Connection module for fluid management in liquid-cooled electronic systems

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a connection module for fluid management in liquid-cooled electronic systems, in particular to a fluid connector device, a server chassis of an electronic rack, and an electronic rack of a data center. The design for servers and racks includes a supply connector module having a supply connector and a supply switch, the supply connector connected to a third retainer and a second retainer to connect a supply line connector, the supply switch engaged with the second retainer when in a first position and disengaged from the second retainer when in a second position, the second retainer having a shape that disengages the supply switch and disconnects the supply connector from the supply line after a first time interval. The design also includes a return connector module having a return connector and a return switch.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Embodiments of this invention generally relate to cooling data center and server electronic equipment. More specifically, they aim to minimize the effects of fluid leakage from electronic rack systems. Background Technology

[0002] Cooling is a critical factor in computer system and data center design. The number of high-performance electronic components, such as the high-performance processors packaged within servers, has steadily increased, leading to a rise in heat generated and dissipated during normal server operation. If the environment in which a data center operates is allowed to increase in temperature over time, the reliability of the servers used within the data center decreases. Maintaining a proper thermal environment is critical for the proper operation of these servers in the data center, as well as for server performance and lifespan. This necessitates more efficient and effective cooling solutions, especially when cooling these high-performance servers. Many such systems are thermally managed by liquid cooling solutions, which are generally superior to air cooling solutions. However, events such as coolant leaks must be carefully and properly managed to prevent equipment damage and downtime. Summary of the Invention

[0003] One aspect of this disclosure provides a fluid connector device including a supply connector module and a return connector module, wherein the supply connector module includes: a supply connector attached to a first retainer, wherein the supply connector is connected to a rack supply connector of a rack manifold of an electronic rack and supplies cooling fluid received from the rack manifold to one or more cooling plates of one or more server chassis; and a supply switch engaged with the first retainer in a first position and disengaged from the first retainer in a second position, the first retainer including a first shape to disengage the supply switch and disconnect the supply connector from the rack supply connector after a first time interval; and the return connector module includes: a return connector attached to a second retainer, wherein the return connector is connected to a rack return connector of a rack manifold and returns cooling fluid received from one or more cooling plates to the rack manifold; and a return switch engaged with the second retainer in the first position and disengaged from the second retainer in the second position, the second retainer including a second shape to disengage the return switch and disconnect the return connector from the rack return connector after a second time interval different from the first time interval.

[0004] Another aspect of this disclosure provides a server chassis for an electronic rack, the server chassis including: one or more cooling plates for providing liquid cooling to one or more electronic devices attached thereto; a supply connector module coupled to the one or more cooling plates, the supply connector module including: a supply connector attached to a first retainer, wherein the supply connector is connected to a rack supply connector of a rack manifold of the electronic rack and supplies cooling fluid received from the rack manifold to the one or more cooling plates; and a supply switch engaged with the first retainer in a first position and disengaged from the first retainer in a second position, the first retainer including a first shape such that, after a first time interval, the supply... The switch should disengage and disconnect the supply connector from the rack supply connector; and a return connector module, coupled to one or more cooling plates, the return connector module including: a return connector attached to a second retainer, wherein the return connector is connected to the rack return connector of the rack manifold and returns cooling fluid received from one or more cooling plates to the rack manifold; and a return switch engaged with the second retainer in a first position and disengaged from the second retainer in a second position, the second retainer including a second shape such that, after a second time interval different from the first time interval, the return switch is disengaged and the return connector is disconnected from the rack return connector.

[0005] Another aspect of this disclosure provides an electronic rack for a data center, the electronic rack comprising: a rack manifold having multiple pairs of rack supply connectors and rack return connectors; and multiple server chassis arranged in a stack, each server chassis including: one or more cooling plates for providing liquid cooling to one or more electronic devices attached thereto; a supply connector module coupled to the one or more cooling plates, the supply connector module including: a supply connector attached to a first retainer, wherein the supply connector is connected to a rack supply connector of the rack manifold and supplies cooling fluid received from the rack manifold to the one or more cooling plates; and a supply switch engaged with the first retainer in a first position and disengaged from the first retainer in a second position, the first... The retainer includes a first shape to disengage the supply switch and disconnect the supply connector from the rack supply connector after a first time interval; and a return connector module coupled to one or more cooling plates, the return connector module including: a return connector attached to the second retainer, wherein the return connector is connected to the rack return connector of the rack manifold and returns cooling fluid received from the one or more cooling plates to the rack manifold; and a return switch engaged with the second retainer in a first position and disengaged from the second retainer in a second position, the second retainer including a second shape to disengage the return switch and disconnect the return connector from the rack return connector after a second time interval different from the first time interval. Attached Figure Description

[0006] Embodiments of the invention are shown in the accompanying drawings by way of example rather than limitation, in which the same reference numerals denote similar elements.

