Manifold assembly and data center liquid cooling system

Abstract

The invention provides a manifold assembly and a data center liquid cooling system, the manifold assembly comprises a liquid supply manifold, the liquid supply manifold is provided with a first liquid supply port and a plurality of second liquid supply ports, the first liquid supply port is connected with a cooling liquid supply system, and the second liquid supply ports are connected with corresponding cooled equipment; the liquid return manifold comprises a first liquid return pipe and a second liquid return pipe which are parallel to each other, one end parts of the first liquid return pipe and the second liquid return pipe are communicated, the liquid flow direction of the first liquid return pipe is the same as that of the liquid supply manifold and is opposite to that of the second liquid return pipe, the first liquid return pipe is provided with a plurality of first liquid return ports, and the second liquid return pipe is provided with a plurality of second liquid return ports. The first liquid return pipe is provided with a first liquid return port which is connected with corresponding cooled equipment, and the second liquid return pipe is provided with a second liquid return port which is connected with a cooling liquid recovery system; and the lengths of the liquid supply and return flow paths of all the cooled equipment are equal. According to the manifold assembly, cooling liquid is evenly distributed, and the system heat dissipation efficiency and the system stability are improved.

Description

Technical field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of liquid cooling systems, and in particular to a manifold assembly and a data center liquid cooling system. [Background Technology]

[0002] In modern data centers and high-performance computing environments, liquid cooling systems are widely used as an efficient thermal management solution for cooling high-heat electronic devices such as servers and storage devices. Compared with traditional air cooling systems, liquid cooling systems can provide higher heat dissipation efficiency and lower energy consumption, and are particularly suitable for the intensive heat generated when processing large amounts of data and performing complex computing tasks. However, in actual applications, the problem of uneven distribution of coolant is often overlooked, but its impact on the operating performance of the equipment is crucial. Existing liquid cooling systems usually use a supply and return liquid manifold with an asymmetric structure, which will lead to uneven distribution of coolant, so that some equipment may not get enough coolant, while other equipment may be overcooled, which in turn affects the cooling effect. In order to compensate for the problem of uneven coolant distribution, liquid cooling systems often require higher pump power to ensure that all areas are properly cooled, thereby increasing unnecessary energy consumption.

[0003] Therefore, it is necessary to provide a manifold assembly and a data center liquid cooling system that evenly distributes cooling liquid. [Summary of the invention]

[0004] The object of the present invention is to provide a manifold assembly and a data center liquid cooling system to solve the technical problem of uneven distribution of cooling liquid in the prior art.

[0005] The technical solutions of the present invention are as follows:

[0006] In a first aspect, the present invention provides a manifold assembly comprising:

[0007] a liquid supply manifold having a first liquid supply port and a plurality of second liquid supply ports, wherein the first liquid supply port and the second liquid supply port are sequentially spaced apart along the liquid flow direction of the liquid supply manifold, the first liquid supply port being connected to a cooling liquid supply system, and the second liquid supply port being connected to corresponding cooled devices; and

[0008] The liquid return manifold includes a first liquid return pipe and a second liquid return pipe that are parallel to each other and connected at one end, the liquid flow direction of the first liquid return pipe is the same as the liquid flow direction of the liquid supply manifold and opposite to the liquid flow direction of the second liquid return pipe, the first liquid return pipe has a plurality of first liquid return ports sequentially spaced along the liquid flow direction of the first liquid return pipe, the first liquid return ports are connected to corresponding cooled equipment, and the second liquid return pipe has a second liquid return port, which is connected to a coolant recovery system;

[0009] Among them, the lengths of the supply and return liquid flow paths of all the cooled devices are equal, and the lengths of the supply and return liquid flow paths of the cooled devices are the sum of the lengths of the flow paths between the first liquid supply port and the second liquid supply port corresponding to the cooled devices, and the lengths of the flow paths between the first liquid return port corresponding to the cooled devices and the second liquid return port.

[0010] Preferably, the second liquid return pipe is fixed to the first liquid return pipe.

[0011] Preferably, the liquid flow direction of the liquid supply manifold is upward.

[0012] Preferably, the manifold assembly further includes a first exhaust valve and a second exhaust valve, the first exhaust valve being arranged at the upper end of the liquid supply manifold, and the second exhaust valve being arranged at the upper end of the liquid return manifold and being connected to the first liquid return pipe and the second liquid return pipe.

