Device for cooling data center computer server by adopting phase change material

Abstract

The invention relates to a cooling device (1) for at least one data center computer server, where the device (1) comprises: a phase change material (5) configured to exchange heat with at least one component of the server; at least one heat exchanger (7) in communication with the heat transfer fluid circuit (3); the device (1) is configured to cool at least one component of the server by means of the heat stored in the phase change material (5) generated by the components of the server, and to release the heat stored in the phase change material (5) by means of the heat exchanger (7).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of data center servers, and in particular to thermal management of the servers, especially cooling, which can be achieved by using phase change materials and the like. Background Art

[0002] A data center is typically a building or a cluster of buildings within a building designed to house computer systems and related components such as telecommunications and storage systems.

[0003] Because the operation of computer systems is critical at the technical, scientific and / or commercial level, data centers generally contain redundant or backup components, as well as infrastructure for power supply, data communication connections, environmental controls (e.g., air conditioning, fire suppression), and various safety equipment.

[0004] Furthermore, data centers must operate 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and therefore consume a large amount of electrical energy and / or thermal energy.

[0005] “Heat consumption” refers to the use of energy necessary to regulate the temperature of computer servers and / or data centers, for example by using electrically powered air conditioning systems to cool the air flowing into the computer servers. This temperature regulation is essential to ensure the proper operation of the data center and its components, regardless of the country, whether temperate or tropical.

[0006] Therefore, usually, the air conditioning system is set to cool the ambient air and circulate it in the server, usually from the front to the back of the server, thereby cooling the components inside the server. In addition, in order to allow air to circulate more smoothly in the server, ventilation devices are usually installed at the back of the server. However, the power consumption and maintenance costs (fault repair, filter replacement, etc.) of these ventilation devices should not be underestimated.

[0007] In addition, people are familiar with the use of renewable energy sources that usually provide intermittent power, such as photovoltaic panels, wind turbines, etc., and combined with energy storage batteries, but this solution relying on battery storage is expensive and may cause electrical and fire hazards for high-power equipment.

[0008] Therefore, given the increasing number of data centers in use, there is an urgent need to find solutions to reduce their power consumption, carbon footprint and / or operating costs while maintaining the best possible operating conditions for these data center servers. Summary of the invention

[0009] The present invention therefore proposes to solve at least one of the above problems by a cooling solution which advantageously employs a phase change material (PCM) in combination with a renewable power source.

[0010] Therefore, the present invention relates to a cooling device for at least one computer server in a data center, wherein the device comprises:

[0011] a phase change material configured to exchange heat with at least one component of the server;

[0012] at least one heat exchanger in communication with the heat transfer fluid circuit;

[0013] The device is configured to cool at least one component of the server by storing heat generated by the component of the server in the phase change material on the one hand, and to release the heat stored in the phase change material through the heat exchanger on the other hand.

[0014] Thus, the cooling device is able to easily and quickly manage heat in server components by storing heat energy generated by server components through phase change materials, and can delay the management of the heat energy stored in the material, such as processing it during a period when heat management is more environmentally friendly and / or less costly.

[0015] Advantageously, the phase change material is arranged to directly exchange heat with at least one component of the computer server, which means that the heat transfer from the server component to be cooled to the phase change material is mainly achieved by conduction. The phase change material can then be in direct contact with the at least one component, or through one or more intermediate heat-conducting components (such as heat exchangers, thermal pastes, flanges, etc.).

[0016] It should be noted that the phase change material can also perform indirect heat exchange with at least one component of the server. "Indirect heat exchange" means that the heat exchange between the component and the phase change material is achieved through a fluid, such as gas (such as air) or liquid (such as water).

[0017] The cooling device is advantageously configured to cool computer server racks. It should be noted that each rack typically contains storage components (or hard disks) and at least one hub and / or network switch. Combining each rack with the cooling device of the present invention enables optimization and customization of the thermal management of the rack components, which helps to extend the useful life of the components and / or minimize the power consumption of cooling the computer server rack and its components.

