Server device and server rack of data center

Abstract

Disclosed is a design facilitating blind mating of fluid connectors on a server and on a rack accommodating the server. The design includes two plates. The first plate has a connector passage and an elastic structure. The connector passage is for guiding a connector of the server through the first plate, and the elastic structure is for applying a force to push the connector of the server towards the center of the connector passage. The second plate has positioning holes around its perimeter for mounting the connector of the server using the force of the elastic structure. The first plate is rotatable about a rotation axis to align the connector of the server with the connector of the rack. The second plate may have an elastic layer that is compressed to change the width of the second plate by inserting the second plate into the rack, thereby automatically aligning the connectors of the server and the rack in the horizontal direction.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Embodiments of the present invention generally relate to server and data center cooling. More specifically, embodiments of the present invention relate to a blind-mate design for connecting servers and racks to deliver and distribute fluids used in liquid cooling applications. Background Art

[0002] Cooling is a key consideration in the design of computer systems and data centers. The number of high-performance electronic components, such as high-performance processors, packaged within servers has steadily increased, increasing the amount of heat generated and dissipated during normal server operation. The reliability of servers used in a data center can be reduced if the thermal environment in which they operate is allowed to increase in temperature over time. Maintaining a proper thermal environment is critical to the proper operation of these servers in a data center and to maximize server performance, reliability, and lifespan. More effective and efficient cooling solutions are needed, especially when cooling these high-performance servers.

[0003] Servers and other high-performance electronic components such as central processing units (CPUs), graphics processing units (GPUs), etc. are often tightly packed in clusters of highly integrated chips, boards, or components that are housed in racks to create very high heat densities. Liquid cooling applications that deliver and distribute fluid to carry away the heat generated by servers can use blind-mate connectors to interconnect fluid channels between servers and racks. Fluid distribution channels on the rack (also known as rack-side fluid manifolds) can be constructed with connectors with various layouts (such as positions, spacing) to connect to connectors on the server. The rack can also have various configurations or arrangements of inlet connectors and outlet connectors, the inlet connectors deliver cooling liquid to the server, and the outlet connectors receive warm liquid from the server, various configurations or arrangements such as parallel configurations or staggered configurations. The interoperability and reliability of the fluid connections between the rack and the server are critical to the proper fluid system integration and operation of the server and the data center. Existing connection designs are often customized for fixed types of servers, which reduces interoperability between servers and racks with different fluid manifold configurations, increases costs and reduces the diversity of potential applications, which is detrimental to rack and server vendors, suppliers, integrators and end users. Connection reliability is critical because, due to the nature of blind-mate fluid connection technology, this is the joint most likely to leak and is key to preventing malfunctions or failures due to manual operation or design errors.

[0004] In some usage scenarios, it may be necessary to dynamically change the fluid connection between the rack and the server. Since most of the rack-side fluid manifolds are of fixed design, the design flexibility for guiding the correct mating of the server-side connector with the rack-side connector is also an important consideration to ensure that the server can be installed in all racks to improve performance. Summary of the Invention

[0005] One aspect of the present disclosure relates to a server device, comprising: a first component, including: a connector channel configured to guide two fluid connectors through the first component at two opposite positions along the connector channel; and a pair of elastic structures, each elastic structure being located at one of the two opposite ends of the connector channel, the pair of elastic structures being configured to apply an inward force on the two fluid connectors towards each other; and a second component having a plurality of positioning holes located around the perimeter of the second component, wherein when the first component and the second component are assembled to allow the two fluid connectors to be installed into two of the positioning holes on the opposite edges of the second component by the inward force applied by the pair of elastic structures, the first component is capable of rotating relative to the second component about a rotation axis.

[0006] Another aspect of the present disclosure relates to a server rack in a data center, comprising: a rack manifold having a rack liquid supply line and a rack liquid return line, the rack liquid supply line being configured to receive cooling liquid from a cooling liquid source, and the rack liquid return line being configured to return the warmer liquid to the cooling liquid source; a plurality of server chassis, each server chassis including one or more cold plates associated with one or more information technology components; and a connector adapter for interconnecting one of the server chassis and the rack manifold, the connector adapter including: a first component, including: a connector channel configured to guide two fluid connectors of the information technology components of the server chassis through the first component at two opposite positions along the connector channel; and a pair of elastic structures, each elastic structure being located at one of the two opposite ends of the connector channel, the pair of elastic structures being configured to apply an inward force on the two fluid connectors towards each other; and a second component having a plurality of positioning holes located around the perimeter of the second component, wherein when the first component and the second component are assembled to allow the two fluid connectors to be installed into two of the positioning holes on the opposite edges of the second component by the inward force applied by the pair of elastic structures, the first component is capable of rotating relative to the second component about a rotation axis.

[0007] Another aspect of the present disclosure relates to a method of connecting two fluid connectors of a liquid cooling circuit of a server to two corresponding fluid connectors of a rack housing the server, comprising: guiding two fluid connectors of the server through a connector channel along two opposite positions of the connector channel of a first component of the hardware, the connector channel having a pair of elastic structures, each elastic structure being located at one of two opposite ends of the connector channel to apply an inward force towards each other on the two fluid connectors; attaching the first component to a second component of the hardware, the second component including a plurality of positioning holes located around the perimeter of the second component, traversing in a vertical direction of an elastic layer of the second component, and a pair of positioning portions for compressing the elastic layer to change the width of the second component in a horizontal direction; rotating the first component relative to the second component about a rotation axis to mount the two fluid connectors of the server into two of the positioning holes on opposite edges of the second component using the inward force applied by the pair of elastic structures, thereby adjusting the relative distance in the vertical direction between the two fluid connectors of the server to match the relative distance in the vertical direction between two corresponding fluid connectors of the rack; attaching the pair of positioning portions to the rack to compress the elastic layer, thereby automatically adjusting the relative distance in the horizontal direction between the two fluid connectors of the server to match the relative distance in the horizontal direction between two corresponding fluid connectors of the rack; and connecting the two fluid connectors of the server to the two corresponding fluid connectors of the rack using a blind mating connection. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

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

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

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

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

[0012] Figure 4 Shows an example of a first hardware design for interconnecting between a fluid connector of a server and a fluid connector of a rack, which allows adjustment of the horizontal relative position of the connectors of the server to match the connectors of the rack.

[0013] Figure 5Shows an example of a first hardware design for interconnecting a fluid connector of a server with a fluid connector of a rack according to one embodiment, which allows adjustment of the vertical relative position of the connector of the server to match the connector of the rack.

[0014] Figure 6 Shows an example of a first hardware design integrated into a server chassis to interconnect a fluid connector of a server with a fluid connector of a rack, which allows adjustment of the position of the connector of the server to match the connector of the rack.

