Cooling distribution unit with cooled electrical box

Abstract

A cooling distribution unit with a cooled electrical box includes a primary closed loop configured to circulate a first fluid to a cooling structure for removing heat from the first fluid; a secondary closed loop configured to circulate a second fluid to and absorb heat from the electrical component; an electrical box containing electronics configured to control operation of the cooling distribution unit; and a heat exchanger coupled to the electrical box. A heat exchanger is coupled to the primary closed loop such that a portion of the first fluid circulates through the electrical box to maintain an operating temperature of the electrical box.

Description

Cross-reference to related applications

[0001] This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 63 / 708,585, filed October 17, 2024, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0002] This disclosure generally relates to a cooling distribution unit for directing heat away from electrical components. Background Technology

[0003] Cooling distribution units (often called CDUs) are typically used in data centers to remove heat from computer components such as servers and server racks. Cooling distribution units can include, for example, both in-row units and in-rack units. In-row units remove heat from an entire row of server racks or other groups of electrical components, while in-rack units typically remove heat from a single rack or group of electrical components. Summary of the Invention

[0004] According to one example, a cooling distribution unit includes: a primary closed loop configured to circulate a first fluid to a cooling structure for removing heat from the first fluid; a secondary closed loop configured to circulate a second fluid to an electrical component and absorb heat from the electrical component; an electrical box containing electronic equipment configured to control the operation of the cooling distribution unit; and a heat exchanger coupled to the electrical box. The heat exchanger is coupled to the primary closed loop such that a portion of the first fluid circulates through the electrical box to maintain the operating temperature of the electrical box.

[0005] Details of one or more aspects of this disclosure are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the following description. Other features, objects, and advantages of the technology described in this disclosure will be apparent from the description and drawings and from the claims. Attached Figure Description

[0006] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram based on an example cooling distribution unit.

[0007] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A perspective view of the cooling distribution unit.

[0008] Figure 3 yes Figure 1 Another perspective view of the cooling distribution unit.

[0009] Figure 4 yes Figure 1 Another perspective view of the cooling distribution unit.

[0010] Figure 5 It includes the electrical box. Figure 1 A perspective view of the cooling distribution unit.

[0011] Figure 6 It is connected to the primary closed loop schematically shown. Figure 5 A perspective view of the electrical box. Detailed Implementation

[0012] Figures 1 to 4 An example of a cooling distribution unit 110 is shown. The cooling distribution unit 110 can be used in any of a variety of application environments, including, for example, server, data center, medical, semiconductor, and / or industrial applications. The cooling distribution unit 110 shown is an inline unit; however, any concepts described herein related to the cooling distribution unit 110 can alternatively be used with rack-mount units or with any other type of cooling distribution unit.

[0013] refer to Figure 1 The cooling distribution unit 110 typically includes a primary closed loop 114 and a secondary closed loop 118. The primary closed loop 114 circulates a first fluid (e.g., facility water located at and / or otherwise supplied at the data server center). The secondary closed loop 118 circulates a second fluid (e.g., a process aqueous solution comprising 25% propylene glycol and 75% water). Other examples include different first and second fluids within either the primary closed loop 114 or the secondary closed loop 118. Figures 2 to 4 As shown, the primary closed loop 114 includes a conduit (e.g., a stainless steel conduit) through which a first fluid circulates. The secondary closed loop 118 similarly includes a conduit (e.g., a stainless steel conduit) through which a second fluid circulates. In some examples, at least a portion of the conduit for the primary closed loop 114 and / or the secondary closed loop 118 is cylindrical in shape and / or has a circular cross-section. In some examples, at least a portion of the conduit for the primary closed loop 114 and / or the secondary closed loop 118 has linear sections and / or curved sections. Other examples include other types of conduits, including conduits made of other materials (e.g., metals or non-metals), or conduits having other shapes and configurations than those shown.