[0007] Figure 1 This is a block diagram illustrating an example of a data center or data center unit according to one implementation method.

[0008] Figure 2 This is a block diagram illustrating an electronic rack according to one embodiment.

[0009] Figure 3 This is a block diagram showing an electronic rack that is disengaged from its connectors to manage coolant leakage within the electronic rack.

[0010] Figure 4 This is a block diagram illustrating a server chassis according to one embodiment, the server chassis being disengaged from its connectors to manage coolant leakage.

[0011] Figures 5A to 5DThis is a block diagram of a rack system according to one embodiment, showing four switch positions of the return connector module and the supply connector module when each is disconnected from the return line connector and the supply line connector. Detailed Implementation

[0012] Various embodiments and aspects of the invention will be described with reference to the details discussed below, and the accompanying drawings will illustrate various embodiments. The following description and drawings are illustrative of the invention and do not constitute a limitation thereof. Numerous specific details are described to provide a thorough understanding of various embodiments of the invention. However, in some cases, well-known or conventional details have not been described in order to provide a concise discussion of embodiments of the invention.

[0013] The reference to "one embodiment" or "implementation" in the specification means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with that embodiment may be included in at least one embodiment of the invention. The phrase "in one embodiment" appearing in various places in the specification does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment.

[0014] In one aspect, a fluid connector or connector module is connected to a manifold via a supply line including a supply line connector (also known as a rack supply connector), the supply line receiving coolant from a coolant source and being connected to the manifold via a return line including a return line connector (also known as a rack return connector), the return line returning warmer coolant to the coolant source. The fluid connector may include a supply connector module comprising a supply connector and a supply switch, the supply connector being engaged or attached to a first retainer to connect the supply line connector, the supply switch being engaged with the first retainer in a first position and disengaged from a second retainer in a second position, the first retainer possibly having a shape that disengages the supply switch and disconnects the supply connector from the supply line after a first time interval.

[0015] The system may also include a return connector module comprising a return connector and a return switch. The return connector is engaged or attached to a second retainer to connect a return line connector. The return switch engages with the second retainer in a first position and disengages in a second position. The second retainer is shaped to disengage the return switch and disconnect the return connector from the return line after a second time interval different from the first time interval. In one embodiment, the second time interval is greater than the first time interval, such that the connector is disconnected before the return connector is disconnected.

[0016] In one embodiment, the fluid connector may further include a controller connected to a switch driver, which is connected to a return switch and a supply switch. The switch driver positions the return switch and the supply switch to engage or disengage one of the second and first retainers, respectively. The switch driver may include an electric motor connected to the return switch and the supply switch and configured to move the return switch to engage the second retainer and move the supply switch to engage the first retainer when the electric motor is powered. In one embodiment, a sensor may be connected to the controller, which may, in response to fluid leakage detected by the sensor, remove power to the electric motor according to a second time interval and a first time interval to disengage the second and first retainers, respectively. A pump may be connected to the controller, which may increase the pump speed after a first time interval when the supply connector is disconnected and send a signal to the pump to return to normal speed after a second time interval when the return connector is disconnected.

[0017] The switch driver may include a first electric motor and a second electric motor, the first electric motor being connected to a return switch and configured to move the return switch to engage a second retainer when the first electric motor is powered, and the second electric motor being connected to a supply switch and configured to move the supply switch to engage the first retainer when the second electric motor is powered.

[0018] In one embodiment, the return line connector can be disconnected from the return line when the second retainer disengages after a second time interval, and the supply line connector can be disconnected from the supply line when the first retainer disengages after a first time interval. In one embodiment, the second time interval may be longer than the first time interval to allow the first retainer of the supply connector to disengage before the second retainer of the return connector disengages.

[0019] In one embodiment, when the return switch disengages from the second retainer, a return line spring may be connected to the second retainer to provide a force to remove the second retainer from the return line connector of the return line, and when the supply switch disengages from the first retainer, a return line spring may be connected to the first retainer to provide a force to remove the first retainer from the supply line connector of the supply line. In one embodiment, the shape of the second retainer, which engages or disengages from the return switch during a second time interval, is curved, wherein one or more radii of the curve define the second time interval.