[0015] Figure 7 Shows an example of a second hardware design with an integrated elastic layer that can expand along the horizontal direction for interconnection between a fluid connector of a server and a fluid connector of a rack in a staggered connection configuration.

[0016] Figure 8 Shows an example of a second hardware design with an integrated elastic layer that can expand along the horizontal direction for interconnection between a fluid connector of a server and a fluid connector of a rack in a parallel connection configuration.

[0017] Figure 9 Shows an example of a top view of the connection between a fluid connector of a rack and a fluid connector of a server using a second hardware design, the second hardware design having an integrated elastic layer that can expand along the horizontal direction to allow adjustment of the position of the connector of the server to match the connector of the rack.

[0018] Figure 10 Shows an example of a rack manifold and a second hardware design according to one embodiment, the second hardware design including Part II and Part I. Part II has an integrated elastic layer that can expand along the horizontal direction, and Part I is integrated into the server. Then the two parts of the second hardware design are assembled and the rack manifold and the second hardware design are integrated to connect the fluid connector of the server to the fluid connector of the rack manifold.

[0019] Figure 11 Shows an example of an integrated component of a rack manifold and a second hardware design, the second hardware design including Part II with an integrated elastic layer that can expand along the horizontal direction.

[0020] Figure 12 Shows an example of a perspective view of a fully integrated component of a rack manifold and a second hardware design, the second hardware design including a first board and a second board with an integrated elastic layer that can expand along the horizontal direction to match and connect the fluid connector of the server to the fluid connector of the rack manifold.

[0021] Figure 13A Shows an example of a top view of a fully integrated component of a rack manifold and a second hardware design with an integrated elastic layer, where the elastic layer can expand along the horizontal direction to match and connect the fluid connectors of the server to the fluid connectors of the rack manifold when the connectors are in a parallel configuration.

[0022] Figure 13B Shows an example of a top view of a fully integrated component of a rack manifold and a second hardware design with an integrated elastic layer, where the elastic layer can expand along the horizontal direction to match and connect the fluid connectors of the server to the fluid connectors of the rack manifold when the connectors are in a staggered configuration.

[0023] Figure 13C Shows an example of a top view of a fully integrated component of a rack manifold and a second hardware design with an integrated elastic layer, where the elastic layer can expand along the horizontal direction to match and connect the fluid connectors of the server to the fluid connectors of the rack manifold when the connectors are in a reverse configuration.

[0024] Figure 14A Shows an example of a view of a fully integrated component of a rack manifold and a second hardware design with an integrated elastic layer as seen from the back of the rack. The integrated elastic layer can expand along the horizontal direction to match and connect the fluid connectors of the server to the fluid connectors of the rack manifold when the connectors are in a parallel configuration corresponding to Figure 13A the relative one.

[0025] Figure 14B Shows an example of a view of a fully integrated component of a rack manifold and a second hardware design with an integrated elastic layer as seen from the back of the rack. The integrated elastic layer can expand along the horizontal direction to match and connect the fluid connectors of the server to the fluid connectors of the rack manifold when the connectors are in a staggered configuration corresponding to Figure 13B the relative one.

[0026] Figure 14C Shows an example of a view of a fully integrated component of a rack manifold and a second hardware design with an integrated elastic layer as seen from the back of the rack. The integrated elastic layer can expand along the horizontal direction to match and connect the fluid connectors of the server to the fluid connectors of the rack manifold when the connectors are in a reverse configuration corresponding to Figure 13C the relative one.

[0027] Figure 15FIG. 0 is a flowchart illustrating an example of method 1500 for aligning two fluid connectors of a server with two corresponding fluid connectors of a rack using a second hardware design, the rack using the second hardware design with an integrated resilient layer to house the server, the integrated resilient layer being expandable along a horizontal direction before connecting the two fluid connectors of the server with the two corresponding fluid connectors of the rack using a blind mating connection. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0028] Various embodiments and aspects of the present invention will be described with reference to the details discussed below, and the accompanying drawings will illustrate the various embodiments. The following description and drawings are illustrative of the invention and are not to be construed as limiting the invention. Many specific details are described to provide a thorough understanding of the various embodiments of the present invention. However, in some instances, well-known or conventional details are not described in order to provide a concise discussion of the embodiments of the present invention.

[0029] Reference to "an embodiment" or "embodiments" in the specification means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment can be included in at least one embodiment of the invention. The phrase "in an embodiment" appearing in various places in the specification does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment.

[0030] Designs are disclosed for interconnecting fluid connectors on a server and fluid connectors on a rack that houses the server for conveying and returning fluid for cooling the server. The server can have an inlet connector and an outlet connector, the inlet connector receiving cooling liquid from a supply connector on the rack to distribute the cooling liquid to the server, and the outlet connector discharging heated liquid to return to the connector on the rack to remove thermal energy from the server. The disclosed designs provide hardware to guide, align, and position the connectors of the server to properly mate with the connectors of the rack, thereby supporting interoperability between servers with different fluid distribution architectures and racks with different fluid manifold configurations. The design can be used to provide a reliable and secure blind mating fluid connection between the connectors, increasing the flexibility, efficiency, and maintainability of the liquid cooling system and reducing costs to meet the requirements of data centers with high heat density.

[0031] In one aspect, the design includes two plates that can be used together to conveniently connect the fluid connectors of a server and the fluid connectors of a rack in a blind mating or manual manner. The first plate has a connector channel to guide the connector of the server through the first plate. The connector channel provides a series of possible positions for the connector of the server along one dimension and allows adjustment of the horizontal distance between the connectors of the server to align with the horizontal distance between the connectors of the rack. Each of the two ends of the connector channel has an elastic structure to apply a force that pushes the connector of the server towards the center of the connector channel. The second plate has a plurality of positioning holes or positioning slots around its perimeter, and the connectors of the server can be installed in the positioning holes or positioning slots using the force applied by the elastic structure of the connector channel. The positioning holes allow adjustment of the vertical distance between the connectors of the server at multiple possible values to align with the vertical distance between the connectors of the rack. The first plate can be attached to the second plate and rotated around a rotation axis to jointly adjust the horizontal and vertical distances between the connectors of the server, thereby flexibly and reliably aligning the positions of the connectors of the server and the connectors of the rack when mating the connectors. By using second plates with different sizes and different positioning hole positions, the connectors of the server can be aligned with the connectors of the rack for different fluid manifold configurations. The forces applied by the elastic structures from the opposite ends of the connector channel can be balanced to enable the assembly and secure installation of the two connectors of the server within the positioning holes of the engagement assembly, thereby ensuring correct alignment between the connectors of the server and the connectors of the rack.

