Leak mitigation systems, methods, and non-transitory machine-readable media

By designing leaks to relieve the system, the use of valve and leaks to relieve pumps to transfer the cooling agent from the cooling circuit to the collecting box, solving the problem that the cooling system is difficult to alleviate when the cooling agent leaks, and achieves the effect of effectively reducing leakage and reducing maintenance costs.

CN115494920BActive Publication Date: 2025-01-28HEWLETT PACKARD ENTERPRISE DEV LP
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Patent Information

Application Number
CN202111255043.0
Authority / Receiving Office
CN · China
Patent Type
Patents(China)
Current Assignee / Owner
Priority Date
2021-06-17
Filing Date
2021-10-27
Publication Date
2025-01-28
Estimated Expiration
2041-10-27

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

Existing cooling systems are difficult to effectively alleviate coolant leakage, resulting in equipment damage and high maintenance costs.

Method used

A leakage and alienation system is designed, including the collection box, the first valve unit, the second valve unit, and the leaky mitigation pump and controller. The cooling agent leak was detected by the controller, and the part of the cooler was transferred from the cooling circuit to the collection box through the first valve unit, the second valve unit and the leakage to the pump to reduce the leakage.

Benefits of technology

Effectively reduce or relieve the leakage of the cooling agent at the leakage position, prevent the coolant from overflowing to the surrounding environment, and reduce the damage and maintenance costs of equipment.

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Abstract

Example embodiments relate to a leakage mitigation (LM) system. The LM system may include a collection tank, a first valve unit coupled to the collection tank, a second valve unit coupled to a cooling circuit carrying a coolant, and a LM pump coupled between the first valve unit and the second valve unit. In addition, the leakage mitigation system may also include a controller operably coupled to the first valve unit, the second valve unit, and the LM pump to operate the first valve unit, the second valve unit, and the LM pump in the event that the coolant leaks from the cooling circuit to transfer at least a portion of the coolant from the cooling circuit to the collection tank via the second valve unit and the first valve unit.
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Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure generally relates to leak mitigation systems. Background Art

[0002] Electronic components (e.g., processing and memory components) included in computing devices (such as servers) may generate heat during their operation. In order to prevent damage to the electronic components, cooling systems have been used in many computing devices to maintain the electronic components at an acceptable operating temperature. Typically, such cooling systems can utilize a cooling fluid to absorb thermal energy from the electronic components that generate heat. In some cases, the cooling fluid can be a gas (such as air) and can directly contact (multiple) electronic components to transfer heat away from (multiple) electronic components. In other cases, the cooling fluid can be a liquid (such as water or oil) that can be in thermal contact with (multiple) electronic components via one or more cooling blocks or pipes. Summary of the invention

[0003] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a leakage mitigation system is provided, comprising: a collection tank; a first valve unit, the first valve unit coupled to the collection tank; a second valve unit, the second valve unit coupled to a cooling circuit carrying a coolant; a leakage mitigation pump, the leakage mitigation pump coupled between the first valve unit and the second valve unit; and a controller, the controller being operably coupled to the first valve unit, the second valve unit, and the leakage mitigation pump to operate the first valve unit, the second valve unit, and the leakage mitigation pump in the event that the coolant leaks from the cooling circuit to transfer at least a portion of the coolant from the cooling circuit to the collection tank via the second valve unit and the first valve unit.

[0004] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a leakage mitigation method is provided, including: detecting, by a controller, leakage of coolant from a cooling circuit, wherein the cooling circuit facilitates the flow of coolant to cool one or more heat-generating components in a target infrastructure; and in response to detecting the leakage, transferring, by the controller, at least a portion of the coolant from the cooling circuit to a collection tank via a first valve unit, a second valve unit, and a leakage mitigation pump, wherein the first valve unit is coupled to the collection tank, the second valve unit is coupled to the cooling circuit, and the leakage mitigation pump is coupled between the second valve unit and the first valve unit.

[0005] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a non-transitory machine-readable medium is provided, storing instructions capable of being executed by a processing resource, the instructions including: instructions for detecting a leak of coolant from a cooling circuit, wherein the cooling circuit facilitates the flow of coolant to cool one or more heat-generating components in a target infrastructure; and instructions for transferring at least a portion of the coolant from the cooling circuit to a collection tank via a first valve unit, a second valve unit, and a leakage mitigation pump in response to detecting a leak, wherein the first valve unit is coupled to the collection tank, the second valve unit is coupled to the cooling circuit, and the leakage mitigation pump is coupled between the second valve unit and the first valve unit. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0006] These and other features, aspects and advantages of the present specification will be better understood when the following detailed description is read with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

[0007] Figure 1 is a block diagram of a system including a cooling system according to an example;

[0008] Figure 2 is a block diagram of a system including a cooling system according to another example;

[0009] Figure 3 is a block diagram of a computing infrastructure according to an example;

[0010] Figure 4 is a block diagram of a controller for use in a leak mitigation system according to an example;

[0011] Figure 5 is a flow chart depicting a method for mitigating a coolant leak according to an example; and

[0012] Figure 6 is a flow chart depicting a method for mitigating a coolant leak according to another example.

[0013] It should be emphasized that in the drawings, various features are not drawn to scale. In fact, in the drawings, the sizes of various features may be arbitrarily increased or decreased for clarity of discussion. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0014] The following detailed description refers to the accompanying drawings. Where possible, the same reference numerals are used in the drawings and in the following description to refer to the same or similar parts. It should be clearly understood that the drawings are for illustration and description purposes only. Although several examples are described in this document, modifications, adaptations and other implementations are possible. Therefore, the following detailed description does not limit the disclosed examples. On the contrary, the proper scope of the disclosed examples may be defined by the appended claims.

[0015] The terms used herein are for the purpose of describing a specific example, and are not intended to be limited. As used herein, the singular "a (a)", "an (an)" and "the (the)" are intended to also include plural forms, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. As used herein, the term "another" is defined as at least the second or more. Unless otherwise indicated, the term "coupling" as used herein is defined as connection, whether it is a direct connection without any intermediate element or an indirect connection with at least one intermediate element. For example, two elements can be mechanically, electrically coupled or linked by communication channels, paths, networks or system communications. Further, as used herein, the term "and / or" refers to and encompasses any and all possible combinations of associated enumerated items. It should also be understood that, although the terms first, second, etc. can be used to describe various elements in this article, these elements should not be limited by these terms, because these terms are only used to distinguish one element from another element, unless otherwise specified or the context indicates otherwise. As used herein, the term "includes (includes)" refers to including (includes) but not limited to, and the term "including (including)" refers to including (including) but not limited to.

[0016] As electronic devices such as central processing units (CPUs), graphics processing units (GPUs), and other electronic components (e.g., memory devices) decrease in size, computing devices such as servers are able to increase the number of such electronic components used. Similarly, for certain computing applications, server racks (such as high-density server racks) have been constructed to accommodate a greater number of servers. Air cooling systems (such as computer room air conditioning units) are typically unable to provide sufficient cooling airflow through such high-density server racks. In addition, generating increased airflow via forced air methods may result in excessive energy consumption by fans and / or compressors that generate the forced air. Therefore, liquid cooling can be implemented in such environments because liquid coolants have better heat absorption characteristics.

