Composite multichannel liquid component for liquid-cooled electronics

Abstract

Liquid cooling apparatuses for high power density electronics are disclosed. The liquid cooling apparatuses can include multiple integrated cooling channels for cooling electronics with various configurations of cooling channels and fluid distribution paths. Fluid input and output ports connect to supply and return loops of an external cooling source to distribute cooling liquid to the electronics and return the liquid. The fluid input port can connect to an inlet channel that distributes the cooling liquid to multiple inlets of the multiple integrated channels. The fluid output port can connect to an outlet channel that provides a converging channel for fluid exiting the multiple integrated channels. The multiple cooling fins and channels, inlet channel, outlet channel, fluid input port, and fluid output port can be integrated into a stacked plurality of frames to assemble the liquid cooling apparatus.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Embodiments of the present invention generally relate to data center cooling. More specifically, embodiments of the present invention relate to the design of a liquid cooling apparatus having multiple integrated channels for cooling multiple electronic components having high power density. Background Technology

[0002] Cooling is a critical factor in computer system and data center design. The number of high-performance electronic components, such as high-performance processors, encapsulated within servers is steadily increasing, leading to a surge in heat generated and dissipated during normal server operation. If the thermal environment in which servers operate within a data center is allowed to rise over time, the server's reliability will decrease. Maintaining a proper thermal environment is essential for the proper operation of these servers in data centers, as well as their performance and lifespan. This necessitates more efficient and effective cooling solutions, especially for cooling these high-performance servers.

[0003] Robust cooling solutions are also crucial for thermal management of high-power-density electronics in other applications. For example, cloud computing and edge computing will increasingly be integrated with 5G technology. Especially in edge computing, more computing and storage resources may need to be located closer to the end user, rather than relying on core data centers or centralized cloud environments. One such application is edge computing in autonomous vehicles. In autonomous vehicles, multiple sensors are assembled on the vehicle. Data collected by these sensors can be computed locally using the vehicle's computing hardware. As more complex features and increasingly stringent accuracy requirements are added to autonomous vehicle systems, the computing and storage resources of onboard hardware are constantly increasing, resulting in higher power density and higher heat density, necessitating improved thermal management solutions.

[0004] One complicating factor in cooling servers and other high-performance electronic components, such as central processing units (CPUs), graphics processing units (GPUs), etc., is that multiple chips or boards are often tightly packaged, resulting in very high power and heat densities. Air cooling may not provide sufficient cooling capacity, and liquid cooling may be necessary. However, liquid cooling is often challenging due to limited space in complex packaging environments and potential reliability issues associated with liquid piping. For example, connection points between fluid ports and hoses in fluid piping and distribution networks can be prone to leaks. The design of liquid cooling equipment and the internal fluid management of fluid distribution networks can also involve challenging engineering analyses and design trade-offs. For instance, higher flow resistance within a liquid cooling device can achieve better heat transfer coefficients, but at the cost of higher operating power consumption. Rigid designs may not be flexible enough to adjust and scale to meet the increasingly stringent thermal management requirements of high-performance and high-power-density environments. Therefore, a scalable, reliable, efficient, maintainable, and low-cost liquid cooling design is needed to meet the thermal management requirements of high-performance electronic components in complex packaging environments. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The embodiments disclosed herein are intended to at least address one of the aforementioned technical problems in the related art.

[0006] This disclosure provides a liquid cooling device for a data center, comprising: a plurality of cooling channels for conveying liquid; a supply channel connected to the plurality of cooling channels to distribute the liquid to the plurality of cooling channels; a return channel connected to the plurality of cooling channels to collect the liquid from the plurality of cooling channels; a fluid inlet port connected to the supply channel to supply the liquid from a cooling liquid source to the supply channel; a fluid outlet port connected to the return channel to return the liquid to the cooling liquid source; and a plurality of cold plates configured to contact a plurality of electronic components to remove heat generated by the electronic components through the liquid, wherein the plurality of cooling channels, the supply channel, the return channel, the fluid inlet port, the fluid outlet port, and the plurality of cold plates are integrated onto a plurality of stacked frames.

[0007] This disclosure also provides a data center system comprising: multiple electronic racks, each electronic rack including multiple server chassis, and each server chassis corresponding to one or more servers, wherein each server chassis includes: multiple cooling channels for conveying liquid; a supply channel connected to the multiple cooling channels to distribute the liquid to the multiple cooling channels; a return channel connected to the multiple cooling channels to collect the liquid from the multiple cooling channels; a fluid inlet port connected to the supply channel to supply the liquid from a cooling liquid source to the supply channel; a fluid outlet port connected to the return channel to return the liquid to the cooling liquid source; and multiple cold plates configured to contact multiple electronic components of the one or more servers to remove heat generated by the electronic components through the liquid, wherein the multiple cooling channels, the supply channel, the return channel, the fluid inlet port, the fluid outlet port, and the multiple cold plates are integrated onto multiple stacked frames. Attached Figure Description

[0008] Embodiments of the present invention are shown by way of example rather than limitation in the accompanying drawings, in which similar reference numerals denote similar elements.

[0009] Figure 1 This is a block diagram illustrating an example of a data center facility according to one embodiment.

[0010] Figure 2 This is a block diagram illustrating an example of an electronic rack according to one embodiment.

[0011] Figure 3 This is a block diagram illustrating an example of a cold plate configuration according to one embodiment.

[0012] Figure 4 A side view of a liquid cooling device having multiple cooling channels arranged in a fluid distribution configuration, according to one embodiment, is shown.

[0013] Figure 5 A top view of a liquid cooling device having multiple cooling channels arranged in a fluid distribution configuration, according to one embodiment, is shown.

