R718 enhanced immersion cooling system

Abstract

This invention relates to an R718 enhanced immersion cooling system. The immersion cooling system may include: an immersion tank for containing refrigerant in both liquid and gas phases; a heat exchanger for extracting heat from the refrigerant; and a pump for circulating the refrigerant from the tank to the heat exchanger and back to the tank. The tank may house one or more electronic devices immersed in the liquid phase of the refrigerant below the surface of the refrigerant within the tank. The pump may draw refrigerant from the tank below the surface and / or return the refrigerant to the tank above the surface. The system may include a housing housing the tank, heat exchanger, and pump. The refrigerant may have a high specific heat and / or be non-toxic and / or non-flammable, such as water or a water-based refrigerant.

Description

[0001] Cross-references to related applications

[0002] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 726,484, filed November 30, 2024, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0003] This disclosure generally relates to immersion cooling systems, such as immersion cooling systems used in data centers or other high-density computing environments, and more specifically to two-phase immersion cooling systems. Background Technology

[0004] Two-phase immersion cooling systems are typically based on tanks containing a dielectric engineering fluid (e.g., 3M Novec 649). Electronic components (e.g., rack servers) are immersed in a bath of this fluid. The electronic components release heat directly into the liquid bath, causing the liquid to evaporate. Vapor bubbles travel through the liquid toward the upper part of the tank shell, which is then occupied by the engineering fluid in the gas phase. Here, a bundle of tubes cooled by a separate chilled water unit is typically used to condense the engineering fluid from the gas phase, returning it to the liquid bath as condensate droplets. Limitations of such an arrangement may include: the fixed boiling temperature of the liquid bath associated with the thermodynamic properties of the fluid at atmospheric pressure; the limited specific heat of the available engineering fluid; difficulties and safety / health issues regarding gas phase containment when the tank is opened (e.g., for maintenance); the relatively long drip time when electronic components are removed from the bath; difficulties in handling hardware that has become slippery when wetted with the engineering fluid; the high cost of the engineering fluid (especially considering the need to refill the tank after maintenance due to evaporation); oily condensation in the white areas of the data center due to the diffusion of vapors and liquids in the room during maintenance; and other issues. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The applicant has created new and useful apparatus, systems, and methods for two-phase immersion cooling systems. In at least one embodiment, the immersion cooling system according to this disclosure can efficiently use safe / non-toxic refrigerants such as water or R718, which have high specific heat for both cooling capacity generation and cooling distribution on electronic devices immersed in the liquid bath. In at least one embodiment, the system efficiency can be improved by using a jet impingement of refrigerant on a heat source, such as an electronic device. In at least one embodiment, by operating at sub-atmospheric pressure, refrigerant escape from the tank via outward leakage is avoided or eliminated even when the tank is opened, i.e., due to the condensation of refrigerant vaporized when the sub-atmospheric pressure inside the tank rises to atmospheric pressure. In at least one embodiment, any refrigerant escaping from the tank in vapor or liquid form is non-toxic, non-flammable, and can be easily and inexpensively replaced.

[0006] In at least one embodiment, the immersion cooling system according to this disclosure may include an immersion tank for containing refrigerant in both liquid and gas phases and providing a bath for cooling one or more electronic devices at least partially immersed therein. In at least one embodiment, the system may include one or more compressors within the tank for compressing the refrigerant. In at least one embodiment, the system may include one or more valves that allow the compressors to operate in compression mode, wherein the compressors may draw in refrigerant as saturated water vapor released from the bath and discharge refrigerant as superheated water vapor at higher pressure to a condenser within the tank. In at least one embodiment, the valves may bypass the compressors and allow the system to operate in a free-cooling mode.

[0007] In at least one embodiment, the immersion cooling system according to this disclosure may include a heat exchanger for extracting heat from the refrigerant and / or a pump for circulating the refrigerant from the tank to the heat exchanger and back to the condenser within the tank. In at least one embodiment, the pump may draw refrigerant from the tank below the surface and / or return refrigerant to the tank above the surface. In at least one embodiment, the pump may draw refrigerant from the condenser within the tank below the surface and / or return refrigerant to the condenser within the tank above the surface. In at least one embodiment, the system may include a housing accommodating the tank, heat exchanger, pump, or any combination thereof.

