Temperature control of rack-mounted components of liquid-cooled type

Abstract

A liquid cooling method and system for a rack-mounted assembly to control the temperature of a cooling liquid is disclosed. The system includes a cooling circuit that circulates a cooling liquid to the rack-mounted component and a heated liquid from the rack-mounted component; and a dry cooling module for supplying a cooling liquid and receiving a heated liquid for recooling. A controller is communicatively coupled with the input liquid temperature sensor, the output liquid temperature sensor, and the valve. The controller determines an input cooling liquid temperature value, outputs an adiabatic liquid temperature value, calculates a temperature difference, and redirects at least a portion of the flow of adiabatic liquid exiting from the outlet of the rack-mounted assembly to the inlet of the rack-mounted assembly in response to the calculated temperature difference being below a target temperature difference.

Description

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This application claims priority from European Patent Application No. 24305206.5, filed on February 7, 2024, and entitled “TEMPERATURE CONTROL OF LIQUID-COOLED RACK-MOUNTED ASSEMBLIES,” the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0003] The present technology relates generally to the field of data center cooling measures, and more particularly to temperature control of liquid-cooled rack-mounted components in a data center. Background Art

[0004] Data centers and many other computer processing facilities house multiple rack-mounted components and the heat-generating electronic data processing elements within them. During operation, these heat-generating electronic data processing elements generate significant amounts of heat that must be dissipated to avoid electronic component failure and to ensure continued efficient processing operations.

[0005] To this end, various liquid cooling solutions have been implemented to facilitate the dissipation of heat generated by rack-mounted components. One such solution employs liquid block cooling technology to directly cool one or more heat-generating electronic data processing components. This technology utilizes a liquid cooling block having internal channels that receive cooling liquid from a cooling liquid source (e.g., a heat exchanger, dry cooler, municipal water supply, etc.) via a cooling loop to circulate the cooling liquid throughout the component. Thus, the liquid cooling block is positioned in direct thermal contact with the heat-generating electronic data processing components, such that the received cooling liquid absorbs the generated heat, and the heated liquid is circulated back to the cooling liquid source via the cooling loop for re-cooling.

[0006] Another liquid cooling solution uses liquid immersion cooling, in which heat-generating electronic data processing components are placed in an immersion enclosure containing a cooling dielectric fluid. In this way, the submerged heat-generating electronic data processing components dissipate heat, which is absorbed by the cooling dielectric fluid. The heated dielectric fluid circulates through the cooling dielectric fluid and returns to the cooling liquid source via a cooling loop for further cooling.

[0007] In this regard, hybrid liquid cooling solutions have been introduced that utilize a combination of liquid block cooling technology and liquid immersion cooling technology along with various cooling loops to maximize cooling of heat-generating electronic data processing components.

[0008] That being said, there remains interest in improving the temperature control of cooling liquid received by rack-mounted components, as well as the temperature control of the heated liquid returned to the cooling liquid source, to optimize cooling efficiency.

[0009] The subject matter discussed in the Background section should not be considered prior art simply because it is mentioned in the Background section. Similarly, the problems mentioned in the Background section or problems associated with the subject matter in the Background section should not be considered to have been previously recognized in the prior art. The subject matter in the Background section merely represents different approaches. Summary of the Invention

[0010] In a first broad aspect, the present technology provides a computer-implemented method for controlling the temperature of a cooling liquid of a rack-mounted component, the computer-implemented method comprising: determining an input cooling liquid temperature value of the cooling liquid entering the rack-mounted component; determining an output heated liquid temperature value of the cooling liquid exiting the rack-mounted component; calculating a temperature differential value based on the input cooling liquid temperature value and the output heated liquid temperature value; and responsive to the calculated temperature differential value being lower than a target temperature differential value, redirecting at least a portion of a flow of the heated liquid exiting an outlet of the rack-mounted component to an inlet of the rack-mounted component.

[0011] In some implementations, redirecting is performed by adjusting a valve.

[0012] In some implementations, the redirecting causes at least a portion of the flow of the heated liquid to be directed to an inlet of a second rack-mounted assembly that is downstream from the first rack-mounted assembly.

[0013] In some implementations, redirecting causes at least a portion of the flow of heated liquid to be directed to an inlet of the same rack-mounted component.

[0014] In some implementations, the method further includes using the machine learning model to predict power consumption of the rack-mounted component, and adjusting the valve based at least in part on the predicted power consumption of the rack-mounted component.

[0015] In some implementations, at least one rack-mounted component includes an air-to-liquid heat exchanger configured to receive cooling liquid entering the at least one rack-mounted component, and a liquid cooling block configured to receive cooling liquid from the air-to-liquid heat exchanger, the liquid cooling block being disposed in thermal contact with each of the heat-generating electronic data processing elements and configured to output cooling liquid exiting the rack-mounted component. The method further includes determining an intermediate heated liquid temperature value of the cooling liquid exiting the air-to-liquid heat exchanger and entering the liquid cooling block, determining a second temperature difference based on the input cooling liquid temperature value and the intermediate heated liquid temperature value, and reducing a flow rate of the cooling liquid in the rack-mounted component in response to the first temperature difference and the second temperature difference being below a first temperature threshold and a second temperature threshold, respectively.

[0016] In some implementations, the method further includes increasing a flow rate of the cooling liquid in the rack-mounted component in response to the first temperature difference being above a first temperature threshold and the second temperature difference being below a third temperature threshold.

[0017] In some implementations, the method further includes reducing a rotational speed of at least one fan of the air-to-liquid heat exchanger in response to the first temperature difference being below a first temperature threshold and the second temperature difference being above a second temperature threshold.