[0018] According to a possible characteristic, the device comprises at least one renewable energy source, such as a photovoltaic panel, a wind turbine or the like, configured to power components of the device, for example said heat transfer fluid circuit and its subcomponents.

[0019] According to a possible characteristic, the device comprises an electronic monitoring unit configured to monitor the release of the heat stored in the phase change material, for example making the heat release dependent on the available amount of renewable energy and / or the energy price.

[0020] It should be noted that the heat release monitored by the unit is advantageously delayed, meaning that the moment when the phase change material stores heat is different and independent of the moment when the stored heat is released or consumed, for example, depending on the supply situation of renewable power sources and / or energy prices, making the cooling of servers more environmentally friendly and / or less costly.

[0021] Thus, the present invention makes it possible to delay the use of energy for cooling the phase change material until the most appropriate time. This allows the phase change material to be cooled when electricity prices are favorable, such as at night, thereby storing cold energy, and then using the stored cold energy to reduce or at least lower electricity consumption during the day (when electricity prices are usually higher).

[0022] According to another possible characteristic, the heat transfer fluid circuit is thermally coupled to a “heat pump” type circuit or a refrigeration system.

[0023] Advantageously, the heat transfer fluid circuit is configured to be connected to a heat sink which releases the heat stored in the phase change material.A "heat pump" type circuit or refrigeration system is generally a system which requires electricity to operate.

[0024] According to a first possible implementation of the present invention, the device comprises a ventilation unit configured to circulate an air flow through the server to the phase change material.

[0025] Advantageously, the ventilation unit is positioned to extract air from the server. Extracting air from the server requires in particular that the ventilation unit is advantageously located at the rear side of the server, so that the front side of the server is accessible for various operations, in particular maintenance operations. Furthermore, the ventilation unit advantageously comprises at least one fan-motor assembly and a battery.

[0026] According to a possible characteristic of the first mode, the air flow from the ventilation unit is directed to at least one cooling unit, which contains the above-mentioned heat exchanger and phase change material. For example, these cooling units are roughly cylindrical. The air flow is cooled while flowing through the column of the cooling unit and is subsequently discharged into the ambient air of the building and / or server room, or (directly) directed to the air intake of at least one computer server.

[0027] According to another possible characteristic of the first mode, the heat exchanger of the cooling unit comprises:

[0028] - a first configuration, in which a conduit for a heat transfer fluid of a heat transfer fluid circuit is provided;

[0029] - a second structure arranged around the first structure and configured to cool the airflow from the ventilation unit by transferring heat to the phase change material;

[0030] The first structure and the second structure are configured such that there is a gap between the structures, the gap defines a receiving space, and the phase change material is located in the receiving space.

[0031] According to another possible characteristic of the first mode, the air flow from the ventilation unit flows through the cooling unit from top to bottom.

[0032] The airflow heated by the server then flows through the cooling unit, for example, along the length of the cooling unit column structure, which facilitates heat transfer from the airflow to the phase change material.

[0033] According to another possible characteristic of the first mode, the heat transfer fluid circuit is configured so that the heat transfer fluid flows through the heat exchanger from bottom to top.

[0034] Advantageously, the phase change material first resolidifies at the material location at the bottom of the cooling unit.

[0035] According to another possible characteristic of the first mode, the ventilation speed of the ventilation unit is set so that the temperature of the air inside the server and / or the server components (measured by sensors located at appropriate locations) remains substantially constant.

[0036] According to a second possible implementation manner of the present invention, the device comprises a heat-conducting component, which connects at least one of the components of the server with the phase change material.

[0037] For example, the heat-conducting component is a structure that is in thermal contact with the component to be cooled through a heat-conducting paste, etc. For example, the heat-conducting component is made of a material with good thermal conductivity, such as metal, like copper, aluminum, etc.

[0038] According to another possibility of the second mode, the heat conducting component further comprises a Peltier thermoelectric module.

[0039] Peltier thermoelectric modules can accelerate the cooling of component temperatures and have the potential to enhance or even force heat transfer to phase change materials.

[0040] According to another possible characteristic of the second mode, the phase change material is housed in said heat exchanger connected to a heat transfer fluid circuit.