[0008] In at least one embodiment, the refrigerant may have a high specific heat and / or be non-toxic and / or non-flammable, such as a water-based refrigerant. In at least one embodiment, the refrigerant may be water, purified water, softened water, distilled water, or any combination thereof. In at least one embodiment, the refrigerant may comply with the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) Standard 34 regarding R718 refrigerant.

[0009] In at least one embodiment, the heat exchanger may be disposed outside the tank. In at least one embodiment, the heat exchanger may be a fluid-to-fluid heat exchanger, such as a brazed plate heat exchanger. In at least one embodiment, the heat exchanger may transfer heat from the refrigerant to the cooling fluid. In at least one embodiment, the same refrigerant used in the tank to extract heat from the electronic device may be used in the heat exchanger to transfer heat to the outside of the tank.

[0010] In at least one embodiment, any or all of the cooling fluid may circulate through an external heat exchanger located outside the building housing the system. In at least one embodiment, the external heat exchanger may discharge any or all of the heat extracted from the electronic device to the environment outside the building. In at least one embodiment, any or all of the cooling fluid may circulate through a heat recovery device inside the building housing the system. In at least one embodiment, the heat recovery device may discharge any or all of the heat extracted from the electronic device into the building, for example, to utilize the recovered heat to heat a portion of the building.

[0011] In at least one embodiment, the system can direct or accelerate the refrigerant toward an electronic device below its surface to extract heat from the device more efficiently. In at least one embodiment, the system can use one or more pumps, one or more manifolds, one or more conduits, one or more nozzles, or any combination thereof disposed below the surface of the liquid refrigerant in and / or submerged in the tank to direct or accelerate the refrigerant toward the electronic device.

[0012] In at least one embodiment, the system may include a vacuum subsystem for selectively maintaining the tank at a pressure below ambient pressure. In at least one embodiment, the vacuum subsystem may include a condenser and / or a vacuum pump for condensing the refrigerant, for example, for evacuating the system before charging it with refrigerant and / or extracting non-condensable gases. In at least one embodiment, if water vapor is unintentionally collected by the vacuum pump, it may be condensed by the condenser. In at least one embodiment, the vacuum subsystem may be at least partially housed within the housing.

[0013] In at least one embodiment, the system may include a water deionization subsystem for minimizing the conductivity of the refrigerant. In at least one embodiment, the system may include a filtration subsystem for minimizing impurities within the refrigerant. In at least one embodiment, the filtration subsystem may include one or more media filters and / or one or more ultraviolet lamps. In at least one embodiment, the water deionization subsystem and / or the filtration subsystem may be at least partially housed within the housing.

[0014] In at least one embodiment, the controller can control various valves, pumps, compressors, and other aspects of the system. In at least one embodiment, the controller can control valves and compressors to operate the system in compression mode or free cooling mode. In at least one embodiment, the controller can control pumps to optimize heat transfer from the tank to the heat exchanger. In at least one embodiment, the controller can, for example, control one or more additional valves based on control signals from a building management system to control the flow of cooling fluid through an external heat exchanger and / or heat recovery device to control the flow of heat extracted from the electronic device. In at least one embodiment, the controller can control pumps and / or nozzles that direct refrigerant toward the electronic device. In at least one embodiment, the controller can control a vacuum subsystem and / or a water deionization subsystem. Attached Figure Description

[0015] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of one embodiment of a two-phase immersion cooling system according to the present disclosure. Detailed Implementation

[0016] The accompanying drawings described above and the written description of specific structures and functions below are not intended to limit the scope of the applicant's invention or the scope of the appended claims. Rather, these drawings and written descriptions are provided to teach any person skilled in the art how to make and use the patent-protected invention. Those skilled in the art will understand that not all features of a commercial implementation of the invention are described or illustrated for clarity and understanding. They will also understand that the development of a practical commercial implementation incorporating various aspects of the invention will require numerous implementation-specific decisions to achieve the developer's ultimate goals for the commercial implementation. Such implementation-specific decisions may include, but are not limited to, compliance with system-related, business-related, governmental-related constraints, and other constraints that may vary depending on the specific implementation, location, and time. While the developer's efforts may be complex and time-consuming in an absolute sense, such efforts will be a routine task for those skilled in the art who benefit from this disclosure. It must be understood that the invention disclosed and taught herein is susceptible to many and various modifications and alternatives.