[0014] Figure 6 A top view of a liquid cooling device according to one embodiment is shown. The liquid cooling device has multiple cooling channels arranged in a central fluid distribution configuration, with inlet channels and outlet channels on both sides of the cooling channels.

[0015] Figure 7 A side view of a liquid cooling device according to one embodiment is shown. The liquid cooling device has a cooling channel in a central fluid distribution configuration, with inlet channels and outlet channels on both sides of the cooling channel.

[0016] Figure 8 A top view of a liquid cooling device having multiple cooling channels according to one embodiment is shown, illustrating a fluid inlet port on one side of a cooling channel.

[0017] Figure 9 An embodiment is shown. Figure 8 The fluid distribution path of the liquid cooling equipment.

[0018] Figure 10 An embodiment is shown. Figure 8 A side view of a portion of a liquid cooling device, showing a vertical DC return channel and a fluid outlet port at the top of the vertical DC return channel.

[0019] Figure 11 An embodiment is shown. Figure 8 An exploded side view of the complete components of a liquid cooling device, showing the fluid flow path.

[0020] Figure 12 A side view of a liquid cooling device in another configuration according to one embodiment is shown, wherein the inlet channel is in an intermediate section sandwiched between two layers of multiple cooling channels.

[0021] Figure 13 A perspective view of a liquid cooling device with multiple cooling channels according to one embodiment is shown, illustrating the fluid inlet port and outlet port.

[0022] Figure 14A A side sectional view of a configuration of a liquid cooling device having multiple cooling channels according to one embodiment is shown, illustrating a fluid inlet port on one side of the multiple cooling channels and a fluid outlet port on the opposite side of the multiple cooling channels.

[0023] Figure 14B A side sectional view of another configuration of a liquid cooling device having multiple cooling channels according to one embodiment is shown, illustrating a fluid inlet port on one side of the multiple cooling channels and a fluid outlet port on the top of the multiple cooling channels.

[0024] Figure 14C A side sectional view of another configuration of a liquid cooling device having multiple cooling channels according to one embodiment is shown, illustrating a fluid inlet port on one side of the multiple cooling channels and a fluid outlet port on the opposite side of the multiple cooling channels, wherein a portion of the inlet or outlet channel for the cooling channels is positioned perpendicular to the fin channels of the cooling channels. Detailed Implementation

[0025] Various embodiments and aspects of the invention will be described with reference to the details discussed below, and the accompanying drawings will illustrate various embodiments. The following description and drawings are illustrative of the invention and should not be construed as limiting the invention. Numerous specific details are described to provide a thorough understanding of various embodiments of the invention. However, in some cases, well-known or conventional details have not been described in order to provide a concise discussion of embodiments of the invention.

[0026] The reference to "an embodiment" or "an embodiment" in the specification means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with that embodiment may be included in at least one embodiment of the invention. The phrase "in one embodiment" appearing in different places in the specification does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment.

[0027] Designs of an apparatus for liquid cooling of high-power-density electronic devices are disclosed. The liquid cooling apparatus may include multiple integrated cooling channels for cooling electronic devices in various configurations of cooling channels and fluid distribution paths. Fluid inlet ports and fluid outlet ports are connected to a supply and return loop of an external cooling source to distribute coolant to the electronic devices and return the liquid. The fluid inlet port may be connected to an inlet channel that distributes coolant to multiple inlets of the multiple integrated channels. The fluid outlet port may be connected to an outlet channel that provides a converging channel for fluid exiting from the multiple integrated channels. The integrated channels may have a finned structure to provide increased surface area, thereby facilitating air cooling of the heated fluid. Different layouts and packages of the fluid inlet ports, fluid outlet ports, and cooling channels enable the liquid cooling apparatus to be optimized for electronic components or systems with different thermal profiles. The design of the liquid cooling apparatus and fluid distribution network provides efficient liquid cooling for multiple high-density electronic devices (e.g., multiple high-density chips on the same board) packaged in a small footprint, thereby improving cooling performance, reliability, efficiency, scalability, and reducing costs to meet the thermal management requirements of high-performance electronic components in complex packaging environments.

[0028] In one embodiment, the liquid cooling device includes an array of cooling channels for delivering liquid. A supply channel is connected to the array of cooling channels to distribute liquid into the cooling channels. A return channel is connected to the array of cooling channels to collect liquid exiting the cooling channels. A fluid inlet port is connected to the supply channel to supply liquid from a cooling liquid source to the supply channel. A fluid outlet port is connected to the return channel to return liquid to the cooling liquid source. An array of cold plates is designed to contact an array of electronic components and remove heat generated by the electronic components through the liquid. The array of cooling channels, the supply channel, the return channel, the fluid inlet port, the fluid outlet port, and the array of cold plates are integrated into multiple stacked frames to assemble the liquid cooling device.

[0029] In one embodiment, a fluid inlet port is designed to extend through multiple stacked frames on one side of the array of cooling channels to supply liquid to a supply channel. Similarly, a fluid outlet port is designed to extend through multiple stacked frames on the opposite side of the array of cooling channels to return liquid. The supply channel is designed to distribute liquid from the same side as the fluid inlet port into the array of cooling channels. The return channel is designed to collect liquid from the array of cooling channels from the same side as the fluid outlet port.