[0018] In a second broad aspect, the present technology provides a liquid cooling system for rack-mounted components. The system includes a cooling circuit configured to circulate cooling liquid to the rack-mounted components and to circulate heated liquid from the rack-mounted components; a dry cooling module configured to supply cooling liquid to the rack-mounted components and to receive heated liquid from the rack-mounted components for recooling and recirculation through the cooling circuit. The cooling circuit includes a pump for driving the flow of cooling liquid supplied by the dry cooling module and the flow of heated liquid received by the dry cooling module; an input liquid temperature sensor for measuring an input cooling liquid temperature value entering the rack-mounted components; an output liquid temperature sensor for measuring an output heated liquid temperature value exiting the rack-mounted components; and a valve for regulating and directing the flow of heated liquid exiting the rack-mounted components. The system further includes a controller communicatively coupled to the input liquid temperature sensor, the output liquid temperature sensor, and the valve. The controller is configured to: read an input cooling liquid temperature value provided by the input liquid temperature sensor; read an output heated liquid temperature value provided by the output liquid temperature sensor; calculate a temperature differential based on the input cooling liquid temperature value and the output heated liquid temperature value; and, in response to the calculated temperature differential being less than a target temperature differential, redirect at least a portion of the flow of heated liquid exiting the outlet of the rack-mounted component to the inlet of the rack-mounted component.

[0019] In some implementations, the system further includes: a heat exchanger disposed in thermal contact with each of the heat-generating electronic data processing elements of the rack-mounted assembly, the heat exchanger being fluidly coupled to the cooling circuit to receive a cooling liquid and to circulate the cooling liquid in the cooling circuit; and a liquid cooling block disposed in thermal contact with each of the heat-generating electronic data processing elements, the liquid cooling block being fluidly coupled to the cooling circuit to receive a cooling liquid and to circulate the cooling liquid in the cooling circuit.

[0020] In some implementations, the redirecting is facilitated by adjusting a valve.

[0021] In some implementations, the redirecting causes at least a portion of the flow of the heated liquid to be directed to a second liquid cooling block of a second rack-mounted assembly downstream from the first rack-mounted assembly.

[0022] In some implementations, the redirecting causes at least a portion of the flow of the heated liquid to be directed to a liquid cooling block of the same rack-mounted assembly.

[0023] In some implementations, the redirecting causes at least a portion of the flow of the heated liquid to be directed to a heat exchanger of the same rack-mounted assembly.

[0024] In some implementations, the system is further configured to circulate the superheated liquid via an auxiliary cooling circuit.The auxiliary cooling circuit includes a pump for driving the flow of the superheated liquid and a check valve for preventing backflow of the superheated liquid.

[0025] In some implementations, the controller is configured to predict power consumption of the rack-mounted component using a machine learning model and to adjust the valve based at least in part on the predicted power consumption of the rack-mounted component.

[0026] In some implementations, the valve is a three-way solenoid valve.

[0027] In some implementations, the target temperature difference is set to between about 10 degrees Celsius and about 30 degrees Celsius.

[0028] In the context of this specification, unless otherwise expressly specified, a computer system may refer to but is not limited to an "electronic device," "operating system," "system," "computer-based system," "controller unit," "monitoring device," "control device," and / or any combination thereof suitable for the relevant task at hand.

[0029] In the context of this specification, unless expressly provided otherwise, the expressions "computer-readable medium" and "memory" are intended to include media of any nature and kind, non-limiting examples of which include RAM, ROM, magnetic disks (CD-ROM, DVD, floppy disks, hard disk drives, etc.), USB keys, flash memory cards, solid-state drives, and tape drives. Still in the context of this specification, "a" computer-readable medium and "the" computer-readable medium should not be interpreted as the same computer-readable medium. On the contrary, where appropriate, "a" computer-readable medium and "the" computer-readable medium may also be interpreted as a first computer-readable medium and a second computer-readable medium.

[0030] In the context of this specification, unless otherwise expressly specified, words such as "first", "second", and "third" have been used as adjectives merely to distinguish the nouns they modify from each other, rather than to describe any specific relationship between these nouns.

[0031] Each implementation of the present technology has at least one of the objectives and / or aspects described above, but does not necessarily have all of them. It should be understood that some aspects of the present technology generated in an attempt to achieve the above-mentioned objectives may not meet the objectives and / or may meet other objectives not specifically described herein.

[0032] Additional and / or alternative features, aspects, and advantages of implementations of the present technology will become apparent from the following description, drawings, and appended claims. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0033] These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present technology will become more readily understood with reference to the following description, appended claims, and accompanying drawings, in which:

[0034] Figure 1 A high-level functional block diagram illustrating a liquid cooling apparatus for rack-mounted components according to implementations of the present technology is shown;

[0035] Figure 2 A high-level functional block diagram illustrating a liquid cooling apparatus for rack-mounted components according to another implementation of the present technology is shown;

[0036] Figure 3 A high-level functional block diagram illustrating a liquid cooling apparatus for rack-mounted components according to yet another implementation of the present technology is shown;

[0037] Figure 4 A flow chart illustrating a method of controlling the temperature of cooling liquid for rack-mounted components according to implementations of the present technology;

[0038] Figure 5 A high-level functional block diagram illustrating a liquid cooling apparatus for rack-mounted components according to yet another implementation of the present technology is shown;

[0039] Figure 6 is a high-level functional block diagram of a liquid cooling apparatus for rack-mounted components according to yet another implementation of the present technology;

[0040] Figure 7 According to the implementation of this technology Figure 6 A flow chart of a control process of a liquid cooling device; and

[0041] Figure 8 is a block diagram of a controller according to an embodiment of the present technology.