[0013] Preferably, the liquid supply manifold, the first liquid return pipe, and the second liquid return pipe are of equal length.

[0014] Preferably, the cross-sectional shapes of the lumens of the liquid supply manifold, the first liquid return pipe, and the second liquid return pipe are the same, and the cross-sectional areas of the lumens of the liquid supply manifold, the first liquid return pipe, and the second liquid return pipe are equal.

[0015] Preferably, the cross-sectional shape of the tube lumens of the liquid supply manifold, the first liquid return pipe, and the second liquid return pipe is square.

[0016] Preferably, the second liquid supply ports are evenly spaced, the first liquid return ports are evenly spaced, and the distance between two adjacent second liquid supply ports is equal to the distance between two adjacent first liquid return ports.

[0017] Preferably, the first liquid supply port and the second liquid return port are located at the same height, and the second liquid supply port and the first liquid return port connected to the same cooled device are located at the same height.

[0018] In a second aspect, the present invention provides a data center liquid cooling system comprising any one of the above-mentioned manifold assemblies.

[0019] The beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows: the manifold assembly and data center liquid cooling system of the present invention include a liquid supply manifold and a liquid return manifold, the liquid return manifold including a first liquid return pipe and a second liquid return pipe. Coolant in the cooling liquid supply system enters the liquid supply manifold through the first liquid supply port, then flows through the second liquid supply port into the server and other cooled equipment. The coolant, which has absorbed heat from the cooled equipment, enters the first liquid return pipe through the first liquid return port, and then enters the cooling liquid recovery system through the second liquid return port of the second liquid return pipe. The supply and return flow paths of all cooled equipment are equal in length, which can achieve uniform distribution of coolant among the various equipment, effectively avoiding uneven flow caused by differences in flow path length, thereby ensuring the same cooling effect for each equipment and improving the heat dissipation efficiency and system stability of the system. Moreover, because the liquid flow direction of the second liquid return pipe is opposite to that of the liquid flow direction of the liquid supply manifold, the first liquid supply port and the second liquid return port can be located at the same end of the manifold assembly, facilitating the connection of the cooling liquid recovery system and the cooling liquid supply system to recycle the coolant, simplifying the system layout.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0020] Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the manifold assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0021] Figure 2 for Figure 1 A front view of the manifold assembly is shown;

[0022] Figure 3 Schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the manifold assembly of the comparative example. [Specific implementation method]

[0023] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0024] The embodiment of the present invention provides a manifold assembly 10, including a liquid supply manifold 11 and a liquid return manifold 12. Figure 1 and Figure 2The liquid supply manifold 11 has a first liquid supply port 111 and a plurality of second liquid supply ports 112. The first liquid supply port 111 and the second liquid supply port 112 are arranged in sequence along the liquid flow direction of the liquid supply manifold 11. The first liquid supply port 111 is connected to the cooling liquid supply system, and the second liquid supply port 112 is connected to the corresponding cooled equipment. The cooling liquid supplied by the cooling liquid supply system enters the liquid supply manifold 11 through the first liquid supply port 111, and the cooling liquid entering the liquid supply manifold 11 enters the corresponding cooled equipment through the second liquid supply port 112. The return liquid manifold 12 includes a first return liquid pipe 121 and a second return liquid pipe 122. The first return liquid pipe 121 and the second return liquid pipe 122 are parallel to each other, and one end of the first return liquid pipe 121 and the second return liquid pipe 122 are connected. The liquid flow direction of the first liquid return pipe 121 is the same as that of the liquid supply manifold 11, and is opposite to that of the second liquid return pipe 122. The first liquid return pipe 121 has multiple first liquid return ports 1211, which are spaced apart along the liquid flow direction of the first liquid return pipe 121. Each first liquid return port 1211 is connected to a corresponding cooled device. The second liquid return pipe 122 has a second liquid return port 1221, which is connected to a coolant recovery system. Coolant that has absorbed heat from the cooled device enters the first liquid return pipe 121 through the first liquid return port 1211. The coolant then flows into the second liquid return pipe 122 and into the coolant recovery system through the second liquid return port 1221 of the second liquid return pipe 122. Among them, the lengths of the supply and return liquid flow paths of all cooled devices are equal. The length of the supply and return liquid flow paths of the cooled devices is the sum of the supply flow path length of the cooled devices and the return liquid flow path length of the cooled devices. The supply flow path length of the cooled devices is the flow path length between the first liquid supply port 111 and the second liquid supply port 112 corresponding to the cooled devices. The return liquid flow path length of the cooled devices is the flow path length between the first return liquid port 1211 and the second return liquid port 1221 corresponding to the cooled devices.