[0030] In one embodiment, a fluid inlet port is designed to extend through multiple stacked frames on one side of an array of cooling channels to supply liquid to a supply channel. A fluid outlet port is designed to return liquid from above the array of cooling channels. The return channel includes an array of individual return channels stacked above the array of cooling channels to collect liquid from individual cooling channels. The return channel also includes a converging channel stacked above the array of individual return channels to collect liquid from the return channels. The fluid outlet port is designed to be located above the converging channel to return liquid. A first frame of the stacked frames may integrate the array of cooling channels and the array of cold plates. A second frame of the stacked frames may integrate the array of individual cooling channels. A third frame of the stacked frames may integrate the converging channel and the fluid outlet port.

[0031] Figure 1 This is a block diagram illustrating an example of a data center or data center unit according to one embodiment. In this example, Figure 1 A top view of at least a portion of the data center is shown. (Reference) Figure 1 According to one embodiment, a data center system 100 includes one or more rows of electronic racks of information technology (IT) components, equipment, or instruments 101-102, such as computer servers or computing nodes that provide data services to various clients via a network (e.g., the Internet). In this embodiment, each row includes an array of electronic racks such as electronic racks 110A-110N. However, more or fewer rows of electronic racks can be implemented. Typically, rows 101-102 are aligned in parallel, with their front ends facing each other and their rear ends facing away from each other, forming an aisle 103 between them to allow administrators to walk through. However, other configurations or arrangements can also be applied. For example, two rows of electronic racks can face each other back-to-back without forming an aisle between them, while their front ends face away from each other. The rear ends of the electronic racks can be coupled to a room cooling fluid manifold.

[0032] In one embodiment, each of the electronic racks (e.g., electronic racks 110A-110N) includes a housing to accommodate multiple IT components arranged in a stack and operating therein. The electronic rack may include a cooling liquid manifold, multiple server slots (e.g., standard shelves or chassis configured with the same or similar form factor), and multiple server enclosures (also referred to as server blades or server shelves) capable of being inserted into and removed from the server slots. Each server enclosure represents a compute node having one or more processors, memory, and / or permanent storage devices (e.g., hard drives), wherein the compute node may include one or more servers operating therein. At least one of the processors is attached to a liquid cold plate (also referred to as a cold plate assembly) to receive cooling liquid. Additionally, one or more optional cooling fans are associated with the server enclosure to provide air cooling to the compute nodes contained therein. Note that the cooling system 120 may be coupled to multiple data center systems, such as data center system 100.

[0033] In one embodiment, the cooling system 120 includes an external liquid loop connected to a cooling tower or dry cooler outside the building / house container. The cooling system 120 may include, but is not limited to, evaporative cooling, free air cooling, large heat dissipation, and waste heat recovery designs. The cooling system 120 may include or be coupled to a source of cooling liquid that provides the cooling liquid.

[0034] In one embodiment, each server chassis is modularly coupled to the coolant manifold, allowing the server chassis to be removed from the electronics rack without affecting the operation of the coolant manifold and the remaining server chassis within the electronics rack. In another embodiment, each server chassis is coupled to the coolant manifold via a quick-release coupling assembly having a server coolant inlet connector and a server coolant outlet connector that connect to a flexible hose to distribute coolant to the processor. The server coolant inlet connector receives coolant from the coolant manifold mounted at the rear end of the electronics rack via the rack coolant inlet connector. The server coolant outlet connector sends a coolant carrying heat exchanged from the processor, at a lower or higher temperature, to the coolant manifold via the rack coolant outlet connector, and then back to the coolant distribution unit (CDU) within the electronics rack.

[0035] In one embodiment, a cooling fluid manifold located at the rear end of each electronic rack is connected to a fluid supply line 132 (also referred to as a room supply manifold) to receive cooling fluid from the cooling system 120. The cooling fluid is distributed via a fluid distribution loop attached to a cold plate assembly on which the processor is mounted to remove heat from the processor. The cold plate is configured to resemble a radiator, with fluid distribution pipes attached or embedded therein. The resulting warmer or hotter fluid, carrying the heat exchanged from the processor, is returned to the cooling system 120 via a fluid return line 131 (also referred to as a room return manifold).

[0036] Liquid supply / return lines 131-132, referred to as data center or room liquid supply / return lines (e.g., global liquid supply / return lines), supply cooling fluid to all electronic racks in rows 101-102. Liquid supply line 132 and liquid return line 131 are coupled to heat exchangers of the CDUs located within each electronic rack, forming a primary loop. Secondary loops of the heat exchangers are coupled to each server chassis within the electronic rack to deliver cooling fluid to the processor's cold plate.

[0037] In one embodiment, the data center system 100 further includes an optional airflow delivery system 135 to generate airflow that flows through the air space of the server chassis of the electronic racks to exchange heat generated by the computing nodes (e.g., servers) due to their operation, and to exhaust the heat-exchanged airflow to the external environment or a cooling system (e.g., an air-to-liquid heat exchanger) to reduce the temperature of the airflow. For example, the air supply system 135 generates a cool / cold airflow to circulate from aisle 103 through electronic racks 110A-110N, thereby carrying away the exchanged heat.

[0038] Cool air enters the electronic rack through the front end, while warm / hot air exits from the rear end. The warm / hot air, carrying the exchanged heat, is exhausted from the room / building or cooled using a separate cooling system such as an air-liquid heat exchanger. Therefore, the cooling system is a liquid-air hybrid cooling system, in which a portion of the heat generated by the processor is removed by a cooling liquid via corresponding cold plates, while the remaining heat generated by the processor (or other electronic components or processing equipment) is removed by airflow cooling.