[0042] It should also be noted that unless otherwise explicitly stated herein, the accompanying drawings are not drawn to scale. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0043] The examples and conditional language described herein are primarily intended to help the reader understand the principles of the present technology, rather than to limit its scope to such specific examples and conditions. It will be appreciated that those skilled in the art can design various arrangements that, although not explicitly described or shown herein, still embody the principles of the present technology.

[0044] In addition, to facilitate understanding, the following description may describe a relatively simplified implementation of the present technology. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that various implementations of the present technology may have greater complexity.

[0045] In some cases, examples that are believed to be helpful for modifications of the present technology may also be described. This is done solely to aid understanding and is not intended to limit the scope of the present technology or to describe its limits. These modifications are not an exhaustive list, and those skilled in the art may make other modifications while remaining within the scope of the present technology. Furthermore, if no examples of modifications are described, it should not be interpreted as implying that modifications are impossible and / or that the content described is the only way to implement that element of the present technology.

[0046] Furthermore, all statements herein reciting principles, aspects, and implementations of the present technology, and specific examples thereof, are intended to encompass both structural and functional equivalents thereof, whether currently known or developed in the future. Thus, for example, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that any block diagram herein represents a conceptual view of an example system embodying the principles of the present technology. Similarly, it will be understood that any flow charts, job diagrams, state transition diagrams, pseudocode, etc. represent various processes that can be substantially represented in a non-transitory computer-readable medium and thus executed by a computer or processor, whether or not such computer or processor is explicitly shown.

[0047] The functions of the various elements shown in the figure (including any functional blocks marked as "processors") can be provided by using dedicated hardware and the hardware that can be combined with appropriate software to execute software. When these functions are provided by a processor, it can be provided by a single dedicated processor, a single shared processor or some of its shareable multiple independent processors. In some implementations of the present technology, the processor can be a general-purpose processor (such as a central processing unit (CPU)) or a processor dedicated to a specific purpose (such as a digital signal processor (DSP)). In addition, the term "processor" clearly used should not be interpreted as referring specifically to the hardware that can execute software, and may implicitly include but is not limited to application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), read-only memories (ROMs), random access memories (RAMs) and non-volatile memories for storing software. Other conventional and / or customized hardware can also be included.

[0048] Software modules, or simply modules implying software, can be represented herein as any combination of flow chart elements or other elements indicating the execution of process steps and / or textual descriptions. These modules can be executed by hardware, whether explicitly or implicitly shown. Furthermore, it should be understood that modules can include, for example, but not limited to, computer program logic, computer program instructions, software, stacks, firmware, hardware circuits, or combinations thereof, that provide the desired capabilities.

[0049] With these basics in mind, we will now consider some non-limiting examples to illustrate various implementations of aspects of the present disclosure.

[0050] Figure 1 The overall architecture of a liquid cooling system 101 for rack-mounted components 110A-110N according to implementations of the present technology is shown. As shown, the liquid cooling system 101 includes a dry cooling module 120, a cooling loop 130, a plurality of rack-mounted components 110A-110N, and a controller 140.

[0051] The dry cooling module 120 is configured to supply cooling liquid 122 to the rack-mounted components 110A-110N and is configured to receive heated liquid from the rack-mounted components 110A-110N. The dry cooling module 120 is configured to dissipate thermal energy from the heated liquid circulating through the dry cooling module 120 into the surrounding environment. For example, in a data center or similar computer processing facility, the dry cooling module 120 is operable to receive heated liquid (e.g., water circulating through a liquid cooling block in thermal contact with heat-generating electronic data processing elements) from the rack-mounted components 110A-110N and extract thermal energy from the heated liquid by dissipating the thermal energy into the surrounding environment via at least one heat exchanger and fan assembly (not shown), thereby re-cooling the heated liquid. The dry cooling module 120 is then operable to supply the re-cooled liquid back to the rack-mounted components 110A-110N.

[0052] The cooling liquid 122 supplied by the dry cooling module 120 is delivered to the rack-mounted components 110A-110N via the cooling circuit 130. Likewise, the heated liquid from the rack-mounted components 110A-110N is delivered back to the dry cooling module 120 via the cooling circuit 130. The cooling circuit 130 incorporates a pump 132 to maintain sufficient flow of cooling liquid, heated liquid, and subsequently recooled liquid throughout the liquid cooling system 101.

[0053] The cooling circuit 130 is configured to fluidly connect the rack-mounted components 110A-110N with the dry cooling module 120. The cooling circuit 130 can be constructed of a flexible material (e.g., rubber, plastic, etc.), a rigid material (e.g., metal, PVC pipes, etc.), or any combination thereof. It will be understood that the delivered cooling liquid 122 can include water, alcohol, or any suitable liquid capable of maintaining a sufficiently cool temperature.

[0054] like Figure 1 As shown in FIG, the cooling circuit 130 may further include an input liquid temperature sensor 134, a plurality of output liquid temperature sensors 136A-136N, and a plurality of valves 138A-138N.

[0055] The input liquid temperature sensor 134 is configured to measure the temperature of the incoming cooling liquid 122 entering the rack-mounted components 110A-110N, while the output liquid temperature sensors 136A-136N are configured to measure the temperature of the outgoing heated liquid exiting the corresponding rack-mounted components 110A-110N. Depending on environmental factors and the distance traveled, the temperature of the incoming cooling liquid 122 may be the same as or different from the temperature of the cooled / recooled liquid 122 supplied by the dry cooling unit 120.