[0017] In one embodiment, liquid cooling can be performed by using a pipe containing a liquid coolant. Such a pipe can be arranged to be in thermal contact with the electronic components to be cooled. The pipe can be arranged to be in thermal contact with a cold plate or a radiator, which in turn is thermally coupled to the electronic components. The pipe can further interconnect multiple components to form a closed cooling loop. An example closed cooling loop can include a pump for circulating the liquid coolant through one or more server racks to absorb heat generated by electronic components housed in multiple computing devices (e.g., servers), which are housed in one or more chassis or similar housings installed in the server racks. The closed cooling loop can further include a heat exchanger for transferring heat absorbed by the liquid coolant to an external cooling facility.

[0018] Although liquid cooling utilizing a closed cooling loop is effective for cooling electronic components in various server implementations, damage or destruction of the closed cooling loop may result in leakage of the liquid coolant from the closed cooling loop. In such an event, the internal pressure in the closed cooling loop may drive the liquid coolant from the closed cooling loop to the surrounding environment. Typically, leakage of the liquid coolant, if not remedied, will continue until there is no longer a pressure differential between the liquid coolant within the closed cooling loop and the outside atmosphere. In an environment that includes electrical equipment or other equipment susceptible to damage by the liquid coolant, prolonged leakage of the liquid coolant may result in damage or destruction of such equipment and incur significant costs to repair and replace the equipment.

[0019] Therefore, some embodiments have been established in the art to alleviate leakage in closed cooling loops. In an example embodiment to solve the leakage of liquid coolant from a closed cooling loop, a valve is placed at the entrance of the pipeline leading to each server rack or at each shell or chassis in each server rack. Therefore, when a leak is detected in a specific chassis or server rack, the corresponding valve that allows liquid coolant to flow into such chassis or server rack is closed, thereby preventing more liquid coolant from flowing to the leak and isolating the leak from the rest of the closed cooling loop. Although this use of valves can alleviate the leakage of liquid coolant from a closed cooling loop, this embodiment obviously has certain disadvantages. For example, valves and actuators associated with valves and actuators at the entrance of the pipeline leading to each server rack or at each shell or chassis in each server rack may occupy a large amount of physical space, thereby eliminating this space for other useful components. In addition, the number of inputs and outputs associated with valves and actuators for controlling each valve and actuator increases the complexity of this embodiment.

[0020] In another embodiment to address leakage of liquid coolant from the closed cooling loop, portions of the closed cooling loop are maintained at a pressure below atmospheric pressure (i.e., a partial vacuum) such that any leaks that occur in the portion of the closed cooling loop that is at the partial vacuum pressure will draw air into the closed cooling loop rather than exhausting liquid coolant out of the closed cooling loop. However, this embodiment may not be effective for portions of the closed cooling loop that are not maintained at a partial vacuum. In addition, the equipment added to maintain portions of the closed cooling loop at a partial vacuum adds cost and complexity to the closed cooling loop.

[0021] In yet another embodiment, a vacuum pump is used on the cooling circuit to prevent leakage and air entrainment. Although this embodiment helps reduce leakage, various problems may still be encountered. For example, the vacuum pump needs to run continuously to establish and maintain the vacuum. This continuous operation of the vacuum pump consumes more power. Moreover, the continuous operation of the vacuum pump may cause reliability issues. In addition, the cooling circuit and expansion tank provided in the cooling system that continuously operates under vacuum may lead to more complex control procedures. In addition, in order for the vacuum pump to operate effectively, a large air container may be required in the cooling system. Exposure of the coolant to the large air pocket of the container may cause chemical control problems.

[0022] According to various aspects of the present disclosure, a leakage mitigation (LM) system for a cooling system is proposed, which can overcome one or more challenges noted above. The LM system proposed herein may include a collection tank, a first valve unit coupled to the collection tank, and a second valve unit coupled to a cooling circuit carrying a coolant. Further, the LM system may include an LM pump coupled between the first valve unit and the second valve unit. In addition, the LM system may include a controller, the controller being operably coupled to the first valve unit, the second valve unit, and the LM pump to operate the first valve unit, the second valve unit, and the LM pump in the event that the coolant leaks from the cooling circuit, so as to transfer at least a portion of the coolant from the cooling circuit to the collection tank via the second valve unit and the first valve unit. Transferring some coolant from the cooling circuit can reduce the pressure of the remaining coolant in the cooling circuit to slightly below atmospheric pressure, which prevents additional liquid from leaving the cooling circuit via the leak.

[0023] Further, the cooling circuit may include a coolant circulation pump to circulate the coolant through the cooling circuit. In addition, in some examples, the cooling system may also include an expansion tank, which is coupled to the cooling circuit via a second valve unit to maintain the coolant at a predetermined pressure within the cooling circuit when there is no coolant leakage from the cooling circuit. In some examples, in response to detecting a leak, the controller may also suspend the operation of the coolant circulation pump (i.e., shut down). In addition, in some cases, when a coolant leak is detected, the controller may also isolate the expansion tank from the cooling circuit. These additional actions of shutting down the coolant circulation pump and isolating the expansion tank can reduce any positive pressure on the coolant in the cooling circuit, thereby further enhancing the effectiveness of leak mitigation through the currently contemplated examples.

[0024] Using an LM pump to transfer at least a portion of the coolant from the cooling circuit to a collection tank can reduce or mitigate the leakage of coolant at the leak location. This is achieved because the suction generated by the LM pump causes the coolant to be transferred from the cooling circuit. In addition, in the currently envisioned example, shutting down the coolant circulation pump and isolating the expansion tank can further enhance the effectiveness of leak mitigation. In particular, in the proposed example, the LM pump can be temporarily operated in the event of a leak to draw coolant from the cooling circuit and transfer it to the collection tank. This is in contrast to the known method that may require continuous pumping to continuously maintain the cooling circuit in a partial vacuum. In the case of the present invention, since the cooling circuit does not need to be maintained in a partial vacuum, a much simpler cooling circuit can be designed compared to the known method of requiring a cooling circuit to be under a constant partial vacuum. Therefore, according to the various aspects described herein, the LM system can help to efficiently mitigate the leakage of coolant.

[0025] Referring now to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 , a block diagram of a system 100 including a target infrastructure 102 and a cooling system 104 is depicted according to an example of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, the cooling system 104 may be a liquid cooling system and is used to cool heat generating components (not shown) in the target infrastructure 102.

[0026] The target infrastructure 102 may include one or more devices, such as computing devices such as servers and / or electronic storage devices. Figure 1 Not shown, see Figure 2). Computing devices such as server blades can be disposed in one or more server chassis (not shown) that can be mounted on a server rack (not shown). For example, the server chassis can be mounted on the server rack in a stacked arrangement, wherein multiple server chassis can be stacked on top of each other. The server rack can be included in a data center (not shown). Other examples of computing devices can also include network devices, such as but not limited to routers, switches, wireless communication devices / access points, wireless range extenders, repeaters, protocol converters, firewall devices, network gateways, network address translators, multiplexers, network interface controllers, wireless network interface controllers, ISDN terminal adapters, and other related hardware. The computing devices in the target infrastructure 102 may include heat generating components. As used herein, the term "heat generating component" can refer to an electronic component that generates heat during its operation. Non-limiting examples of heat-generating components may include IC chips (e.g., ASIC chips, FPGA chips, processor chips, memory chips, or any other type of IC chip), CPUs, GPUs, and memory devices such as dual in-line memory modules (DIMMs), power chips or modules, electronic devices such as capacitors, inductors, resistors, or optical converters such as active optical cables (AOCs) or vertical cavity surface emitting lasers (VCSELs).