[0025] In an embodiment of the present invention, the length of the supply and return liquid flow paths of all cooled devices is equal, achieving a co-path design, which can evenly distribute the coolant between the various devices, effectively avoiding uneven flow caused by differences in flow path length, ensuring that the flow of coolant at each device node is uniform, avoiding local overheating or insufficient cooling, and thus ensuring that each device obtains the same cooling effect, thereby improving the heat dissipation efficiency and system stability of the system. Uniform flow distribution can reduce the additional energy consumption of the pump, and the overall energy efficiency of the system is significantly improved. During debugging, there is no need to additionally adjust the flow of coolant flowing through each device. During the debugging process, only the overall temperature trend needs to be paid attention to, rather than checking the heat dissipation problems of the nodes one by one, which greatly reduces the debugging time and significantly improves the debugging efficiency. Moreover, since the liquid flow direction of the second return liquid pipe 122 is opposite to the liquid flow direction of the liquid supply manifold 11, the first liquid supply port 111 and the second liquid return port 1221 can be located at the same end of the manifold assembly 10, which is convenient for connecting the coolant recovery system and the coolant supply system to recycle the coolant, simplifying the system layout.

[0026] In some preferred embodiments, the cooled device may be a server, a storage device, or other high-heat-generating electronic components, which may be configured according to actual conditions and will not be described in detail here.

[0027] As an example, please refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2 The liquid supply manifold 11 has 14 second liquid supply ports 112, and the liquid return manifold 12 has 14 first liquid return ports 1211. In some examples, the manifold assembly 10 can be connected to 14 servers, each server has a liquid inlet pipe and a liquid outlet pipe, and the liquid inlet pipes of all servers are of equal length, and the liquid outlet pipes of all servers are of equal length. The second liquid supply ports 112 are connected one-to-one with the liquid inlet pipes of the servers, and the first liquid return ports 1211 are connected one-to-one with the liquid outlet pipes of the servers. The coolant in the liquid supply manifold 11 flows from the second liquid supply ports 112 through the liquid inlet pipes into the servers. After absorbing the heat from the servers, the coolant flows through the liquid outlet pipes of the servers and the first liquid return ports 1211 in turn and enters the first liquid return pipe 121.

[0028] In some preferred embodiments, please refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2 The second liquid return pipe 122 is fixed to the first liquid return pipe 121, which can enhance the structural stability of the entire liquid return manifold 12, thereby effectively avoiding accidental disconnection between the first liquid return pipe 121 and the second liquid return pipe 122 due to external force or vibration, ensuring the continuity and reliability of coolant return. Moreover, the liquid return manifold 12 can be installed as a whole, simplifying the installation process, improving installation efficiency, and reducing the possibility of installation errors.

[0029] In some preferred embodiments, please refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2 In the manifold assembly 10 shown, the arrows on the pipes indicate the direction of coolant flow within the pipes. The flow direction of the supply manifold 11 is upward, the flow direction of the first return pipe 121 is upward, and the flow direction of the second return pipe 122 is downward. During liquid inflow, the upward flow of coolant within the supply manifold 11 reduces the generation of bubbles and the accumulation of bubbles at the bottom of the supply manifold 11, thereby avoiding the problem of uneven flow and reduced cooling effect caused by bubbles. Furthermore, during liquid inflow, the coolant flows upward within the supply manifold 11. From the first supply port 111 to each of the second supply ports 112 of the supply manifold 11, the coolant must overcome the influence of gravity. Therefore, the effect of gravity on the coolant flow is relatively uniform across each of the second supply ports 112. This prevents the downward flow during liquid inflow from causing excessive coolant flow at the second supply ports near the first supply port and insufficient flow at the second supply ports farther away from the first supply port. This embodiment enables the coolant to be distributed more evenly to each cooled device, reduces the uneven flow rate caused by gravity, and improves the uniformity of the cooling effect and the overall performance of the system.