[0056] In some non-limiting implementation examples, the valves 138A-138N may include three-way solenoid valves that are fluidly coupled to the respective rack-mounted components 110A-110N. Each valve 138A-138N is configured to regulate and direct the flow of heated liquid exiting the respective rack-mounted data processing components 110A-110N, or each valve 138A-138N is configured to regulate and direct the flow of heated liquid to a batch of multiple rack-mounted components in a data center. In this implementation, each fluid connection to a batch of multiple rack-mounted component racks may include a two-way solenoid valve to better direct the fluid to one or more associated racks (not shown) in the batch.

[0057] The rack-mounted components 110A-110N include various heat-generating electronic data processing components (e.g., central processing units, CPUs) 112A-112N, heat exchangers (e.g., rear door heat exchangers, RDHEXs) 114A-114N, and liquid cooling blocks (e.g., water blocks, WBs) 116A-116N. The heat exchangers 114A-114N and the liquid cooling blocks 116A-116N are arranged in thermal contact with the heat-generating electronic data processing components 112A-112N, respectively.

[0058] like Figure 1As shown in FIG, liquid cooling system 101 includes a plurality of rack-mounted components 110A-110N that receive a supply of cooling liquid 122 from a dry cooling module 120. Cooling liquid 122 enters rack-mounted components 110A-110N via inlets 124A-124N and circulates through heat exchangers 114A-114N and liquid cooling blocks 116A-116N. During circulation, cooling liquid 122 absorbs heat generated by heat-generating electronic data processing elements 112A-112N, and the heated liquid exits rack-mounted components 110A-110N via outlets 128A-128N. The heated liquid may then be transported back to dry cooling module 120 for further cooling, or it may be redirected to another rack-mounted component 110A-110N, as further described below.

[0059] The rack-mounted components 110A-110N may or may not be configured with similar heat-generating electronic data processing elements 112A-112N, and the heat-generating electronic data processing elements 112A-112N may not be used in exactly the same manner. Consequently, each of the rack-mounted components 110A-110N may have different temperature requirements for proper operation. In some implementations, the rack-mounted components 110A-110N are arranged in ascending order of power consumption to achieve efficient operation. More specifically, a first power consumption of a first rack-mounted component may be lower than a second power consumption of a second rack-mounted component. The second power consumption of the second rack-mounted component may be lower than a third power consumption of a third rack-mounted component, and so on. The third rack-mounted component is positioned downstream of the second rack-mounted component, which is in turn positioned downstream of the first rack-mounted component.

[0060] It will be understood that while the rack-mounted components 110A-110N are shown as being arranged in a parallel configuration, this is not meant to be limiting, as the rack-mounted components 110A-110N may also be arranged in a series or a combination of parallel and series configuration without departing from the concepts of the present disclosure.

[0061] As mentioned above, the heated liquid exiting each of the rack-mounted components 110A-110N is delivered to a corresponding valve 138A-138N. The temperature of the cooling liquid 122 entering the rack-mounted components 110A-110N and the temperature of the heated liquid exiting each rack-mounted component 110A-110N are measured by the input liquid temperature sensor 134 and the output liquid temperature sensors 136A-136N, respectively.

[0062] In some implementations, the controller 140 is communicatively coupled to the input liquid temperature sensor 134, to each of the individual output liquid temperature sensors 136A-136N of the respective rack-mounted components 110A-110N, and to each of the individual valves 138A-138N of the respective rack-mounted components 110A-110N.

[0063] Based on the measured temperature values of the incoming cooling liquid 122 and the outgoing heated liquid of each of the rack-mounted components 110A-110N, the valves 138A-138N are controlled to adjust and direct the flow of heated liquid exiting each of the rack-mounted components 110A-110N to balance and maintain an optimal temperature difference between the supply cooling liquid 122 and the return heated liquid of the liquid cooling system 101. Maintaining this optimal temperature difference results in improved efficiency of the liquid cooling system 101. In other words, the present technology can provide increased cooling capacity with the same amount of cooling liquid 122.

[0064] Having said that, Figure 4 A flow chart of a process 200 for controlling the temperature of cooling liquid 122 of rack-mounted components 110A-110N is shown according to an implementation of the present technology. In some implementations, process 200 or portions thereof may be performed by controller 140. Controller 140 may use a proportional-integral-derivative (PID) method, among other methods.

[0065] Process 200 begins at task block 210 where an input cooling liquid 122 temperature value of the cooling liquid 122 entering the rack-mounted components 110A-110N is determined. At task block 220, for each individual rack-mounted component 110A-110N, process 200 determines an output heated liquid temperature value of the cooling liquid exiting the rack-mounted component 110A-110N.

[0066] At task block 230, process 200 calculates a temperature differential for each of the individual rack-mounted components 110A-110N based on the input cooling liquid temperature value and the output heated liquid temperature value. Then, at task block 240, in response to the calculated temperature differential being lower than the target temperature differential, process 200 redirects at least a portion of the flow of heated liquid exiting outlets 128A-128N of the rack-mounted components 110A-110N to inlets 124A-124N, 126A-126N of the rack-mounted components 110A-110N. Various implementations of this redirection will be described in greater detail below. Following the redirection, process 200 terminates.