[0027] In some examples, the cooling system 104 can be used to cool the heat generating components of the computing devices in the target infrastructure 102. The cooling system 104 can include a cooling loop 106, a heat exchange unit 119, and a leakage mitigation (LM) system 120. Liquid coolant can circulate within the cooling loop 106 to absorb heat from the heat generating components in the target infrastructure 102. The cooling loop 106 can include a supply line 108, a return line 110, a cooling section 112, and a coolant circulation pump 114. The coolant circulation pump 114 and the heat exchange unit 119 can be arranged along the cooling loop 106. Further, reference numerals 116 and 118 represent the inlet and outlet of the coolant circulation pump 114, respectively. The inlet 116 and the outlet 118 are hereinafter referred to as the pump inlet 116 and the pump outlet 118.

[0028] The cooling section 112 of the cooling loop 106 can be arranged to be in thermal contact with the computing device in the target infrastructure 102 to promote the flow of a liquid coolant (hereinafter referred to as a coolant) to cool one or more heat generating components of the computing device. Further, the term "arranged to be in thermal contact" can refer to positioning two components to be in direct or indirect contact with each other so that heat can flow from one component to another. In some examples, the coolant may include water. In some examples, the coolant may include a mixture of water and a chemical treatment additive (such as a corrosion inhibitor). In certain other embodiments, the coolant may be a mixture of water and ethylene glycol to prevent the coolant from freezing. The coolant may also be a mixture of water, ethylene glycol and a corrosion inhibitor. For example, the coolant may be a propylene glycol water (PGW) mixture, such as PGW 25%. In some examples, the cooling section 112 may include one or more tubes that may be arranged to be in thermal contact with a cold plate or a radiator, which in turn is thermally coupled to the heat generating components of the computing device in the target infrastructure 102. In one or more embodiments, an integrated heat sink (not shown) can transfer heat from electronic components mounted to the printed circuit board to a corresponding cold plate or heat sink, from which the heat can be transferred to the coolant contained in the cooling section 112. In some embodiments, the target infrastructure 102 can include one or more racks or enclosures housing computing devices, and at least a portion of the cooling section 112 can be disposed in each rack of the target infrastructure 102. It can be noted that the present disclosure is not limited to any particular arrangement of tubes of the cooling section 112 in the target infrastructure 102 and the type of coolant that can be used.

[0029] The coolant circulation pump 114 can promote the circulation of the coolant in the cooling circuit 106. The coolant circulation pump 114 can be operated by a driver (not shown). The driver can include a fixed speed motor or a variable speed motor. In some embodiments, the driver can be a variable speed drive (VSD). The coolant circulation pump 114 can extract coolant from the pump inlet 116 at an inlet pressure and can discharge coolant from the pump outlet 118 at an outlet pressure greater than the inlet pressure. For example, the inlet pressure can be about 14.7psi (1atm or 102.3kPa) and the outlet pressure can be about 40psi (2.72atm or 275.8kPa). Therefore, during the standard operation of the cooling system 104, the pressure in the cooling circuit 106 can be the maximum at the pump outlet 118, and the pressure in the cooling circuit 106 can be the minimum at the pump inlet 116. In one or more embodiments, a filter (not shown) can be fluidly coupled to the pump outlet 118 to remove particles from the coolant discharged from the pump outlet 118.

[0030] The pump outlet 118 can be fluidly coupled to a supply line 108, which supplies coolant to a cooling section 112 disposed in the target infrastructure 102. The term "fluidly coupled" or "fluid coupling" can be referred to as a coupling through which a fluid can pass. Further, the return line 110 can fluidly couple the cooling section 112 with the pump inlet 116 directly or via an additional element (e.g., a heat exchange unit 119 described later). During operation, coolant can be supplied from the pump outlet 118 to the cooling section 112 via the supply line 108. When the coolant flows through the cooling section 112, the coolant can absorb heat from the corresponding computing device disposed in the target infrastructure 102. The heated coolant can then be supplied to the return line 110, from which the coolant flows to the pump inlet 116 via the heat exchange unit 119. The heat exchange unit 119 (in Figure 1 The heat exchange unit 119 may include a liquid-to-air heat exchanger that may transfer heat from the coolant to a gas, such as air. In certain other examples, the heat exchange unit 119 may include a liquid-to-liquid heat exchanger that may transfer heat from the coolant to a liquid coolant that is similar or different from the coolant circulating within the cooling circuit 106.

[0031] It is obvious that any damage or destruction to the cooling circuit in a conventional system may result in a coolant leak. However, according to various examples described herein, the cooling system 104 includes a LM system 120 to prevent coolant from overflowing from the cooling circuit 106. The LM system 120 may include a first valve unit 122, a second valve unit 124, a collection tank 126, an LM pump 128, and a controller 130. The collection tank 126 may represent a housing or container (open or closed) of any design or shape. Further, the first valve unit 122 and / or the second valve unit 124 may include an arrangement of one or more valves capable of controlling the flow of fluid therethrough. In some examples, the first valve unit 122 and / or the second valve unit 124 may be electronically controlled. The first valve unit 122 may be coupled to the collection tank 126. Further, the second valve unit 124 may be coupled to the cooling circuit 106. The LM pump 128 may be coupled between the first valve unit 122 and the second valve unit 124. As Figure 1 The depicted coupling between the first valve unit 122, the second valve unit 124, the collection tank 126, and the LM pump 128 may be accomplished via conduits capable of allowing fluid to pass therethrough.

[0032] The controller 130 may be operably coupled to one or more components of the cooling system 104, for example, the coolant circulation pump 114, the first valve unit 122, the second valve unit 124, and the LM pump 128. In some examples, the controller 130 may be operably coupled to control terminals of the first valve unit 122 and the second valve unit 124. Further, in some examples, the controller 130 may be operably coupled to the coolant circulation pump 114 and the LM pump 128 via corresponding electronic switches, by which the power supply to the coolant circulation pump 114 and the LM pump 128 may be controlled. The term "operably coupled" may refer to a connection between the controller 130 and a component of the cooling system 104, which the controller 130 may use to send control signals to the component of the cooling system 104 or receive status / data information from the component of the cooling system 104. The controller 130 may be operably coupled to the coolant circulation pump 114 and the LM pump 128 via corresponding electronic switches, by which the power supply to the coolant circulation pump 114 and the LM pump 128 may be controlled. Figure 1 The wired connection shown or via a wireless connection (not shown) is operably coupled to the coolant circulation pump 114 and the first valve unit 122. In some embodiments, the wireless connection can be achieved via a network or a personal communication link (e.g., a communication link enabled by Bluetooth, infrared and / or radio communication technology). The network can be a private network or a public network, such as the Internet, an intranet and / or a cellular communication network.

