Negative pressure liquid cooling system and control method thereof

Abstract

The invention discloses a negative pressure liquid cooling system and a control method thereof.The negative pressure liquid cooling system comprises a negative pressure outer pipe network, a negative pressure cooling capacity distribution unit and a negative pressure cabinet, a second gas pipeline is connected with a first gas pipeline to form a gas path structure, negative pressure is kept in the gas path structure, and a second liquid pipeline is connected with a first liquid pipeline to form a liquid path circulation structure; negative pressure is kept in the liquid path circulation structure; the negative pressure cabinet comprises a liquid supply pipeline and a liquid return pipeline; and when the liquid path circulation structure leaks, the gas path structure extracts gas at the top of the liquid supply pipeline or the liquid return pipeline. Negative pressure is kept in the liquid path circulation structure, and when leakage occurs in the liquid path circulation structure or a pipeline in the negative pressure cabinet, liquid is prevented from flowing to the server from the leakage position; the gas circuit structure is communicated with the tops of the liquid supply pipeline and the liquid return pipeline, gas accumulated at the top of the liquid supply pipeline or the liquid return pipeline can be guided out along the gas circuit structure, and the cooling effect of the server is guaranteed.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of equipment heat dissipation, and in particular to a negative pressure liquid cooling system and a control method thereof. Background Art

[0002] Cold plate liquid cooling is the most widely used technology route for liquid cooling data centers. As the number of project deployments increases and the equipment operation time becomes longer, the reliability of liquid cooling pipelines and the safety of IT equipment have begun to attract attention. Since most cold plates use conductive aqueous solutions, liquid leakage can cause irreversible damage to IT equipment. Negative pressure systems can effectively prevent liquid leakage.

[0003] The existing liquid cooling technology route lacks an effective way to deal with the accumulated air in the cabinet's inlet and return liquid pipes. In actual projects, the maximum flow rate of the vertically installed inlet and return liquid pipes in the cabinet is less than 1m / s. After the bubbles enter the vertical inlet and return liquid pipes, they cannot flow into the cooling distribution unit along the liquid flow direction, but gather in the upper part of the pipe to form an air cavity. For the cabinet return liquid pipe, if the internal accumulated air is not removed in time, it will cause a large section of air cavity at the top of the return liquid pipe, causing serious uneven flow and affecting the normal operation of IT equipment. Summary of the invention

[0004] In order to solve at least one of the above technical problems, the present application provides a negative pressure liquid cooling system and a control method thereof, and the technical solutions adopted are as follows:

[0005] The present application provides a negative pressure liquid cooling system, which includes a negative pressure external pipeline network, a negative pressure cooling capacity distribution unit, and a negative pressure cabinet, wherein the negative pressure external pipeline network includes a first gas pipeline and a first liquid pipeline; the negative pressure cooling capacity distribution unit includes a second gas pipeline and a second liquid pipeline, the second gas pipeline is connected to the first gas pipeline to form a gas circuit structure, and negative pressure is maintained in the gas circuit structure, and the second liquid pipeline is connected to the first liquid pipeline to form a liquid circuit circulation structure, and negative pressure is maintained in the liquid circuit circulation structure; each of the negative pressure cabinets is connected in parallel between the first gas pipeline and the first liquid pipeline, the negative pressure cabinet includes a liquid supply pipeline and a liquid return pipeline, and a number of servers are connected in parallel between the liquid supply pipeline and the liquid return pipeline; when the liquid circuit circulation structure leaks, external gas is sucked in and accumulated at the top of the liquid supply pipeline or the liquid return pipeline, and the gas circuit structure is used to extract gas from the top of the liquid supply pipeline or the liquid return pipeline.

[0006] In certain embodiments of the present application, a gas negative pressure regulating component is provided on the second gas pipeline, and the gas negative pressure regulating component is used to maintain a negative pressure in the gas path structure.

[0007] In some embodiments of the present application, the gas negative pressure regulating component includes a first vacuum pump, the first vacuum pump is connected to the external atmosphere, and the first vacuum pump can extract the gas in the gas path structure to maintain a negative pressure in the gas path structure;

[0008] When the liquid circuit circulation structure leaks, the first vacuum pump extracts gas at the top of the liquid supply pipeline or the liquid return pipeline through the gas circuit structure.

[0009] In certain embodiments of the present application, the gas negative pressure regulating assembly further includes a first vacuum tank, which is connected to the first vacuum pump, and the gas passes through the first vacuum tank to reach the first vacuum pump to discharge the gas path structure.

[0010] In certain embodiments of the present application, a heat exchanger, a liquid pump and a liquid negative pressure regulating component connected in series are provided on the second liquid pipeline, the heat exchanger is used to adjust the temperature of the liquid in the liquid circulation structure, the liquid pump provides flow power for the liquid in the liquid circulation structure, and the liquid negative pressure regulating component is used to adjust the pressure in the liquid circulation structure.

[0011] In certain embodiments of the present application, the liquid negative pressure regulating assembly includes a second vacuum pump and a second vacuum tank, the second vacuum pump is connected to the external atmosphere and the second vacuum tank, and the second vacuum pump can extract the gas in the second vacuum tank to reduce the pressure in the liquid circulation structure.