[0067] Refer again Figure 1 As shown, the liquid cooling system 101 also includes auxiliary cooling loops 151A-151N. Although not shown, the auxiliary cooling loops 151A-151N may also include auxiliary pumps to drive and maintain sufficient flow of the redirected heated liquid. Therefore, during process step 240 of process 200, as indicated by Figure 4 As shown, when the calculated temperature differential of the corresponding rack-mounted component 110A-110N is determined to be lower than the target temperature differential, the valve 138A-138N of the corresponding rack-mounted component 110A-110N redirects at least a portion of the flow of heated liquid exiting from the outlet 128A-128N to the auxiliary cooling circuit 151A-151N. The auxiliary cooling circuit 151A-151N delivers the heated liquid via the second inlet 126B-126N to the second liquid cooling block 116B-116N of the second rack-mounted component 110B-110N downstream from the corresponding rack-mounted component. The redirected heated liquid absorbs additional heat generated by the heat-generating electronic data processing elements 112A-112N of the second rack-mounted component 110B-110N, and the additional heated liquid exits the second rack-mounted component 110B-110N.

[0068] As long as the target temperature differential is not reached, the heated liquid will continue to be redirected to the second rack-mounted component 110B-110N downstream from the corresponding rack-mounted component, and so on to the third, fourth, Nth, and so on rack-mounted components 110B-110N. In this way, the target temperature differential can be reached more quickly and maintained more easily, thereby improving the efficiency of the liquid cooling system 101. In some implementations, the target temperature differential can be set to a range, such as, for example, between approximately 10 degrees Celsius and approximately 30 degrees Celsius. In some other implementations, the target temperature differential can be set to a discrete value, such as, for example, 20 degrees Celsius, or to a discrete value deemed appropriate for a particular liquid cooling system design.

[0069] If during process step 240 of process 200, as indicated by Figure 4 As shown, if the calculated temperature differential of the respective rack-mounted components 110A-110N is determined to be greater than the target temperature differential, the heated liquid is transported back to the dry cooling module 120 via the cooling circuit 130 for recooling without being redirected to the second rack-mounted components 110B-110N.

[0070] Figure 2 and Figure 3 An alternative implementation of the present technology is shown in which different types of valves and auxiliary cooling circuits are used in liquid cooling arrangements for rack-mounted components.

[0071] In particular, Figure 2 A general architecture of a liquid cooling system 102 for rack-mounted components 110A- 110N is shown in accordance with another implementation of the present technology. Figure 2 The liquid cooling system 102 and Figure 1 The liquid cooling system 101 is similar except that the valves 138A-138N are replaced by valves 139A-139N.

[0072] In some non-limiting implementations, the valves 139A-139N may include pressure-independent control valves (e.g., AB-QM valves) that are fluidly coupled to the respective rack-mounted components 110A-110N. Each valve 139A-139N is configured to regulate and direct the flow of heated liquid exiting the respective rack-mounted components 110A-110N.

[0073] In this implementation, the controller 140 is communicatively coupled to the input liquid temperature sensor 134, to each of the individual output liquid temperature sensors 136A-136N of the respective rack-mounted components 110A-110N, and to each of the individual valves 139A-139N of the respective rack-mounted components 110A-110N.

[0074] Based on the measured temperature values of the incoming cooling liquid 122 and the outgoing heated liquid of each of the rack-mounted components 110A-110N, the valves 139A-139N are controlled to adjust and direct the flow of heated liquid exiting each of the rack-mounted components 110A-110N to balance and maintain an optimal temperature difference between the supplied cooling liquid 122 and the returned heated liquid of the liquid cooling system 102. Maintaining this optimal temperature difference results in improved efficiency of the liquid cooling system 102.

[0075] like Figure 2 As shown in FIG, the liquid cooling system 102 further includes auxiliary cooling circuits 152A-152N. Each auxiliary cooling circuit 152A-152N includes an auxiliary pump 156A-156N to drive and maintain sufficient flow of the redirected heated liquid. Each auxiliary cooling circuit 152A-152N may also include a check valve 158A-158N to prevent backflow of the heated liquid.

[0076] Also refer to Figure 2 and Figure 4When the calculated temperature differential for the corresponding rack-mounted component 110A-110N is determined to be lower than the target temperature differential at process step 240 of process 200, the valve 139A-139N of the corresponding rack-mounted component 110A-110N redirects at least a portion of the flow of heated liquid exiting from the outlet 128A-128N to the auxiliary cooling circuit 152A-152N. The auxiliary cooling circuit 152A-152N delivers the heated liquid to the liquid cooling block 116A-116N of the same rack-mounted component 110A-110N via the second inlet 126A-126N. The redirected heated liquid absorbs additional heat generated by the heat-generating electronic data processing elements 112A-112N, and the additional heated liquid exits the rack-mounted component 110A-110N after being recirculated through the rack-mounted component 110A-110N.

[0077] As long as the target temperature differential is not reached, the heated liquid will continue to be redirected back to the same rack-mounted components 110A-110N to absorb additional heat. In this way, the target temperature differential can be reached more quickly and maintained more easily, thereby improving the efficiency of the liquid cooling system 102. In some implementations, the target temperature differential can be set to a range, such as, for example, between approximately 10 degrees Celsius and approximately 30 degrees Celsius. In some other implementations, the target temperature differential can be set to a discrete value, such as, for example, 20 degrees Celsius, or to a discrete value deemed appropriate for a particular liquid cooling system design.

[0078] If during process step 240 of process 200, as indicated by Figure 4 As shown, if it is determined that the calculated temperature differential of the corresponding rack-mounted components 110A- 110N is greater than the target temperature differential, the heated liquid is transported back to the dry cooling module 120 via the cooling loop 130 for re-cooling.