[0020] According to another aspect, the server chassis includes one or more cooling plates (e.g., cold plates) to provide liquid cooling to one or more electronic components (e.g., processors) attached thereto. The server chassis also includes a fluid connector module as described above, wherein the connector module is configured to connect the cooling plate to a rack manifold of the electronic rack containing the server chassis and to disengage the cooling plate from the rack manifold of the electronic rack containing the server chassis. According to another aspect, the electronic rack comprises a stack of server chassis as described above.

[0021] Figure 1 This is a block diagram illustrating an example of a data center or data center unit according to one implementation. In this example, Figure 1 A top view of at least a portion of a data center is shown. According to one embodiment, a data center system 100 includes one or more rows of electronic racks 101 to 102, such as computer servers or computing nodes, which 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 to 110N. However, more or fewer rows of electronic racks can be implemented. Typically, rows 101 to 102 are aligned in parallel, with their front ends facing each other and their rear ends facing each other, forming a passageway 103 between them to allow administrators to walk through. However, other configurations or arrangements can also be applied. For example, two rows of electronic racks can face each other back-to-back without forming a passageway between them, while their front ends face each other. The rear ends of the electronic racks can be connected to a room cooling fluid manifold.

[0022] In one implementation, each of the electronic racks (e.g., electronic racks 110A to 110N) includes a housing to accommodate multiple IT components arranged in a stack therein. The electronic rack may include a cooling liquid manifold, multiple server slots (e.g., standard shelves or chassis configured with the same or similar form factor), and multiple server enclosures (also referred to as server blades or server shelves) capable of being inserted into and removed from the server slots. Each server enclosure represents a compute node having one or more processors, memory, and / or persistent storage devices (e.g., hard drives), wherein the compute node may include one or more servers running therein. At least one of the processors is attached to a liquid cold plate (also referred to as a cold plate assembly) to receive cooling liquid. Additionally, one or more optional cooling fans are associated with the server enclosure to provide air cooling to the compute nodes contained therein. Note that the cooling system 120 may be coupled to multiple data center systems, such as data center system 100.

[0023] In one embodiment, the cooling system 120 includes an external liquid loop connected to a cooling tower or dry cooler outside the building / shell container. The cooling system 120 may include, but is not limited to, evaporative cooling, free air cooling, large thermal mass rejection, and waste heat recovery designs. The cooling system 120 may include a cooling liquid source for providing cooling liquid or be coupled to a cooling liquid source for providing cooling liquid.

[0024] In one embodiment, each server chassis is modularly coupled to the coolant manifold, allowing the server chassis to be removed from the electronics rack without affecting the operation of the remaining server chassis in the electronics rack and coolant manifold. In another embodiment, each server chassis is coupled to the coolant manifold via a quick-release coupling assembly having a server coolant inlet connector and a server coolant outlet connector, the server coolant outlet connector being coupled to a flexible hose to distribute coolant to the processor. The server coolant inlet connector receives coolant from the coolant manifold mounted at the rear of the electronics rack via a rack coolant inlet connector. The server coolant outlet connector dissipates warmer or hotter liquid carrying heat exchanged from the processor into the coolant manifold via the rack coolant outlet connector, and then returns to the coolant distribution unit (CDU) within the electronics rack. In various embodiments, as discussed in detail below, the server coolant inlet connector may include a supply connector module (not shown), and the server coolant outlet connector includes a return connector module (not shown) that disengages their respective connectors from the connector at varying time intervals to prevent leakage upon disengagement. In various implementations, the time interval can be determined by the shape of one or more connector retainers within each connector module.

[0025] In one embodiment, a coolant manifold located at the rear end of each electronics rack is connected to a supply line 132 (also referred to as a room supply manifold) to receive coolant from the cooling system 120. The coolant is distributed via a liquid distribution loop attached to a cold plate assembly, on which a processor is mounted to remove heat from the processor. The cold plate is configured to resemble a radiator to which the liquid distribution pipe is attached or embedded. The resulting warmer or hotter liquid, carrying the heat exchanged from the processor, is returned to the cooling system 120 via a return line 131 (also referred to as a room return manifold).

[0026] Liquid return line 131 / supply line 132, referred to as a data center or room liquid supply / return line (e.g., a global liquid supply / return line), supplies coolant to all electronic racks in rows 101-102. Supply line 132 and return line 131 are coupled to heat exchangers located within each CDU in the electronic rack, forming a primary loop. Secondary loops from the heat exchangers are coupled to each server chassis within the electronic rack to deliver coolant to the processor's cold plate.