[0041] According to another possible characteristic of the second mode, the heat exchanger comprises:

[0042] - a first configuration, in which a conduit for a heat transfer fluid of a heat transfer fluid circuit is provided;

[0043] - a second structure arranged around the first structure and configured to cool the airflow from the ventilation unit by heat transfer through the phase change material;

[0044] The first structure and the second structure are configured such that there is a gap between the structures, the gap defines a receiving space, and the phase change material is located in the receiving space.

[0045] According to another possible characteristic, the device comprises a heat transfer fluid circuit comprising at least a pump and a heat exchanger associated with a refrigerant fluid circuit, for example arranged to operate in “heat pump” mode.

[0046] According to another possible characteristic, the device includes at least two temperature sensors selected from the following list: a server outlet air flow temperature sensor, a cooling unit inlet air flow temperature sensor, a cooling unit outlet air flow temperature sensor, a phase change material temperature sensor, a phase change material latent heat loading rate (curing) measuring device, such as a temperature sensor and / or a pressure sensor.

[0047] According to another possible characteristic, the monitoring electronics unit is configured to monitor a “heat pump” type circuit, a heat transfer fluid circuit, a ventilation unit and / or a cooling device.

[0048] In particular, the monitoring unit is arranged to monitor the heat transfer fluid flow through the circuit, the fluid flow through a "heat pump" type circuit, any component of the cooling device and / or the air flow through the ventilation unit or the like.

[0049] Advantageously, the monitoring unit is configured to adjust flow parameters of at least one fluid (air, heat transfer fluid, etc.) according to the real-time power consumption of the server or one of the racks of the server to stabilize the temperature of the server or a component thereof.

[0050] According to a second possible implementation manner of the present invention, all heat-generating components of the rack are directly mounted on a cooling unit equipped with a phase change material and / or on a pipe of a heat transfer fluid.

[0051] This configuration is suitable for new autonomous rack designs with integrated cooling systems. Phase change materials can store heat directly in the rack for later release without the need for strong ventilation. Other less heat-generating components can be cooled by convection or low-power light ventilation.

[0052] The invention also involves using a heat sink to optimize the "reloading" (usually solidification by cooling) of the phase change material according to the intermittent energy collected. If there is no such intermittent energy for a long time, the cooling unit will be powered directly by the mains.

[0053] It is noted that the PCM can advantageously be cooled and solidified at a temperature of about 15°C (non-limiting) to simultaneously condense and remove excess moisture from the cooling air stream and is not limited to other climate conditions (from deserts to the poles).

[0054] In the case of direct cooling of heat generating components, a phase change material that solidifies at ambient temperature (without limitation, about 20° C. to 24° C.) may be advantageously used to prevent any condensation on the cooling columns and racks.

[0055] It is important to note that any refrigerant fluid may be used to cool the phase change material, including a cooling water network (or any other gas or liquid) from a heat pump, or any other cooling method, including utilizing the Peltier effect. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0056] The present invention will be better understood through the following description of specific embodiments of the present invention, and other objects, details, features and advantages will be more clearly presented. These embodiments are introduced for informational purposes only and are not limiting, and refer to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0057] Figure 1 , marked as [ Figure 1 ] is a schematic view of a cooling device according to the present invention, which is used for temperature regulation of at least one server;

[0058] Figure 2 , marked as [ Figure 2 ] is a schematic view of a cooling device in one embodiment of the present invention;

[0059] Figure 3 , marked as [ Figure 3 ] is a schematic partial view of a cooling unit in a cooling device in one embodiment of the present invention;

[0060] Figure 4 , marked as [ Figure 4 ] is a schematic view of a cooling device in another embodiment of the present invention;

[0061] Figure 4 , marked as [ Figure 4 ],still Figure 4 A schematic perspective view of a heat exchanger in a cooling unit;

[0062] Figure 5 , marked as [ Figure 5 ],yes Figure 4 Schematic cross-section of a heat exchanger.

[0063] In addition, it should be noted that in the various drawings, the same reference numerals designate the same or similar components. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0064] Figure 1 is a schematic partial view of a cooling device 1 according to a first embodiment, the device being intended to cool at least one server S or a group of computer servers (wherein a server may comprise one or more "racks") in a data center.