[0012] In certain embodiments of the present application, the negative pressure refrigeration distribution unit also includes a detection component, which is arranged on the second gas pipeline and the second liquid pipeline, and the detection component is used to detect pressure, temperature, flow and liquid level indicators at various locations of the negative pressure refrigeration distribution unit.

[0013] In some embodiments of the present application, the bottoms of the liquid supply pipeline and the liquid return pipeline are connected to the first liquid pipeline, the tops of the liquid supply pipeline and the liquid return pipeline are connected to the first gas pipeline, and the tops of the liquid supply pipeline and the liquid return pipeline are both provided with an upper liquid level switch and a lower liquid level switch, and the height of the upper liquid level switch is greater than the height of the lower liquid level switch;

[0014] When the liquid level in the liquid supply pipeline or the liquid return pipeline reaches the position of the lower liquid level switch, the gas circuit structure extracts gas from the top of the liquid supply pipeline or the liquid return pipeline; when the liquid level in the liquid supply pipeline or the liquid return pipeline reaches the position of the upper liquid level switch, the gas circuit structure stops extracting gas.

[0015] In certain embodiments of the present application, a buffer tank is disposed on the top of each of the liquid supply pipeline and the liquid return pipeline, and each of the upper liquid level switches is disposed in each of the buffer tanks.

[0016] The present application provides a negative pressure liquid cooling control method, which is applied to the above-mentioned negative pressure liquid cooling system. The negative pressure liquid cooling control method includes:

[0017] A first pressure value and a second pressure value are set, and when the pressure in the second liquid pipeline is greater than the first pressure value, gas is extracted from the second liquid pipeline to the external environment, and when the pressure in the second liquid pipeline is less than the second pressure value, gas extraction is stopped, so that the pressure in the second liquid pipeline is maintained between the first pressure value and the second pressure value;

[0018] When the pressure in the second gas pipeline is greater than the pressure in the second liquid pipeline, gas is extracted from the second gas pipeline to the external environment so that the pressure in the second gas pipeline is less than the pressure in the second liquid pipeline;

[0019] When gas is sucked into the liquid supply pipeline or the liquid return pipeline in the negative pressure cabinet, and the liquid level in the liquid supply pipeline or the liquid return pipeline drops to the second height, the pressure in the gas circuit structure is less than the difference between the pressure in the liquid circuit circulation structure and the pressure of the liquid column in the liquid supply pipeline or the liquid return pipeline, and the gas circuit structure extracts gas from the liquid supply pipeline or the liquid return pipeline;

[0020] When the liquid level in the liquid supply pipeline or the liquid return pipeline rises to a first height, the gas pumping of the gas path structure is completed.

[0021] The embodiments of the present application have at least the following beneficial effects: in the present application, liquid flows in a liquid circuit circulation structure formed by a first liquid pipeline and a second liquid pipeline, and liquid can flow from the liquid circuit circulation structure into a liquid supply pipeline and a liquid return pipeline of a negative pressure cabinet, thereby performing liquid cooling and heat dissipation on the server inside the negative pressure cabinet; a negative pressure is maintained inside the liquid circuit circulation structure, and when a leak occurs in the liquid circuit circulation structure or a pipeline in the negative pressure cabinet, external gas will enter the liquid supply pipeline or the liquid return pipeline along the leak position and accumulate at the top of the liquid supply pipeline or the liquid return pipeline, thereby preventing liquid from flowing from the leak position to the server and causing damage to the server; a gas circuit structure formed by the first gas pipeline and the second gas pipeline is connected to the top of the liquid supply pipeline and the liquid return pipeline, and since a negative pressure is maintained inside the gas circuit structure, gas accumulated at the top of the liquid supply pipeline or the liquid return pipeline can be discharged along the gas circuit structure, thereby ensuring the liquid level height in the liquid supply pipeline or the liquid return pipeline, thereby evenly distributing the amount of liquid flowing through servers of different heights and ensuring the cooling effect of the server.

[0022] Additional aspects and advantages of the present application will be given in part in the description below, and in part will become apparent from the description below, or will be learned through the practice of the present application. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0023] The above and / or additional aspects and advantages of the present application will become apparent and easily understood from the description of the embodiments in conjunction with the following drawings, in which:

[0024] Figure 1 It is a structural schematic diagram of the negative pressure liquid cooling system of the present application;

[0025] Figure 2 It is a structural schematic diagram of a negative pressure cooling capacity distribution unit in the negative pressure liquid cooling system of the present application;

[0026] Figure 3 It is a structural schematic diagram of the negative pressure external pipe network in the negative pressure liquid cooling system of the present application;

[0027] Figure 4 It is a structural schematic diagram of the negative pressure cabinet in the negative pressure liquid cooling system of the present application.

[0028] Reference numerals:

[0029] Negative pressure external pipe network 101; first gas pipeline 102; first liquid pipeline 103;

[0030] Negative pressure cooling capacity distribution unit 201; second gas pipeline 202; second liquid pipeline 203; first vacuum pump 204; first vacuum tank 205; heat exchanger 206; liquid pump 207; second vacuum pump 208; second vacuum tank 209; liquid replenishing structure 210;

[0031] Negative pressure cabinet 301; liquid supply pipeline 302; liquid return pipeline 303; server 304; upper liquid level switch 305; lower liquid level switch 306; buffer tank 307;

[0032] A first pressure sensor 401 ; a second pressure sensor 402 ; a third pressure sensor 403 ; a fourth pressure sensor 404 ; a temperature sensor 405 ; a flow sensor 406 ; a liquid level sensor 407 ; and a solenoid valve 408 . DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0033] This section will combine Figures 1 to 4 Embodiments of the present application are described in detail, and examples of the embodiments are shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein the same or similar reference numerals throughout represent the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and are only used to explain the present application, and cannot be understood as limiting the present application.