[0014] In some examples, the first fluid may consist of water or an aqueous solution of propylene glycol with a maximum concentration of 50%, or may include water or an aqueous solution of propylene glycol with a maximum concentration of 50%. In other words, the concentration of the aqueous solution of propylene glycol may have a maximum concentration of 10 mg / L. The second fluid may consist of water or a premixed solution of unsuppressed ethylene glycol or propylene glycol and water, or may include water or a premixed solution of unsuppressed ethylene glycol or propylene glycol and water. The first and second fluids may have a maximum particle size of less than 200 micrometers. Other examples may include other materials and / or material composition and / or particle size of the first and / or second fluids.

[0015] Continue to refer to Figure 1 The secondary closed loop 118 allows a second fluid to circulate through and / or across one or more electrical components 122 to absorb heat from the electrical components 122. The electrical components 122 may include, for example, computer chips or other heated electrical components in one or more servers or server racks. In some examples, a cold plate or other heating device may be positioned above the computer chip, and the conduit of the secondary closed loop may pass through the cold plate or other heating device to absorb heat from the electrical components 122. Once the second fluid in the secondary closed loop 118 has been heated by the electrical components 122, the heated second fluid is directed to the heat exchanger 126.

[0016] Continue to refer to Figure 1 Each of the primary closed loop 114 and the secondary closed loop 118 extends through the heat exchanger 126. In the example shown, the heat exchanger 126 is a liquid-to-liquid heat exchanger. The primary closed loop 114 extends in the first direction (e.g., as shown in the example). Figure 1 The first fluid is guided upwards (to the left) through the heat exchanger 126, while the secondary closed loop 118 is guided upwards in the second direction (e.g., as shown in the left direction). Figure 1 The second fluid is guided upwards (to the right) through heat exchanger 126. In the example shown, the first direction is parallel to and opposite to the second direction. In other examples, the first and second fluids may be guided in the same direction or in a transverse direction, or the first and second fluids may move in more than one direction within heat exchanger 126.

[0017] Within heat exchanger 126, heat is exchanged between a second fluid and a first fluid. Therefore, at least a portion of the heat absorbed from electrical component 122 is transferred from the second fluid to the first fluid within heat exchanger 126. In some examples, the conduit of the primary closed loop 114 does not contact the conduit of the secondary closed loop 118 within heat exchanger 126, and heat is exchanged through an intermediate material (e.g., through a thermally conductive material). Other examples may include various other types, numbers, or arrangements of heat exchangers 126 besides those shown.

[0018] Continue to refer to Figure 1The primary closed loop 114 guides the first fluid (after it has been heated in the heat exchanger 126) away from the heat exchanger 126 and to the cooling structure 130. The cooling structure 130 may be located, for example, within a data server center. The cooling structure 130 can be any of a variety of different structures, including a cooling tower or other thermal equipment that removes or otherwise removes heat from the first fluid. In some examples, the cooling structure 130 may include cold plates, fins, and / or other heat-removing structures, and / or may use one or more fans to facilitate heat removal from the first fluid.

[0019] like Figure 1 As shown, once heat has been removed from the first fluid at cooling structure 130, the first fluid then circulates back towards heat exchanger 126. Similarly, once heat has been removed from the second fluid at heat exchanger 126, the second fluid circulates back towards electrical component 122. This circulation through each of the primary closed loop 114 and secondary closed loop 118 can continue (e.g., as long as electrical component 122 is generating heat), such that heat is continuously absorbed from the electrical component and transported to heat exchanger 126, where heat is then transferred to the first fluid and primary closed loop 114, and finally discarded at cooling structure 130.