[0065] The device 1 according to the invention can be suitable for cooling each server S and / or for centrally cooling a group of servers without limitation on the number of servers.

[0066] The device 1 comprises at least one cooling unit 2 and a ventilation unit V, which is configured to circulate an air flow F through the at least one server S to the cooling unit 2.

[0067] For example, the ventilation unit V includes at least one fan and / or a fan-motor assembly, wherein at least one fan is positioned to draw air from the at least one server S, such as at the rear of the at least one server S. The ventilation unit V may also include at least one battery to power the at least one fan and / or fan-motor assembly, particularly in the event of a possible power outage, and / or for using electricity previously produced and stored at a lower cost (or in a more environmentally friendly manner).

[0068] Therefore, the cooling device 1 comprises:

[0069] a phase change material 5 arranged to exchange heat with at least one component of the at least one server S (here by means of an air flow F);

[0070] At least one heat exchanger 7 is connected to the heat transfer fluid circuit 3 .

[0071] Specifically, Figure 1 An embodiment of the invention is shown, wherein the device 1 comprises a cooling unit 2 in which a heat exchanger 7 connected to a heat transfer fluid circuit 3 and a phase change material 5 are provided.

[0072] The device 1 is configured to cool at least one component of the server S by storing heat generated by a component of the server S in the phase change material 5 on the one hand, and release the heat stored in the phase change material 5 through the heat exchanger 7 (and the heat transfer fluid circuit 3) on the other hand.

[0073] Again, heat transfer is achieved by means of the airflow F flowing through the server S. The server S transfers heat to the airflow F (so that the airflow is heated up), and then the airflow F transfers heat to the phase change material 5 through the heat exchanger 7 .

[0074] It is important to note that a phase change material 5 (PCM) is a material that is able to change its physical state within a limited temperature range (latent heat) and in this way store and release heat.

[0075] The phase change material 5 advantageously has a melting temperature between -10°C and 25°C (for energy storage), preferably between -5°C and 20°C, and in the case of direct cooling as described below, even more preferably between 12°C and 18°C ​​or 18°C ​​and 28°C.

[0076] Figure 2 A schematic partial view of an embodiment of a cooling device 1 is shown, wherein a cooling unit 2 is substantially cylindrical and contains a heat exchanger 7 connected to a heat transfer fluid circuit 3 and a phase change material 5. It should be noted that the device 1 may include one or more cooling units 2.

[0077] Therefore, the cooling unit 2 is configured such that the airflow F from the ventilation unit V is directed through the cooling unit 2. In the process, the airflow is cooled while flowing through the columnar structure of the cooling unit 2 and is subsequently discharged into the ambient air of the building and / or server room, or (directly) directed to the air intake of at least one computer server. It should be noted that the airflow from the ventilation unit V preferably flows through the cooling unit 2 from top to bottom.

[0078] The heat transfer fluid circuit 3 includes a pump 9, which is used to circulate the heat transfer fluid in the circuit 3, in particular, to make the heat transfer fluid flow from bottom to top through the heat exchanger 7 of the cooling unit 2, and another heat exchanger 23 (called a coupling heat exchanger), which is thermally coupled to a radiator (not shown in the figure).

[0079] The heat transfer fluid circuit 3 is therefore connected to a radiator which is able to release part of the heat stored in the phase change material 5 by means of the heat transfer fluid.

[0080] Figure 3 yes Figure 1 and Figure 2 A schematic cross-sectional view of an embodiment of the cooling unit 2 in the device 1 is shown.

[0081] Therefore, the heat transfer fluid circuit 3 comprises:

[0082] - a pump 9 for circulating the heat transfer fluid in said circuit 3;

[0083] - a stop valve 11, which is used to stop the heat transfer fluid from flowing in the circuit 3; stopping the circulation of the heat transfer fluid can limit or stop the heat storage or release between the heat transfer fluid and the phase change material 5;

[0084] at least one additional, optional air flow circulation device 13 for circulating the air flow F along the heat exchanger 7 .