[0039] Figure 2 This is a block diagram illustrating an electronics rack according to one embodiment. The electronics rack 200 can represent, for example... Figure 1 Any electronic rack shown, such as, for example, electronic racks 110A-110N. (Reference) Figure 2According to one embodiment, the electronic rack 200 includes, but is not limited to, a CDU 201, a rack management unit (RMU) 202, and one or more server chassis 203A-203E (collectively referred to as server chassis 203). The server chassis 203 can be inserted into an array of server slots (e.g., standard shelves) from either the front end 204 or the rear end 205 of the electronic rack 200. Note that although five server chassis 203A-203E are shown here, more or fewer server chassis may be housed within the electronic rack 200. Also note that the specific locations of the CDU 201, RMU 202, and / or server chassis 203 are shown for illustrative purposes only; other arrangements or configurations of the CDU 201, RMU 202, and / or server chassis 203 may also be implemented. In one embodiment, the electronic rack 200 may be open to the environment or partially contained within a rack container, provided that cooling fans are capable of generating airflow from the front to the rear end.

[0040] In addition, for at least some of the server chassis 203, optional fan modules (not shown) are associated with the server chassis. Each of the fan modules includes one or more cooling fans. The fan modules may be mounted on the rear end of the server chassis 203 or on an electronic rack to generate airflow that flows from the front end 204, travels through the air space of the server chassis 203, and exits at the rear end 205 of the electronic rack 200.

[0041] In one embodiment, CDU 201 primarily includes a heat exchanger 211, a liquid pump 212, and a pump controller (not shown), as well as other components such as a liquid reservoir, a power supply, monitoring sensors, etc. The heat exchanger 211 can be a liquid-to-liquid heat exchanger. The heat exchanger 211 includes a first loop having an inlet port and an outlet port, and the first loop has a first pair of liquid connectors connected to external liquid supply / return lines 131-132 to form a primary loop. The connectors connected to the external liquid supply / return lines 131-132 can be disposed on or mounted on the rear end 205 of the electronics rack 200. The liquid supply / return lines 131-132 (also referred to as room liquid supply / return lines) can be connected to the cooling system 120 as described above.

[0042] In addition, heat exchanger 211 includes a second loop with two ports. This second loop has a second pair of liquid connectors that connect to liquid manifold 225 (also called a rack manifold) to form a secondary loop. The secondary loop may include a supply manifold (also called a rack liquid supply line or rack supply manifold) for supplying cooling fluid to server chassis 203 and a return manifold (also called a rack liquid return line or rack return manifold) for returning warmer fluid to CDU 201. Note that CDU 201 can be any kind of commercially available or custom CDU. Therefore, details of CDU 201 will not be described herein.

[0043] Each of the server chassis 203 may include one or more IT components (e.g., a central processing unit or CPU, a general-purpose / graphics processing unit (GPU), memory, and / or storage devices). Each IT component can perform data processing tasks, and the IT component may include software installed on storage devices, loaded into memory, and executed by one or more processors to perform data processing tasks. The server chassis 203 may include a host server (referred to as a host node) connected to one or more computing servers (also called computing nodes, such as CPU servers and GPU servers). The host server (with one or more CPUs) typically interfaces with clients via a network (e.g., the Internet) to receive requests for specific services such as storage services (e.g., cloud-based storage services such as backup and / or recovery), and requests to execute applications to perform certain operations (e.g., image processing, deep data learning algorithms, or modeling, as part of a Software as a Service or SaaS platform). In response to the request, the host server assigns the task to one or more of the computing nodes or computing servers (with one or more GPUs) managed by the host server. The computing servers perform the actual tasks and may generate heat during operation.

[0044] The electronic rack 200 also includes an optional RMU 202, which is configured to provide and manage the power supplied to the server 203 and CDU 201. The RMU 202 can be coupled to a power supply unit (not shown) to manage the power supply unit's power consumption. The power supply unit may include the necessary circuitry (e.g., AC-to-DC or DC-to-DC power converters, batteries, transformers, or regulators) to provide power to the remaining components of the electronic rack 200.

[0045] In one embodiment, RMU 202 includes an optimization module 221 and a rack management controller (RMC) 222. RMC 222 may include a monitor to monitor the operational status of various components within the electronic rack 200, such as compute node 203, CDU 201, and fan modules. Specifically, the monitor receives operational data representing the operating environment of the electronic rack 200 from various sensors. For example, the monitor may receive operational data representing the temperature of the processor, coolant, and airflow, which may be captured and collected via various temperature sensors. The monitor may also receive data representing the fan power and pump power generated by the fan modules and liquid pump 212, which may be proportional to their respective speeds. This operational data is referred to as real-time operational data. Note that the monitor may be implemented as a separate module within RMU 202.

[0046] Based on the operating data, optimization module 221 performs optimization using a predetermined optimization function or optimization model to derive a set of optimal fan speeds for the fan module and an optimal pump speed for the liquid pump 212, minimizing the total power consumption of the liquid pump 212 and the fan module, while keeping the operating data associated with the cooling fans of the liquid pump 212 and the fan module within their respective design specifications. Once the optimal pump speed and optimal fan speed have been determined, RMC 222 configures the cooling fans of the liquid pump 212 and the fan module based on the optimal pump speed and fan speed.

[0047] As an example, based on an optimal pump speed, RMC 222 communicates with the pump controller of CDU 201 to control the speed of liquid pump 212, which in turn controls the flow rate of cooling liquid supplied to liquid manifold 225 for distribution to at least some server chassis 203. Similarly, based on an optimal fan speed, RMC 222 communicates with each of the fan modules to control the speed of each cooling fan in the fan module, thereby controlling the airflow rate of the fan module. Note that each of the fan modules can be individually controlled with its specific optimal fan speed, and different fan modules and / or different cooling fans within the same fan module can have different optimal fan speeds.