[0020] Continue to refer to Figure 1Each closed loop in the primary closed loop 114 and the secondary closed loop 118 may include one or more pumps to pump a first fluid and a second fluid through conduits. In the illustrated example, the primary closed loop 114 includes one or more pumps (not shown) located within the data server center (e.g., at the location of cooling structure 130 or elsewhere within the data server center) to pump a first fluid (e.g., facility water) through the primary closed loop 114. The secondary closed loop 118 includes a first pump 134 and a second pump 138. The first pump 134 and the second pump 138 are redundant pumps, positioned along parallel conduits within the closed loop such that if one pump fails, the other pump can continue to operate the overall flow of the second fluid within the secondary closed loop 118. The first pump 134 and the second pump 138 can be any type of pump capable of pumping the second fluid. In some examples, the first pump 134 and the second pump 138 are identical pumps having the same dimensions and / or rated parameters. In some examples, one or more of the first pump 134 or the second pump 138 are centrifugal pumps. Other examples include other types of pumps and multiple pumps. For example, in some examples, the secondary closed loop 118 may include only a single pump, or it may include more than two pumps. Generally, the first pump 134 and / or the second pump 138 may generate flow rates, for example, between 25 gallons per minute (GPM) and 200 GPM, such as 25 GPM, 50 GPM, 100 GPM, 125 GPM, 140 GPM, 160 GPM, or other values ​​and ranges.

[0021] Continue to refer to Figure 1 In some examples, the secondary closed loop 118 includes a refill tank 142 and a replenishment pump 146 for adding additional second fluid to the secondary closed loop 118. Additionally, in some examples, the secondary closed loop 118 includes at least one expansion tank for controlling the total pressure and flow rate of the second fluid in the secondary closed loop 118. In the illustrated example, the secondary closed loop 118 includes a first expansion tank 150 and a second (e.g., redundant) expansion tank 154. Other examples may include only a single expansion tank or more than two expansion tanks.

[0022] Additionally, both the primary closed loop 114 and the secondary closed loop 118 may include one or more valves (e.g., pressure control valves, check valves, pressure-independent control valves, etc.) that operate to control the total pressure and / or flow rate of fluid passing through the cooling distribution unit 110. In the example shown, the primary closed loop 114 includes a pressure-independent control valve 158.

[0023] Continue to refer to Figure 1 In the example shown, the cooling distribution unit 110 includes a housing 162 (e.g., an outer shell). Figure 5The housing 162 may include a steel frame (e.g., with interconnected vertical and / or horizontal frame members), or it may be another type of frame, or formed of a different material. In some examples, the housing 162 includes one or more doors 164 (e.g., pivotally coupled or otherwise coupled to the frame, such as...). Figure 5 (As shown). Other examples may include housings 162 of various other types, sizes, and / or shapes. In the illustrated example, housing 162 includes a first outlet 166, at which a primary closed loop 114 exits the housing and a first fluid is delivered to a cooling structure 130. Housing 162 also includes a first inlet 170, at which the primary closed loop 114 enters the housing and the first fluid is then directed to a heat exchanger 126 (e.g., located within housing 162). Housing 162 also includes a second outlet 174 and a second inlet 178, at which a secondary closed loop 118 exits the housing and a second fluid is delivered to an electrical component 122, at which the second fluid enters the housing through the second inlet 178 and is then directed to the heat exchanger 126.

[0024] In the example shown, the cooling distribution unit 110 has overall dimensions of 31.5 inches × 47.4 inches × 84.5 inches and a total weight of approximately 1400 pounds. Other examples may include a variety of different sizes and weights, including those smaller and larger than those shown, and those smaller or larger than those shown. Additionally, in the example shown, the cooling distribution unit 110 can provide a cooling capacity of 550 kW (approaching a temperature difference of 4°C) and 1100 kW (approaching a temperature difference of 8°C). Other examples may include other values ​​and ranges of cooling capacity, including those smaller or larger than those shown.

[0025] Continue to refer to Figure 1 In some examples, the cooling distribution unit 110 further includes one or more sensors for measuring pressure, temperature, or other aspects of the system. In the example shown, the cooling distribution unit 110 includes multiple pressure and temperature sensors generally located at a first outlet 166, a first inlet 170, a second outlet 174, and a second inlet 178. Figure 1 (marked as "PT" and "RTD" in Chinese). For example... Figure 1 As shown, the cooling distribution unit 110 may include redundant pressure and temperature sensors (e.g., in case one or more sensors fail or provide inaccurate readings).