[0085] It should be noted that the heat transfer fluid is preferably water, an ethylene glycol aqueous solution (ie, a mixture of water and ethylene glycol), ethylene glycol, etc., but may also be a refrigerant fluid.

[0086] An additional circulation device 13, such as a fan-motor assembly or a fan (i.e., a centrifugal fan), is capable of sucking (or "pushing") air through the cooling unit 2 and circulating the air along the heat exchanger 7, thereby cooling or heating the air (and thereby cooling or heating the space into which the air flows).

[0087] According to embodiments not shown, the heat exchanger 7 may have a different geometry and / or comprise various components so that the air can flow in the centre and / or at the edges of said heat exchanger 7 .

[0088] The cooling unit 2 further comprises a casing 32, in which, for example, the heat exchanger 7, the circulation device 13, a part of the loop 3, the shut-off valve 11, etc. are arranged.

[0089] The housing 32 is also provided with an air inlet 32a and an air outlet 32b, and air circulation is achieved by means of the additional circulation device 13 and / or the ventilation unit V. In addition, it should be noted that the air inlet 32a can be arranged to draw in air from the outside (usually dry air), and / or to draw in air that has been thermally conditioned by the cooling unit 2 (also called circulating air).

[0090] Advantageously, the portion of the circuit 3 not in the housing 32 is thermally isolated from the outside, for example by means of an insulating layer 46. This insulation reduces heat losses of the heat transfer fluid before reaching the phase change material 5 (this is particularly important when the portion of the circuit outside the housing is large).

[0091] Furthermore, the cooling unit 2 may further comprise a jacket, in which the heat exchanger 7 is preferably placed, wherein the jacket 21 is advantageously made of a heat-insulating material.

[0092] The cooling unit 2 also includes:

[0093] an electronic monitoring unit 15, configured to monitor, in particular, the circulation of the heat transfer fluid in the circuit 3, and / or the circulation of the airflow through the cooling unit 2 and / or through the at least one server S (such as flow rate, speed, etc.) (thus monitoring the ventilation unit V and / or the additional circulation device 13);

[0094] The human-machine interface 17, said human-machine interface (or user interface) comprises all components enabling a user to interact with the unit, more specifically, can be used to monitor the unit and / or exchange information with the unit.

[0095] The human-machine interface includes, for example, one or more of the following components: buttons, keyboards, screens, touch screens, knobs, indicator lights, etc.

[0096] Figure 4 A schematic partial view of the device 1 in another variant of the first embodiment of the present invention is shown, wherein ( Figure 2 The heat sink of the device 1 is a “heat pump” type circuit 4. Then, the device 1 comprises a “heat pump” type circuit 4 (eg, in which a refrigerant fluid flows), which is thermally coupled to the heat transfer fluid circuit 3 via a heat exchanger 23.

[0097] The heat pump type circuit 4 also comprises: a compressor C, a pressure regulator D1, a heat exchanger H1 (for example, operating as an evaporator) and a heat exchanger H2 (for example, operating as a condenser). The circuit 4 also advantageously comprises a bypass branch, which comprises a through valve V coupled to the heat exchanger 23. Thus, the circuit 4 and its various components are configured to implement a thermodynamic cycle, absorbing heat from the heat exchanger 23 (and thus from the heat transfer fluid) and rejecting heat in the heat exchanger H1, for example by transferring heat to the air flow F flowing through the heat exchanger H1.

[0098] In another embodiment not shown, the coupling heat exchanger 23 is connected to a refrigeration system, for example, a refrigerant fluid flows in the refrigeration system.

[0099] However, it should be noted that, regardless of the variant or implementation, and without causing any technical problems, the unit 2 may include at least two (not shown in the figure) temperature sensors selected from the following types: server outlet air flow temperature sensor, cooling unit inlet air flow temperature sensor, cooling unit outlet air flow temperature sensor, phase change material temperature sensor, phase change material latent heat loading rate (solidification) measuring device, such as a temperature sensor and / or a pressure sensor.