[0048] Please note, such as Figure 2The rack configuration shown is for illustrative purposes only; other configurations or arrangements may be applicable. For example, CDU 201 may be an optional unit. The cold plate of server chassis 203 may be connected to a rack manifold, which may be directly connected to room manifolds 131-132 without using a CDU. Although not shown, a power supply unit may be located within the electronics rack 200. The power supply unit may be implemented as a standard chassis identical or similar to the server chassis, wherein the power supply chassis can be inserted into any standard shelf, replacing any server chassis 203. Furthermore, the power supply chassis may also include a battery backup unit (BBU) to provide battery power to server chassis 203 when mains power is unavailable. The BBU may include one or more battery packs, and each battery pack includes one or more battery cells, along with the necessary charging and discharging circuitry for charging and discharging the battery cells.

[0049] Figure 3 This is a block diagram illustrating a processor cold plate configuration according to one embodiment. The processor / cold plate assembly 300 can represent, for example... Figure 2 Any processor / cold plate configuration of the server chassis 203 shown. Reference Figure 3 The processor 301 is inserted into a processor socket mounted on a printed circuit board (PCB) or motherboard 302, which is connected to other electronic components or circuits of the data processing system or server. The processor 301 also includes a cold plate 303 attached thereto, which is connected to a rack manifold that is connected to a liquid supply line 132 and / or a liquid return line 131. A portion of the heat generated by the processor 301 is removed by cooling liquid via the cold plate 303. The remaining heat enters the air space below or above, where it can be removed by airflow generated by a cooling fan 304.

[0050] Figure 4 A side view of a liquid cooling device 401 having multiple cooling channels arranged in a fluid distribution configuration according to one embodiment is shown. The liquid cooling device 401 can be integrated into... Figure 2 Electronic rack 200 or Figure 1 In any IT equipment in the electronic rack shown, such as electronic rack 110A-110N.

[0051] In one embodiment, the liquid cooling device 401 can be, for example, connected to... Figure 2The liquid manifold 225 is part of a secondary loop liquid distribution loop that supplies coolant to the server blade 203 and returns warm liquid carrying heat exchanged from electronic components via the cold plate 303. The liquid cooling device 401 may have multiple cooling channels 403 integrated on a frame 405 to provide conduits for fluid delivery. In one embodiment, the cooling channels 403 may have finned structures shaped to provide flow resistance to improve fluid distribution and management efficiency. In another embodiment, the finned structures may be shaped to provide increased surface area to facilitate air cooling of the heated fluid. Cooling channels 403 with finned structures may also be referred to as finned channels or microchannels. Figure 4 A frame 405 with six sets of cooling channels 403 is shown. Each set of cooling channels 403 may include multiple finned channels or microchannels. In one embodiment, each set of cooling channels 403 may be used to flow a fluid carrying heat exchanged with a cold plate. However, the liquid cooling device 401 may have sets of cooling channels 403 with different numbers of sets, and sets of cooling channels 403 may have different form factors and footprints.

[0052] Figure 5 A top view of a liquid cooling device 501 having multiple cooling channels arranged in a fluid distribution configuration, according to one embodiment, is shown. Figure 5 It can represent Figure 4 The image shows a top view of a liquid cooling device 401, which has six sets of cooling channels 403 fabricated on a frame 405. Each set of cooling channels 403 may have an inlet channel 503 for supplying fluid to the cooling channel 403 and an outlet channel 505 for discharging fluid from the cooling channel 403. The inlet channel 503 and outlet channel 505 of each cooling channel 403 deliver fluid to all the finned channels or microchannels of the cooling channel 403.

[0053] Inlet channel 503 and outlet channel 505 can be directly or indirectly connected to a fluid inlet port and a fluid outlet port (not shown), respectively. For example, supply channel 603 can be connected to the inlet channel 503 of each set of cooling channels 403. Supply channel 603 can extend perpendicular to inlet channel 503. Return channel 605 can be connected to the outlet channel 505 of each set of cooling channels 403. Return channel 605 can be on the side of frame 405 opposite to supply channel 603 and can extend perpendicular to outlet channel 505. In one embodiment, supply channel 603 can be connected to fluid inlet port to distribute fluid to each inlet channel 503, and return channel 605 can be connected to fluid outlet port to collect fluid from each outlet channel 505. Fluid inlet port and fluid outlet port can supply cooling liquid to liquid cooling device 501 and return warm liquid from liquid cooling device 501, respectively. In one embodiment, the liquid distribution loop of liquid cooling device 501 can be assembled using multiple frames stacked together for ease of manufacture. Frame 405 can represent the bottom frame of the assembly closest to the electronic component to be cooled.

[0054] Figure 6 A top view of a liquid cooling device 601 according to one embodiment is shown. The liquid cooling device 601 has a plurality of cooling channels 403 arranged in a central fluid distribution configuration, with inlet channels and outlet channels on both sides of the cooling channels 405. Six sets of cooling channels 403 are also manufactured on the frame 405.

[0055] This configuration is referred to as a central fluid distribution scheme because supply channel 603 distributes fluid from the fluid inlet port (not shown) to each group of cooling channels 403. Similarly, return channel 605 collects fluid from each group of cooling channels 403 and returns it to the fluid outlet port. Figure 5 In contrast to the fluid distribution configuration, the inlet channel supplying fluid to the finned channels or microchannels of each group of cooling channels 405 and the outlet channel discharging fluid from the finned channels or microchannels of each group of cooling channels 405 can therefore be directly connected to the fluid input port and output port, respectively. Therefore, the supply channel 603 can also be referred to as the inlet channel, and the return channel 605 can also be referred to as the outlet channel.