[0017] The use of singular terms such as, but not limited to, “a” is not intended as a limitation on the number of items. Furthermore, the use of relational terms such as, but not limited to, “top,” “bottom,” “left,” “right,” “upper,” “lower,” “downward,” “upward,” and “side” in the written description is for clarity when specifically referring to the accompanying drawings and is not intended to limit the scope of the invention or the appended claims. The terms “comprising” and “such as” are illustrative, not restrictive. The terms “coupled,” “coupled,” “coupled,” “coupler,” and similar terms are used extensively herein and may include any method or means for securing, joining, engaging, fastening, attaching, connecting, inserting, forming thereon or therein, communicating, or otherwise associating one or more components together, for example mechanically, magnetically, electrically, chemically, operatively, directly, or indirectly through intermediate elements, and may also include, but is not limited to, integrally forming one functional component with another functional component in an integral manner. Coupling can occur in any direction, including rotationally. Furthermore, all parts and components that can be physically implemented in this disclosure inherently include hypothetical and real characteristics, whether such characteristics are explicitly described herein or not. These characteristics include, but are not limited to, characteristics such as shafts, ends, inner and outer surfaces, internal spaces, tops, bottoms, sides, boundaries, dimensions (e.g., height, length, width, thickness), mass, weight, volume, and density.

[0018] Any process flowcharts discussed herein illustrate the operation of possible implementations of systems, methods, and computer program products according to various embodiments of this disclosure. In this regard, each box in the flowchart may represent a module, segment, or portion of code, which may include one or more executable instructions for implementing a specified logical function(s). It should also be noted that in some implementations, the functions(s) indicated in the boxes(s) may not occur in the order depicted in the figures. For example, boxes shown consecutively may actually be executed substantially simultaneously. It will also be noted that each box illustrated in the flowchart may be implemented by a system based on dedicated hardware or a combination of dedicated hardware and computer instructions that performs the specified function or action.

[0019] The applicant has created new and useful apparatus, systems, and methods for two-phase immersion cooling systems. In at least one embodiment, the immersion cooling system according to this disclosure can efficiently use safe / non-toxic refrigerants such as water or R718, which have high specific heat for both cooling capacity generation and cooling distribution on electronic devices immersed in the liquid bath. In at least one embodiment, the system efficiency can be improved by using a jet impingement of refrigerant on a heat source, such as an electronic device. In at least one embodiment, by operating at sub-atmospheric pressure, refrigerant escape from the tank via outward leakage is avoided or eliminated even when the tank is opened, i.e., due to the condensation of refrigerant vaporized when the sub-atmospheric pressure inside the tank rises to atmospheric pressure. In at least one embodiment, any refrigerant escaping from the tank in vapor or liquid form is non-toxic, non-flammable, and can be easily and inexpensively replaced.

[0020] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of one embodiment of a two-phase immersion cooling system according to the present disclosure.

[0021] In at least one embodiment, the immersion cooling system 100 according to this disclosure may include an immersion tank 110 for containing refrigerant 120 in both liquid and gas phases and providing a bath for cooling one or more electronic devices 150 at least partially immersed therein. In at least one embodiment, the electronic devices 150 may heat the bath of refrigerant 120 and may partially evaporate or vaporize the refrigerant 120 depending on the heat load presented by the electronic devices 150. In at least one embodiment, the system 100 may include one or more compressors 112 within the tank 110 for compressing the refrigerant 120 in the gas phase. In at least one embodiment, system 100 may include one or more valves 114 that allow compressor 112 to operate in compression mode, wherein compressor 112 may draw in refrigerant 120 as saturated water vapor released from the bath due to heat from electronic device 150, and discharge refrigerant 120 as superheated water vapor at higher pressure to condenser 116 within tank 110 to provide enhanced cooling to electronic device 150 in the bath of refrigerant 120. In at least one embodiment, valves 114 may bypass compressor 112 and allow system 100 to operate in free cooling mode, for example, when the heat load from electronic device 150 is relatively low.