[0034] In the description of the present application, it should be understood that if the terms "center", "middle", "longitudinal", "lateral", "length", "width", "thickness", "up", "down", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inside", "outside", "axial", "radial", "circumferential" and the like are used to indicate the orientation or position relationship based on the orientation or position relationship shown in the drawings, it is only for the convenience of describing the present application and simplifying the description, and does not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation on the present application. The features defined as "first" and "second" are used to distinguish the feature names, rather than having special meanings. In addition, the features defined as "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the features. In the description of the present application, unless otherwise specified, "multiple" means two or more.

[0035] In the description of this application, it should be noted that, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "installed", "connected", and "connected" should be understood in a broad sense, for example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be a direct connection, or it can be indirectly connected through an intermediate medium, or it can be the internal communication of two components. For ordinary technicians in this field, the specific meanings of the above terms in this application can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0036] like Figure 1 , Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, an embodiment of the present application provides a negative pressure liquid cooling system, which includes a negative pressure external pipe network 101, a negative pressure cooling capacity distribution unit 201 and a negative pressure cabinet 301.

[0037] Several negative pressure cabinets 301 are connected to the negative pressure external pipe network 101, and the liquid in the negative pressure liquid cooling system flows into each negative pressure cabinet 301 through the negative pressure external pipe network 101. Under the circulation of the liquid, the liquid can take the heat generated in the negative pressure cabinet 301 away from the negative pressure cabinet 301, thereby playing a heat dissipation role in a liquid cooling manner.

[0038] The negative pressure cooling capacity distribution unit 201 is connected to the negative pressure external pipe network 101 , and the negative pressure cooling capacity distribution unit 201 can be indirectly connected to each negative pressure cabinet 301 . On the one hand, the negative pressure cooling capacity distribution unit 201 can provide power for the liquid in the negative pressure liquid cooling system, so that the liquid circulates and flows, thereby continuously removing the heat generated by the negative pressure cabinet 301; on the other hand, the negative pressure cooling capacity distribution unit 201 can generate negative pressure in the pipeline where the liquid flows, that is, the pressure in the pipeline where the liquid flows is less than the atmospheric pressure. When the pipeline leaks, the external gas will enter the pipeline along the leakage position to prevent the liquid in the pipeline from flowing out, thereby protecting the various working components in the negative pressure cabinet 301; at the same time, when the pipeline where the liquid flows inhales too much external gas in the event of a leak, the gas will accumulate in the negative pressure cabinet 301, making it difficult for the liquid to flow through each working component in the negative pressure cabinet 301, and the heat dissipation effect of some working components will be affected. The negative pressure cooling capacity distribution unit 201 can extract the gas accumulated in the negative pressure cabinet 301, thereby ensuring the heat dissipation of each working component.

[0039] In some examples, such as Figure 3 As shown, the negative pressure external pipe network 101 includes a first gas pipeline 102 and a first liquid pipeline 103 , and the negative pressure external pipe network 101 is connected to the negative pressure cooling capacity distribution unit 201 through the first gas pipeline 102 and the first liquid pipeline 103 .

[0040] The first liquid pipeline 103 is connected to the negative pressure cabinet 301, and is used to pass liquid and further introduce the liquid into the negative pressure cabinet 301. In addition, the first liquid pipeline 103 can also receive liquid derived from the negative pressure cabinet 301, so that the liquid that has absorbed the heat in the negative pressure cabinet 301 can be separated from the negative pressure cabinet 301, thereby realizing a liquid cooling heat dissipation method.

[0041] Furthermore, the first gas pipeline 102 is connected to the negative pressure cabinet 301 . When a leak occurs in the pipeline where liquid flows, causing gas accumulation, the negative pressure cooling capacity distribution unit 201 extracts the accumulated gas through the first gas pipeline 102 .

[0042] Specifically, the first liquid pipeline 103 is arranged in a ring shape, so that a plurality of negative pressure cabinets 301 are arranged in a ring shape while being connected to the first liquid pipeline 103, which is beneficial to improving the utilization of space. At the same time, according to the requirements of the use scenario, the first gas pipeline 102 can be arranged in a linear or ring shape.

[0043] like Figure 2As shown, the negative pressure cooling capacity distribution unit 201 includes a second gas pipeline 202 and a second liquid pipeline 203. Ports are present at both ends of the first gas pipeline 102. The second gas pipeline 202 is connected to the first gas pipeline 102 through the ports to form a gas path structure. The end of the second gas pipeline 202 is connected to the external atmosphere, and the gas path structure can discharge the internal gas.

[0044] Furthermore, the two ends of the second liquid pipeline 203 are set as a liquid supply port and a liquid return port, and there are a liquid inlet port and a liquid outlet port on the first liquid pipeline 103. The liquid supply port is connected to the liquid inlet port, and the liquid return port is connected to the liquid outlet port, so the second liquid pipeline 203 and the first liquid pipeline 103 form a liquid circulation structure.