[0100] The electronic monitoring unit 15 is therefore optimally configured to monitor a “heat pump” type circuit, a heat transfer fluid circuit, a ventilation unit, an additional circulation device and / or a cooling device.

[0101] Specifically, the electronic monitoring unit 15 can be configured to monitor the flow rate of the heat transfer fluid in the circuit 3, the flow rate of the fluid (e.g., refrigerant fluid) in the "heat pump" type circuit 4 and / or the flow rate of air through the ventilation unit V, etc., and can generally monitor any component of the cooling device.

[0102] like Figure 5 and Figure 6 More specifically, the cross-sectional view and the perspective view of the heat exchanger 7 are shown, respectively. The heat exchanger 7 includes:

[0103] - a first structure 110, for example, having a pipe 110a for passing a heat transfer fluid at its center;

[0104] A second structure 120 surrounding the first structure 110 , ie surrounding the duct 110 a , for example concentric with the first structure 110 .

[0105] The first structure 110 and the second structure 120 are designed such that there is a gap therebetween, and the gap forms a cavity in which the phase change material 5 is placed (or stored).

[0106] In addition, it should be noted that the heat exchanger 7 and its first and second structures 110 and 120 are preferably made of metal heat conductive materials such as aluminum and made into independent columns. The number and size of the columns depends on the energy required to deal with one or more power intermittency problems.

[0107] For example, the heat exchanger 7 is manufactured by an extrusion process. In addition, the heat exchanger 7 is preferably in an elongated shape so that the conduit for the heat transfer fluid is as long as possible, thereby being able to transfer heat to the phase change material 5 or recover heat from the phase change material 5.

[0108] Therefore, according to a possible embodiment, the heat exchanger 7 comprises two aluminum extruded profiles 110 and 120, which are placed concentrically with each other. For example, the cross section of each profile can be circular, square, rectangular, etc. The first extruded profile, i.e. the first structure 110, is provided with a pipe 110a for the heat transfer fluid at its center.

[0109] Thus, the air flow F is cooled and / or heated by means of the second structure 120 of the heat exchanger 7, in particular through its outer surface. Furthermore, the structures 110 and 120 are advantageously provided with fins 111, 121 and 122 which increase the contact area and thus maximize the heat exchange.

[0110] Specifically, the fins 111 of the first structure 110 extend toward the second structure 120 of the heat exchanger 7, so that the fins 111 extend into the space where the phase change material 5 is stored, which increases the contact area between the phase change material 5 and the first structure 110 and promotes heat exchange between the heat transfer fluid F passing through the pipe 110a and the phase change material 5.

[0111] On the other hand, the fins 121 and 122 of the second structure 120 may extend outward from the second structure 120 (from its outer surface), such fins being referred to as outer fins 121, and / or extend from the inner surface of the second structure 120 toward the first structure 110, such fins being referred to as inner fins 122.

[0112] The outer fins 121 increase the contact area between the heat-conditioning airflow F (in this case, air flow) and the second structure 120, thereby promoting heat exchange; while the inner fins 122 increase the contact area with the phase change material 5, thereby promoting heat transfer between the material 5 and the heat transfer fluid and (or) airflow F.

[0113] It should be noted that the partial fins 111 of the first structure 110 and the inner fins 122 are designed to cooperate with each other to ensure a constant gap between the first structure 110 and the second structure 120 and to provide the assembly with good mechanical strength.

[0114] Advantageously, the outer periphery defined by the outer fins 121 has a geometric shape such as a square or a rectangle, which makes it easier to manufacture the jacket 21 for sleeved on the heat exchanger 7 .

[0115] Whatever variant or embodiment of the invention, the device 1 advantageously comprises at least one renewable energy source, such as a photovoltaic panel, a wind turbine, etc., configured to power components of said device 1, such as said heat transfer fluid circuit 3 and its subcomponents.

[0116] The device comprises an electronic monitoring unit configured to monitor the release of heat stored in the phase change material, for example, making the heat release a function of the amount of electricity available from the renewable energy source and / or the price of the energy.

[0117] In another embodiment not shown (referred to as the second mode), the phase change material 5 is configured to directly exchange heat with at least one component of the computer server S, which means that heat is transferred from the component of the server S to the phase change material 5 mainly by conduction.