[0022] In at least one embodiment, the immersion cooling system 100 according to this disclosure may include a heat exchanger 130 for extracting heat from the refrigerant 120 and / or a pump 140 for circulating the refrigerant 120 from the tank 110 to the heat exchanger 130 and back to a condenser 116 within the tank 110, the condenser 116 being a direct contact condenser. In at least one embodiment, the pump 140 may draw refrigerant from the tank 110 below the surface 122 (or liquid surface) of the refrigerant 120 in the tank 110 and / or return the refrigerant 120 to the tank 110 above the surface 122. In at least one embodiment, the pump 140 may draw refrigerant from the condenser 116 within the tank 110 below the surface 122 and / or return the refrigerant 120 to the condenser 116 within the tank 110 above the surface 122. In at least one embodiment, the pump 140 may have a spray nozzle 118 for returning the refrigerant 120 to the condenser 116 within the tank 110. In at least one embodiment, the system may include a housing that contains a tank, a heat exchanger, a pump, or any combination thereof.

[0023] In at least one embodiment, the system can utilize compressor 112 to regulate the bath temperature and can selectively operate in compression mode or free cooling mode as needed to extract variable heat from electronics 150. In at least one embodiment, the operating pressure of compressor 112 can be lower than the ambient pressure outside tank 110. In at least one embodiment, compressor 112 can output refrigerant 120 at a pressure lower than the ambient pressure outside tank 110. In at least one embodiment, compressor 112 can be or include one or more high-efficiency centrifugal compressors and / or can be arranged in single or multiple compression stages. In at least one embodiment, multiple stages can be or include a two-stage solution with intercooling and / or can utilize one or more ejectors or ejector modules. In at least one embodiment, multiple compressors 112 can be arranged in a parallel layout to distribute high cooling capacity.

[0024] In at least one embodiment, refrigerant 120 may have a high specific heat and / or be non-toxic and / or non-flammable, for example, as a water-based refrigerant. In at least one embodiment, refrigerant 120 may be water, purified water, softened water, distilled water, or any combination thereof. In at least one embodiment, refrigerant 120 may conform to the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) standard 34 regarding R718 refrigerant (i.e., may be R718). In at least one embodiment, the same refrigerant 120 may be circulated in a bath in tank 110 to extract heat from electronic device 150 and circulated through heat exchanger 130 to dissipate the extracted heat.

[0025] In at least one embodiment, by using water in the refrigerant 120 or using water as the refrigerant 120, system 100 can avoid problems related to leak exposure, refill costs, difficult handling of submerged components, toxic vapors, or any combination thereof. In at least one embodiment, by using water in the refrigerant 120 or using water as the refrigerant 120, system 100 can ensure efficient and high-performance heat transfer from electronic device 150 to heat exchanger 130 to the outside of system 100 or tank 110.

[0026] In at least one embodiment, the heat exchanger 130 may be disposed outside the tank 110. In at least one embodiment, the heat exchanger 130 may be a fluid-to-fluid heat exchanger, such as a brazed plate heat exchanger (BPHE). In at least one embodiment, the heat exchanger 130 may transfer heat from the refrigerant 120 to a cooling fluid, such as a water / glycol mixture, for discharge elsewhere via that cooling fluid. In at least one embodiment, the same refrigerant 120 used in the tank 110 to extract heat from the electronic device 150 may be used in the heat exchanger 130 to transfer heat to the outside of the tank 110.

[0027] In at least one embodiment, system 100 may be housed within building 200. In at least one embodiment, any or all of the cooling fluid may be circulated, for example by a cooling pump 220, through an external heat exchanger 210 located outside the building 200 housing system 100, such as a dry cooler and / or condenser. In at least one embodiment, the external heat exchanger 210 may discharge any or all of the heat extracted from electronic device 150 to the environment outside building 200.