[0056] In one embodiment, the supply channel 603 and return channel 605 may have a trapezoidal shape to control fluid flow resistance or fluid pressure between the groups of cooling channels 405, thereby improving fluid distribution and management efficiency. For example, if the fluid inlet port is located near the longitudinal midpoint of the supply channel 603, the trapezoidal shape can compensate for fluid pressure losses that would otherwise occur in the cooling channels 405 closer to the outer edge of the frame 405. Therefore, fluid flow between the groups of cooling channels 405 can be more evenly distributed. In one embodiment, the supply channel 603 and return channel 605 may take other shapes to customize the fluid resistance or fluid pressure through the cooling channels 405 according to the desired fluid distribution and flow efficiency of each group of cooling channels 405.

[0057] Figure 7 A side view of a liquid cooling device 701 according to one embodiment is shown. The liquid cooling device 701 has a cooling channel arranged in a central fluid distribution configuration, with inlet channels and outlet channels on both sides of the cooling channel. Figure 7 In this process, all cooling channels are combined into a single set of fin channels or microchannels in the fin region 707. Figure 7 It can represent Figure 6 A cross-sectional side view of the liquid cooling device 601, in which all the cooling channels of the group have been combined.

[0058] Supply port 703 connects to supply channel 603 to supply fluid to the finned channel of finned region 707. Supply port 703 may also be referred to as a fluid inlet port or fluid entrance port. Return port 705 connects to return channel 605 to collect fluid exiting the finned channel of finned region 707. Return port 705 may also be referred to as a fluid outlet port or fluid exit port. Supply channel 603 and supply port 703 may be located on one side of the finned channel to supply fluid from the top frame to the bottom frame of liquid cooling device 701. The bottom frame may contain finned region 707. Return channel 605 and return port 705 may be located on opposite sides of the finned channel to return heat-exchanged fluid from the bottom frame to the top frame.

[0059] The contact area 709 of the bottom frame below the fin area 707 may include a cold plate or heat sink that contacts electronic components or circuits, for example... Figure 3The cold plate 303 and processor chip 301 assembly are shown. In one embodiment, the cold plate in contact area 709 may be immersed in fluid to exchange heat generated by electronic components. In one embodiment, the cold plate may have attached or embedded liquid distribution tubes to deliver fluid outward through the cold plate to the fin channels of fin area 707. A sealing layer 711 may be deposited over the fin area 707 of the bottom frame to prevent fluid leakage from the fin channels. When the top frame mates with the bottom frame, the top frame acts as a cover 713 to cover the fin channels.

[0060] Figure 8 A top view of a liquid cooling device 801 having multiple cooling channels according to one embodiment is shown, showing a fluid inlet port on one side of the cooling channels. Figure 8 Six sets of cooling channels 403 are shown, which are similar to Figure 6 The central distribution configuration of the liquid cooling device 601 is manufactured on the bottom frame of the liquid cooling device 801. However, unlike the liquid cooling device 601, only the fluid inlet port 703 and the fluid inlet channel 803 for supplying fluid to the cooling channel 403 are designed for the bottom frame. The fluid outlet port and the outlet channel for returning fluid from the cooling channel 403 are designed for the top frame, as will be explained.

[0061] In one embodiment, the fluid inlet channel 803 can be shaped as a triangle, as shown by the dashed lines, with the fluid inlet port 703 located near the midpoint of the base of the triangle. The shape of the fluid inlet channel 803 can be customized for better efficiency while taking into account manufacturing complexity and cost. The fluid inlet channel 803 can perform functions similar to... Figure 6 The fluid inlet channel 603 has the same function as the supply channel 603. In one embodiment, the fluid inlet channel 803 may be shaped as a rectangle indicated by a solid line. As discussed, the fluid inlet channel 803 may take other shapes to customize the fluid resistance or fluid pressure through the cooling channel 403 according to the fluid distribution and flow efficiency requirements of the cooling channel 403.

[0062] Figure 9 An embodiment is shown. Figure 8 The fluid distribution path 903 of the liquid cooling device 801. Fluid supplied by the fluid inlet port 703 is distributed through the fluid inlet channel 803 into the finned channels or microchannels of the cooling channel 403. The fluid flows through the finned channels or microchannels in the same direction and is collected by the outlet channel or return channel for return through the fluid outlet port.

[0063] Figure 10 An embodiment is shown. Figure 8A side view of a portion of the liquid cooling device 801 shows a vertical direct-flow return channel 1005 and a fluid outlet port 705 at the top of the vertical direct-flow return channel 1005. Each of the six sets of cooling channels has a separate return channel 1005 at the top of the cooling channel to vertically return the fluid leaving the cooling channel. The separate return channel 1005 may also be referred to as a separate return port or a vertical return channel. A converging channel 1007 collects the fluid leaving the six separate return channels 1005 for delivery to the fluid outlet port 705 located at the top of the converging channel 1007.

[0064] The vertical return channel 1005, the converging channel 1007, and the fluid outlet port 705 can be fabricated on the top frame of the liquid cooling device 801. Therefore, the liquid distribution loop delivers fluid from the fluid inlet port 703 on one side of the cooling channel 403 to the fluid inlet channel 803, through... Figure 9 The finned channels or microchannels of the cooling channels 403 on the bottom frame shown flow vertically through individual return channels 1005 of each group of cooling channels 403, through converging channels 1007, and out to fluid outlet ports 705 on the top frame. In one embodiment, the converging channels 1007 and fluid outlet ports 705 may be fabricated on the top frame, and the vertical return channels 1005 may be fabricated on a different frame.