[0079] Figure 3 The general structure of a liquid cooling system 103 for rack-mounted components 110A- 110N is shown in accordance with yet another implementation of the present technology. Figure 3 The liquid cooling system 103 and Figure 2 The liquid cooling system 102 is similar except that the auxiliary cooling loops 152A-152N are replaced by auxiliary cooling loops 153A-153N.

[0080] Based on the measured input cooling liquid 122 temperature values and output heated liquid temperature values of each of the rack-mounted components 110A-110N, the valves 139A-139N are controlled to regulate and direct the flow of heated liquid exiting each of the rack-mounted components 110A-110N, thereby balancing and maintaining an optimal temperature differential between the supply cooling liquid 122 and the return heated liquid of the liquid cooling system 103. Maintaining this optimal temperature differential results in increased efficiency of the liquid cooling system 103.

[0081] like Figure 3 As shown, the liquid cooling system 103 further includes auxiliary cooling circuits 153A-153N. Each auxiliary cooling circuit 153A-153N includes an auxiliary pump 156A-156N to drive and maintain sufficient flow of the redirected heated liquid. Each auxiliary cooling circuit 153A-153N may also include a check valve 158A-158N to prevent backflow of the heated liquid.

[0082] Also refer to Figure 3 and Figure 4 When the calculated temperature differential for the corresponding rack-mounted component 110A-110N is determined to be lower than the target temperature differential at process step 240 of process 200, the valve 139A-139N of the corresponding rack-mounted component 110A-110N redirects at least a portion of the flow of heated liquid exiting from the outlet 128A-128N to the auxiliary cooling circuit 153A-153N. The auxiliary cooling circuit 153A-153N delivers the heated liquid to the heat exchanger 114A-114N of the same rack-mounted component 110A-110N through the inlet 124A-124N. The redirected heated liquid absorbs additional heat generated by the heat-generating electronic data processing elements 112A-112N, and the additional heated liquid exits the rack-mounted component after being recirculated through the rack-mounted component 110A-110N.

[0083] As long as the target temperature differential is not reached, the heated liquid will continue to be redirected back to the same rack-mounted components 110A-110N to absorb additional heat. In this way, the target temperature differential can be reached more quickly and maintained more easily, thereby improving the efficiency of the liquid cooling system 103. In some implementations, the target temperature differential can be set as a range, for example, between about 10 degrees Celsius and about 30 degrees Celsius. In some other implementations, the target temperature differential can be set as a discrete value (e.g., 20 degrees Celsius) or set to suit a specific liquid cooling system design.

[0084] If during process step 240 of process 200, Figure 4As shown, if the calculated temperature differential of the corresponding rack-mounted components 110A- 110N is determined to be above the target temperature differential, the heated liquid is transferred back to the dry cooling module 120 through the cooling loop 130 for re-cooling.

[0085] It should be understood that the implementations of the present technology described above may be modified. For example, in some implementations, the liquid cooling systems 101, 102, 103 may be combined at least in part or in their entirety. For example, in some implementations, the auxiliary cooling circuit may also include a three-way solenoid valve (not shown) to redirect at least a portion of the flow of the heated liquid to any one or both of the liquid cooling blocks 116A-116N and the heat exchangers 114A-114N of the same rack-mounted components 110A-110N. However, in some other modified implementations, such as Figure 5 As shown, the liquid cooling system 105 includes multiple auxiliary cooling circuits, and can redirect portions of the flow of heated liquid into multiple fluid paths via control valves 162A-162N, 164A-164N, and 166A-166N. Because the liquid cooling system 105 includes similar components with similar reference numerals as the liquid cooling system 101, for the sake of brevity, detailed descriptions of these components will not be repeated unless necessary for understanding the implementation.

[0086] Other modifications may also be made. For example, a flow sensor may also be added. Furthermore, in some implementations, the cooling circuit 130 may additionally or alternatively include a global output liquid temperature sensor (not shown). The global output liquid temperature sensor is configured to measure a global output heated liquid temperature value received by the dry cooling unit 120. The controller 140 may also be communicatively coupled to the global output liquid temperature sensor. Thus, the liquid cooling systems 101, 102, 103 may adjust the valves 138A-138N, 139A-139N to regulate and direct the flow of heated liquid exiting each of the rack-mounted components 110A-110N based, at least in part, on the measured input cooling liquid 122 temperature value and the global output heated liquid temperature value.

[0087] However, other modifications and improvements are possible.For example, in some implementations, the controller 140 may also adjust the valves 138A-138N, 139A-139N based at least in part on the predicted power consumption of the rack-mounted components 110A-110N.

[0088] Furthermore, in other implementations, the controller 140 may execute a machine learning model to determine the upcoming power consumption of the rack-mounted components 110A-110N. In an exemplary implementation, the machine learning model is based at least in part on the power consumption history of the rack-mounted components 110A-110N. The machine learning model may have been trained using a machine learning algorithm (MLA). A liquid cooling control model may be executed based at least in part on the upcoming power consumption estimated by the machine learning model to determine at least one control signal for controlling the liquid cooling system. Accordingly, the controller 140 may adjust the valves 138A-138N, 139A-139N to control the liquid cooling system based at least in part on the at least one control signal.

[0089] Figure 6 is a high-level functional block diagram of a liquid cooling arrangement 106 for rack-mounted components according to some implementations of the present technology. Because the liquid cooling system 106 includes similar components with similar reference numbers as the liquid cooling system 101, for the sake of brevity, detailed descriptions of these components will not be repeated unless necessary for understanding the implementations.