[0032] In one aspect, the second plate has an elastic layer and an integrated guiding structure to extend the range of the horizontal distance between the connectors of the server so as to align with the horizontal distance between the connectors of the rack. The elastic layer can expand along its width in the horizontal direction to increase the width of the second plate. When no external force is applied to the integrated guiding structure, the elastic layer is at its maximum width, causing the second plate to have the corresponding maximum width. When an external force is applied to the integrated guiding structure to compress the elastic layer, the width of the second plate decreases accordingly. By changing the width of the elastic layer, the horizontal distance between the connectors of the server installed in the positioning holes of the second plate can be adjusted. The compressed elastic layer applies an outward force to the second plate to counteract the inward force applied by the elastic structure of the connector channel of the first plate, thereby firmly holding the connectors of the server. The guiding structure of the elastic layer can be inserted or attached to the rack manifold to automatically adjust the relative distances between the connectors of the server in the vertical and horizontal directions so as to align with the connectors of the server.

[0033] Figure 1 is a block diagram showing an example of a data center or a data center unit according to one embodiment. In this example, Figure 1 shows a top view of at least a part of the data center. Referring to Figure 1, According to one embodiment, the data center system 100 includes information technology (IT) components, devices, or instruments in one or more rows of electronic racks 101 - 102. The information technology (IT) components, devices, or instruments are, for example, 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 may be implemented. Generally, rows 101 - 102 are aligned parallel with their front ends facing each other and their back ends facing away from each other, thereby forming an aisle 103 therebetween to allow management personnel to walk therein. However, other configurations or arrangements may also be applied. For example, two rows of electronic racks may face each other back - to - back without forming an aisle therebetween while their front ends face away from each other. The back ends of the electronic racks may be coupled to a room cooling liquid manifold.

[0034] In one embodiment, each of the electronic racks (e.g., electronic racks 110A - 110N) includes an enclosure to house a plurality of IT components arranged in a stack for operation therein. The electronic rack may include a cooling liquid manifold, a plurality of server slots (e.g., standard shelves or chassis configured with the same or similar form factors), and a plurality of server chassis (also referred to as server blades or server shelves) that can be inserted into and removed from the server slots. Each server chassis represents a computing node having one or more processors, memory, and / or permanent storage devices (e.g., hard disks), where the computing 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, an air supply system 135 and one or more optional cooling fans are associated with the server chassis to provide air cooling to the computing nodes contained therein. Note that the cooling system 120 may be coupled to multiple data center systems such as the data center system 100. In one embodiment, the server liquid inlet connector and the server liquid outlet connector of each server chassis may be connected to the rack liquid inlet connector and the rack liquid outlet connector of the cooling liquid manifold, and the cooling liquid manifold is coupled to the liquid supply / return pipelines 132 / 131 of the data center.

[0035] Figure 2 is a block diagram showing an electronic rack according to one embodiment. The electronic rack 200 may, for example, represent any of the electronic racks shown as Figure 1 in, such as, for example, electronic racks 110A - 110N. Referring to Figure 2, according 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., a standard cabinet) from the front end 204 or the rear end 205 of the electronic rack 200, respectively. Note that although five server chassis 203A - 203E are shown here, more or fewer server chassis can be maintained within the electronic rack 200. It should also be noted that the specific positions of the CDU 201, RMU 202, and / or the server chassis 203 are shown for illustrative purposes only, and other arrangements or configurations of the CDU 201, RMU 202, and / or the server chassis 203 can also be implemented. In one embodiment, the electronic rack 200 can be open to the environment or partially enclosed by a rack container, as long as the cooling fans can generate an air flow from the front end to the rear end.

[0036] 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 can be mounted on the rear end of the server chassis 203 or on the electronic rack to generate an air flow 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.

[0037] In one embodiment, the CDU 201 mainly includes a heat exchanger 211, a liquid pump 212, and a pump controller (not shown), as well as some other components, such as a 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 inlet port and the outlet port have a first pair of liquid connectors coupled to an external liquid supply / return pipeline 131 - 132 to form a main loop. The connectors coupled to the external liquid supply / return pipeline 131 - 132 can be set or installed on the rear end 205 of the electronic rack 200. The liquid supply / return pipeline 131 - 132, also referred to as the room liquid supply / return pipeline, can be coupled to the cooling system 120 as described above.

[0038] In addition, the heat exchanger 211 further includes a second loop having two ports, the two ports having a second pair of liquid connectors coupled to a liquid manifold 225 (also referred to as a rack manifold) to form a secondary loop, which may include a supply manifold (also referred to as a rack liquid supply line or rack supply manifold) and a return manifold (also referred to as a rack liquid return line or rack return manifold), the supply manifold supplying cooling liquid to the server chassis 203, and the return manifold returning the warmer liquid to the CDU 201. Note that the CDU 201 can be any type of commercially available or custom CDU. Therefore, the details of the CDU 201 will not be described herein.

[0039] 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 may perform data processing tasks, where the IT component may include software installed in the storage device, loaded into the memory, and run by one or more processors to perform the data processing tasks. The server chassis 203 may include a host server (referred to as a host node) coupled to one or more compute servers (also referred to as compute 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), running applications to perform certain operations (e.g., image processing, deep data learning algorithms, or modeling, etc., as part of a service software or SaaS platform). In response to the request, the host server assigns tasks to one or more of the compute nodes or compute servers (with one or more GPUs) managed by the host server. The compute servers perform the actual tasks, which may generate heat during operation.

[0040] The electronic rack 200 further includes an optional RMU 202 configured to provide and manage the power supplied to the server chassis 203 and the CDU 201. The RMU 202 may be coupled to a power supply unit (not shown) to manage the power consumption of the power supply unit. The power supply unit may include the necessary circuitry (e.g., an alternating current (AC) to direct current (DC) or DC to DC power converter, battery, transformer, or voltage regulator, etc.) to supply power to the remaining components of the electronic rack 200.

[0041] In one embodiment, the RMU 202 includes an optimization module 221 and a Rack Management Controller (RMC) 222. The RMC 222 may include a monitor to monitor the operating states of various components within the electronic rack 200, such as, for example, the server chassis 203, the CDU 201, and the fan modules. Specifically, the monitor receives operation data representing the operating environment of the electronic rack 200 from various sensors. For example, the monitor may receive operation data representing the temperatures of the processor, the cooling liquid, and the air flow, which may be captured and collected via various temperature sensors. The monitor may also receive data representing the fan power and the pump power generated by the fan modules and the liquid pump 212, which may be proportional to their respective speeds. This operation data is referred to as real-time operation data. Note that the monitor may be implemented as a separate module within the RMU 202.

[0042] Based on the operation data, the optimization module 221 performs optimization using a predetermined optimization function or optimization model to derive a set of optimal fan speeds for the fan modules and an optimal pump speed for the liquid pump 212 such that the total power consumption of the liquid pump 212 and the fan modules is minimized while the operation data associated with the cooling fans of the liquid pump 212 and the fan modules is within their respective design specifications. Once the optimal pump speed and the optimal fan speeds are determined, the RMC 222 configures the cooling fans of the liquid pump 212 and the fan modules based on the optimal pump speed and the fan speeds.