[0028] In at least one embodiment, any or all of the cooling fluid may circulate through a heat recovery system or device 230 (e.g., a fluid-to-air heat exchanger) inside the building 200 housing system 100. In at least one embodiment, the heat recovery system or device 230 may discharge any or all of the heat extracted from the electronic device to the outside of the building 200, such as system 100 or tank 110. In at least one embodiment, by using two-phase immersion, system 100 can provide, for example, high evaporation temperatures in refrigerant 120 and / or cooling fluid for use with a high-temperature heat pump, for example, which may be used in the heat recovery system or device 230.

[0029] In at least one embodiment, system 100 may direct or accelerate refrigerant 120 toward electronic device 150 below surface 122 to more effectively extract heat from electronic device 150 and / or increase heat transfer from electronic device 150. In at least one embodiment, system 100 may use one or more pumps 170, one or more manifolds, one or more conduits, one or more nozzles 172, or any combination thereof to direct or accelerate refrigerant 120 toward electronic device 150, any one or all of which may be disposed in tank 110 and / or submerged below surface 122.

[0030] In at least one embodiment, system 100 may include a vacuum subsystem 180 for selectively maintaining the interior of tank 110 and / or any associated piping or other components at a pressure below the ambient pressure surrounding tank 110. In at least one embodiment, vacuum subsystem 180 may include a condenser 182 for condensing refrigerant 120 and / or a vacuum pump 184, for example for evacuating the system 100 before charging the system 100 with refrigerant and / or extracting non-condensable gases. In at least one embodiment, vacuum subsystem 180 may be at least partially housed within housing 160. In at least one embodiment, condenser 182 and / or vacuum pump 184 may be at least partially housed within housing 160. In at least one embodiment, vacuum subsystem 180 may extract non-condensable air and / or contaminants leaked into tank 110, such leakage being caused, for example, by tank 110 operating at below ambient pressure and / or subatmospheric pressure. In at least one embodiment, if water vapor is unintentionally collected by vacuum pump 184, the water vapor can be condensed by condenser 182.

[0031] In at least one embodiment, system 100 may include a water deionization subsystem 190 for minimizing the conductivity of refrigerant 120. In at least one embodiment, system 100 may include a water deionization subsystem 190 for minimizing the conductivity of refrigerant 120, for example, below a threshold value. In at least one embodiment, system 100 may include a filtration subsystem 194 for minimizing impurities (e.g., bacteria, biofouling, or other contaminants) within refrigerant 120. In at least one embodiment, filtration subsystem 194 may retain impurities within refrigerant 120 below a threshold value. In at least one embodiment, filtration subsystem 194 may include one or more media filters 196 and / or one or more ultraviolet (UV) lamps 198 for treating refrigerant 120. In at least one embodiment, water deionization subsystem 190 and / or filtration subsystem 194 may be at least partially disposed within housing 196. In at least one embodiment, media filters 196 and / or UV lamps 198 may be at least partially disposed within housing 160.

[0032] In at least one embodiment, one or more controllers 300 may control various valves, pumps, compressors, and other aspects of system 100. In at least one embodiment, controller 300 may control valve 114 and compressor 112 to selectively operate system 100 in compression mode and / or free cooling mode. In at least one embodiment, controller 300 may control pump 140 to optimize heat transfer from tank 110 (e.g., from a cooling bath within tank 110) to heat exchanger 130. In at least one embodiment, controller 300 may, for example, control one or more additional valves 220 based on control signals from a building management system to control the flow of cooling fluid through external heat exchanger 210 and / or heat recovery device 230 to control the flow of heat extracted from electronic device 150. In at least one embodiment, controller 300 may control pump 170 and / or nozzle 172 to provide a jet impingement of refrigerant 120 toward electronic device 150. In at least one embodiment, controller 300 may control vacuum subsystem 180 and / or water deionization subsystem 190.

[0033] In at least one embodiment, system 100 may allow access to tank 110 and automatically contain refrigerant 120, thereby preventing the loss of refrigerant 120. In at least one embodiment, when tank 110 and / or other components(s) of system 100 are opened (e.g., for maintenance, repair, or replacement), tank 110 and / or other components of system 100 experience a pressure increase, for example, from sub-atmospheric pressure to atmospheric pressure. In at least one embodiment, this pressure increase may advantageously cause condensation of refrigerant 120, which may help contain refrigerant 120 and prevent vapor diffusion when tank 110 is opened. In at least one embodiment, at least because refrigerant 120 is water or water-based, refilling refrigerant 120 is safe, easy, and inexpensive. In at least one embodiment, at least because refrigerant 120 is water or water-based, handling electronic devices 150 already immersed in refrigerant 120 is safe and does not require special personal protective equipment. In at least one embodiment, at least because refrigerant 120 is water or water-based, any increase in humidity can be managed by a building management system.