[0045] It is understandable that during the circulation of the liquid in the liquid circulation structure, the liquid will pass through the negative pressure cabinet 301 and dissipate heat to the working parts in the negative pressure cabinet 301. Negative pressure is maintained in the liquid circulation structure. When a leak occurs in the pipeline inside the liquid circulation structure or the negative pressure cabinet 301, gas enters the corresponding pipeline. Negative pressure is also maintained in the gas circuit structure. When the gas entering the pipeline from the external environment accumulates to a certain amount, the gas circuit structure will extract this part of the gas into the external atmosphere.

[0046] Among them, in order to ensure the air extraction effect of the gas circuit structure and the liquid flow effect of the liquid circuit circulation structure, the negative pressure external pipe network 101 can connect multiple negative pressure cooling distribution units 201. When the negative pressure external pipe network 101 is connected to multiple negative pressure cooling distribution units 201, it is only necessary to set corresponding ports on the first gas pipeline 102 and the first liquid pipeline 103.

[0047] Specifically, the negative pressure external pipe network 101 is connected to two negative pressure cold capacity distribution units 201, and the two negative pressure cold capacity distribution units 201 have two second gas pipelines 202, and the two second gas pipelines 202 are respectively connected to the ports at both ends of the first gas pipeline 102, so that both ends of the first gas pipeline 102 can absorb the excess gas in the pipeline. Two liquid inlet ports and two liquid outlet ports are set on the first liquid pipeline 103, and the two negative pressure cold capacity distribution units 201 have two liquid supply ports and two liquid return ports, and the two liquid supply ports are respectively connected to the two liquid inlet ports, and the two liquid return ports are respectively connected to the two liquid outlet ports, so that there are two second liquid pipelines 203 in the liquid circulation structure.

[0048] like Figure 4As shown, the negative pressure cabinet 301 is used to store the server 304, and the liquid in the liquid circulation structure dissipates heat for the server 304. Since the negative pressure cabinet 301 needs to be connected to the gas circuit structure and the liquid circuit circulation structure, the negative pressure cabinet 301 is arranged between the first gas pipeline 102 and the first liquid pipeline 103. When it is necessary to dissipate heat for the servers 304 in multiple negative pressure cabinets 301 at the same time, each negative pressure cabinet 301 needs to be connected to the gas circuit structure and the liquid circuit circulation structure, and then each negative pressure cabinet 301 is connected in parallel.

[0049] The negative pressure cabinet 301 includes a liquid supply pipeline 302 and a liquid return pipeline 303. Liquid enters the negative pressure cabinet 301 from the liquid supply pipeline 302 and is led out of the negative pressure cabinet 301 from the liquid return pipeline 303. In order to connect the liquid supply pipeline 302 with the liquid return pipeline 303 to form a channel for liquid circulation, a connecting pipeline is provided between the liquid supply pipeline 302 and the liquid return pipeline 303, and the server 304 is provided on the connecting pipeline. When there are multiple servers 304 in the negative pressure cabinet 301, multiple connecting pipelines are provided, and each connecting pipeline is responsible for the heat dissipation of a single server 304.

[0050] Specifically, the liquid supply pipeline 302 and the liquid return pipeline 303 are approximately vertically arranged, and there is a certain height difference between the connecting pipelines. Therefore, the servers 304 in the negative pressure cabinet 301 are also at different heights.

[0051] When leakage occurs in the liquid circulation structure or the pipelines in the negative pressure cabinet 301, external gas will enter the pipeline. Due to the buoyancy of the gas, it will accumulate at the position with the highest height in the pipeline. The gas entering from the leakage position will accumulate at the top of the liquid supply pipeline 302 or the liquid return pipeline 303. The gas path structure is used to extract the gas accumulated at the top of the liquid supply pipeline 302 or the liquid return pipeline 303.

[0052] like Figure 2 As shown, in some examples, a gas negative pressure regulating component is provided on the second gas pipeline 202, and the gas negative pressure regulating component can extract the gas in the gas circuit structure to the external atmosphere. On the one hand, during the process of extracting gas, the gas accumulated at the top of the liquid supply pipeline 302 or the liquid return pipeline 303 will be extracted to the atmosphere; on the other hand, as the gas is extracted, the inside of the gas circuit structure can always maintain a negative pressure, and the negative pressure helps the gas accumulated at the top of the liquid supply pipeline 302 or the liquid return pipeline 303 to automatically enter the gas circuit structure, preparing for the discharge of the gas.

[0053] In some examples, the gas negative pressure regulating component includes a first vacuum pump 204, the gas outlet of the first vacuum pump 204 faces the external atmosphere, and the first vacuum pump 204 can extract the gas inside the gas circuit structure and discharge the gas to the atmosphere, thereby ensuring the negative pressure inside the gas circuit structure in a one-way gas extraction manner. When a leak occurs in the pipeline in the liquid circulation structure or the negative pressure cabinet 301, the first vacuum pump 204 discharges the gas accumulated at the top of the liquid supply pipeline 302 or the liquid return pipeline 303 to the outside of the system.

[0054] Among them, a solenoid valve 408 is arranged next to the first vacuum pump 204. When the solenoid valve 408 is closed, the first vacuum pump 204 is isolated outside the gas path structure; when the solenoid valve 408 is opened, the first vacuum pump 204 can extract the gas in the gas path structure. Since the gas path structure always maintains a negative pressure, when the solenoid valve 408 is opened first and then the first vacuum pump 204 is opened, external gas may be sucked into the gas path structure. Therefore, when using the first vacuum pump 204 to extract gas, it is necessary to open the first vacuum pump 204 first and then open the solenoid valve 408.