[0043] As an example, based on the optimal pump speed, the RMC 222 communicates with the pump controller of the CDU 201 to control the speed of the liquid pump 212, which in turn controls the liquid flow rate of the cooling liquid supplied to the liquid manifold 225 for distribution to at least some of the server chassis 203. Similarly, based on the optimal fan speeds, the RMC 222 communicates with each of the fan modules to control the speed of each cooling fan of the fan modules, which in turn controls the air flow rate of the fan modules. Note that each of the fan modules may be individually controlled with its specific optimal fan speed, and different fan modules and / or different cooling fans within the same fan module may have different optimal fan speeds.

[0044] Note that Figure 2The rack configuration shown is presented and described for illustrative purposes only, and other configurations or arrangements may also be applicable. For example, the CDU 201 may be an optional unit. The cold plates of the server chassis 203 may be connected to a rack manifold, which may be directly connected to the liquid supply / return pipelines 131 - 132 without using the CDU. Although not shown, a power supply unit may be provided within the electronics rack 200. The power supply unit may be implemented as a standard chassis identical or similar to the server chassis, where the power supply chassis may be inserted into any standard cabinet to replace any server chassis 203. Additionally, the power supply chassis may further include a battery backup unit (BBU) for providing battery power to the server chassis 203 when the main power is unavailable. The BBU may include one or more battery packs, and each battery pack includes one or more battery cells, as well as the necessary charging and discharging circuits for charging and discharging the battery cells.

[0045] Figure 3 is a block diagram showing a processor cold plate configuration according to one embodiment. The processor / cold plate assembly 300 may represent any processor / cold plate structure of the server chassis 203 as shown in Figure 2 Referring to 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, and the cold plate 303 is connected to a rack manifold, which is connected to the liquid supply pipeline 132 and / or the liquid return pipeline 131. A part of the heat generated by the processor 301 is removed by the cooling liquid through the cold plate 303. The remaining part of the heat enters the air space below or above, which may be removed by the air flow generated by the cooling fan 304. The liquid supply pipeline 132 and the liquid return pipeline 131 may be assembled with a fluid connector, which is an interface for connecting to the corresponding connector on the rack. When the cold plate assembly 300 or the cooling module is integrated into the rack and when connected to the fluid recirculation system, the design solution of the present disclosure improves the reliability and stability of the interface.

[0046] Figure 4 An example of a first hardware design 400 for interconnecting between the fluid connector of a server and the fluid connector of a rack according to one embodiment is shown, which allows adjusting the horizontal relative position of the connector of the server to match the connector of the rack. The design 400 includes two parts, namely part I (401) and part II (421), also respectively referred to as the first plate 401 and the second plate 421.

[0047] In one aspect, the first plate 401 may have an oval shape that includes a connector channel 405 along the width or longer dimension of the first plate 401. A pair of connectors 407 of the server may be guided through the connector channel 405 in a direction perpendicular to the first plate 401. The pair of connectors 407 may include an inlet connector and an outlet connector. The inlet connector receives cooling liquid from a supply connector of the rack to distribute the cooling liquid to the server, and the outlet connector discharges the heated liquid to a return connector of the rack to carry away the heat generated by the server. The relative distance between the pair of connectors 407 may be adjusted along the connector channel 405 to align with the relative distance between the corresponding connectors of the rack. Elastic structures 403 are designed at each end of the connector channel 405, and the elastic structures 403 apply elastic force to push the connectors 407 towards each other. When connecting to the connectors of the rack, the elastic force applies a mounting pressure on the connectors 407 to fix the connectors 407 to the second plate 421.

[0048] The second plate 421 has a plurality of positioning holes 423 provided around its perimeter, and the connectors 407 can be installed into the positioning holes 423 using the mounting pressure applied by the elastic structures 403. The first plate 401 and the second plate 421 may overlap or be stacked in an integrated assembly or a detachable configuration. The first plate 401 can rotate relative to the second plate 421 about a rotation axis 433 to allow the connectors 407 to be installed into different positioning holes 423 on the second plate 421. When the hardware design 400 is attached to the rack using the mounting frame 431, the positioning holes 423 may correspond to the possible positions of the connectors of the rack. In one aspect, the design of the second plate 421 and the corresponding positioning holes 423 can be determined or be highly related to the specifications of the rack manifold. In one aspect, the connectors of the rack may be a rack manifold 225 including Figure 2 a supply manifold and a return manifold.

[0049] By rotating the first plate 401 about the rotation axis 433, the connectors 407 of the server can be installed into the positioning holes 423 that are aligned with the positions of the corresponding connectors of the rack. The combination of the positioning holes 423 and the connector channel 405 allows for a selection range of adjusting the horizontal distance and the vertical distance between the connectors 407 of the server to flexibly match the fluid manifold configuration of the rack. Figure 4 A scenario is shown when the connectors of the rack are positioned in a parallel configuration along a horizontal plane. The first plate 401 rotates to install the connectors 407 of the server into a pair of positioning holes 423 having a zero relative vertical distance along the horizontal plane to align with the connectors of the rack. To further expand the adjustment range of the horizontal and vertical distances of the connectors 407 of the server to accommodate different rack manifolds, second plates 421 having different sizes and different positions of positioning holes 423 can be attached to the first plate 401.

[0050] Figure 5 illustrates an example of a first hardware design for interconnecting a fluid connector of a server with a fluid connector of a rack according to one embodiment, which allows adjustment of the vertical relative position of the connector of the server to match the connector of the rack. The first hardware design may be Figure 4 design 400.

[0051] The fluid manifold of the rack may be in a staggered configuration, where pairs of connectors have opposite vertical spacings. In another scenario, there may be only two connectors (one supply and one return) available on the rack in the staggered configuration, while the other connectors on the rack are occupied by other servers. For example, a pair of connectors of the rack may extend diagonally at an angle to the horizontal plane. As a result, the first plate 401 rotates to mount the connector 407 of the server into a pair of locating holes 423 along the diagonal plane so as to align with the connector of the rack. The located connectors 407 are separated both horizontally and vertically. When the connectors 407 are positioned along the horizontal plane, the horizontal distance between the connectors 407 may be the same as that in Figure 4 . The inward mounting pressure applied by the elastic structure 403 against the connectors 407 along the axis of the connector channel 405 ensures that the connectors 407 are firmly mounted into a pair of diagonal locating holes 423.

[0052] If the connectors of the rack extend diagonally at a steeper angle, or if the available connectors of the rack are even further apart from each other in the vertical direction, the first plate 401 may be further rotated to mount the connector 407 of the server into a pair of locating holes 423 that are further away from the horizontal plane to align with the connector of the rack. Both the horizontal distance and the vertical distance between the connectors 407 may vary according to the pair of locating holes 423 into which the connectors 407 are mounted to flexibly align with the fluid manifold configuration of the rack.