[0034] As those skilled in the art who benefit from this disclosure will understand, aspects of one or more embodiments of this disclosure can be implemented as a system, method, or computer program product. Therefore, aspects of this disclosure can take the form of a completely hardware implementation, a completely software implementation (including firmware, resident software, microcode, etc.), or an implementation combining software and hardware aspects, all of which are generally referred to herein as “circuit,” “module,” or “system.” Furthermore, aspects of this disclosure can take the form of a computer program product implemented in one or more non-transitory computer-readable media having computer-readable program code implemented thereon. Any combination of one or more computer-readable media can be utilized. The computer-readable medium can be a computer-readable signal medium or a computer-readable storage medium. The computer-readable storage medium can be, for example, but not limited to, electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor systems, devices, or apparatuses, or any suitable combination thereof. More specific examples of such computer-readable storage media include, but are not limited to, the following: an electrical connection having one or more wires, a portable computer disk, a hard disk, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), optical fiber, portable optical disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), optical storage device, magnetic storage device, or any suitable combination of the foregoing. In the context of this document, a computer-readable storage medium can be any tangible medium that can contain or store a program for use by or in conjunction with an instruction execution system, device, or apparatus.

[0035] The program code implemented on a computer-readable medium can be transmitted using any suitable medium or media, including but not limited to wireless, wired, fiber optic cable, radio frequency (RF), or any suitable combination of the foregoing. The computer program code for performing the operations of various aspects of this disclosure can be written in any combination of one or more programming languages, including object-oriented programming languages ​​(e.g., Java, Smalltalk, C++, etc.) and conventional procedural programming languages ​​(e.g., the "C" programming language or similar programming languages). The program code can be executed entirely on the user's computer, partially on the user's computer, as a standalone software package, partially on the user's computer and partially on a remote computer, or entirely on a remote computer or server. In the latter scenario, the remote computer can be connected to the user's computer via any type of network, including a local area network (LAN) or a wide area network (WAN), or can be connected to an external computer (e.g., via the Internet provided by an Internet service provider or via short-range wireless interconnection such as Bluetooth).

[0036] Various aspects of this disclosure can be described with reference to flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams of methods, apparatus (devices and systems), and computer program products according to embodiments of this disclosure. Each block in the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams, and combinations of blocks in the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams, can be implemented by computer program instructions. These computer program instructions can be provided to a processor of a general-purpose computer, special-purpose computer, or other programmable data processing apparatus to produce a machine, such that the instructions, which execute via one or more processors, create means for implementing the functions / actions specified in the flowchart and / or one or more block diagram blocks. The computer program instructions can be stored in a computer-readable medium that can instruct a computer, other programmable data processing apparatus, or other means to function in a particular manner, such that the instructions stored in the computer-readable medium produce an article of writing including instructions for implementing the functions / actions specified in the flowchart and / or one or more block diagram blocks. The computer program instructions can also be loaded onto a computer, other programmable data processing apparatus, or other means to cause a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer, other programmable apparatus, or other means to produce a computer-implemented process, such that the instructions, which execute on the computer or other programmable apparatus, provide a process for implementing the functions / actions specified in the flowchart and / or one or more block diagram blocks. Each block in a flowchart and / or block diagram can be divided into multiple blocks and / or combined with other blocks to form a single block.

[0037] In at least one embodiment, the immersion cooling system according to this disclosure may include an immersion tank for containing refrigerant in both liquid and gas phases and providing a bath for cooling one or more electronic devices at least partially immersed therein. In at least one embodiment, the system may include one or more compressors within the tank for compressing the refrigerant. In at least one embodiment, the system may include one or more valves that allow the compressors to operate in a compression mode, wherein the compressors may draw in refrigerant as saturated water vapor released from the bath and discharge refrigerant as superheated water vapor at higher pressure to a condenser within the tank. In at least one embodiment, the valves may bypass the compressors and allow the system to operate in a free-cooling mode.