[0055] In some examples, the gas negative pressure regulating assembly further includes a first vacuum tank 205, the first vacuum tank 205 is connected to the first vacuum pump 204, and the solenoid valve 408 is located between the first vacuum tank 205 and the first vacuum pump 204. When the first vacuum pump 204 is evacuating gas, the gas in the gas path structure first enters the first vacuum tank 205, then is discharged from the first vacuum tank 205 to the first vacuum pump 204, and finally is discharged to the atmosphere.

[0056] Among them, the first vacuum tank 205 maintains a normal negative pressure, shortening the negative pressure establishment time required for the vacuum work. If the pipe diameter of the gas path structure is larger and can accommodate more gas inside, the gas path structure itself is equivalent to the first vacuum tank 205. In this case, there is no need to set up the first vacuum tank 205.

[0057] like Figure 2 As shown, in some examples, a heat exchanger 206, a liquid pump 207 and a liquid negative pressure regulating assembly connected in series are provided on the second liquid pipeline 203. The liquid pump 207 provides a circulating power for the liquid inside the liquid circulation structure, so that the liquid continuously removes the heat in the negative pressure cabinet 301 in a heat exchange manner.

[0058] The heat exchanger 206 is used to cool the liquid in the liquid circulation structure. When the liquid absorbs the heat in the negative pressure cabinet 301, the temperature will rise. During the circulation process, the temperature rise of the liquid is not conducive to the liquid continuing to take away the heat in the negative pressure cabinet 301. Therefore, when the liquid flows through the heat exchanger 206, the heat of the liquid is taken away by the heat exchanger 206, and the liquid returns to a lower temperature, which is convenient for ensuring the subsequent heat dissipation efficiency.

[0059] Furthermore, the liquid negative pressure regulating component can adjust the pressure inside the liquid circulation structure to maintain negative pressure inside the liquid circulation structure. When the liquid circulation structure or the pipeline inside the negative pressure cabinet 301 leaks, external gas enters the liquid circulation structure due to the negative pressure, thereby preventing the liquid in the liquid circulation structure from flowing out and causing damage to the server 304.

[0060] In some examples, the liquid negative pressure regulating assembly includes a second vacuum pump 208 and a second vacuum tank 209, the second vacuum tank 209 is connected to the second liquid pipeline 203, and the second vacuum pump 208 is arranged on the second vacuum tank 209 and connected to the external atmosphere. The second vacuum pump 208 can extract the gas in the second vacuum tank 209 to change the pressure in the liquid circuit circulation structure.

[0061] Furthermore, a solenoid valve 408 is provided next to the second vacuum pump 208. When the solenoid valve 408 is closed, the second vacuum pump 208 is isolated outside the liquid circuit circulation structure; when the solenoid valve 408 is opened, the second vacuum pump 208 can extract the gas in the second vacuum tank 209. Since the liquid circuit circulation structure always maintains a negative pressure, when the solenoid valve 408 is opened first and then the second vacuum pump 208 is opened, external gas may be sucked into the second vacuum tank 209. Therefore, when the second vacuum pump 208 is used to evacuate gas, it is necessary to open the second vacuum pump 208 first and then open the solenoid valve 408.

[0062] The second vacuum tank 209 is used to seal a certain amount of negative pressure gas so as to smoothly adjust the internal pressure of the pipeline when the second vacuum pump 208 is started. If there is no large amount of gas provided by the second vacuum tank 209, the internal pressure of the pipeline may change too quickly after the second vacuum pump 208 is started.

[0063] In addition, the second vacuum tank 209 has a certain liquid level under normal conditions, but is not filled with liquid. In this case, there is a certain amount of gas on the top of the second vacuum tank 209. The gas on the top of the second vacuum tank 209 is extracted by the second vacuum pump 208, so that the pressure inside the liquid circulation structure can be adjusted. If the second vacuum tank 209 is not provided, and there is no gas between the second vacuum pump 208 and the liquid circulation structure, the second vacuum pump 208 directly acts on the liquid in the liquid circulation structure. At this time, if it is necessary to maintain a negative pressure in the liquid circulation structure, it can only be achieved by extracting liquid from the outside. The water used in the data center is usually added with special preservatives, which is relatively expensive. Extracting liquid directly from the outside will cause great waste.

[0064] In some examples, a liquid replenishing structure 210 is provided on the second vacuum tank 209 . When a large loss of liquid occurs in the liquid circulation structure, the heat dissipation efficiency of the server 304 in the negative pressure cabinet 301 will be affected. The staff can replenish liquid into the second vacuum tank 209 through the liquid replenishing structure 210 .

[0065] In some examples, the negative pressure cooling distribution unit 201 also includes a detection component, which includes a first pressure sensor 401, a second pressure sensor 402, a third pressure sensor 403, a fourth pressure sensor 404, a temperature sensor 405, a flow sensor 406 and a liquid level sensor 407.