[0030] As an example, please refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2 The first liquid supply port 111 is set at the lower end of the liquid supply manifold 11, the upper end of the first liquid return pipe 121 is connected to the upper end of the second liquid return pipe 122, and the lower end of the first liquid return pipe 121 is closed. Therefore, the coolant entering the first liquid return pipe 121 from the server can only flow upward into the second liquid return pipe 122, and then flow downward to the second liquid return port 1221 of the second liquid return pipe 122. The second liquid return port 1221 is set at the lower end of the second liquid return pipe 122.

[0031] In some more preferred embodiments, please refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2 The manifold assembly 10 further includes a first exhaust valve 13 and a second exhaust valve 14. The first exhaust valve 13 is disposed at the upper end of the liquid supply manifold 11. Bubbles in the liquid supply manifold 11 can be discharged out of the liquid supply manifold 11 through the first exhaust valve 13. The second exhaust valve 14 is disposed at the upper end of the liquid return manifold 12. The second exhaust valve 14 is connected to the first liquid return pipe 121 and the second liquid return pipe 122. Bubbles in the first liquid return pipe 121 and the second liquid return pipe 122 can be discharged out of the liquid return manifold 12 through the second exhaust valve 14.

[0032] In some preferred embodiments, please refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2The length of the liquid supply manifold 11, the length of the first liquid return pipe 121 and the length of the second liquid return pipe 122 are equal, which can simplify the system structure, ensure the symmetry and consistency of the pipeline layout, reduce the installation complexity caused by the difference in pipeline length, and improve the stability and reliability of the system.

[0033] In some preferred embodiments, the cross-sectional shape of the lumen of the liquid supply manifold 11, the cross-sectional shape of the lumen of the first liquid return pipe 121, and the cross-sectional shape of the lumen of the second liquid return pipe 122 are the same, and the cross-sectional area of the lumen of the liquid supply manifold 11, the cross-sectional area of the lumen of the first liquid return pipe 121, and the cross-sectional area of the lumen of the second liquid return pipe 122 are equal, which can reduce the flow unevenness and pressure loss caused by differences in pipe shape and area, thereby improving the uniformity of coolant distribution and the overall performance of the system.

[0034] In some preferred embodiments, the cross-sectional shapes of the lumen of the liquid supply manifold 11, the first liquid return pipe 121, and the second liquid return pipe 122 are square, which can improve the efficiency of coolant delivery and reduce flow resistance. In addition, the square cross-sectional pipes can better adapt to space-constrained environments such as data center racks, thereby improving space utilization.

[0035] In some preferred embodiments, please refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2 All the second liquid supply ports 112 are evenly spaced in sequence along the liquid flow direction of the liquid supply manifold 11, and all the first liquid return ports 1211 are evenly spaced in sequence along the liquid flow direction of the first liquid return pipe 121, and the distance between two adjacent second liquid supply ports 112 is equal to the distance between two adjacent first liquid return ports 1211, which can ensure that the coolant is evenly distributed among the various cooled devices, optimize the flow path of the coolant, and improve the uniformity of the cooling effect and the overall performance of the system.

[0036] In some more preferred embodiments, please refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2 The first liquid supply port 111 and the second liquid return port 1221 are located at the same height, and the second liquid supply port 112 and the first liquid return port 1211 connected to the same cooled device are located at the same height, avoiding the flow difference caused by the inconsistent positions of the second liquid supply port 112 and the first liquid return port 1211 corresponding to the cooled device.

[0037] exist Figure 3 In the comparative example shown, the manifold assembly 20 is a different structure. Figure 3The manifold assembly 20 includes a liquid supply manifold 21 and a liquid return manifold 22. The liquid flow direction of the liquid return manifold 22 is opposite to that of the liquid supply manifold 21. The liquid supply manifold 21 has a first liquid supply port 211 and a plurality of second liquid supply ports 212. The first liquid supply port 211 and the second liquid supply port 212 are sequentially spaced along the liquid flow direction of the liquid supply manifold 21. The first liquid supply port 211 is connected to the coolant supply system, and the second liquid supply port 212 is connected to the corresponding cooled device. The coolant supplied by the coolant supply system enters the liquid supply manifold 21 through the first liquid supply port 211. The coolant entering the liquid supply manifold 21 enters the corresponding cooled device through the second liquid supply port 212. The liquid return manifold 22 has a plurality of first liquid return ports 221 and a second liquid return port 222. The first liquid return ports 221 and the second liquid return ports 222 are sequentially spaced along the liquid flow direction of the liquid return manifold 22. Each first liquid return port 221 is connected to a corresponding cooled device, and the second liquid return port 222 is connected to a coolant recovery system. Coolant, having absorbed heat from the cooled device, enters the liquid return manifold 22 through the first liquid return port 221 and flows into the coolant recovery system through the second liquid return port 222 of the liquid return manifold 22.