[0038] In at least one embodiment, the immersion cooling system according to this disclosure may include a heat exchanger for extracting heat from the refrigerant and / or a pump for circulating the refrigerant from the tank to the heat exchanger and back to the condenser within the tank. In at least one embodiment, the pump may draw refrigerant from the tank below the surface and / or return refrigerant to the tank above the surface. In at least one embodiment, the pump may draw refrigerant from the condenser within the tank below the surface and / or return refrigerant to the condenser within the tank above the surface. In at least one embodiment, the system may include a housing accommodating the tank, heat exchanger, pump, or any combination thereof.

[0039] In at least one embodiment, the refrigerant may have a high specific heat and / or be non-toxic and / or non-flammable, such as a water-based refrigerant. In at least one embodiment, the refrigerant may be water, purified water, softened water, distilled water, or any combination thereof. In at least one embodiment, the refrigerant may conform to the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) standard 34 regarding R718 refrigerant.

[0040] In at least one embodiment, the heat exchanger may be disposed outside the tank. In at least one embodiment, the heat exchanger may be a fluid-to-fluid heat exchanger, such as a brazed plate heat exchanger. In at least one embodiment, the heat exchanger may transfer heat from the refrigerant to the cooling fluid. In at least one embodiment, the same refrigerant used in the tank to extract heat from the electronic device may be used in the heat exchanger to transfer heat to the outside of the tank.

[0041] In at least one embodiment, any or all of the cooling fluid may circulate through an external heat exchanger located outside the building housing the system. In at least one embodiment, the external heat exchanger may discharge any or all of the heat extracted from the electronic device to the environment outside the building. In at least one embodiment, any or all of the cooling fluid may circulate through a heat recovery device inside the building housing the system. In at least one embodiment, the heat recovery device may discharge any or all of the heat extracted from the electronic device into the building, for example, to utilize the recovered heat to heat a portion of the building.

[0042] In at least one embodiment, the system can direct or accelerate the refrigerant toward the electronic device below the surface to extract heat from the electronic device more efficiently. In at least one embodiment, the system can use one or more pumps, one or more manifolds, one or more conduits, one or more nozzles, or any combination thereof disposed below the surface of the liquid refrigerant body in and / or submerged in the tank to direct or accelerate the refrigerant toward the electronic device.

[0043] In at least one embodiment, the system may include a vacuum subsystem for selectively maintaining the tank below ambient pressure. In at least one embodiment, the vacuum subsystem may include a condenser and / or a vacuum pump for condensing the refrigerant, the vacuum pump being used, for example, to evacuate the system before charging it with refrigerant and / or extracting non-condensable gases. In at least one embodiment, if water vapor is unintentionally collected by the vacuum pump, it may be condensed by the condenser. In at least one embodiment, the vacuum subsystem may be at least partially housed within the housing.

[0044] In at least one embodiment, the system may include a water deionization subsystem for minimizing the conductivity of the refrigerant. In at least one embodiment, the system may include a filtration subsystem for minimizing impurities within the refrigerant. In at least one embodiment, the filtration subsystem may include one or more media filters and / or one or more ultraviolet lamps. In at least one embodiment, the water deionization subsystem and / or the filtration subsystem may be at least partially housed within the housing.

[0045] In at least one embodiment, the controller can control various valves, pumps, compressors, and other aspects of the system. In at least one embodiment, the controller can control valves and compressors to selectively operate the system in compression mode or free cooling mode. In at least one embodiment, the controller can control pumps to optimize heat transfer from the tank to the heat exchanger. In at least one embodiment, the controller can, for example, control one or more additional valves based on control signals from a building management system to control the flow of cooling fluid through an external heat exchanger and / or heat recovery device to control the flow of heat extracted from the electronic device. In at least one embodiment, the controller can control pumps and / or nozzles that direct refrigerant toward the electronic device. In at least one embodiment, the controller can control a vacuum subsystem and / or a water deionization subsystem.