[0118] The phase change material 5 may then be in contact with at least one component directly, or through one or more intermediate heat conducting objects (eg, heat exchangers, thermally conductive pastes, flanges, etc.).

[0119] Therefore, in this second embodiment of the invention, the device 1 comprises a thermally conductive object connecting at least one component of the server S and the phase change material 5 .

[0120] The heat conducting object is, for example, a structure that is in thermal contact with a component that needs to be cooled through a heat conducting paste, etc. For example, the heat conducting object is made of a material with good thermal conductivity, such as metal, such as copper, aluminum, etc.

[0121] The thermally conductive object may also include a Peltier thermoelectric module.

[0122] However, the phase change material 5 is always ideally arranged in a heat exchanger connected to the heat transfer fluid circuit 3 .

[0123] Thus, in this second embodiment, not shown, the heat exchanger comprises:

[0124] - a first structure, in which a pipe for circulating the heat transfer fluid in the heat transfer fluid circuit is provided;

[0125] - a second structure surrounding the first structure, the second structure being in contact with at least one component of the server and configured to cool the at least one component of the server (by transferring heat to the phase change material);

[0126] The first structure and the second structure are configured such that there is a gap therebetween, the gap forming a cavity, and the phase change material is located in the cavity.

[0127] In addition, in a variation of the second embodiment of the present invention, all heat-generating components of the server S are directly mounted on columns or cooling units containing phase change material 5, wherein these cooling units are located inside the server (or at least within a rack of the server) and are an integral part of the server.

Claims

1. A cooling device (1) for at least one computer server in a data center, characterized in that: The device (1) comprises: a phase change material (5) configured to perform heat exchange with at least one component of the server; at least one heat exchanger (7) connected to the heat transfer fluid circuit (3); The device (1) is configured to, on the one hand, cool at least one component of the server by means of heat generated by the component of the server stored in the phase change material (5), and on the other hand, release the heat stored in the phase change material (5) through the heat exchanger (7).

2. Device (1) according to the preceding claim, characterized in that The device (1) comprises at least one renewable power source configured to supply power to components of the device (1).

3. The device (1) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that The device (1) comprises an electronic monitoring unit (15) configured to monitor the release of heat stored in the phase change material (5).

4. The device (1) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that The heat transfer fluid circuit (3) is thermally coupled to a "heat pump" type circuit or a refrigeration system.

5. Device (1) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that The device (1) comprises a ventilation unit (V) configured to circulate an air flow through the server flow to the phase change material (5).

6. Device (1) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that The ventilation unit (V) is positioned so as to draw air from the server.

7. The device (1) according to claim 5 or 6, characterized in that An air flow (F) from the ventilation unit (V) is directed to at least one cooling unit (2), said cooling unit (2) comprising said heat exchanger (7) and said phase change material (5).

8. Device (1) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that The heat exchanger (7) of the cooling unit (2) comprises: - a first structure (110) in which a conduit (110a) for a heat transfer fluid of the heat transfer fluid circuit (3) is provided; - a second structure (120) surrounding the first structure (110) and configured to cool the air flow (F) coming from the ventilation unit (V) by transferring heat to the phase change material (5); The first structure (110) and the second structure (120) are configured such that a gap exists between the structures, the gap defines a receiving space, and the phase change material (5) is located in the receiving space.

9. The device (1) according to claim 7 or 8, characterized in that The airflow from the ventilation unit (V) flows through the cooling unit (2) from top to bottom.

10. The device (1) according to any one of claims 7 to 9, characterized in that The heat transfer fluid circuit (3) is configured to allow the heat transfer fluid to flow through the heat exchanger (7) from bottom to top.

11. The device (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: The device comprises a heat-conducting component connecting at least one of the components of the server with the phase change material (5).

12. Device (1) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that The heat conducting component also includes a Peltier thermoelectric module.

13. A data center, characterized in that: The system comprises at least one server (S), wherein the server (S) is equipped with a cooling device (1) according to any one of the preceding claims.

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