[0026] refer to Figures 2 to 4The cooling distribution unit 110 includes an electrical box 182 (e.g., disposed on and / or within or located away from housing 162). The electrical box 182 (which may form part of a controller and / or otherwise include or be considered a controller) contains one or more electronic devices configured to control and monitor the operation of the cooling distribution unit 110. For example, the electronic devices may be configured to monitor pressure, monitor temperature, and / or control the flow rate and pressure differential of a first fluid and / or a second fluid. The electrical box 182 may be rectangular, square, or have any other shape, and / or may be partially open, fully closed, and / or have various other shapes, sizes, and configurations besides those shown.

[0027] refer to Figure 5 and Figure 6 The electrical box 182 is formed as a metal enclosure. On the front surface 184 (or other surfaces or areas), the electrical box 182 may include or be attached to a human-machine interface (HMI) 186, a main power circuit breaker 190, an auxiliary power circuit breaker 194, and / or an emergency stop button 198. Figure 2 In some examples, and as... Figure 5 As shown, HMI 186 extends through housing 162 and / or is coupled to door 164, allowing the user to operate HMI 186 to actuate cooling distribution unit 110 when door 164 is closed. In the example shown, HMI 186 is a high-resolution color touchscreen. Emergency stop button 198 can be actuated by the user to immediately stop operation of cooling distribution unit 110.

[0028] refer to Figure 6 Electronic equipment such as a programmable logic controller (PLC; not shown), relays (not shown), a first variable frequency drive (VFD) 202 for the first pump 134, and / or a second variable frequency drive (VFD) 206 for the second pump 138 can be housed within the electrical box 182. In some examples, the PLC is electrically connected to an HMI 186 and has several I / O modules. The first VFD 202 and the second VFD 206 are provided to control the speeds of the first pump 134 and the second pump 138. Furthermore, a first pump circuit breaker 210 and / or a second pump circuit breaker 214 can be provided within the electrical box 182. The first pump circuit breaker 210 is provided for the operation of the first VFD 202 and the first pump 134. The second pump circuit breaker 214 is provided for the operation of the second VFD 206. In some examples, sensors (e.g., wired or wireless) are coupled to the electrical box 182. In other examples, the sensor (e.g., wired or wireless) is coupled to another device that receives signals about the pressure and temperature of the first fluid and / or the second fluid.

[0029] Cooling distribution unit 110 may be located within an application environment (e.g., a data center) with an ambient temperature of, for example, 45 degrees Celsius or higher. In such a warm application environment, cooling distribution unit 110 may also include a heat exchanger 218 (e.g., a liquid-to-liquid heat exchanger, a liquid-to-air heat exchanger, a fan-cooled heat exchanger, a cold plate heat exchanger, a finned heat exchanger, and / or other heat exchangers) coupled to electrical box 182 (e.g., disposed on or within electrical box 182), and an electrical box line 222 extending from a conduit of primary closed loop 114 to circulate a portion of the first fluid through electrical box 182. Electrical box line 222 is, for example, a pipe extending through electrical box 182 to connect to heat exchanger 218. In some examples, electrical box line 222 feeds a portion of the first fluid, already passed through cooling structure 130, into electrical box 182 in a first direction D1. The portion of the first fluid circulates through electrical box 182 and heat exchanger 218 for cooling electronic equipment. Therefore, the primary closed loop 114 and the heat exchanger 218 allow the cooling distribution unit 110 to operate properly in application environments with high ambient temperatures.

[0030] In some examples, heat exchanger 218 is a liquid-to-air heat exchanger having one or more pipes connected to the electrical box line 222. A portion of the first fluid circulates through the liquid-to-air heat exchanger, causing the first fluid to remove heat from the electrical box 182 through heat transfer between the portion of the first fluid and the air within the electrical box 182. After removing heat from the electrical box 182, the portion of the first fluid circulates back to the pipe of the primary closed loop 114 in a second direction D2. The portion of the first fluid then circulates through the cooling structure 130, causing heat from the electrical box 182 to be removed from the first fluid. In other examples, heat exchanger 218 is a cold plate heat exchanger connected to the electrical box line 222. The primary closed loop 114 passes through a cold plate, causing the portion of the first fluid to circulate through the cold plate, thereby removing heat from the electrical box 182. In yet another example, one or more fans (not shown) may also be provided to supply cool air to the electrical box 182 for cooling electronic equipment.