[0027] In one embodiment, the data center system 100 also includes an optional air supply system 135 to generate airflow that passes through the air space of the server chassis of the electronic rack to exchange heat generated by the computing nodes (e.g., servers) due to their operation, and to discharge the heat exchanged by the airflow to the external environment or a cooling system (e.g., an air-liquid heat exchanger) to reduce the temperature of the airflow. For example, the air supply system 135 generates cool / cold airflow to circulate through the electronic racks 110A to 110N from channel 103, thereby carrying away the exchanged heat.

[0028] Cool airflow enters the electronics rack through their front ends, while warm / hot airflow exits from their rear ends. The warm / hot air with exchanged heat is exhausted from the room / building or cooled by a separate cooling system such as an air-liquid heat exchanger. Therefore, the cooling system is a hybrid liquid-air cooling system, in which a portion of the heat generated by the processor is removed by a cooling liquid via corresponding cold plates, while the remaining heat generated by the processor (or other electronic or processing equipment) is removed by airflow cooling.

[0029] Figure 2This is a block diagram illustrating an electronic rack according to one embodiment. Electronic rack 200 may represent any of the electronic racks described throughout this application. According to one embodiment, electronic rack 200 includes, but is not limited to, a coolant distribution unit (CDU) 201, a rack management unit (RMU) 202, and one or more server chassis 203A to 203E (collectively referred to as server chassis 203). Server chassis 203 may be inserted, respectively, from the front end 204 or rear end 205 of electronic rack 200 into an array of server slots (e.g., standard shelves). Note that although five server chassis 203A to 203E are shown herein, more or fewer server chassis may be maintained within electronic rack 200. It should also be noted that the specific locations of CDU 201, RMU 202, and / or server chassis 203 are shown for illustrative purposes only; other arrangements or configurations of CDU 201, RMU 202, and / or server chassis 203 may also be implemented. In one implementation, the electronic rack 200 may be open to the environment or partially contained within a rack container, provided that the cooling fan can generate airflow from the front to the rear.

[0030] In addition, for at least some of the server chassis 203, optional fan modules (not shown) are associated with the server chassis 203. Each of the fan modules includes one or more cooling fans. The fan modules may be mounted on the rear end of the server chassis 203 or on the electronic rack 200 to generate airflow that exits from the front end 204, travels through the air space of the server chassis 203, and exists at the rear end 205 of the electronic rack 200.

[0031] In one embodiment, CDU 201 primarily includes a heat exchanger 211, a liquid pump 212 and a pump controller (not shown), as well as other components such as a reservoir, 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, the inlet and outlet ports having a first pair of liquid connectors connected to an external liquid return line 131 / supply line 132 to form a main loop. The first pair of liquid connectors connected to the external liquid return line 131 / supply line 132 can be disposed on or mounted on the rear end 205 of the electronics rack 200. The liquid return line 131 / supply line 132, also referred to as the room liquid supply line / return line, can be connected to an external cooling system.

[0032] In various embodiments, as discussed in detail below, each server chassis 203 may include a server liquid inlet connector and a server liquid outlet connector. The server liquid inlet connector further includes a supply connector module (not shown), and the server liquid outlet connector includes a return connector module (not shown). The return connector modules disengage their respective connectors from the connector at varying time intervals to prevent leakage upon disengagement. In various embodiments, the time interval may be determined by the shape of one or more connector retainers within each connector module.

[0033] In addition, heat exchanger 211 also includes a second loop with two ports having a second pair of liquid connectors coupled to liquid manifold 225 (also referred to as a rack manifold) to form the second loop. The second loop 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 supplies cooling liquid to server chassis 203, and the return manifold returns warmer liquid to CDU 201. Note that CDU 201 can be any kind of commercially available or custom-made CDU. Therefore, details of CDU 201 will not be described herein.

[0034] Each of the server chassis 203 may include one or more IT components (e.g., a central processing unit or CPU, a general-purpose / graphics processing unit (GPU), memory, and / or storage devices). Each IT component can perform data processing tasks, wherein the IT component may include software installed in storage devices, loaded into memory, and executed by one or more processors to perform data processing tasks. The server chassis 203 may include a host server (referred to as a host node) connected to one or more compute servers (also referred to as compute nodes, such as CPU servers and GPU servers). The host server (having 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), or applications to perform certain operations (e.g., image processing, deep data learning algorithms, or modeling, as part of a Service-as-a-Software or SaaS platform). In response to the request, the host server assigns the task to one or more of the compute nodes or compute servers (having one or more GPUs) managed by the host server. The compute servers perform the actual tasks, which may generate heat during operation.