[0053] Figure 6 illustrates an example of a first hardware design integrated into a server chassis to interconnect a fluid connector of a server and a fluid connector of a rack, which allows adjustment of the position of the connector of the server to match the connector of the rack.

[0054] In one aspect, the design may include an integrated assembly of a second board 421 assembled behind a first board 401. In one aspect, the design may include a detachable configuration that allows different configurations of the second board 421 to be attached to the rear of the first board 401. The assembly of the first board 401 and the second board 421 is mounted to an assembly frame 601 using a mounting frame 431. The assembly frame 601 is mounted to the chassis (not shown) of the server. The connectors 407 may include a server liquid inlet connector and a server liquid outlet connector, which are respectively coupled to flexible hoses to distribute cooling liquid to the server and return heated liquid from the server. The connectors 407 are guided through the connector channels 405 of the first board 401 and mounted into the positioning holes (not shown) of the second board 421 to align with the connectors of the fluid manifold configuration of the rack, thereby enabling connection to the rack.

[0055] Figure 7 An example of a second hardware design 700 with an integrated elastomeric layer is shown, which can expand along the horizontal direction for interconnection between the fluid connectors of the server and the fluid connectors of the rack in a staggered connection configuration. The hardware design 700 includes two components, namely part I (401) and part II (721), also referred to as the first board 401 and the second board 721 respectively. In one aspect, the first board 401 and the second board 721 may be separate units that are joined, attached, or assembled to form the hardware design 700, rather than being constructed as an integrated assembly. The two boards can be detached from each other to provide flexibility in assembling different combinations of the first board 401 and the second board 721. In one aspect, the second board 721 may be attached to the front of the first board 401. The first board 401 may have the same features as Figures 4 to 6 those described above. For the sake of brevity, the detailed structure and operation of the first board 401 are omitted.

[0056] The second board 721 has a plurality of positioning holes 723 around its perimeter, as shown in Figures 4 to 6The second plate 721. In addition, the second plate 721 has an intermediate elastic layer 725 sandwiched between two rigid sides and passing through the second plate 721 in the vertical or longitudinal direction. The elastic layer 725 is designed to have an internal elastic structure to generate an outward force to expand the width of the second plate 721 in the horizontal or lateral direction. Two positioning portions 727 may project from the second plate 721, with one positioning portion on each side of the elastic layer 725. The positioning portions 727 (also referred to as guiding structures) are used to compress the elastic layer 725 to change the width of the elastic layer 725 and accordingly change the width of the second plate 721, thereby providing greater flexibility in aligning the horizontal distance between the connectors 407 of the server with the horizontal distance between the connectors of the rack. For example, when no external force is applied to the positioning portions 727, the elastic layer 725 and the corresponding second plate 721 may expand to their maximum width in the horizontal direction. The horizontal outward force from the fully expanded second plate 721 and the inward force applied by the elastic structure 403 along the axis of the connector channel of the first plate 401 firmly mount the connectors 407 of the server into the positioning holes 723.

[0057] When an external force is applied to press the positioning portions 727 closer together, or when the relative distance of the positioning portions 727 is set to be less than the fully expanded width of the elastic layer 725, the elastic layer 725 is compressed and the width of the second plate 721 is accordingly reduced. By changing the width of the elastic layer 725, the horizontal distance between the connectors 407 of the server can be adjusted due to the change in the width of the second plate 721. Similarly, the compressed elastic layer 725 applies a horizontal outward force to the connectors 407 to counteract the inward force applied by the elastic structure 403 along the axis of the connector channel of the first plate 401, thereby firmly holding the connectors 407 in the positioning holes 723. In one aspect, the width of the second plate 721 can be determined by the dimensions of the rack manifold by inserting or attaching the positioning portions 727 to the rack manifold. Thus, the relative horizontal distance between the connectors 407 of the server can be automatically adjusted based on the fluid manifold configuration of the rack to align with the connectors of the rack. The relative vertical distance between the connectors 407 of the server can be adjusted by rotating the first plate 401 relative to the second plate 721, similar to Figures 4 to 6 . Figure 7Shows the connector 407 of the server in a staggered connection configuration, where the connector 407 has a relative distance in the vertical direction. To further expand the adjustment range of the horizontal and vertical distances of the connector 407 of the server to accommodate different rack manifolds, a second plate 721 with an elastic layer 725 having different maximum widths and internal elastic structures and positioning holes 723 at different positions can be attached to the first plate 401. In one embodiment, the first plate 401 with connector channels 405 of different sizes can also be attached to the second plate 721 to further expand the adjustment range of the horizontal distance or the maximum width between the connectors 407 of the server.

[0058] Figure 8 Shows an example of a second hardware design with an integrated elastic layer according to one embodiment, which can expand along the horizontal direction for interconnection between the fluid connectors of the server and the fluid connectors of the rack in a parallel connection configuration.

[0059] The first plate 401 rotates to install the connector 407 of the server into a pair of positioning holes 723 with zero relative vertical distance along the horizontal plane, so as to align with the connector of the rack. The relative distance of the positioning part 727 can be adjusted to compress the elastic layer 725, thereby changing the width of the second plate 721 and correspondingly changing the relative distance of the connector 407 in the horizontal direction. In one aspect, the positioning part 727 can be triangular in shape to facilitate inserting the positioning part 727 into the rack manifold, so as to automatically adjust the relative distance in the horizontal direction between the connectors 407 of the server based on the fluid manifold configuration of the rack to align with the connectors of the rack. In one aspect, the positioning part 727 can be configured with different shapes and sizes to facilitate inserting or attaching the positioning part 727 to different rack manifolds and to facilitate the mating of the connectors between the server and the rack. In one aspect, the elastic layer 725, the positioning part 727, the two rigid sides clamping the elastic layer 725, and the positioning holes 723 are integrated into a single component of the second plate 721.

[0060] Figure 9 Shows an example of a top view of the connection between the fluid connector of the rack and the fluid connector of the server using the second hardware design according to one embodiment, the second hardware design having an integrated elastic layer that can expand along the horizontal direction to allow adjustment of the position of the connector of the server to match the connector of the rack.

[0061] The connector 907 of the server may include a server liquid inlet connector and a server liquid outlet connector, which are respectively connected to flexible hoses to distribute cooling liquid to the server and return the heated liquid from the server, as part of a liquid circuit 911 (only partially shown). The server connector 907 is guided through the connector channel 405 of the first plate 401. The second plate 721 is attached to the front of the first plate 401 between the server connectors 907, and the server connectors 907 are mounted in the positioning holes 723 of the second plate 721. In one aspect, the assembly of the first plate 401 and the second plate 721 can be mounted to the chassis of the server using a mounting frame. The elastic structures 403 at each end of the connector channel 405 of the first plate 401 apply an inward force on the server connector 907 along the axis of the connector channel 405. The elastic layer 725 of the second plate 721 applies a horizontally outward force on the server connector 907. The inward force and the counteracting outward force firmly hold the server connector 907 in the positioning hole 723. In addition, the fixing structure 409 is used to lock and hold each of the server connectors 907 perpendicular to the orientation of the connector channel 405 of the first plate 401, so as to reduce the strain on the server connector 907 when mating with the rack connector 909.