[0033] The controller 130 may be implemented using hardware devices, such as a microcontroller, a microprocessor, (multiple) central processing unit cores, an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), etc., to implement the various functions described herein. The controller 130 may also include any combination of such hardware devices and programs (e.g., instructions stored in a machine-readable medium) to implement the various functions described herein. The machine-readable medium may be a non-transitory storage medium, examples of which may include, but are not limited to, a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), a flash memory, a hard drive, etc. The controller 130 may execute instructions (i.e., programs or software codes) stored on a machine-readable medium. Additionally or alternatively, the controller 130 may include electronic circuits for performing the various functions described herein.

[0034] During operation of the cooling system 104, the controller 130 may detect a leak of coolant from the cooling circuit 106 based on parameters including, but not limited to, pressure, flow rate, temperature, and / or conductivity of the coolant in the cooling circuit 106. The controller 130 may detect a leak of coolant from the cooling circuit 106 via one or more sensors / transducers ( Figure 1 Not shown, see Figure 2) to monitor such parameters and determine the presence of a coolant leak based on measurements of one or more of the pressure, flow rate, temperature, and / or conductivity of the coolant in the cooling circuit 106. It may be noted that the present disclosure is not limited to techniques or methods for detecting leaks. Any suitable type of technique or method may be implemented to detect coolant leaks.

[0035] Further, in response to detecting a leak, the controller 130 may operate the first valve unit 122, the second valve unit 124, and the LM pump 128 to establish a fluid coupling between the collection tank 126 and the cooling circuit 106. The suction force generated by the LM pump 128 may cause at least a portion of the coolant to be transferred from the cooling circuit 106 to the collection tank 126. This transfer of coolant from the cooling circuit 106 to the collection tank 126 may reduce or eliminate the outflow of coolant from the cooling circuit 106 at the leak location. Further, in some examples, in response to detecting a leak, the controller 130 may also suspend the operation of the coolant circulation pump 114 by disabling power to the coolant circulation pump 114. The shutoff of the coolant circulation pump 114 may reduce any positive pressure on the coolant in the cooling circuit 106, thereby further enhancing the effectiveness of the leak mitigation through the currently contemplated examples.

[0036] Reference now Figure 2 , according to another example of the present disclosure, a block diagram of a system 200 including a target infrastructure 202 and a cooling system 204 is depicted. Figure 2 The system 200 may represent Figure 1 An example of a system 100 of Figure 1 For blocks or components similar to those already described in , descriptions of these blocks or components will not be repeated here.

[0037] like Figure 2 As shown, system 200 includes a target infrastructure 202 and a cooling system 204 in thermal contact with the target infrastructure 202 to cool a computing device 205 . Figure 2 The target infrastructure 202 depicted in FIG. 2 may be Figure 1102. In some examples, the target infrastructure 202 may include one or more devices, such as computing devices 205 such as servers and / or electronic storage devices. Other examples of computing devices may also include network devices, such as but not limited to routers, switches, wireless communication devices / access points, wireless range extenders, repeaters, protocol converters, firewall devices, network gateways, network address translators, multiplexers, network interface controllers, wireless network interface controllers, ISDN terminal adapters, and other related hardware. The computing devices 205 may be arranged in one or more racks. The computing devices 205 in the target infrastructure 202 may include heat generating components. The cooling system 204 may be used to cool the heat generated by one or more computing devices 205.

[0038] The cooling system 204 may be Figure 1 The cooling system 204 may also include a cooling circuit 106, which includes a cooling circuit such as Figure 1 The supply line 108, cooling section 112, return line 110, and coolant circulation pump 114 are similarly connected as depicted. Further, the cooling system 204 may include a heat exchange unit 206 (at Figure 2 denoted as "HEx unit"), expansion tank 208 and coolant tank 210. Further, Figure 2 The cooling system 204 may also include a representative Figure 1 The LM system 220 is an example of an LM system 120. The LM system 220 may include a first valve unit 222, a second valve unit 224, and an LM pump 128, which respectively represent examples of the first valve unit 122, the second valve unit 124, and the LM pump 128. Further, the LM system 220 may also include a controller 130, which is operably coupled to the first valve unit 222, the second valve unit 224, and the LM pump 128 to control the operation thereof.

[0039] exist Figure 2In the example implementation of the cooling system 204 depicted in FIG, the cooling section 112 may include a plurality of cooling networks 203, each cooling network including one or more tubes 207. The cooling network 203 may be arranged in thermal contact with the computing devices 205 in the target infrastructure 202 to facilitate the flow of coolant to cool the one or more computing devices 205, particularly the heat generating components. In one or more implementations, an integrated heat sink (not shown) may transfer heat from the electronic components mounted to the printed circuit board to a corresponding cold plate or heat sink, from which the heat may be transferred to the coolant contained in the tubes 207. In some implementations, the cooling network 203 may be arranged in each rack of the target infrastructure 202. It may be noted that the present disclosure is not limited to any particular arrangement of the tubes 207 in the cooling network 203 and the arrangement of the cooling network 203 in the target infrastructure 202.

[0040] The heat exchange unit 206 may represent Figure 1 The heat exchange unit 119 is an example of a heat exchange unit 119 and is arranged along the cooling circuit 106. The heat exchange unit 206 may include a heat exchanger 214. Figure 2 As depicted, the heat exchanger 214 can be disposed along the cooling loop 106 at a location downstream of the target infrastructure 202 and upstream of the coolant circulation pump 114. In other words, the heat exchanger 214 can be disposed along the return line 110. In one example, the heat exchanger 214 can be disposed in thermal contact with the return line 110. Alternatively, in another example, the heat exchanger 214 can be fluidly coupled along the return line 110, thereby allowing heated coolant to pass through. The heat exchanger 214 can help remove thermal energy (i.e., heat) from the coolant flowing in the cooling loop 106. In one example, the heat exchanger 214 can be a liquid-to-air heat exchanger that can transfer heat from the coolant to a gas, such as air. The heat exchange unit 206 can further include a cooling device 216, which can be disposed in fluid communication (i.e., fluid coupling) with the heat exchanger 214. The cooling device 216 supplies cooling fluid to the heat exchanger 214. The cooling fluid can absorb heat from the coolant flowing through the heat exchanger 214. If the heat exchanger 214 is a liquid-to-air heat exchanger, the cooling fluid can be air. In some other examples, the heat exchanger 214 can be a liquid-to-liquid heat exchanger, such as but not limited to a brazed plate heat exchanger or an open frame heat exchanger. In this embodiment, the cooling fluid can be a liquid, such as water.

[0041] The expansion tank 208 may include a diaphragm 219 that may define a chamber 218 and is disposed in the chamber 218. For example, the diaphragm 219 may be formed of a flexible material such as rubber. The diaphragm 219 divides the chamber 218 into an air-filled portion 223 and a liquid-filled portion 221. In one or more embodiments, when the expansion tank 208 is fluidly coupled to the cooling circuit 106, the air-filled portion 223 may be filled with a gas (such as air) at an initial pressure in the air-filled portion 223 that is equal to a predetermined pressure (e.g., approximately equal to or higher than atmospheric pressure). During normal operation of the cooling system 204 (i.e., when the LM system 220 does not detect a coolant leak), the expansion tank 208 may maintain the inlet pressure of the coolant circulation pump 114 at a predetermined pressure. Maintaining the inlet pressure at a predetermined pressure may be beneficial in preventing cavitation of the coolant circulation pump 114 and the resulting damage to internal components (e.g., impeller blades) of the coolant circulation pump 114. The phrase "maintaining the inlet pressure at (or close to) a predetermined pressure" should be understood to mean that the expansion tank 208 tends to offset or absorb pressure variations at the pump inlet 116, rather than that the expansion tank 208 must perfectly maintain the inlet pressure at a fixed pressure. In other words, despite the presence of the expansion tank 208, there may still be conditions that cause the inlet pressure to move away from the predetermined pressure, but the presence of the expansion tank 208 reduces the magnitude of the variation in the inlet pressure.