[0035] The electronic rack 200 also includes an optional RMU 202 and a CDU 201 configured to provide and manage power supplied to the server chassis 203. The RMU 202 can 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 necessary circuitry (e.g., AC-to-DC or DC-to-DC power converters, batteries, transformers, or regulators) to provide power to the rest of the electronic rack 200.

[0036] In one implementation, RMU 202 includes an optimization module 221 and a rack management controller (RMC) 222. RMC 222 may include a monitor to monitor the operational status of various components within the electronic rack 200, such as, for example, the operational status of compute nodes, CDU 201, and fan modules. Specifically, the monitor receives operational data from various sensors representing the operating environment of the electronic rack 200. For example, the monitor may receive operational data representing the temperature of the processor, coolant, and airflow, which may be captured and collected via various temperature sensors. The monitor may also receive data representing the fan power and pump power generated by the fan modules and liquid pump 212, which may be proportional to their respective speeds. This operational data is referred to as real-time operational data. Note that the monitor may be implemented as a separate module within RMU 202.

[0037] Based on the operating data, optimization module 221 performs optimization using a predetermined optimization function or model to derive a set of optimal fan speeds for the fan module and an optimal pump speed for the liquid pump 212, minimizing the total power consumption of the liquid pump 212 and the fan module, while ensuring that the operating data associated with the cooling fans of the liquid pump 212 and the fan module are within their respective design specifications. Once the optimal pump speed and optimal fan speed are determined, RMC 222 configures the cooling fans of the liquid pump 212 and the fan module based on these optimal pump speeds and fan speeds.

[0038] As an example, based on the optimal pump speed, RMC 222 communicates with the pump controller of CDU 201 to control the speed of liquid pump 212, which in turn controls the liquid flow rate of the coolant supplied to liquid manifold 225 for distribution to at least some of the coolant in server chassis 203. Similarly, based on the optimal fan speed, RMC 222 communicates with each of the fan modules to control the speed of each cooling fan in the fan module, which in turn controls the airflow rate of the fan module. Note that each of the fan modules can be individually controlled with its specific optimal fan speed, and different fan modules and / or different cooling fans within the same fan module can have different optimal fan speeds.

[0039] Note that the rack configuration shown is for illustrative purposes only; other configurations or arrangements may also be applied. For example, CDU 201 may be an optional unit. The cold plate of server chassis 203 may be connected to a rack manifold that is directly connected to a room manifold without using a CDU. Although not shown, a power supply unit may be located within the electronics rack 200. The power supply unit may be implemented as a standard chassis identical or similar to server chassis 203, wherein the power supply chassis may be inserted into any of the standard shelves in place of any of server chassis 203. In addition, the power supply chassis may also include a backup battery unit (BBU) for providing battery power to server chassis 203 when the main power supply 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 circuitry for charging and discharging the battery cells.

[0040] Figure 3 This is a block diagram illustrating an electronics rack 300, which disengages its connectors to manage coolant leakage within the electronics rack 300. The electronics rack 300 may include any of the electronics rack embodiments described in this application, such as... Figure 2 The electronic rack 200. According to one embodiment, in the rear view of this example, the electronic rack 300 includes one or more server chassis connected to a rack manifold 302; for simplicity, only two server chassis are shown, namely server chassis 203A and server chassis 203N. Each server chassis 203A and 203N includes leakage sensors 306A and 306N, and controllers 308A and 308N, respectively. In one embodiment, a supply line 132 is connected to the rack manifold 302, which is connected to each server chassis 203A and 203N via supply connector modules 310A and 310N, respectively, via supply line connectors 312A and 312N. The supply line connectors are also referred to as rack supply connectors.

[0041] Similarly, return line 131 connects to rack manifold 302, which can be connected to each server chassis 203A and 203N via return connector modules 314A and 314N, respectively, through return line connectors 316A and 316N. The return line connectors are also referred to as rack return connectors. In various embodiments, the supply line and return line connectors can be of any type, and can be disengaged via their respective connector modules, such as blind-mating connectors.

[0042] In one embodiment, the liquid pump 304 is connected to the return line 131 and can be controlled by a controller, such as controller 308A of server chassis 203A. For example, to manage leak events, leak sensor 306A and controller 308A can work together to signal the supply connector module 310A and return connector module 314A to disconnect from supply line connector 312A and return line connector 316A. In one embodiment, supply line connector 312A and return line connector 316A disconnect at different time intervals. For example, supply line connector 312A may disconnect first, and at a later time interval, return line connector 316A may disconnect to allow liquid pump 304 to purge liquid coolant from server chassis 203A and prevent leaks that could damage components within electronic rack 300. In various embodiments, the disconnection time intervals may depend on the configuration of various components within supply connector module 310A and return connector module 314A, as referenced below. Figure 4 As discussed in more detail in section 5. In one embodiment, controller 308A may change the pump speed (e.g., increase the pump speed) for a period of time during the disengagement and disconnection process, for example, after the supply line connector 312A is disconnected and before the return line connector 316A is disconnected, or at some variation near the time interval of disengagement.