[0062] The rack manifold 901 includes a supply side manifold and a return side manifold. The supply side manifold has a rack connector 909 (which can also be referred to as a rack inlet connector) that mates with the server liquid inlet connector to supply cooling liquid to the server. The return side manifold has a rack connector 909 (which can also be referred to as a rack outlet connector) that mates with the server liquid outlet connector to return the heated liquid from the server. The supply side manifold and the return side manifold can be separated by an opening. The positioning portion 727 of the second plate 721 is inserted through the opening of the rack manifold 901 to compress the elastic layer 725, thereby changing the relative distance between the server connectors 907 in the horizontal direction so as to align with the relative distance between the rack connectors 909 in the horizontal direction. By inserting the positioning portion 727 through different sized openings of the rack manifold 901, the width of the second plate 721 can be automatically adjusted to achieve correct alignment of the server connectors 907 and the rack connectors 909. In one aspect, the positioning portion 727 can have a triangular tip to facilitate insertion of the positioning portion 727 into the opening of the rack manifold 901.

[0063] If the rack connectors 909 of the supply-side manifold and the return-side manifold are staggered, the first plate 401 can be rotated relative to the second plate 721 to align the server connector 907 and the rack connector 909 in the vertical direction. After alignment, the server connector 907 and the rack connector 909 can be mated using a blind mate connection to complete the liquid circuit 911 for the server. The assembly of the first plate 401 and the second plate 721 with the elastomeric layer 725 and the positioning portion 727 allows a server with a variable fluid distribution architecture to be integrated into a rack with different fluid manifold configurations by automatically aligning the server connector 907 with the rack connector 909, thereby improving the interoperability between the server and the rack, increasing the flexibility of data center design, and providing a reliable blind mate fluid connection.

[0064] Figure 10 An example of a second hardware design of a rack manifold 901 according to one embodiment is shown. The second hardware design includes a second plate 721 and a first plate 401. The second plate 721 has an integrated elastomeric layer 725 that can be expanded along the horizontal direction. The first plate 401 is integrated into the server 1001. Then, the two plates of the second hardware design are assembled and the rack manifold and the assembled second hardware design are integrated to connect the fluid connector of the server 1001 to the fluid connector of the rack manifold 901.

[0065] In one aspect, the first plate 401 can be mounted to the assembly frame of the server 1001 using a mounting frame attached to the first plate 401. The assembly frame can be mounted to the chassis of the server 1001. The server inlet connector 1003 and the server outlet connector 1005 of the server fluid distribution system can be routed through the connector channels of the first plate 401. In one aspect, the second plate 721 can be a component developed and provided by the rack vendor to be compatible with the vendor's racks having various fluid manifold configurations. In one aspect, the second plate 721 can be developed by the server vendor and provided as hardware assembled with the first plate 401 to be integrated with the server 1001.

[0066] The rack manifold 901 may include a supply-side manifold and a return-side manifold. The supply-side manifold has a plurality of rack inlet connectors 1007 to supply cooling liquid to the servers 1001, and the return-side manifold has a plurality of rack outlet connectors 1009 to return the heated liquid from the servers 1001. In one aspect, the rack inlet connectors 1007 may be vertically offset from the rack outlet connectors 1009 in a staggered connection configuration. The supply-side manifold and the return-side manifold may be separated by an opening through which the positioning portion 727 of the second plate 721 may be inserted to vary the width of the second plate 721, thereby aligning the server inlet connectors 1003 and the server outlet connectors 1005 with the rack inlet connectors 1007 and the rack outlet connectors 1009, respectively, for forming a blind mate connection. In this regard, the second plate 721 serves as an adapter layer between the connectors of the server 1001 and the rack manifold 901 and is used to position, fix, and align the connectors for integrating the server and the rack.

[0067] Figure 11 An example of an integrated assembly of a rack manifold 901 and a second hardware design according to one embodiment is shown. The second hardware design includes a second plate 721 having an integrated elastomeric layer 725 that is expandable along a horizontal direction.

[0068] The rack manifold 901 has a plurality of inlet connectors 1007 that are vertically offset from a plurality of rack outlet connectors 1009 in a staggered connection configuration, as Figure 10 shown. Figure 11 An example is shown of the positioning portion 727 inserted into the opening between the supply-side manifold and the return-side manifold. The width of the second plate 721 is automatically adjusted according to the width of the opening to align the rack inlet connectors 1007 and the rack outlet connectors 1009 with the positioning holes of the second plate 721, thereby facilitating the alignment of the rack inlet connectors 1007 and the rack outlet connectors 1009 with the connectors of the server.

[0069] Figure 12 An example of a perspective view of a fully integrated assembly of a rack manifold 901 and a second hardware design according to one embodiment is shown. The second hardware design includes a first plate 401 and a second plate 721 having an integrated elastomeric layer 725. The elastomeric layer 725 is expandable along a horizontal direction to mate and connect the fluid connectors of the server to the fluid connectors of the rack manifold.

[0070] The elastic layer 725 is compressed by inserting the positioning portion 727 into an opening in the rack manifold 901 to align the rack inlet connector 1007 and the rack outlet connector 1009 with the server inlet connector and the server outlet connector (both hidden from view), respectively. The inward force exerted by the elastic structure 403 of the first plate 401 and the outward force from the compressed elastic layer 725 firmly hold the server inlet connector and the server outlet connector in the positioning holes of the second plate 721, enabling blind mating connection to the connectors of the rack manifold. Figure 12 The connectors of the rack manifold in a parallel configuration are shown. If the connectors of the rack manifold are vertically staggered, the first plate 401 can be rotated. The assembly of the first plate 401 and the second plate 721 having the elastic layer 725 and the positioning portion 727 allows the server 1001 designed with a single connector to be integrated into the connectors of the rack manifold with different relative vertical and horizontal distances, thereby improving the interoperability between the server and the rack, increasing the flexibility of the data center design, and providing a reliable blind mating fluid connection.

[0071] Figure 13A An example of a top view of a fully integrated assembly of a rack manifold and a second hardware design with an integrated elastic layer is shown. The elastic layer can expand in the horizontal direction to match and connect the fluid connectors of the server to the fluid connectors of the rack manifold when the connectors are in a parallel configuration.