[0066] Among them, the first pressure sensor 401 and the second pressure sensor 402 are arranged on the second liquid pipeline 203, and the first pressure sensor 401 is close to the return port of the second liquid pipeline 203, and the second pressure sensor 402 is close to the liquid supply port of the second liquid pipeline 203. The first pressure sensor 401 and the second pressure sensor 402 are both used to detect the pressure in the second liquid pipeline 203; the third pressure sensor 403 is arranged on the first vacuum tank 205, and is used to detect the pressure in the first vacuum tank 205; the fourth pressure sensor 404 is arranged on the second vacuum tank 209, and is used to detect the pressure in the second vacuum tank 209; the temperature sensor 405 and the flow sensor 406 are arranged on the second liquid pipeline 203, and are used to detect the temperature and liquid flow in the second liquid pipeline 203 respectively; the liquid level sensor 407 is arranged inside the first vacuum tank 205 and the second vacuum tank 209, and is used to detect the liquid level height in the first vacuum tank 205 and the second vacuum tank 209.

[0067] like Figure 4 As shown, in some examples, since the liquid pump 207 provides power for the circulation of the liquid, the liquid can enter or exit the negative pressure cabinet 301 from the bottom of the negative pressure cabinet 301, and the bottoms of the liquid supply pipeline 302 and the liquid return pipeline 303 are connected to the first liquid pipeline 103.

[0068] Furthermore, when a leak occurs in the liquid circulation structure or the pipeline in the negative pressure cabinet 301, the gas entering from the leaking location will accumulate at the top of the liquid supply pipeline 302 or the liquid return pipeline 303. To ensure that the gas circuit structure can accurately extract the gas entering from the outside, the tops of the liquid supply pipeline 302 and the liquid return pipeline 303 are connected to the first gas pipeline 102.

[0069] At the same time, an upper liquid level switch 305 and a lower liquid level switch 306 are provided at the top of the liquid supply pipeline 302 and the liquid return pipeline 303. As more and more gas accumulates at the top of the liquid supply pipeline 302 or the liquid return pipeline 303, the amount of liquid in the liquid supply pipeline 302 or the liquid return pipeline 303 will decrease, which is intuitively manifested as a decrease in the liquid level in the liquid supply pipeline 302 or the liquid return pipeline 303. When the liquid level drops below the height of the server 304 at the highest position, it is difficult for the liquid in the liquid supply pipeline 302 to enter the connecting pipeline corresponding to the server 304 at the highest position, and the heat dissipation effect of the server 304 is reduced.

[0070] Therefore, the height of the lower liquid level switch 306 is greater than the height of the highest position server 304. When the liquid level drops to the lower liquid level switch 306, the system will start to extract gas from the top of the liquid supply pipeline 302 or the liquid return pipeline 303 to ensure that each server 304 can fully dissipate heat. As the gas is extracted, the liquid level in the liquid supply pipeline 302 or the liquid return pipeline 303 will gradually rise until the liquid level rises to the upper liquid level switch 305, and the system stops extracting gas. It can be understood that the height of the upper liquid level switch 305 is greater than the height of the lower liquid level switch 306.

[0071] In some examples, a buffer tank 307 is provided at the top of the liquid supply pipeline 302 and the liquid return pipeline 303, and the corresponding upper liquid level switch 305 is arranged inside the buffer tank 307. The buffer tank 307 serves to slow down the rise of the liquid level, avoid the pumping operation from starting and stopping too quickly, and prevent liquid from filling into the first gas pipeline 102 at the top.

[0072] Furthermore, a solenoid valve 408 is arranged between the buffer tank 307 and the first gas pipeline 102. The solenoid valve 408 is in a closed state under normal circumstances, isolating the first gas pipeline 102 from the liquid supply pipeline 302 and the liquid return pipeline 303. When the system detects excessive gas accumulation at the top of a specific liquid supply pipeline 302 or liquid return pipeline 303 through the lower liquid level switch 306, the solenoid valve 408 corresponding to the liquid supply pipeline 302 or liquid return pipeline 303 is opened, thereby accurately extracting the gas in the specific liquid supply pipeline 302 or liquid return pipeline 303, thereby avoiding the gas extraction process from affecting other negative pressure cabinets 301.

[0073] The embodiment of the present application provides a negative pressure liquid cooling control method, which uses the above-mentioned negative pressure liquid cooling system, including:

[0074] A first pressure value and a second pressure value are set. When the pressure in the second liquid pipeline 203 is greater than the first pressure value, gas is extracted from the second liquid pipeline 203 to the external environment. When the pressure in the second liquid pipeline 203 is less than the second pressure value, the extraction is stopped to maintain the pressure in the second liquid pipeline 203 between the first pressure value and the second pressure value.

[0075] The pressure in the second liquid pipeline 203 here refers to the feedback pressure of the second pressure sensor 402. The first pressure value is a certain value, which can be adjusted by the staff on the electric control panel additionally arranged in the system. It can be understood that the first pressure value is less than the atmospheric pressure so as to maintain a negative pressure in the second liquid pipeline 203. When the pressure in the second liquid pipeline 203 is too small, it will have a greater impact on the pump structures on the second liquid pipeline 203. The second pressure value is the minimum pressure allowed to avoid cavitation in the pump structures. The second pressure value can be set to the minimum value allowed under the most unfavorable working conditions, and can also be calculated in real time from the feedback values ​​of the flow sensor 406 and the temperature sensor 405.

[0076] When the pressure in the second gas pipeline 202 is greater than the pressure in the second liquid pipeline 203 , gas is extracted from the second gas pipeline 202 to the external environment to make the pressure in the second gas pipeline 202 lower than the pressure in the second liquid pipeline 203 .