[0090] In this implementation, the liquid cooling arrangement 106 includes temperature sensors 127A-127N that are communicatively connected to the controller 140 and configured to determine the temperature of the cooling liquid at the outlet of the heat exchangers 114A-114N, respectively, and before entering the liquid cooling blocks 116A-116N, respectively. Thus, based on the data provided by the temperature sensors 134, 127A-127N, and 136A-136N, the controller 140 can determine the temperature of the cooling liquid at the outlet of the heat exchangers 114A-114N, respectively, and before entering the liquid cooling blocks 116A-116N, respectively. i Determine the following temperature differences:

[0091] ΔT WC,i =T out,i -T int,i , where T out,i is the temperature measured by the temperature sensor 136i, T int,i is the temperature measured by the temperature sensor 127i,

[0092] ΔT AC,i =T int,i -T in Among them, T int,i is the temperature measured by the temperature sensor 127i, T in is the temperature measured by the temperature sensor 134, and

[0093] ΔT TOT,i =ΔT WC,i +ΔT AC,i.

[0094] In use, the controller 140 of the liquid cooling arrangement 106 may execute Figure 7 The control pipeline 700 is shown to operate in a degraded mode and correct for faults that may occur during normal operation of the liquid cooling arrangement 106. The pipeline 700 is executed for each rack-mounted component 110 and is executed from the determination of ΔT at operation 702. TOT,i If not, the controller 140 determines ΔT at operation 706. TOT,i Is it lower than a predetermined value? Otherwise, the pipeline 700 ends at operation 704 .

[0095] In response to ΔT at operation 706 TOT,i is lower than a predetermined value, the controller 140 determines ΔT at operation 708 AC,i Is it lower than the first temperature threshold T min , and determine ΔT at operation 712 AC,i Is it higher than the second temperature threshold T max .

[0096] In response to ΔT at operation 708 AC,i Below a predetermined value, the controller 140 determines at operation 718 that the heat exchanger 114 i The fan of the rack-mounted component 110 is actually operating under normal conditions (eg, the speed is above a given threshold), and at operation 712, the rack-mounted component 110 is turned off. i The flow rate of the cooling liquid is reduced (e.g., by adjusting the rotational speed of the pump 132 and / or operating the rack-mounted components 110). i Entrance 124 i valve at the bottom).

[0097] In response to the heat exchanger 114 i The fan is actually operating under normal conditions, the controller 140 reduces the rotation speed of the fan to a predetermined value RPM min， and issues an alarm message ("Alarm 2") to the operator of liquid cooling arrangement 106 indicating that the amount of heat energy to be collected by liquid cooling arrangement 106 is relatively low. In response to the fan not being in a normal condition, controller 140 issues an alarm message to the operator of liquid cooling arrangement 106 indicating that heat exchanger 114 i The alarm message of the fan failure ("Alarm 3") is displayed.

[0098] In response to ΔT at operation 712 AC,i Higher than the second temperature threshold T max , the controller 140 issues instructions to the operator of the liquid cooling arrangement 106 to the rack mounted components 110i The controller 140 causes the rack-mounted components 110 to be reloaded at operation 712. i The flow rate of the cooling liquid in the cooling chamber is increased (e.g., by adjusting the rotational speed of the pump 132 and / or operating the rack-mounted assembly 110 i Entrance 124 i valve at the bottom).

[0099] It should be noted that at least some of the operations of pipeline 700 may be included in method 200 .

[0100] While the above implementations have been described and illustrated with reference to specific steps performed in a specific order, it should be understood that these steps may be combined, subdivided, or reordered without departing from the teachings of the present technology. At least some of the steps may be performed in parallel or serially. Therefore, the order and grouping of the steps are not limitations of the present technology.

[0101] As an example, Figure 8 8 is a schematic block diagram of a controller 140 of a liquid cooling arrangement 101, 102, 103, 105, 106 according to an implementation of the present technology. Controller 140 includes a processor or multiple co-processors (for simplicity, represented as processor 810), a memory device or multiple memory devices (for simplicity, represented as memory device 830), and an input / output interface 820 that allows controller 140 to communicate with other components of liquid cooling arrangement 101, 102, 103, 105, 106 and / or other components in remote communication with liquid cooling arrangement 101, 102, 103, 105, 106. Processor 810 is operatively connected to memory device 830 and input / output interface 820. Memory device 830 includes memory for storing parameters 834, including, for example, but not limited to, the temperature thresholds described above. The storage device 830 may include a non-transitory computer-readable medium for storing code instructions 832 executable by the processor 810 to allow the controller 140 to perform the various tasks assigned to the controller 140 in the method 200 and / or pipeline 700 .

[0102] The controller 140 is operatively connected to the pump 132, the input liquid temperature sensor 134, the temperature sensors 127A-127N, the output liquid temperature sensors 136A-136N, the valves 138A-138N, the auxiliary pumps 156A-156N, and the valves 139A-139N via the input / output interface 820. The controller 700 executes the code instructions 732 stored in the memory device 730 to implement the various functions described above that may exist in a specific embodiment. As shown Figure 7 represents a non-limiting embodiment in which the controller 700 coordinates the operation of the liquid cooling arrangements 101, 102, 103, 105, 106. This particular embodiment is not intended to limit the present disclosure and is for illustration purposes only.

[0103] It should be clearly understood that not all technical effects mentioned in this article need to be enjoyed in every implementation of this technology.

