056] In the foregoing description, embodiments of the present invention have been described with reference to specific exemplary embodiments of the present invention. It is apparent that various modifications may be made thereto without departing from the broader spirit and scope of the present invention as set forth in the appended claims. Therefore, the description and drawings are to be regarded as illustrative rather than restrictive.

Claims

1. An electronic equipment housing for accommodating a data processing system, comprising: forming a fully enclosed container to house a plurality of housing panels of the data processing system, the plurality of housing panels including a first housing panel having a liquid cooling component therein and a second housing panel having an air cooling component therein, Wherein, the first housing panel comprises: an inlet port for receiving cooling liquid from an external cooling liquid source, a cooling plate having a liquid distribution channel therein and disposed on an inner surface of the first housing panel to receive a motherboard of the data processing system and to extract heat from the motherboard using the cooling liquid flowing in the liquid distribution channel, the motherboard being mounted on the cooling plate for carrying at least one electronic device of the data processing system, and an outlet port to return the cooling liquid to the external cooling liquid source; and Wherein, the second housing panel comprises: A liquid to air heat exchanger is embedded in the second housing panel to use at least a portion of the cooling liquid to cool air flowing through the air space within the fully enclosed container.

2. The electronic device housing according to claim 1, wherein: The plurality of housing panels further comprises a third housing panel coupled to the second housing panel, the third housing panel comprising: a first vent for receiving cooling air from the second housing panel; and A second vent is provided for directing the cooled air received from the second housing panel to the data processing system.

3. The electronic device housing according to claim 1, wherein: The plurality of housing panels further includes a third housing panel coupled to the first housing panel and the second housing panel, the third housing panel comprising: Conduits for providing cooling liquid to the liquid cooling component of the first housing panel and the air cooling component of the second housing panel.

4. The electronic device housing of claim 1, further comprising a liquid cooling device coupled to the liquid cooling component of the first housing panel, wherein: The liquid cooling device is to be positioned on one or more electronic devices of the data processing system located on the top surface of the motherboard, the liquid cooling device extracting heat from the one or more electronic devices using at least a portion of the cooling liquid.

5. The electronic device housing according to claim 1, wherein: The first housing panel and the second housing panel are integrated into a single housing panel of the electronic device housing.

6. The electronic device housing according to claim 1, wherein: The first housing panel and the second housing panel are different panels of the electronic device housing.

7. The electronic device housing according to claim 1, wherein: The second housing panel further comprises: vents at opposite ends of the second housing panel for providing an air inlet and an air outlet for the liquid to air heat exchanger; and A fan is provided for drawing air through the second housing panel and circulating the air through the electronic device housing.

8. The electronic device housing according to claim 1, wherein: The second housing panel is located below the first housing panel or is combined with the first housing panel to receive the cooling liquid.

9. The electronic device housing according to claim 8, further comprising: a third housing panel coupled to a first side of the second housing panel, the third housing panel having a first air duct passage therein; as well as a fourth shell panel coupled to a second side of the second shell panel, the fourth shell panel having a second air duct channel therein, wherein the first air duct channel and the second air duct channel are configured to circulate air from the air space of the fully enclosed container through the second shell panel.

10. The electronic device housing according to claim 9 further includes a fifth housing panel, which is arranged on the top of the air space of the fully enclosed container, and the fifth housing panel has a third air duct channel therein and is connected to the first air duct channel and the second air duct channel to circulate the air.

11. The electronic device housing according to claim 10, wherein: The air is supplied from the second housing panel to the first air duct channel, travels through the third air duct channel, enters the air space of the fully enclosed container, enters the second air duct channel, and returns to the second housing panel.

12. The electronic device housing according to claim 1, wherein: The second housing panel is located on top of the air space of the fully enclosed container to provide air cooling to the air space of the fully enclosed container.

13. The electronic device housing of claim 12, further comprising: a third housing panel coupled to a first side of the second housing panel, the third housing panel having a first air duct passage therein; as well as a fourth shell panel coupled to a second side of the second shell panel, the fourth shell panel having a second air duct channel therein, wherein the first air duct channel and the second air duct channel are configured to circulate air from the air space of the fully enclosed container through the second shell panel.

14. Edge computing systems, including: A data processing system having one or more processors and memory disposed on a motherboard; as well as A fully enclosed container containing the data processing system therein, wherein the fully enclosed container comprises: forming the fully enclosed container to accommodate a plurality of housing panels of the data processing system, the plurality of housing panels including a first housing panel having a liquid cooling component therein and a second housing panel having an air cooling component therein, Wherein, the first housing panel comprises: an inlet port for receiving cooling liquid from an external cooling liquid source, a cooling plate having a liquid distribution channel therein and disposed on an inner surface of the first housing panel to receive a motherboard of the data processing system and to extract heat from the motherboard using the cooling liquid flowing in the liquid distribution channel, the motherboard being mounted on the cooling plate for carrying at least one electronic device of the data processing system, and an outlet port to return the cooling liquid to the external cooling liquid source; and Wherein, the second housing panel comprises: A liquid to air heat exchanger is embedded in the second housing panel to use at least a portion of the cooling liquid to cool air flowing through the air space within the fully enclosed container.

15. The edge computing system according to claim 14, wherein: The plurality of housing panels further comprises a third housing panel coupled to the second housing panel, the third housing panel comprising: a first vent for receiving cooling air from the second housing panel; and A second vent is provided for directing the cooled air received from the second housing panel to the data processing system.

16. The edge computing system according to claim 14, wherein: The plurality of housing panels further includes a third housing panel coupled to the first housing panel and the second housing panel, the third housing panel comprising: Conduits for providing cooling liquid to the liquid cooling component of the first housing panel and the air cooling component of the second housing panel.

17. The edge computing system according to claim 14, wherein: The fully enclosed container also includes a liquid cooling device connected to the liquid cooling component of the first housing panel, wherein the liquid cooling device will be positioned on one or more electronic devices of the data processing system located on the top surface of the motherboard, and the liquid cooling device uses at least a portion of the cooling liquid to extract heat from the one or more electronic devices.

18. The edge computing system according to claim 14, wherein: The first shell panel and the second shell panel are integrated into a single shell panel of the fully enclosed container.