[0043] Figure 4 This is a block diagram illustrating a server chassis 400 according to one embodiment, the server chassis 400 being disengaged from its connectors to manage coolant leakage. The server chassis 400 includes a return connector module 314, a return line connector or rack return connector 316, a supply connector module 310, a supply line connector or rack supply connector 312, and a controller 308, as referenced. Figure 3As described. Return connector module 314 includes retainer 402, retainer 404, return connector 405, return switch 406, and spring 408. Note that retainers 402 and 404 may be integrated into a single retainer (e.g., a second retainer). Supply connector module 310 includes retainer 410, retainer 412, supply connector 413, supply switch 414, and spring 416. Similarly, retainers 410 and 412 may be integrated into a single retainer (e.g., a first retainer). In various embodiments, return connector module 314 and supply connector module 310 may have retainers with various configurations. For example, instead of two retainers (e.g., retainers 402 and 404), there may be one retainer or three or more retainers. In embodiments, retainers 402 and 404 may be combined into a single unit. Retainer 402 is primarily used to retain the connector, while retainer 404 is primarily used to work with the switch.

[0044] Return switch 406 and supply switch 414 are connected to a switch driver, such as motor 418, to engage and disengage retainers 404 and 412, respectively. In one embodiment, retainer 404 contacts retainer 402 under the tension of spring 408, and similarly, retainer 412 contacts retainer 410 under the tension of spring 416. In one embodiment, return connector 405 and supply connector 413 can move with their respective retainers (e.g., retainers 402 and 404) to engage or disengage return line connector 316 and supply line connector 312, respectively, based on the positions of return switch 406 and supply switch 414.

[0045] Such as about Figure 3 In one embodiment, the controller 308 may send a signal to the motor 418 causing the return switch 406 and supply switch 414 to rotate clockwise, disengaging the return connector 405 and supply connector 413 from their respective line connectors, namely the return line connector 316 and the supply line connector 312. In one embodiment, a signal from the controller 308 cuts off the motor 418, and each switch (e.g., the supply switch 414 and the return switch 406) may be under tension or force to rotate clockwise, for example, by means of a spring (not shown) attached to the switch. In another embodiment, the motor 418 may actively rotate each switch under power to engage and disengage it from its respective retainer.

[0046] To prevent leakage of residual coolant from the system, the return connector 405 disengages after the supply connector 413 to provide a time interval for the pump (not shown) to purge the system. In one embodiment, the time interval, such as time interval 420 including t0 and t1, may be determined by the shape of the retainer 404 of the return connector module 314. As shown in this embodiment, the retainer 404 has a curved shape such that it disengages from the return switch 406 starting at time interval t0 and continues to be fully disengaged at time interval t1. The supply switch 414 disengages from the retainer 412 starting at time interval t0, thereby disengaging from the supply connector 413 at time interval 420 before the return switch 406.

[0047] Although retainer 404 is shown in this embodiment as having a curved or parabolic shape and radius, in other embodiments, the shape can be any shape that creates a time interval 420 between each switch and its corresponding retainer disengaging to allow each connector to disengage. In one embodiment, retainer 404 and retainer 412 may be configured in place or removable and replaced by another retainer to reduce or increase the time interval 420. Alternatively, in another embodiment, retainer 412 may also have a similar shape to retainer 404, but still create a time interval 420 such that return connector 405 disengages after supply connector 413. In other embodiments, motor 418 may be a single electric motor connected to each switch, or it may be a separate electric motor connected to each switch but controlled by controller 308, as described herein.

[0048] Figures 5A to 5D This is a block diagram of a rack system 500 according to one embodiment, showing four switch positions when each of the return connector module 314 and the supply connector module 310 is disengaged from the return line connector 316 and the supply line connector 312. Figure 5A Initially, in one embodiment, the motor 418 is energized, and the return switch 406 and the supply switch 414 are held in switch position #1, fully engaged with retainers 404 and 412 respectively, to engage the return connector 405, thereby connecting to the return line connector 316 and the supply connector 413, to connect to the supply line connector 312. Figure 5BThe diagram illustrates an implementation where the controller 308 signals the motor 418 to cut off power. At this point, the return switch 406 and the supply switch 414 begin to rotate clockwise, as shown in switch position #2. Due to their shapes, the return switch 406 remains engaged with retainers 402 and 404, and the return connector 405 remains connected to the return line connector 316. In switch position #2, the supply switch 414 has begun to disengage from the retainer 412, and the spring 416 has forced retainers 410 and 412, along with the supply connector 413, away from the supply line connector 312.