[0072] The assembly of the first plate 401 and the second plate 721 is mounted to the server chassis 1315 using the mounting frame 431. The server chassis 1315 houses one or more PCBs 1307 of the server, on which electronic components and a cooling module 1309 are mounted. In one aspect, the PCB 1307, the electronic components, and the cooling module 1309 can be the PCB and the processor / cold plate assembly 300 as described in Figure 3 . The cooling liquid supplied by the rack inlet connector of the rack manifold through the server inlet connector aligned by using the first plate 401 and the second plate 721 flows through the loop supply line 1301 for distribution to the module 1309. A portion of the heat generated by the electronic components is removed by the cooling liquid via the cooling module 1309. The heated liquid returns through the loop return line 1303, returns through the server outlet connector aligned by using the first plate 401 and the second plate 721, and is output to the rack outlet connector of the rack manifold.

[0073] Figure 13B An example of a top view of a fully integrated assembly of a rack manifold and a second hardware design with an integrated elastic layer is shown. The elastic layer can expand along the horizontal direction to match and connect the fluid connectors of the server to the fluid connectors of the rack manifold when the connectors are in a staggered configuration.Figure 13B is different from Figure 13A in that the connectors of the rack manifold are vertically offset and staggered. By using the same hardware design, the first board 401 can be rotated to maintain the alignment of the connectors of the server with those of the rack manifold.

[0074] Figure 13C An example of a top view of a fully integrated component of a rack manifold and a second hardware design with an integrated elastic layer is shown. The elastic layer can expand along the horizontal direction to match and connect the fluid connectors of the server to the fluid connectors of the rack manifold when the connectors are in a reverse configuration. Figure 13B is different from Figure 13A in that the positions of the rack inlet connector and the rack outlet connector are reversed. By using the same hardware design, the first board can be rotated 180 degrees to align the connectors of the server with those of the rack manifold in the correct flow direction.

[0075] Figure 14A An example of a view of a fully integrated component of a rack manifold and a second hardware design with an integrated elastic layer, as viewed from the back of the rack, is shown. The integrated elastic layer can expand along the horizontal direction to match and connect the fluid connectors of the server to the fluid connectors of the rack manifold when the connectors are in a parallel configuration corresponding to Figure 13A ... Figure 14A A rack inlet connector connected to the loop supply line 1301 of the server and a rack outlet connector connected to the loop return line 1303 of the server are shown in a parallel configuration without vertical offset.

[0076] Figure 14B An example of a view of a fully integrated component of a rack manifold and a second hardware design with an integrated elastic layer, as viewed from the back of the rack, is shown. The integrated elastic layer can expand along the horizontal direction to match and connect the fluid connectors of the server to the fluid connectors of the rack manifold when the connectors are in a staggered configuration corresponding to Figure 13B ... Figure 14B A rack inlet connector connected to the loop supply line 1301 of the server and a rack outlet connector connected to the loop return line 1303 of the server are shown in a staggered configuration with a vertical offset. The first board 401 can be rotated to maintain the alignment of the connectors of the server with those of the rack manifold.

[0077] Figure 14C An example of a view of a fully integrated component of a rack manifold and a second hardware design with an integrated elastic layer, as viewed from the back of the rack, is shown. The integrated elastic layer can expand along the horizontal direction to match and connect the fluid connectors of the server to the fluid connectors of the rack manifold when the connectors are in a parallel configuration corresponding to Figure 13CWhen in the corresponding reverse configuration, the fluid connectors of the server are matched and connected to the fluid connectors of the rack manifold. Figure 14C Shown are a rack inlet connector connected to the loop supply line 1301 of the server and a rack outlet connector connected to the loop return line 1303 of the server, which are Figure 14A opposite. The first plate 401 can be rotated 180 degrees to align the server inlet connector and the server outlet connector with the rack inlet connector and the rack outlet connector respectively, so as to achieve the correct flow directions of the loop supply line 1301 and the loop return line 1303.

[0078] As Figure 13A , Figure 13B , Figure 13C , Figure 14A , Figure 14B and Figure 14C shown in, the hardware design of the first plate 401 and the second plate 721 with an elastic layer 725 allows a server using a single connector design to be integrated into connectors of a rack manifold with different relative vertical distances, different horizontal distances, and different fluid flow directions, thereby improving the interoperability between the server and the rack, increasing the flexibility of data center design, and providing a reliable blind mating fluid connection.

[0079] Figure 15 is a flowchart showing an example of a method 1500 for aligning two fluid connectors of a server with two corresponding fluid connectors of a rack. The rack uses a second hardware design with an integrated elastic layer to accommodate the server. The integrated elastic layer can expand along the horizontal direction before connecting the two fluid connectors of the server to the two corresponding fluid connectors of the rack using a blind mating connection. In one embodiment, the method 1500 can be executed to achieve Figure 9 , Figure 12 , Figure 13A , Figure 13B , Figure 13C , Figure 14A , Figure 14B and Figure 14C 's blind mating connection.

[0080] In operation 1501, the method 1500 guides two fluid connectors of the server through the connector channels of a first component. The first component has elastic structures at each of two opposite ends of the connector channels. The pair of elastic structures is used to apply an inward force on the two fluid connectors in the connector channels towards each other and away from the opposite ends of the connector channels.

[0081] In operation 1503, method 1500 attaches a first component to a second component. The second component has a plurality of positioning holes around its perimeter, an elastic layer along the vertical direction of the second component, and a pair of positioning portions for applying an external force to compress the elastic layer so as to change the width of the second component in the horizontal direction.

[0082] In operation 1505, method 1500 rotates the first component relative to the second component about a rotation axis to install two fluid connectors of the server into two positioning holes on opposite edges of the second component by using the inward force exerted by the pair of elastic structures, thereby adjusting the relative distance in the vertical direction between the two fluid connectors of the server to match the relative distance in the vertical direction between two corresponding fluid connectors of the rack.

[0083] In operation 1507, method 1500 attaches the pair of positioning portions of the second component to the rack to compress the elastic layer, thereby automatically adjusting the relative distance in the horizontal direction between the two fluid connectors of the server to match the relative distance in the horizontal direction between two corresponding fluid connectors of the rack.

[0084] In operation 1509, method 1500 connects two fluid connectors of the server to two corresponding fluid connectors of the rack using a blind mating connection.

[0085] In the foregoing specification, embodiments of the present invention have been described with reference to specific exemplary embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, various modifications can be made thereto without departing from the broader spirit and scope of the present invention as set forth in the appended claims. For example, the first plate and the second plate may have different form factors to accommodate servers with different fluid distribution architectures and racks with different fluid manifold configurations. The design of the positioning portions of the second plate may have different shapes and sizes to facilitate inserting or attaching the positioning portions to different rack manifolds. Accordingly, the specification and drawings are to be regarded as illustrative rather than restrictive.