[0077] When the pressure in the second gas pipeline 202 is greater than the pressure in the second liquid pipeline 203, the first vacuum pump 204 is started. The starting pressure of the first vacuum pump 204 can be set to the feedback value of the first pressure sensor 401, and this feedback value is between 0kPa and -20kPa. The pressure in the first vacuum tank 205 is pumped to 20kPa less than the feedback value of the first pressure sensor 401, thereby ensuring that the pressure in the gas circuit structure is lower than or close to the top pressure of the liquid supply pipeline 302 and the liquid return pipeline 303 of the negative pressure cabinet 301.

[0078] The pressure in the second gas pipeline 202 here refers to the feedback pressure of the third pressure sensor 403 , and the pressure in the second liquid pipeline 203 here refers to the feedback pressure of the first pressure sensor 401 .

[0079] When a leak occurs in the system and gas is sucked in, causing gas to accumulate at the top of the liquid supply pipeline 302 or the liquid return pipeline 303, the negative pressure value maintained by the gas path structure at the top of the negative pressure cabinet 301 can shorten the time required for the first vacuum pump 204 to establish negative pressure, or enable the first vacuum pump 204 to directly have the pressure required for exhaust, so that the first vacuum pump 204 can extract the gas inside the liquid path in a shorter time.

[0080] When gas is sucked into the liquid supply pipeline 302 or the liquid return pipeline 303 in the negative pressure cabinet 301, and the liquid level in the liquid supply pipeline 302 or the liquid return pipeline 303 drops to the second height, the pressure in the gas circuit structure is less than the difference between the pressure in the liquid circuit circulation structure and the pressure of the liquid column in the liquid supply pipeline 302 or the liquid return pipeline 303, and the gas circuit structure extracts gas from the liquid supply pipeline 302 or the liquid return pipeline 303.

[0081] The pressure in the gas circuit structure here refers to the feedback pressure of the third pressure sensor 403 , and the pressure in the liquid circuit circulation structure here refers to the feedback pressure of the first pressure sensor 401 .

[0082] When the liquid supply pipeline 302 or the liquid return pipeline 303 inhales gas due to leakage, bubbles will accumulate above the liquid supply pipeline 302 or the liquid return pipeline 303 due to buoyancy. Excessive gas accumulation will cause a certain height of air to be generated in the corresponding pipeline, resulting in serious uneven flow of the upper and lower servers 304, affecting the cooling effect of the IT equipment.

[0083] The second height is the height of the lower liquid level switch 306. When the liquid level in the liquid supply pipeline 302 or the liquid return pipeline 303 drops to the second height, the pressure in the pipeline increases, and the sum of the pressure at the top of the pipeline and the pressure of the liquid column in the cabinet return pipe is greater than the feedback value of the first pressure sensor 401, that is, the pressure at the top of the pipeline is greater than the difference between the feedback value of the first pressure sensor 401 and the pressure of the liquid column inside the pipeline. At this time, if the internal pressure of the gas circuit structure is lower than the feedback value of the first pressure sensor 401 and the pressure of the liquid column inside the pipeline, the internal pressure of the gas circuit structure must be lower than the pressure at the top of the pipeline. It is understandable that when the pressure in the gas circuit structure is lower than the pressure at the top of the pipeline, the gas circuit structure can remove the air at the top of the pipeline. At this time, open the corresponding normally closed solenoid valve 408 to extract the gas at the top of the pipeline until the liquid level rises to the position where the upper liquid level switch 305 is located.

[0084] When the liquid level in the liquid supply pipeline 302 or the liquid return pipeline 303 rises to a first height, the gas circuit structure completes the air extraction, which is the height of the upper liquid level switch 305 .

[0085] This application adopts a new liquid cooling architecture, and considers the pumping rate of the pressure-regulating vacuum pump and the energy saving of the pumping process in the setting of the vacuum tank. In terms of air leakage treatment, the rapid degassing method at the top of the liquid supply pipeline 302 and the liquid return pipeline 303 is taken into consideration to solve the problem of the applicability of the negative pressure liquid cooling system engineering. Since the liquid cooling pipeline usually adopts opaque rubber hoses and stainless steel metal pipes, when a leak occurs inside the cabinet, the location where the bubble is generated cannot be observed, and the traditional negative pressure system lacks an effective method to locate the leak point. This application installs a liquid level switch at the top of the liquid supply pipeline 302 and the liquid return pipeline 303, and locates the leaking cabinet in time through the abnormal position of the liquid level. In terms of equipment form and operation and maintenance methods, it is relatively close to the existing conventional cold plate liquid cooling system, with a low operation and maintenance threshold, suitable for large-scale deployment, and has important value in solving the hidden dangers of liquid cooling system leakage and reducing the cost of connection and sealing processes.

[0086] In the description of this specification, if the reference terms "one embodiment", "some examples", "some embodiments", "illustrative embodiment", "example", "specific example", or "some examples" appear, it means that the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described in conjunction with the embodiment or example are included in at least one embodiment or example of the present application. In this specification, the schematic representation of the above terms does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Moreover, the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described may be combined in any one or more embodiments or examples in a suitable manner.

[0087] The above describes the implementation methods of the present application in detail in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, but the present application is not limited to the above implementation methods. Various changes can be made within the knowledge scope of ordinary technicians in the technical field without departing from the purpose of the present application.