[0065] Figure 11 An embodiment is shown. Figure 8 An exploded side view of the complete assembly of the liquid cooling device 801 shows the fluid flow path 103. The liquid cooling device 801 may be assembled from three layers or frames. Layer 1 or the bottom frame may include a group of cooling channels 403, a contact area 709 that may include a cold plate to contact the electronic components to be cooled, and an inlet channel including a fluid inlet channel 803 for supplying fluid to the cooling channels 403. Layer 2 or the middle frame may include a separate vertical return channel 1005 for each group of cooling channels 403. Layer 3 or the top frame may include a converging channel 1007 and a fluid outlet port 705, the converging channel 1007 collecting fluid from the separate vertical return channel 1005. The fluid inlet port 703 may extend downwards along one side of the cooling channels 403 through all three layers to supply cooling liquid to the inlet channel of layer 1.

[0066] As mentioned, fluid supplied from fluid inlet port 703 flows downward into fluid inlet channel 803 of layer 1, absorbs heat generated by electronic components through contact area 709, flows through the finned channels or microchannels of the cooling channel 403, is delivered upward through individual vertical return channels 1005 associated with each group of cooling channels 403 in layer 2, converges in convergence channel 1007 of layer 3, and exits through fluid outlet port 705. In one embodiment, these layers can be flipped so that layer 1, containing fluid inlet channel 803, cold plate 303, and cooling channel 403, can be the top layer. Layer 2, containing individual vertical return channels 1005, remains the middle layer. Layer 3, containing convergence channel 1007, can be the bottom layer. Fluid inlet port 703 can be located on top of layer 1, and fluid outlet port 705 can extend upward through all three layers on one side of cooling channel 403 to return fluid from convergence channel 1007.

[0067] Figure 12 A side view of a liquid cooling device 1201 in another configuration according to one embodiment is shown, wherein the inlet channel is located in an intermediate section sandwiched between two layers of multiple cooling channels 403. The liquid cooling device 1201 is assembled from an upper frame 1211 and a lower frame 1213. The upper frame 1211 may include a fluid inlet port 703 and one half of the finned channels constituting the cooling channels 403. The lower frame 1213 may include a contact area 709 and the other half of the finned channels. A fluid outlet port 705 may be connected to the lower frame 1213 only on the side of the cooling channels 403 opposite to the fluid inlet port 703. The inlet channel between the upper frame 1211 and the lower frame 1213 may include a fluid channel 1203 connected to the fluid inlet port 703 to supply fluid to both halves of the finned channels.

[0068] Fluid supplied from the fluid inlet port 703 flows into the fluid channel 1203, passes through the fin channels of the cooling channels 403 on both the upper frame 1211 and the lower frame 1213, accumulates in the lower frame 1213 to absorb the heat generated by the electronic components via the cold plate in the contact area 709, and leaves through the fluid outlet port 705.

[0069] Figure 13 A perspective view of a liquid cooling device 1301 having multiple cooling channels 403 according to one embodiment is shown, illustrating a fluid inlet port 703 and a fluid outlet port 705. The liquid cooling device 1301 may be assembled from multiple frames or layers comprising inlet and outlet channels including the fluid distribution loop discussed herein. Figure 13 It can represent Figure 5 Liquid cooling equipment 501 Figure 6 Liquid cooling equipment 601 Figure 7Liquid cooling equipment 701 Figure 8 , Figure 9 , Figure 10 and Figure 11 Liquid cooling equipment 801 or Figure 12 Perspective view of liquid cooling device 1201.

[0070] Figure 14A A side sectional view of a configuration of a liquid cooling device having a plurality of cooling channels 403 according to one embodiment is shown, showing a fluid inlet port 703 on one side of the plurality of cooling channels 403 and a fluid outlet port 705 on the opposite side of the plurality of cooling channels 403. Figure 14A It can represent Figure 6 Liquid cooling equipment 601 Figure 7 Liquid cooling equipment 701 or Figure 12 A side sectional view of the liquid cooling device 1201.

[0071] Figure 14B A side sectional view of another configuration of a liquid cooling device having a plurality of cooling channels 403 according to one embodiment is shown, showing a fluid inlet port 703 on one side of the plurality of cooling channels 403 and a fluid outlet port 705 on the top of the plurality of cooling channels 403. Figure 14B It can represent Figure 8 , Figure 9 , Figure 10 and Figure 11 A side sectional view of the liquid cooling device 801.

[0072] Figure 14C A side sectional view of another configuration of a liquid cooling device having a plurality of cooling channels 403 according to one embodiment is shown, showing a fluid inlet port 703 on one side of the plurality of cooling channels 403 and a fluid outlet port 705 on the opposite side of the plurality of cooling channels 403, wherein a portion of the inlet or outlet channel for the cooling channel is positioned perpendicular to the fin channel of the cooling channel. Figure 14C It can represent Figure 5 A side sectional view of the liquid cooling device 501.

[0073] The various configurations, layouts, and components of the liquid cooling device enable the fluid distribution network to be optimized for electronic components or systems with different thermal profiles. The integrated design of the fluid distribution network's fluid inlet port 703, fluid outlet port 705, inlet channel, outlet channel, and cooling channel 403 provides efficient liquid cooling for multiple high-density electronic devices (e.g., multiple high-density chips on the same board) packaged in a small footprint, thereby improving cooling performance, reliability, efficiency, scalability, and reducing costs to meet the thermal management needs of high-performance electronic components in complex packaging environments.

[0074] In the foregoing description, embodiments of the invention have been described with reference to specific exemplary embodiments. It will be apparent that various modifications can be made without departing from the broader spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims. Therefore, the description and drawings are to be considered illustrative rather than restrictive.