Claims

1. An apparatus for a server, comprising a first component and a second component, The first component includes: A connector channel configured to guide two fluid connectors through the first component at two opposite positions along the connector channel; And A pair of elastic structures, each elastic structure being located at one of two opposite ends of the connector channel, the pair of elastic structures being configured to apply an inward force towards each other on the two fluid connectors; The second component has a plurality of positioning holes located around the perimeter of the second component, When the first component and the second component are assembled to allow the two fluid connectors to be installed into two of the positioning holes on opposite edges of the second component by the inward force applied by the pair of elastic structures, the first component is capable of rotating relative to the second component about a rotation axis; The second component further includes: An elastic layer extending transversely in the vertical direction of the second component; and A pair of positioning portions, each positioning portion being located on a relative side of the elastic layer, wherein the positioning portions are configured to be applied with an external force to compress the elastic layer, thereby changing the width of the second component in the horizontal direction.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, The first component is capable of rotating about the rotation axis to change the relative distance between the two fluid connectors in the horizontal and vertical directions.

3. The device according to claim 1, wherein The two fluid connectors include an inlet fluid connector and an outlet fluid connector of a liquid cooling circuit of the server, and wherein the inlet fluid connector and the outlet fluid connector installed into the two positioning holes of the second component are aligned with corresponding inlet fluid connectors and corresponding outlet fluid connectors of a rack accommodating the server.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, When compressed, the elastic layer applies an outward force on the two fluid connectors away from each other in the horizontal direction to counteract the inward force applied by the elastic structures.

5. The device according to claim 1, wherein The external force is applied to the pair of positioning portions to change the relative distance between the two fluid connectors in the horizontal direction, and wherein the first component rotates about the rotation axis to change the relative distance between the two fluid connectors in the vertical direction.

6. The device according to claim 1, wherein The two fluid connectors include an inlet fluid connector and an outlet fluid connector of a liquid cooling circuit of the server, and wherein the pair of positioning portions are attached to a rack accommodating the server to apply the external force, thereby automatically aligning the inlet fluid connector and the outlet fluid connector with corresponding inlet fluid connectors and corresponding outlet fluid connectors of the rack.

7. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein, The first component is attached to a server chassis of the server, and wherein the first component and the second component are assembled to position the second component between the first component and the rack.

8. The device according to claim 2, wherein The first component further includes a pair of fixing structures configured to hold the two fluid connectors oriented perpendicular to the connector channel.

9. A server rack for a data center, comprising: A rack manifold having a rack liquid supply line for receiving cooling liquid from a cooling liquid source and a rack liquid return line for returning warmer liquid to the cooling liquid source; A plurality of server chassis, each server chassis including one or more cold plates associated with one or more information technology components; And A connector adapter for interconnecting one of the server chassis and the rack manifold, the connector adapter including a first component and a second component, The first component including: A connector channel configured to guide two fluid connectors of the information technology components of the server chassis through the first component at two opposite positions along the connector channel; and A pair of elastic structures, each elastic structure located at one of two opposite ends of the connector channel, the pair of elastic structures configured to apply an inward force towards each other on the two fluid connectors; The second component having a plurality of positioning holes located around the perimeter of the second component, wherein when the first component and the second component are assembled to allow the two fluid connectors to be installed into two of the positioning holes on opposite edges of the second component by the inward force applied by the pair of elastic structures, the first component is capable of rotating relative to the second component about a rotation axis; The second component further includes: An elastic layer extending transversely in the vertical direction of the second component; and A pair of positioning portions, each positioning portion located on an opposite side of the elastic layer, wherein the positioning portions are configured to be applied with an external force to compress the elastic layer, thereby changing the width of the second component in the horizontal direction.

10. The server rack according to claim 9, wherein, The first component is capable of rotating about the rotation axis to change the relative distance between the two fluid connectors in the horizontal and vertical directions.

11. The server rack according to claim 9, wherein, The two fluid connectors include an inlet fluid connector and an outlet fluid connector of a liquid cooling circuit of the information technology components of the server chassis, and wherein the inlet fluid connector and the outlet fluid connector installed into the two positioning holes of the second component are aligned with corresponding inlet fluid connectors of the rack liquid supply line of the rack manifold and corresponding outlet fluid connectors of the rack liquid return line.

12. The server rack according to claim 11, wherein, The inlet fluid connector and the outlet fluid connector of the information technology components are connected to the corresponding inlet fluid connectors and the corresponding outlet fluid connectors of the rack manifold using blind mating connections.

13. The server rack according to claim 9, wherein, The elastic layer applies an outward force away from each other in the horizontal direction on the two fluid connectors when compressed to counteract the inward force applied by the elastic structures.

14. The server rack according to claim 9, wherein, The external force is applied to the pair of positioning portions to change the relative distance between the two fluid connectors in the horizontal direction, and wherein the first component rotates about the rotation axis to change the relative distance between the two fluid connectors in the vertical direction.

15. The server rack according to claim 9, wherein, The two fluid connectors include an inlet fluid connector and an outlet fluid connector of a liquid cooling circuit of the information technology components of the server chassis, and wherein the pair of positioning portions are attached to the rack manifold to apply the external force so as to automatically align the inlet fluid connector and the outlet fluid connector of the information technology components with the corresponding inlet fluid connector of the rack liquid supply line and the corresponding outlet fluid connector of the rack liquid return line of the rack manifold.

16. The server rack according to claim 15, wherein, The first component is attached to the server chassis, and wherein the first component and the second component are assembled to position the second component between the first component and the rack manifold.

17. The server rack according to claim 9, wherein The first component further includes a pair of fixing structures configured to hold the two fluid connectors perpendicular to the connector channel orientation.

18. A method of connecting two fluid connectors of a liquid cooling circuit of a server to two corresponding fluid connectors of a rack accommodating the server, comprising: Guiding the two fluid connectors of the server through a connector channel at two opposite positions along the connector channel of a first component of the hardware, the connector channel having a pair of elastic structures, each elastic structure being located at one of two opposite ends of the connector channel to apply an inward force towards each other on the two fluid connectors; Attaching the first component to a second component of the hardware, the second component including a plurality of positioning holes located around the perimeter of the second component, traversing in a vertical direction of an elastic layer of the second component, and a pair of positioning portions for compressing the elastic layer to change the width of the second component in a horizontal direction; Rotating the first component relative to the second component about a rotation axis to install the two fluid connectors of the server into two of the positioning holes on opposite edges of the second component using the inward force applied by the pair of elastic structures, thereby adjusting the relative distance in the vertical direction between the two fluid connectors of the server to match the relative distance in the vertical direction between the two corresponding fluid connectors of the rack; Attaching the pair of positioning portions to the rack to compress the elastic layer, thereby automatically adjusting the relative distance in the horizontal direction between the two fluid connectors of the server to match the relative distance in the horizontal direction between the two corresponding fluid connectors of the rack; And Connecting the two fluid connectors of the server to the two corresponding fluid connectors of the rack using a blind mating connection.

Images