[0042] Further, in some examples, in conjunction with the expansion tank 208, the cooling system 204 may include a coolant tank 210. The coolant tank 210 may be coupled to the cooling circuit 106 via the LM system 220 to maintain a predetermined amount of coolant and / or maintain the pressure of the coolant at a predetermined pressure within the cooling circuit 106 when there is no coolant leakage from the cooling circuit 106. The coolant tank 210 may be a tank or reservoir containing a supply of coolant. Additional details regarding the expansion tank 208 and the connection of the coolant tank 210 to the cooling circuit 106 will be described in more detail in the following description.

[0043] In addition, in some examples, the cooling system 204 may include a pressure transducer 232 to measure the pressure at the pump inlet 116 of the coolant circulation pump 114 (also referred to as the inlet pressure). Further, in some examples, the cooling system 204 may include a plurality of sensors 234A, 234B, 234C, 234D, 234E, and 234F (also collectively referred to as sensors 234A-234F) positioned at a plurality of locations within the cooling circuit 106 to detect the pressure, flow rate, temperature, and level of the coolant at the respective locations of the sensors 234A-234F. For example, the cooling system 104 may include one or more sensors 234A-234F in or at the pump inlet 116, the pump outlet 118, the coolant tank 210, the supply line 108, and the return line 110. In some examples, the detected pressure, flow rate, temperature, and conductivity of the coolant may indicate a coolant leak from the cooling circuit 106. It may be noted that while cooling system 204 is illustrated as including six sensors 234A- 234F, fewer than six or more than six sensors may be used within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0044] In some examples, the LM system 220 can reduce or eliminate coolant overflow at a location where the coolant leaks on the cooling circuit 106 by controlling the operation of the first valve unit 222, the second valve unit 224, the LM pump 128, and / or the coolant circulation pump 114. In some examples, the first valve unit 222 may include a first three-way valve 238 coupled between the collection tank 126 and the cooling circuit 106. The first three-way valve 238 may include three fluid ports 240, 242, and 244 coupled to the collection tank 126, the LM pump 128, and the cooling circuit 106, respectively. Further, the second valve unit 224 may include a second three-way valve 246 and a third three-way valve 248, each including three fluid ports. The first three-way valve 238, the second valve unit 224, and the third three-way valve 248 are also referred to as three-way valves 238, 246, and 248. The second three-way valve 246 may include three fluid ports 250, 252, and 254; and the third three-way valve 248 may include three fluid ports 256, 258, and 260. The second three-way valve 246 may be coupled to the expansion tank 208 and the cooling circuit 106. In particular, the fluid ports 250, 252, and 254 of the second three-way valve 246 are coupled to the fluid port 260 of the third three-way valve 248, the cooling circuit 106, and the expansion tank 208, respectively. Further, the third three-way valve 248 may be coupled to the coolant tank 210, the second three-way valve 246, and the LM pump 128. In particular, the fluid ports 256, 258, and 260 of the third three-way valve 248 are coupled to the coolant tank 210, the LM pump, and the fluid port 250 of the second three-way valve 246, respectively. The LM pump 128 may be coupled between the third three-way valve 248 and the first three-way valve 238. In particular, the LM pump 128 may be coupled between the fluid port 258 of the third three-way valve 248 and the fluid port 242 of the first three-way valve 238 .

[0045] Depending on the control signal received from the controller 130, the three-way valve 238, 246 or 248 can establish a fluid coupling between two of the corresponding three fluid ports. In some examples, each of the three-way valves 238, 246 or 248 can operate in one of two states (a first state and a second state). When operating in the first state, the first three-way valve 238 can establish a fluid coupling between the fluid ports 242 and 244. Further, when operating in the second state, the first three-way valve 238 can establish a fluid coupling between the fluid ports 240 and 242. When operating in the first state, the second three-way valve 246 can establish a fluid coupling between the fluid ports 252 and 254. Further, when operating in the second state, the second three-way valve 246 can establish a fluid coupling between the fluid ports 252 and 250. When operating in the first state, the third three-way valve 248 can establish a fluid coupling between the fluid ports 256 and 258. Further, when operated in the second state, the third three-way valve 248 may establish a fluid coupling between the fluid ports 258 and 260 .

[0046] In some examples, the controller 130 may poll the pressure transducer 232 and / or the sensors 234A-234F to receive corresponding sensed parameters. For example, the pressure transducer 232 may sense the instantaneous pressure at the pump inlet 116. Similarly, the sensors 234A-234F may sense parameters such as, but not limited to, the pressure, flow rate, temperature, and / or conductivity of the coolant in the cooling circuit 106 at the corresponding location. These sensed parameters may indicate that the coolant is leaking from the cooling circuit 106. The controller 130 may then determine the presence of a coolant leak based on one or more of the pressure, flow rate, temperature, and / or conductivity of the coolant in the cooling circuit 106. In particular, the controller 130 may compare the measured values ​​of these parameters with corresponding normal values ​​and / or corresponding normal ranges. If the measured values ​​of one or more of these parameters deviate from the corresponding normal values ​​and / or corresponding normal ranges, the controller 130 may determine that there is a leak in the cooling circuit 106. The leak may occur at any location, for example, along one or more of the supply line 108, the cooling section 112, the return line 110, or any joint (fluid coupling, not shown) in the cooling circuit 106. It can be noted that the present disclosure is not limited to techniques / methods for detecting leaks. Any suitable type of technique / method can be implemented to detect leaks of the coolant. The operation of the cooling system 204 in the absence of a coolant leak can be referred to as normal operation of the cooling system 204.

[0047] During normal operation of the cooling system 204, the controller 130 may constantly operate the coolant circulation pump 114 to enable coolant to flow within the cooling circuit 106. Further, in some examples, during normal operation of the cooling system 204, the controller 130 may operate the second valve unit 224 so that the expansion tank 208 is fluidly coupled to the cooling circuit 106. In particular, the controller 130 may operate the second three-way valve 246 in a first state so that a fluid coupling is established between the fluid ports 252 and 254 of the second three-way valve 246. When the expansion tank 208 is fluidly coupled to the cooling circuit 106, the liquid-filled portion 221 of the expansion tank 208 is fluidly coupled to the cooling circuit 106 and is thus filled with coolant from the cooling circuit 106 at a pressure equal to the inlet pressure of the coolant circulation pump 114. Therefore, the gas in the gas-filled portion 223 may be compressed or decompressed based on the pressure of the coolant in the liquid-filled portion 221. Therefore, the expansion tank 208 can absorb the pressure changes at the pump inlet 116 and thus can maintain the inlet pressure at (or close to) a predetermined pressure. In some examples, the predetermined pressure can be about 14.7 psi (102.3 kPa). At such a pressure, pump cavitation can be prevented at the pump inlet 116.