[0038] When improving an existing data center liquid cooling system, if the manifold assembly of the existing data center liquid cooling system is the manifold assembly 20 shown in the comparative example, it is only necessary to replace the return liquid manifold 22 in the manifold assembly 20 with the return liquid manifold 12 in this embodiment, so that the different-type manifold assembly can be transformed into the same-type manifold assembly. There is no need to reinstall the entire liquid cooling system on a large scale, which can effectively control the improvement cost and improve the improvement efficiency.

[0039] An embodiment of the present invention provides a data center liquid cooling system, comprising the manifold assembly 10 provided in any of the above embodiments.

[0040] The above description is only an embodiment of the present invention. It should be pointed out that those skilled in the art can make improvements without departing from the creative concept of the present invention, but these improvements all fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A manifold assembly, characterized in that: include: a liquid supply manifold having a first liquid supply port and a plurality of second liquid supply ports, wherein the first liquid supply port and the second liquid supply port are sequentially spaced apart along the liquid flow direction of the liquid supply manifold, the first liquid supply port being connected to a cooling liquid supply system, and the second liquid supply port being connected to corresponding cooled devices; and The liquid return manifold includes a first liquid return pipe and a second liquid return pipe that are parallel to each other and connected at one end, the liquid flow direction of the first liquid return pipe is the same as the liquid flow direction of the liquid supply manifold and opposite to the liquid flow direction of the second liquid return pipe, the first liquid return pipe has a plurality of first liquid return ports sequentially spaced along the liquid flow direction of the first liquid return pipe, the first liquid return ports are connected to corresponding cooled equipment, and the second liquid return pipe has a second liquid return port, which is connected to a coolant recovery system; Among them, the lengths of the supply and return liquid flow paths of all the cooled devices are equal, and the lengths of the supply and return liquid flow paths of the cooled devices are the sum of the lengths of the flow paths between the first liquid supply port and the second liquid supply port corresponding to the cooled devices, and the lengths of the flow paths between the first liquid return port corresponding to the cooled devices and the second liquid return port.

2. The manifold assembly of claim 1, wherein: The second liquid return pipe is fixed to the first liquid return pipe.

3. The manifold assembly of claim 1, wherein: The liquid flow direction of the liquid supply manifold is upward.

4. The manifold assembly of claim 3, wherein: The manifold assembly further includes a first exhaust valve and a second exhaust valve. The first exhaust valve is disposed at the upper end of the liquid supply manifold, and the second exhaust valve is disposed at the upper end of the liquid return manifold and is connected to the first liquid return pipe and the second liquid return pipe.

5. The manifold assembly of claim 1, wherein: The liquid supply manifold, the first liquid return pipe, and the second liquid return pipe have the same length.

6. The manifold assembly of claim 1, wherein: The cross-sectional shapes of the lumens of the liquid supply manifold, the first liquid return pipe, and the second liquid return pipe are the same, and the cross-sectional areas of the lumens of the liquid supply manifold, the first liquid return pipe, and the second liquid return pipe are equal.

7. The manifold assembly of claim 6, wherein: The cross-sectional shapes of the lumens of the liquid supply manifold, the first liquid return pipe, and the second liquid return pipe are square.

8. The manifold assembly of claim 1, wherein: The second liquid supply ports are evenly spaced, the first liquid return ports are evenly spaced, and the distance between two adjacent second liquid supply ports is equal to the distance between two adjacent first liquid return ports.

9. The manifold assembly of claim 8, wherein: The first liquid supply port and the second liquid return port are located at the same height, and the second liquid supply port and the first liquid return port connected to the same cooled device are located at the same height.

10. A data center liquid cooling system, characterized in that: A manifold assembly comprising any one of claims 1 to 9.

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