[0049] Figure 5C The return switch 406 and supply switch 414 are shown in switch position #3. Return switch 406 has reached the end of retainer 404 and is beginning to disengage from retainer 404. Supply switch 414 in switch position #3 has disengaged from retainer 412, spring 416 is fully extended, and supply connector 413 is fully disengaged from supply line connector 312. In one embodiment, controller 308 may signal a liquid pump (e.g., liquid pump 304) to increase pump speed, thereby accelerating the pumping of excess coolant fluid from the system to prevent leakage. Figure 5D The return switch 406 and supply switch 414 are shown in switch position #4. The return switch 406 has been fully disengaged from the retainer 404, and the spring 408 has forced the retainers 402 and 404, along with the return connector 405, away from the return line connector 316, thereby disengaging the return line connector 316 from the return connector 405. In one embodiment, when the return connector 405 is disengaged from the return line connector 316, the controller 308 may signal the liquid pump (e.g., liquid pump 304) to return to normal speed.

[0050] In the foregoing description, embodiments of the invention have been described with reference to specific exemplary embodiments. It will be apparent that various modifications can be made thereto without departing from the broader spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims. While certain aspects have been described and shown in the drawings, it should be understood that these aspects are merely illustrative and not intended to limit the broad disclosure, and that this disclosure is not limited to the specific structures and arrangements shown and described, as various other modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Therefore, this specification is to be considered illustrative rather than restrictive.

Claims

1. A fluid connector device, comprising: Supply connector modules, including: A supply connector, attached to a first retainer, wherein the supply connector is connected to a rack supply connector of a rack manifold of an electronic rack, and supplies cooling fluid received from the rack manifold to one or more cooling plates of one or more server chassis, and A supply switch, engaged with the first retainer in a first position and disengaged from the first retainer in a second position, the first retainer comprising a first shape, thereby disengaging the supply switch after a first time interval and disengaging the supply connector from the rack supply connector; and Return connector module, including: A return connector, attached to a second retainer, wherein the return connector is connected to the rack return connector of the rack manifold and returns the cooling fluid received from the one or more cooling plates to the rack manifold, and A return switch engages with a second retainer when in the first position and disengages from the second retainer when in the second position. The second retainer includes a second shape to disengage the return switch and the return connector from the rack return connector after a second time interval different from the first time interval, wherein the second time interval is greater than the first time interval.

2. The fluid connector device of claim 1, further comprising a controller coupled to a switch driver, the switch driver being coupled to the return switch and the supply switch, the switch driver positioning the return switch and the supply switch to engage one of the second retainer and the first retainer or to disengage from the second retainer and the first retainer, respectively.

3. The fluid connector device according to claim 2, wherein, The switch driver includes an electric motor coupled to the return switch and the supply switch, and is configured to move the return switch to engage the second retainer and move the supply switch to engage the first retainer when the electric motor is powered.

4. The fluid connector device of claim 3, further comprising a sensor coupled to the controller, the controller, in response to a fluid leak detected by the sensor, removing power to the electric motor according to the second time interval and the first time interval, so as to disengage the second retainer and the first retainer respectively.

5. The fluid connector device of claim 4, further comprising a pump coupled to the controller, the controller increasing the pump speed after the first time interval and sending a signal to the pump to restore normal speed after the second time interval.

6. The fluid connector device according to claim 2, wherein, The switch driver includes: A first electric motor is coupled to the supply switch, and the first electric motor is configured to move the supply switch to engage the first retainer when the first electric motor is powered; and A second electric motor is connected to the return switch, and the second electric motor is configured to move the return switch to engage the second retainer when the second electric motor is powered.

7. The fluid connector device according to claim 1, further comprising: A first spring provides a force to push the supply connector away from the rack supply connector when the first retainer disengages after the first time interval. as well as The second spring provides a force to push the return connector away from the rack return connector when the second retainer disengages after the second time interval.

8. The fluid connector device according to claim 1, wherein, The first shape of the first holder and the second shape of the second holder can be configured to determine the first time interval and the second time interval, respectively.