[0048] Typically, during normal operation of the cooling system 204, the three-way valves 238, 246, and 248 are operated in the first state, and the LM pump 128 can be turned off. However, if it is determined that the inlet pressure (as measured using the pressure transducer 232) is less than the cut-off pressure, the controller 130 can enable additional coolant to be supplied to the cooling circuit 106 from the coolant tank 210. In some examples, the cut-off pressure can represent a pressure indicating a coolant leak. At any time, in some examples, if the controller 130 determines that the pressure of the coolant within the cooling circuit 106 has dropped below the cut-off pressure, the controller 130 can determine that coolant has leaked from the cooling circuit 106.

[0049] In some examples, in response to the measured inlet pressure being less than the predetermined pressure but higher than the cut-off pressure, the controller 130 may activate the LM pump 128 to establish a fluid coupling between the outlet of the LM pump 128 and the cooling circuit 106 via the first valve unit 222 and the second valve unit 224. In particular, the controller 130 may turn on the LM pump 128 and the three-way valves 238, 246, and 248 operate in the first state. Thus, the LM pump 128 may draw coolant from the coolant tank 210 via the third three-way valve 248, and supply the drawn coolant to the cooling circuit 106 via the first three-way valve 238 until the measured pressure reaches the predetermined pressure. Once the measured inlet pressure is substantially equal to the predetermined pressure, the LM pump 128 may be turned off (e.g., powered off). Thus, the inlet pressure may be maintained at the predetermined pressure.

[0050] If a coolant leak is detected, the controller 130 may operate the first valve unit 222, the second valve unit 224, and the LM pump 128 to transfer at least a portion of the coolant from the cooling circuit 106 to the collection tank 126 via the second valve unit 224 and the first valve unit 222. In particular, in order to transfer at least a portion of the coolant from the cooling circuit 106 to the collection tank 126, the controller 130 may send a control signal to the three-way valves 238, 246, and 248 to operate the three-way valves 238, 246, and 248 in a second state so that a fluid coupling is established between the cooling circuit 106 and the collection tank 126. Also, in the event of a coolant leak, the controller 130 may turn on the LM pump 128 so that some coolant may be transferred from the cooling circuit 106 to the collection tank 126. In particular, the LM pump 128 may generate suction when turned on, and the suction draws coolant from the cooling circuit 106 via the three-way valves 246 and 248. The LM pump 128 may then supply the extracted coolant to the collection tank 126. Transferring some coolant from the cooling circuit 106 to the collection tank 126 may reduce the pressure of the remaining coolant within the cooling circuit 106 to slightly below atmospheric pressure, which prevents additional liquid from leaving the cooling circuit 106.

[0051] Further, in some examples, in the event of a leak, the controller 130 may suspend the operation of the coolant circulation pump 114 by cutting off the power supply to the coolant circulation pump 114 to stop the circulation of the coolant through the cooling circuit 106. Additionally, in some examples, in the event of a leak, the controller 130 may isolate the expansion tank 208 from the cooling circuit 106. In particular, when the second three-way valve 246 is operated in the second state, the fluid coupling between the expansion tank 208 and the cooling circuit 106 may be interrupted, and the expansion tank 208 is considered to be isolated from the cooling circuit 106. Additionally, when the third three-way valve 248 is operated in the second state, the coolant tank 210 may no longer be fluidly coupled to the cooling circuit 106. Since the coolant tank 210 is isolated from the cooling circuit 106, no additional coolant is supplied to the cooling circuit 106 in the event of a leak. Advantageously, shutting down the coolant circulation pump 114 and isolating the expansion tank 208 and the coolant tank 210 from the cooling circuit 106 may reduce the pressure in the cooling circuit 106 , thereby preventing coolant from escaping from the cooling circuit 106 to the surrounding environment at the leak location.

[0052] Reference now Figure 3 , according to one example of the present disclosure, a block diagram of a target infrastructure 300 is presented. Figure 3 The target infrastructure 300 may represent Figure 1 and Figure 2300. In particular, in target infrastructure 300, computing devices 205 are shown as being arranged into a plurality of racks 302, 304, 306, and 308. Figure 3 Only four racks are shown in the target infrastructure 300 depicted in FIG. 1 , and it is also contemplated that more or fewer racks than those depicted may be used. Further, for ease of illustration, Figure 3 The cooling network of the cooling circuit 106 is not shown. Figure 3 In order to reduce the complexity of the illustration in FIG, these racks 302-308 are simply marked with dashed boxes. The racks 302-308 can be arranged in rows of, for example, about 10-30 units, with access doors (not shown) on each side of the racks 302-308. In addition, access passages (not shown) are provided on both sides of the row so that an operator can access the access doors on each side. In some examples, the racks 302-308 can include slides (not shown) on which the computing devices 205 can be mounted via mounting fixtures.

[0053] Multiple computing devices (such as computing devices 205) can be supported in a single stack in each rack 302-308. Racks 302-308 can include a rack assembly having a front door and a rear door. Each of the computing devices 205 can include a chassis (not shown) having a motherboard and other components contained within the chassis, such as one or more power supplies, hard drives, processors, expansion cards. In some embodiments, the front door of the rack assembly provides access to the front side of the computing device 205 and the rear door provides access to the rear side, where I / O ports for the computing device are typically provided.

[0054] Additionally, in some embodiments, the target infrastructure 300 may include distributed boxes that may collectively replace a common box such as the collection box 126. For example, in Figure 3 In the embodiment of the present invention, the distributed box may include a plurality of boxes 310, 312, 314, 316 disposed in the racks 302-308. The collection boxes 310-316 may represent the collection box 126. Figure 3 As shown, a collection box such as a collection box 310-316 can be provided in each rack 302-308. The size of the collection box 310-316 can be designed so that the collection box 310-316 can prevent the coolant from overflowing in the corresponding rack. It should be understood that the fluid coupling of the collection box 310-316 with the cooling circuit 106 can be controlled using corresponding valves (not shown) under the control of the controller 130.

[0055] Now turn to Figure 4, a block diagram 400 of a controller 130 is presented according to an example. In some examples, the controller 130 may include a processing resource 402 and a machine-readable medium 404. The machine-readable medium 404 may be any electronic, magnetic, optical, or other physical storage device that can store data and / or executable instructions 406 and 408. For example, the machine-readable medium 404 may include one or more of a RAM, an EEPROM, a storage drive, a flash memory, a compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), etc. The machine-readable storage medium 404 may be a non-transitory machine-readable medium. As described in detail herein, the machine-readable medium 404 may be encoded with executable instructions 406, 408 to perform Figure 5 to Figure 6 The operations at one or more blocks of the method described in.

[0056] Further, the processing resource 402 may be a physical device, such as one or more central processing units (CPUs), one or more semiconductor-based microprocessors, microcontrollers, one or more graphics processing units (GPUs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), other hardware devices capable of fetching and executing instructions 406, 408 stored in the machine-readable medium 404, or a combination thereof. The processing resource 402 may fetch, decode, and execute the instructions 406, 408 stored in the machine-readable medium 404 to reduce the overflow of coolant in the event of a leak. As an alternative or in addition to executing the instructions 406, 408, the processing resource 402 may include at least one integrated circuit (IC), control logic, electronic circuitry, or a combination thereof including a plurality of electronic components for performing the functions intended to be performed by the controller 130.