[0046] Without departing from the spirit of the applicant's disclosure, other and additional implementations utilizing one or more aspects of this disclosure are conceivable. For example, apparatus, systems, and methods can be implemented for many different types and sizes across many different industries. Furthermore, various methods and apparatus, systems, and methods can be combined with each other to produce variations of the disclosed methods and implementations. Discussion of singular elements can include plural elements, and vice versa. Unless otherwise specifically limited, the order of steps can occur in various sequences. The individual steps described herein can be combined with other steps, interspersed with stated steps, and / or broken down into multiple steps. Similarly, elements have been functionally described and can be implemented as individual components or combined into components having multiple functions.

[0047] The invention has been described in the context of preferred and other embodiments, without describing every embodiment of the invention. Obvious modifications and alterations to the described embodiments will be available to those skilled in the art who will benefit from this disclosure. The disclosed and undisclosed embodiments are not intended to limit or constrain the scope or applicability of the invention as contemplated by the applicant, but rather, in accordance with patent law, the applicant intends to provide full protection for all such modifications and improvements that fall within the scope or range of equivalents of the appended claims.

Claims

1. An immersion cooling system, comprising: An immersion tank configured to contain a refrigerant in both a liquid and a gas phase, wherein the tank is configured to immerse one or more electronic devices in the liquid phase of the refrigerant below the surface of the refrigerant contained in the tank. A heat exchanger configured to extract heat from the refrigerant; and A pump configured to circulate the refrigerant from the tank to the heat exchanger and back to the tank.

2. The immersion cooling system according to claim 1, wherein, The pump is configured to draw refrigerant from the tank below the surface and return the refrigerant to the tank above the surface.

3. The immersion cooling system according to claim 1, wherein, The refrigerant is water-based.

4. The immersion cooling system according to claim 1, wherein, The refrigerant is water.

5. The immersion cooling system according to claim 1, wherein, The refrigerant conforms to ASHRAE Standard 34 of the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) regarding R718 refrigerant.

6. The immersion cooling system according to claim 1, wherein, The heat exchanger is a brazed plate heat exchanger.

7. The immersion cooling system according to claim 1, wherein, The heat exchanger is configured to transfer heat from the refrigerant to the cooling fluid.

8. The immersion cooling system according to claim 7 further includes an external heat exchanger disposed outside the building housing the system, wherein, The external heat exchanger is configured to discharge at least a portion of the heat extracted from the one or more electronic devices to the environment outside the building.

9. The immersion cooling system according to claim 7 further includes a heat recovery device disposed inside the building housing the system, wherein, The heat recovery device is configured to discharge at least a portion of the heat extracted from the one or more electronic devices into a portion of the building.

10. The immersion cooling system of claim 1, further comprising a pump submerged in the tank below the surface, the pump being configured to accelerate the refrigerant toward the one or more electronic devices.

11. The immersion cooling system of claim 1, further comprising a compressor disposed above the surface within the tank, the compressor being configured to compress at least a portion of the refrigerant.

12. The immersion cooling system according to claim 11, wherein, The compressor is configured to draw in the refrigerant as saturated water vapor and discharge the refrigerant as water vapor at a higher pressure to the condenser inside the tank.

13. The immersion cooling system of claim 12 further includes a water deionization subsystem configured to minimize the conductivity of the refrigerant.

14. The immersion cooling system according to claim 13, wherein, The water deionization subsystem is at least partially housed within the housing.

15. The immersion cooling system of claim 12 further includes a filtration subsystem configured to minimize impurities in the refrigerant.

16. The immersion cooling system according to claim 15, wherein, The filtration subsystem is at least partially housed within the housing.

17. The immersion cooling system according to claim 15, wherein, The filtration subsystem includes at least one media filter and an ultraviolet lamp.

18. The immersion cooling system of claim 12, further comprising a vacuum subsystem configured to selectively maintain the tank at a pressure below ambient pressure.

19. The immersion cooling system according to claim 18, wherein, The vacuum subsystem is at least partially housed within the housing.

20. The immersion cooling system according to claim 18, wherein, The vacuum subsystem includes a condenser and a vacuum pump, the condenser being configured to condense at least a portion of the refrigerant, and the vacuum pump being configured to draw the refrigerant in vapor form into the condenser.

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