Claims

1. A negative pressure liquid cooling system, characterized in that: include: A negative pressure external pipeline network, including a first gas pipeline and a first liquid pipeline; A negative pressure cold capacity distribution unit, comprising a second gas pipeline and a second liquid pipeline, wherein the second gas pipeline is connected to the first gas pipeline to form a gas circuit structure, wherein negative pressure is maintained in the gas circuit structure, and the second liquid pipeline is connected to the first liquid pipeline to form a liquid circuit circulation structure, wherein negative pressure is maintained in the liquid circuit circulation structure; A negative pressure cabinet, each of the negative pressure cabinets is connected in parallel between the first gas pipeline and the first liquid pipeline, the negative pressure cabinet includes a liquid supply pipeline and a liquid return pipeline, and a number of servers are connected in parallel between the liquid supply pipeline and the liquid return pipeline; when the liquid circuit circulation structure leaks, external gas is sucked in and accumulated at the top of the liquid supply pipeline or the liquid return pipeline, and the gas circuit structure is used to extract the gas at the top of the liquid supply pipeline or the liquid return pipeline.

2. The negative pressure liquid cooling system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The second gas pipeline is provided with a gas negative pressure regulating component, and the gas negative pressure regulating component is used to maintain a negative pressure in the gas path structure.

3. The negative pressure liquid cooling system according to claim 2, characterized in that: The gas negative pressure regulating component comprises a first vacuum pump, the first vacuum pump is connected to the external atmosphere, and the first vacuum pump can extract the gas in the gas path structure to maintain a negative pressure in the gas path structure; When the liquid circuit circulation structure leaks, the first vacuum pump extracts gas at the top of the liquid supply pipeline or the liquid return pipeline through the gas circuit structure.

4. The negative pressure liquid cooling system according to claim 3, characterized in that: The gas negative pressure regulating assembly also includes a first vacuum tank, which is connected to the first vacuum pump. The gas passes through the first vacuum tank and reaches the first vacuum pump to discharge the gas path structure.

5. The negative pressure liquid cooling system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The second liquid pipeline is provided with a heat exchanger, a liquid pump and a liquid negative pressure regulating component connected in series. The heat exchanger is used to adjust the temperature of the liquid in the liquid circulation structure, the liquid pump provides flow power for the liquid in the liquid circulation structure, and the liquid negative pressure regulating component is used to adjust the pressure in the liquid circulation structure.

6. The negative pressure liquid cooling system according to claim 5, characterized in that: The liquid negative pressure regulating component includes a second vacuum pump and a second vacuum tank, the second vacuum pump is connected to the external atmosphere and the second vacuum tank, and the second vacuum pump can extract the gas in the second vacuum tank to reduce the pressure in the liquid circulation structure.

7. The negative pressure liquid cooling system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The negative pressure cooling capacity distribution unit further comprises a detection component, which is arranged on the second gas pipeline and the second liquid pipeline, and is used to detect pressure, temperature, flow and liquid level indicators at various locations of the negative pressure cooling capacity distribution unit.

8. The negative pressure liquid cooling system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The bottoms of the liquid supply pipeline and the liquid return pipeline are connected to the first liquid pipeline, and the tops of the liquid supply pipeline and the liquid return pipeline are connected to the first gas pipeline. The tops of the liquid supply pipeline and the liquid return pipeline are both provided with an upper liquid level switch and a lower liquid level switch, and the height of the upper liquid level switch is greater than the height of the lower liquid level switch; When the liquid level in the liquid supply pipeline or the liquid return pipeline reaches the position of the lower liquid level switch, the gas circuit structure extracts gas from the top of the liquid supply pipeline or the liquid return pipeline; when the liquid level in the liquid supply pipeline or the liquid return pipeline reaches the position of the upper liquid level switch, the gas circuit structure stops extracting gas.

9. The negative pressure liquid cooling system according to claim 8, characterized in that: A buffer tank is disposed on the top of the liquid supply pipeline and the liquid return pipeline, and each upper liquid level switch is disposed in each buffer tank.

10. A negative pressure liquid cooling control method, applied to the negative pressure liquid cooling system according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that: A first pressure value and a second pressure value are set, and when the pressure in the second liquid pipeline is greater than the first pressure value, gas is extracted from the second liquid pipeline to the external environment, and when the pressure in the second liquid pipeline is less than the second pressure value, gas extraction is stopped, so that the pressure in the second liquid pipeline is maintained between the first pressure value and the second pressure value; When the pressure in the second gas pipeline is greater than the pressure in the second liquid pipeline, gas is extracted from the second gas pipeline to the external environment so that the pressure in the second gas pipeline is less than the pressure in the second liquid pipeline; When gas is sucked into the liquid supply pipeline or the liquid return pipeline in the negative pressure cabinet, and the liquid level in the liquid supply pipeline or the liquid return pipeline drops to the second height, the pressure in the gas circuit structure is less than the difference between the pressure in the liquid circuit circulation structure and the pressure of the liquid column in the liquid supply pipeline or the liquid return pipeline, and the gas circuit structure extracts gas from the liquid supply pipeline or the liquid return pipeline; When the liquid level in the liquid supply pipeline or the liquid return pipeline rises to a first height, the gas pumping of the gas path structure is completed.

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