[0057] In some examples, instructions 406, when executed by processing resource 402, may cause processing resource 402 to detect a leak of coolant from a cooling circuit (e.g., cooling circuit 106). Cooling circuit 106 facilitates the flow of coolant to cool one or more heat generating components in a target infrastructure (e.g., target infrastructure 102 or 202). Further, in some examples, instructions 408, when executed by processing resource 402, may cause processing resource 402 to transfer at least a portion of the coolant from cooling circuit 106 to collection tank 126 via a first valve unit (e.g., first valve unit 122, 222), a second valve unit (e.g., second valve unit 124, 224), and a LM pump (e.g., LM pump 128). Although Figure 4 4. In some examples, the machine-readable medium 404 may include a computer program product for executing the Figure 6 The method may be described as one or more instructions for performing operations.

[0058] In the following description, we will use Figure 5 and Figure 6The flowchart depicted in FIG. 1 is used to describe several operations performed by the controller 130. For illustrative purposes, Figure 5 and Figure 6 The flowchart depicted in Figure 1 to Figure 2 The cooling systems 104 and 204 depicted in the description are, however, Figure 5 and Figure 6 The methods should not be construed as limited to the example configurations of systems 104 and 204 . Figure 5 and Figure 6 The method described in includes multiple blocks, and the operations at the blocks can be performed by a processor-based system (e.g., controller 130). In particular, the operations at each of the multiple blocks can be performed by a processing resource (such as processing resource 402) by executing one or more of instructions 406, 408 stored in a machine-readable medium 404. In particular, Figure 5 and Figure 6 The method described in the may represent an example logic flow of some of the several operations performed by the controller 130. However, in some other examples, Figure 5 and Figure 6 The execution order of the blocks depicted in the embodiment may be different from the order shown. For example, the operations of each block may be executed in series, in parallel, or in a combination of series and parallel.

[0059] Reference now Figure 5 , a flow chart of a method 500 for mitigating a coolant leak is presented according to an example. In one example, the method 500 may include blocks 502 and 504 performed by the controller 130. In some examples, the operations at blocks 502 and 504 may be performed by the processing resource 402 by executing one or more of the instructions 406, 408 stored in the machine-readable medium 404. Some details of the operations performed at blocks 502, 504 have been incorporated into Figure 1 to Figure 2 has been described and will not be repeated here for the sake of brevity.

[0060] At block 502, the controller 130 may detect a leak of coolant from a cooling circuit 106 that facilitates the flow of coolant to cool one or more heat generating components in a target infrastructure (e.g., the target infrastructure 102, 202). As previously described, various parameters of the coolant in the cooling circuit 106 (e.g., pressure, flow rate, temperature, and / or conductivity) may indicate a leak of coolant from the cooling circuit 106. Thus, in some embodiments, the controller 130 may detect a leak of coolant from the cooling circuit 106 via one or more sensors / transducers (see Figures 2 to 3) to monitor such parameters. The controller 130 can then determine the presence of a coolant leak by comparing the measured values ​​of these parameters with the corresponding normal values ​​and / or the corresponding normal ranges. If the measured values ​​of one or more of these parameters deviate from the corresponding normal values ​​and / or the corresponding normal ranges, the controller 130 can determine that there is a leak in the cooling circuit 106. The leak may occur at any location, for example, the supply line 108, the cooling section 112, the return line 110, or any joint (fluid coupler, not shown) in the cooling circuit 106. It can be noted that the present disclosure is not limited to techniques or methods for detecting leaks. Any suitable type of technique or method can be implemented to detect leaks of the coolant.

[0061] Further, at block 504, the controller 130 may transfer at least a portion of the coolant from the cooling circuit 106 to the collection tank 126 via the first valve unit (e.g., the first valve unit 122, 222), the second valve unit (e.g., the second valve unit 124, 224), and the LM pump (e.g., the LM pump 128). Figure 6 The method of FIG. 1 describes additional details regarding the operation of the first valve unit, the second valve unit, and the LM pump for achieving the transfer of the coolant, as well as certain other additional operations performed by the controller 130.

[0062] Now turn to Figure 6 , a detailed method 600 for mitigating coolant leaks is presented according to an example. In one example, the method 600 may include blocks 602, 604, 606, 608, 610, 612, and 614 (hereinafter collectively referred to as blocks 602-614) performed by the controller 130. In some examples, the operations at blocks 602-614 may be performed by the processing resource 402 by executing one or more of the instructions 406, 408, and / or any additional instructions stored in the machine-readable medium 404. For purposes of illustration, in conjunction with Figure 2 The system 200 is described Figure 6 Method 600.

[0063] At block 602, the controller 130 may perform a check to detect a leak in the cooling circuit 106. Typically, the operations that may be performed by the controller 130 to detect a leak at block 602 have been performed at Figure 5. At box 602, if it is determined that there is no leak, normal operation of the cooling system (such as cooling system 204) continues as shown in box 604. In some examples, during normal operation of the cooling system 204, the coolant circulation pump 114 can drive the flow of coolant inside the cooling circuit 106, and the expansion tank 208 can be fluidly coupled to the cooling circuit 106 to maintain the coolant at a predetermined pressure within the cooling circuit 106. However, if a coolant leak is detected at box 602, at box 606, the controller 130 can suspend the operation of the coolant circulation pump 114 to stop the circulation of the coolant through the cooling circuit 106. Further, at box 608, the controller 130 can isolate the expansion tank 208 from the cooling circuit 106 by controlling the operation of the second valve unit 224. In particular, in order to isolate the expansion tank 208 from the cooling circuit 106, the controller can transmit a control signal to the second three-way valve 246 to operate the second three-way valve 246 in the second state.

[0064] Further, at block 610, the controller 130 may operate the first valve unit 222 to establish a fluid coupling between the collection tank 126 and the leakage mitigation pump 128. In some examples, in order to establish a fluid coupling between the collection tank 126 and the leakage mitigation pump 128, the controller 130 may transmit a control signal to the first three-way valve 238 so that a fluid path between the collection tank 126 and the leakage mitigation pump 128 is established via the first three-way valve 238. In particular, at block 610, the controller 130 may operate the first three-way valve 238 of the first valve unit 222 in the second state.

[0065] In addition, at box 612, the controller 130 may operate the second valve unit 224 to establish a fluid coupling between the cooling circuit 106 and the leakage mitigation pump 128. In some examples, in order to establish a fluid coupling between the cooling circuit 106 and the leakage mitigation pump 128, the controller 130 may transmit a control signal to the second three-way valve 246 and the third three-way valve 248 so that a fluid path between the cooling circuit 106 and the leakage mitigation pump 128 is established via the second three-way valve 246 and the third three-way valve 248. In particular, at box 612, the controller 130 may operate the second three-way valve 246 and the third three-way valve 248 in a second state. In some examples, when the third three-way valve 248 is operated in the second state, the coolant tank 210 may be isolated from the cooling circuit 106.

[0066] In addition, at block 614, the controller 130 may turn on the LM pump 128 to transfer at least a portion of the coolant from the cooling circuit 106 to the collection tank 126 via the second valve unit 224 and the first valve unit 222. In particular, the controller 130 may turn on the LM pump 128 by enabling power supply to the LM pump 128. The LM pump 128 generates suction at its inlet when in operation. The suction generated by the LM pump 128 may result in at least a portion of the coolant being transferred from the cooling circuit 106 to the collection tank 126 via the second valve unit 224 and the first valve unit 222. This transfer of the coolant from the cooling circuit 106 to the collection tank 126 advantageously reduces or eliminates the outflow of the coolant from the cooling circuit 106 at the leak location.