[0104] Modifications and improvements to the above-described implementations of the present technology will be apparent to those skilled in the art. The above description is intended to be illustrative and not restrictive. Accordingly, the scope of the present technology is limited only by the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for controlling the temperature of a cooling liquid (122) of a rack-mounted component (110A-110N), the computer-implemented method comprising: determining an input cooling liquid temperature value of the cooling liquid entering the rack-mounted component; determining an output heated liquid temperature value of the cooling liquid exiting the rack-mounted component; Calculating a temperature difference based on the input cooling liquid temperature value and the output heating liquid temperature value; as well as In response to the calculated temperature differential being lower than a target temperature differential, at least a portion of the flow of the heated liquid exiting the outlet (128A-128N) of the rack-mounted component is redirected to the inlet (124A-124N, 126A-126N) of the rack-mounted component.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein The redirection is performed by adjusting valves (138A-138N, 139A-139N).

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The redirection causes at least a portion of the flow of the heated liquid to be directed to an inlet of a second rack-mounted assembly (110B) located downstream from the first rack-mounted assembly (110A).

4. The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The redirecting causes at least a portion of the flow of the heated liquid to be directed to an inlet of the same rack-mounted component.

5. The method according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising: using a machine learning model to predict the power consumption of the rack-mounted components, and The valve is adjusted based at least in part on the predicted power consumption of the rack-mounted component.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein At least one of said rack-mounted components comprises: an air-to-liquid heat exchanger (114) configured to receive the cooling liquid into at least one of the rack-mounted components; and a liquid cooling block (116) receiving cooling liquid from the air-to-liquid heat exchanger (114), the liquid cooling block being arranged in thermal contact with respective heat-generating electronic data processing elements and configured to output the cooling liquid exiting the rack-mounted components, The method further comprises: determining an intermediate heated liquid temperature value of the cooling liquid exiting the air-liquid heat exchanger (114) and entering the liquid cooling block (116); determining a second temperature difference value based on the input cooling liquid temperature value and the intermediate heated liquid temperature value; and In response to the first temperature difference and the second temperature difference being lower than a first temperature threshold and a second temperature threshold (T min ) to reduce the flow of the cooling liquid in the rack-mounted components.

7. The method according to claim 6, further comprising: In response to the first temperature difference being higher than the first temperature threshold and the second temperature difference being lower than a third temperature threshold (T max ) below to increase the flow rate of the cooling liquid in the rack-mounted components.

8. The method according to claim 6 or 7, further comprising: In response to the first temperature difference being lower than the first temperature threshold and the second temperature difference being above the second temperature threshold (T min ) or more to reduce the rotational speed of at least one fan of the air-liquid heat exchanger (114).

9. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising computer-readable instructions that, when executed by a system, cause the system to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

10. A liquid cooling system (101-103) for rack-mounted components (110A-110N), the liquid cooling system comprising: a cooling circuit (130) configured to circulate cooling liquid (122) to the rack-mounted components and to circulate heated liquid from the rack-mounted components; a dry cooling module (120) configured to supply the cooling liquid to the rack-mounted components and receive heated liquid from the rack-mounted components for recooling and recirculation through the cooling circuit; The cooling circuit comprises: a pump (132) for driving the flow of the cooling liquid supplied by the dry cooling module and the flow of the warmed liquid received by the dry cooling module, an input liquid temperature sensor (134) for measuring the temperature of the input cooling liquid entering the rack-mounted component; an output liquid temperature sensor (136A-136N) for measuring the temperature of the output heated liquid exiting the rack-mounted component, and valves (138A-138N, 139A-139N) for regulating and directing the flow of the heated liquid exiting the rack-mounted assembly; A controller (140) is communicatively coupled to the input liquid temperature sensor, the output liquid temperature sensor, and the valve, the controller being configured to perform a process comprising: reading the input cooling liquid temperature value provided by the input liquid temperature sensor, reading the output heated liquid temperature value provided by the output liquid temperature sensor, calculating a temperature difference based on the input cooling liquid temperature value and the output heating liquid temperature value, and In response to the calculated temperature differential being lower than a target temperature differential, at least a portion of the flow of the heated liquid exiting the outlet (128A-128N) of the rack-mounted component is redirected to the inlet (124A-124N, 126A-126N) of the rack-mounted component.

11. The liquid cooling system according to claim 10, further comprising: heat exchangers (114A-114N) disposed in thermal contact with respective heat-generating electronic data processing components (112A-112N) of the rack-mounted assembly, the heat exchangers being fluidly coupled to the cooling circuit to receive and circulate the cooling liquid within the cooling circuit; as well as Liquid cooling blocks (116A-116N) are arranged in thermal contact with the heat-generating electronic data processing components, respectively, and are fluidly coupled to the cooling circuit to receive the cooling liquid and circulate the cooling liquid in the cooling circuit.

12. The liquid cooling system according to claim 10, wherein: The redirection causes at least a portion of the flow of the heated liquid to be directed to a second liquid cooling block (116B) of a second rack-mounted assembly (110B) located downstream from the first rack-mounted assembly (110A).

13. The liquid cooling system according to claim 10, wherein: The redirecting causes at least a portion of the flow of the heated liquid to be directed to the liquid cooling block of the same rack-mounted assembly.

14. The liquid cooling system according to claim 10, wherein: The redirecting causes at least a portion of the flow of the heated liquid to be directed to the heat exchanger of the same rack-mounted assembly.

15. The liquid cooling system according to any one of claims 10 to 14, wherein: The controller also performs the following operations: using a machine learning model to predict the power consumption of the rack-mounted components, and The valve is adjusted based at least in part on the predicted power consumption of the rack-mounted component.

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