[0031] In general, a heat exchanger 218 is provided to actively cool the electrical box 182 during operation of the cooling distribution unit 110, and more specifically, to actively cool the electronic equipment. Thus, the heat exchanger 218 maintains the electrical box 182 at an appropriate operating temperature. Furthermore, utilizing the first fluid from the primary closed loop 114 to cool the electronic equipment eliminates the need for adding a separate cooling system, which would otherwise increase the cost and weight of the cooling distribution unit 110.

[0032] Although various aspects and examples have been described in detail with reference to certain examples shown in the accompanying drawings, variations and modifications exist within the scope and spirit of one or more independent aspects described and shown.

Claims

1. A cooling distribution unit, comprising: A primary closed loop is configured to circulate a first fluid to a cooling structure for removing heat from the first fluid; A secondary closed loop is configured to circulate a second fluid to and from the electrical components and absorb heat from them. An electrical box, the electrical box containing electronic equipment configured to control the operation of the cooling distribution unit; as well as A heat exchanger, which is connected to the electrical box, The heat exchanger is connected to the primary closed loop, such that a portion of the first fluid circulates through the heat exchanger to maintain the operating temperature of the electrical box.

2. The cooling distribution unit according to claim 1, wherein, The primary closed loop extends through the electrical box to connect to the heat exchanger, and circulates the portion of the first fluid through the electrical box.

3. The cooling distribution unit according to claim 1, wherein, The heat exchanger is a liquid-to-air heat exchanger.

4. The cooling distribution unit according to claim 1, wherein, The heat exchanger is a cold plate heat exchanger.

5. The cooling distribution unit according to claim 1, wherein, The heat exchanger is located inside the electrical box.

6. The cooling distribution unit according to claim 1, wherein, The electronic device includes at least one of a programmable logic controller, a relay, or a frequency converter.

7. The cooling distribution unit according to claim 1, in, The heat exchanger is the first heat exchanger. The cooling distribution unit further includes a second heat exchanger, through which the primary closed loop and the secondary closed loop extend for heat transfer between the first fluid and the second fluid.

8. The cooling distribution unit according to claim 7, wherein, The primary closed loop and the secondary closed loop each include a pump to pump the first fluid through the primary closed loop and the second fluid through the secondary closed loop, respectively.

9. The cooling distribution unit according to claim 7, wherein, The second heat exchanger is a liquid-to-liquid heat exchanger.

10. The cooling distribution unit according to claim 1, further comprising a first pump and a second pump. in, The first pump and the second pump are redundant pumps. The electrical box includes a first frequency converter for the first pump and a second frequency converter for the second pump.

11. The cooling distribution unit according to claim 10, wherein, The electrical box also includes a first pump circuit breaker for operating the first frequency converter and a second pump circuit breaker for operating the second frequency converter.

12. The cooling distribution unit according to claim 1, further comprising a human-machine interface connected to the electrical box.

13. The cooling distribution unit according to claim 1, wherein, The electrical box includes a front surface, wherein the main power circuit breaker is positioned along the front surface of the electrical box.

14. The cooling distribution unit of claim 13, further comprising an auxiliary power circuit breaker positioned along the front surface of the electrical box.

15. The cooling distribution unit according to claim 1 further includes an emergency stop button.

16. The cooling distribution unit according to claim 1, further comprising a housing, wherein, The electrical box is located inside the housing.

17. The cooling distribution unit of claim 16, further comprising a door pivotally connected to the housing.

18. The cooling distribution unit of claim 17, further comprising a human-machine interface connected to the door.

19. The cooling distribution unit according to claim 1, wherein, It also includes multiple sensors configured to measure pressure and temperature within the cooling distribution unit. Each of the plurality of sensors is connected to the electrical box.

20. The cooling distribution unit according to claim 19, wherein, At least one of the plurality of sensors is wirelessly connected to the electrical box.

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