[0067] Although specific embodiments have been shown and described above, various changes in form and detail may be made. For example, some features and / or functions described with respect to one embodiment and / or process may be associated with other embodiments. In other words, the process, features, components and / or properties described with respect to one embodiment may be used for other embodiments. In addition, it should be understood that the systems and methods described herein may include various combinations and / or sub-combinations of components and / or features of the different embodiments described. In addition, the method blocks described in the various methods may be executed in a serial, parallel, or combination thereof. Further, the method blocks may also be executed in a different order than that shown in the flow chart.

[0068] Further, in the foregoing description, many details are set forth to provide an understanding of the subject matter disclosed herein. However, embodiments may be practiced without some or all of these details. Other embodiments may include modifications, combinations, and variations of the details discussed above. The appended claims are intended to cover such modifications and variations.

Claims

1. A leak mitigation system comprising: Collection boxes; a first valve unit fluidly coupled to the collection tank; a second valve unit coupled to a cooling circuit carrying a coolant; a leakage mitigation pump coupled between the first valve unit and the second valve unit; as well as a controller operably coupled to the first valve unit, the second valve unit, and the leakage mitigation pump to operate the first valve unit, the second valve unit, and the leakage mitigation pump in the event that the coolant leaks from the cooling circuit to transfer at least a portion of the coolant from the cooling circuit to the collection tank via the second valve unit and the first valve unit.

2. The leak mitigation system of claim 1, wherein: The cooling loop includes a cooling segment disposed in thermal contact with one or more computing devices to cool one or more heat generating components in the one or more computing devices.

3. The leak mitigation system of claim 1, wherein: The cooling circuit includes a coolant circulation pump to circulate the coolant inside the cooling circuit.

4. The leak mitigation system of claim 3, wherein: The controller is used to: detecting leakage of the coolant from the cooling circuit; In response to detecting the leak, pausing operation of the coolant circulation pump to stop circulation of the coolant through the cooling circuit; operating the first valve unit to establish a fluid coupling between the collection tank and the leakage mitigation pump; operating the second valve unit to establish a fluid coupling between the cooling circuit and the leakage mitigation pump; as well as The leakage mitigation pump is turned on to transfer at least the portion of the coolant from the cooling circuit to the collection tank via the second valve unit and the first valve unit.

5. The leak mitigation system of claim 1, wherein: The first valve unit includes a first three-way valve coupled between the collection tank and the cooling circuit.

6. The leak mitigation system of claim 1, wherein: The second valve unit is coupled between an expansion tank and the cooling circuit, wherein the controller operates the second valve unit to fluidly couple the expansion tank to the cooling circuit to maintain the coolant at a predetermined pressure inside the cooling circuit when there is no leakage of the coolant from the cooling circuit.

7. The leak mitigation system of claim 6, wherein: In the event that the coolant leaks from the cooling circuit, the controller operates the second valve unit to isolate the expansion tank from the cooling circuit.

8. The leak mitigation system of claim 6, wherein: The first valve unit and the second valve unit are coupled to a coolant tank, wherein the controller operates the first valve unit and the second valve unit to fluidly couple the coolant tank to the cooling circuit to maintain a predetermined amount of coolant inside the cooling circuit when there is no leakage of the coolant from the cooling circuit.

9. The leak mitigation system of claim 8, wherein: The second valve unit comprises: a second three-way valve coupled to the expansion tank and the cooling circuit; and A third three-way valve is coupled to the coolant tank, the second three-way valve, and the leakage mitigation pump.

10. A leak mitigation method comprising: detecting, by a controller, a leak of coolant from a cooling circuit, wherein the cooling circuit facilitates flow of the coolant to cool one or more heat generating components in a target infrastructure; and In response to detecting the leak, a controller transfers at least a portion of the coolant from the cooling circuit to a collection tank via a first valve unit, a second valve unit, and a leakage mitigation pump, wherein the first valve unit is fluidly coupled to the collection tank, the second valve unit is coupled to the cooling circuit, and the leakage mitigation pump is coupled between the second valve unit and the first valve unit.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein: Transferring at least a portion of the coolant from the cooling circuit to the collection tank includes operating the first valve unit to establish a fluid coupling between the collection tank and the leakage mitigation pump.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein: The first valve unit includes a first three-way valve coupled between the collection tank and the cooling circuit, and wherein operating the first valve unit to establish a fluid coupling between the collection tank and the leakage mitigation pump includes transmitting a control signal to the first three-way valve to establish a fluid coupling between the collection tank and the leakage mitigation pump via the first three-way valve.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein: Transferring at least a portion of the coolant from the cooling circuit to the collection tank includes operating the second valve unit to establish a fluid coupling between the cooling circuit and the leakage mitigation pump.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein: The second valve unit includes a second three-way valve coupled to the expansion tank and the cooling circuit and a third three-way valve coupled between the second three-way valve and the leakage mitigation pump, and wherein operating the second valve unit to establish a fluid coupling between the cooling circuit and the leakage mitigation pump includes transmitting a control signal to the second three-way valve and the third three-way valve to establish a fluid coupling between the collection tank and the leakage mitigation pump via the second three-way valve and the third three-way valve.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising isolating the expansion tank from the cooling circuit by controlling the second three-way valve by the controller.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein: Transferring at least a portion of the coolant from the cooling circuit to the collection tank includes turning on the leakage mitigation pump to transfer at least a portion of the coolant from the cooling circuit to the collection tank via the second valve unit and the first valve unit.

17. The method of claim 10, further comprising suspending operation of a coolant circulation pump to stop circulation of the coolant through the cooling circuit in response to detecting the leak, wherein: The coolant circulation pump is arranged along the cooling circuit.

18. A non-transitory machine-readable medium storing instructions executable by a processing resource, the instructions comprising: instructions for detecting a leak of coolant from a cooling circuit that facilitates flow of the coolant to cool one or more heat generating components in a target infrastructure; and Instructions for diverting at least a portion of the coolant from the cooling circuit to a collection tank via a first valve unit, a second valve unit, and a leak mitigation pump in response to detecting the leak, wherein the first valve unit is fluidly coupled to the collection tank, the second valve unit is coupled to the cooling circuit, and the leak mitigation pump is coupled between the second valve unit and the first valve unit.

19. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 18, further comprising instructions for suspending operation of a coolant circulation pump to stop circulation of the coolant through the cooling circuit in response to detecting the leak, wherein The coolant circulation pump is arranged along the cooling circuit.

20. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 18, wherein: The instructions for transferring at least a portion of the coolant from the cooling circuit to the collection tank include: instructions for operating the first valve unit to establish a fluid coupling between the collection tank and the leak mitigation pump; instructions for operating the second valve unit to establish a fluid coupling between the cooling circuit and the leakage mitigation pump; and Instructions for turning on the leakage mitigation pump to transfer at least the portion of the coolant from the cooling circuit to the collection tank via the second valve unit and the first valve unit.

Citation Information

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