Claims

1. A liquid cooling device for a data center, comprising: Multiple cooling channels for conveying liquid; A supply channel is connected to the plurality of cooling channels to distribute the liquid into the plurality of cooling channels; Return channel, connected to the plurality of cooling channels to collect the liquid from the plurality of cooling channels; A fluid inlet port is connected to the supply channel to supply the liquid from a cooling liquid source to the supply channel; A fluid outlet port is connected to the return channel to return the liquid to the cooling liquid source; and Multiple cold plates are configured to contact multiple electronic components to remove heat generated by the electronic components via the liquid, wherein the multiple cooling channels, the supply channels, the return channels, the fluid inlet ports, the fluid outlet ports, and the multiple cold plates are integrated onto multiple stacked frames; The return channel includes: Multiple return channels, stacked above the multiple cooling channels, to collect the liquid from the multiple cooling channels; and A convergence channel, stacked above the plurality of return channels, is used to collect the liquid from the plurality of return channels. Furthermore, the fluid outlet port is configured above the converging channel to return the liquid; The first frame of the plurality of stacked frames includes the plurality of cooling channels and the plurality of cold plates; the second frame of the plurality of stacked frames includes the plurality of return channels; the plurality of cooling channels correspond one-to-one with the plurality of return channels; and the third frame of the plurality of stacked frames includes the converging channel and the fluid outlet port. The multiple stacked frames can be flipped so that the first frame is the top layer, the second frame remains the middle layer, and the third frame is the bottom layer.

2. The liquid cooling device according to claim 1, wherein, The fluid inlet port is configured to extend through the plurality of stacked frames on a first side of the plurality of cooling channels to supply the liquid to the supply channel, and wherein the fluid outlet port is configured to extend through the plurality of stacked frames on a second side of the plurality of cooling channels opposite to the first side to return the liquid.

3. The liquid cooling device according to claim 2, wherein, The supply channel distributes the liquid from the first side of the plurality of cooling channels to the plurality of cooling channels, and the return channel collects the liquid from the plurality of cooling channels from the second side of the plurality of cooling channels.

4. The liquid cooling device according to claim 1, wherein, The fluid inlet port is configured to extend through the plurality of stacked frames on a first side of the plurality of cooling channels to supply the liquid to the supply channels, and wherein the fluid outlet port is configured to return the liquid from above the plurality of cooling channels.

5. The liquid cooling device according to claim 1, wherein, The plurality of cooling channels and the plurality of cold plates are integrated into a first frame of the plurality of stacked frames, and wherein one or more of the supply channel, the return channel, the fluid inlet port or the fluid outlet port are integrated into a second frame of the plurality of stacked frames.

6. The liquid cooling device according to claim 1, wherein, The supply channel includes a trapezoidal shape, which is configured to uniformly distribute the fluid to the plurality of cooling channels.

7. A data center system, comprising: Multiple electronic racks, each containing multiple server chassis, and each server chassis corresponding to one or more servers, wherein each server chassis includes: Multiple cooling channels for conveying liquid; A supply channel is connected to the plurality of cooling channels to distribute the liquid into the plurality of cooling channels; Return channel, connected to the plurality of cooling channels to collect the liquid from the plurality of cooling channels; A fluid inlet port is connected to the supply channel to supply the liquid from a cooling liquid source to the supply channel; A fluid outlet port, connected to the return channel, to return the liquid to the cooling liquid source; and Multiple cold plates are configured to contact multiple electronic components of the one or more servers to remove heat generated by the electronic components via the liquid, wherein the multiple cooling channels, the supply channels, the return channels, the fluid inlet ports, the fluid outlet ports, and the multiple cold plates are integrated onto multiple stacked frames; The return channel includes: Multiple return channels, stacked above the multiple cooling channels, to collect the liquid from the multiple cooling channels; and A convergence channel, stacked above the plurality of return channels, is used to collect the liquid from the plurality of return channels. Furthermore, the fluid outlet port is configured above the converging channel to return the liquid; The first frame of the plurality of stacked frames includes the plurality of cooling channels and the plurality of cold plates; the second frame of the plurality of stacked frames includes the plurality of return channels; the plurality of cooling channels correspond one-to-one with the plurality of return channels; and the third frame of the plurality of stacked frames includes the converging channel and the fluid outlet port. The multiple stacked frames can be flipped so that the first frame is the top layer, the second frame remains the middle layer, and the third frame is the bottom layer.

8. The data center system according to claim 7, wherein, The fluid inlet port is configured to extend through the plurality of stacked frames on a first side of the plurality of cooling channels to supply the liquid to the supply channel, and wherein the fluid outlet port is configured to extend through the plurality of stacked frames on a second side of the plurality of cooling channels opposite to the first side to return the liquid.

9. The data center system according to claim 8, wherein, The supply channel distributes the liquid from the first side of the plurality of cooling channels to the plurality of cooling channels, and the return channel collects the liquid from the plurality of cooling channels from the second side of the plurality of cooling channels.

10. The data center system according to claim 7, wherein, The fluid inlet port is configured to extend through the plurality of stacked frames on a first side of the plurality of cooling channels to supply the liquid to the supply channels, and wherein the fluid outlet port is configured to return the liquid from above the plurality of cooling channels.

11. The data center system according to claim 7, wherein, The plurality of cooling channels and the plurality of cold plates are integrated into a first frame of the plurality of stacked frames, and wherein one or more of the supply channel, the return channel, the fluid inlet port or the fluid outlet port are integrated into a second frame of the plurality of stacked frames.

12. The data center system according to claim 7, wherein, The supply channel includes a trapezoidal shape, which is configured to uniformly distribute the fluid to the plurality of cooling channels.

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