9. The fluid connector device according to claim 1, wherein, The second shape of the second retainer includes a curved shape, wherein one or more radii of the curved shape determine the second time interval.

10. A server chassis with an electronic rack, comprising: One or more cooling plates provide liquid cooling to one or more electronic devices attached thereto; A supply connector module is connected to the one or more cooling plates, the supply connector module comprising: A supply connector, attached to a first retainer, wherein the supply connector is connected to a rack supply connector of a rack manifold of the electronic rack, and supplies cooling fluid received from the rack manifold to the one or more cooling plates, and A supply switch, engaged with the first retainer in a first position and disengaged from the first retainer in a second position, the first retainer comprising a first shape, thereby disengaging the supply switch after a first time interval and disengaging the supply connector from the rack supply connector; and A return connector module is connected to the one or more cooling plates, the return connector module comprising: A return connector, attached to a second retainer, wherein the return connector is connected to the rack return connector of the rack manifold and returns the cooling fluid received from the one or more cooling plates to the rack manifold, and A return switch engages with a second retainer when in the first position and disengages from the second retainer when in the second position. The second retainer includes a second shape to disengage the return switch and the return connector from the rack return connector after a second time interval different from the first time interval, wherein the second time interval is greater than the first time interval.

11. The server chassis of claim 10, further comprising a controller coupled to a switch driver, the switch driver being coupled to the return switch and the supply switch, the switch driver positioning the return switch and the supply switch to engage one of the second retainer and the first retainer or to disengage from the second retainer and the first retainer, respectively.

12. The server chassis according to claim 11, wherein, The switch driver includes an electric motor coupled to the return switch and the supply switch, and is configured to move the return switch to engage the second retainer and move the supply switch to engage the first retainer when the electric motor is powered.

13. The server chassis of claim 12, further comprising a sensor coupled to the controller, the controller removing power to the electric motor in response to fluid leakage detected by the sensor according to the second time interval and the first time interval, so as to disengage the second retainer and the first retainer respectively.

14. The server chassis of claim 13, further comprising a pump connected to the controller, the controller increasing the pump speed after the first time interval and sending a signal to the pump to restore normal speed after the second time interval.

15. The server chassis according to claim 11, wherein, The switch driver includes: A first electric motor is coupled to the supply switch, and the first electric motor is configured to move the supply switch to engage the first retainer when the first electric motor is powered; and A second electric motor is connected to the return switch, and the second electric motor is configured to move the return switch to engage the second retainer when the second electric motor is powered.

16. The server chassis according to claim 10, wherein: The supply connector module also includes a first spring, which provides a force to push the supply connector away from the rack supply connector when the first retainer disengages after the first time interval. as well as The return connector module also includes a second spring that provides a force to push the return connector away from the rack return connector when the second retainer disengages after the second time interval.

17. The server chassis according to claim 10, wherein, The first shape of the first holder and the second shape of the second holder can be configured to determine the first time interval and the second time interval, respectively.

18. The server chassis according to claim 10, wherein, The second shape of the second retainer includes a curved shape, wherein one or more radii of the curved shape determine the second time interval.

19. An electronic rack for a data center, comprising: Rack manifold with multiple pairs of rack supply connectors and rack return connectors; as well as Multiple server chassis are arranged in a stack, each of the server chassis comprising: One or more cooling plates provide liquid cooling to one or more electronic devices attached thereto; A supply connector module is connected to the one or more cooling plates, the supply connector module comprising: A supply connector, attached to a first retainer, wherein the supply connector is connected to a rack supply connector of the rack manifold and supplies cooling fluid received from the rack manifold to the one or more cooling plates, and A supply switch, engaged with the first retainer in a first position and disengaged from the first retainer in a second position, the first retainer comprising a first shape, thereby disengaging the supply switch after a first time interval and disengaging the supply connector from the rack supply connector; and A return connector module is connected to the one or more cooling plates, the return connector module comprising: A return connector, attached to a second retainer, wherein the return connector is connected to the rack return connector of the rack manifold and returns the cooling fluid received from the one or more cooling plates to the rack manifold, and A return switch engages with a second retainer when in the first position and disengages from the second retainer when in the second position. The second retainer includes a second shape to disengage the return switch and the return connector from the rack return connector after a second time interval different from the first time interval, wherein the second time interval is greater than the first time interval.

20. The electronic rack according to claim 19, wherein, Each of the server chassis also includes a controller coupled to a switch driver, the switch driver being coupled to the return switch and the supply switch, the switch driver positioning the return switch and the supply switch to engage one of the second retainer and the first retainer or to disengage from the second retainer and the first retainer, respectively.

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