Enclosed phase change immersion cooling

Abstract

This application relates to a closed-loop phase change immersion cooling system. An outdoor information processing device includes a housing. The housing includes a hollow internal volume that is hermetically sealed relative to the external environment and a heat dissipation structure located on the exterior of the housing. A coolant is disposed within the hollow internal volume of the housing. A portion of the coolant is in a liquid phase and collected in a pool within the housing, while another portion is in a gas phase and located above the pool. An information processing system board, including electronic components, is disposed within the hollow internal volume and immersed in the liquid coolant pool. The coolant is configured to transfer heat from the electronic components to the housing through repeated phase change cycles.

Description

Background Technology

[0001] Some networked devices (e.g., wireless access points) and other edge devices (e.g., edge servers) are designed for use in challenging environments where they will be exposed to dust, water, and / or other contaminants. Examples of such challenging environments include outdoor locations, indoor locations with high levels of contaminants (e.g., dirty industrial applications), and so on. For simplicity, these devices will be referred to as "outdoor devices" throughout this document, even though some may be used indoors. To protect the sensitive electronics (e.g., system motherboards) of these outdoor devices from contaminants, the electronics can be housed in a sealed enclosure relative to the external environment. Attached Figure Description

[0002] Alone or with Figure 1 This disclosure will be understood from the following detailed description. These drawings and related descriptions are included to provide a further understanding of this disclosure, and these drawings are incorporated in and form a part of this specification. The drawings illustrate one or more non-limiting aspects and embodiments of the teachings herein, and, together with the description, explain certain principles and operations. In the drawings:

[0003] Figure 1 This is a block diagram of a closed-loop phase change immersion cooling system.

[0004] Figure 2 This is a front elevation view of an information processing device that uses a closed-loop phase change immersion cooling system.

[0005] Figure 3 This is a rear elevation view of an information processing device that uses a closed-loop phase change immersion cooling system.

[0006] Figure 4 This is a side elevation view of an information processing device that uses a closed-loop phase change immersion cooling system.

[0007] Figure 5 yes Figure 2 A bottom-view perspective of the information processing equipment.

[0008] Figure 6 This is a front-view perspective view of an information processing device that uses a closed-loop phase change immersion cooling system.

[0009] Figure 7 This is a front-view perspective view of an information processing device that uses a closed-loop phase change immersion cooling system.

[0010] Figure 8 yes Figure 2 The information processing equipment using a closed-loop phase change immersion cooling system is a cross section taken along line 8-8.

[0011] Figure 9 yes Figure 6 The information processing equipment using a closed-loop phase change immersion cooling system is a cross-section taken along line 9-9.

[0012] Figure 10 yes Figure 7 The information processing equipment using a closed-loop phase change immersion cooling system is a cross-section taken along line 10-10. Detailed Implementation

[0013] For outdoor equipment, the sealed nature of the enclosure poses a challenge to cooling the electronics. A common method for cooling standard indoor servers and networking equipment is to blow air through the device and over its heat-generating components; however, this method is unlikely to work with outdoor equipment because the electronics are housed within a sealed enclosure that prevents airflow. Another method for cooling indoor equipment is liquid cooling (sometimes called direct liquid cooling or "DLC"), where liquid circulates through a loop through the system, and within the system, cold plates are thermally coupled to the heat-generating components and the liquid coolant, allowing the liquid to absorb heat and carry it out of the system, where heat is then extracted via a heat exchanger. While the sealed enclosure of outdoor equipment doesn't pose a problem for liquid cooling, unfortunately, it remains impractical for many outdoor units because the necessary liquid cooling infrastructure (e.g., coolant distribution units (CDUs), heat exchangers, facility coolant supply lines, etc.) to support the liquid cooling loop is often unavailable or prohibitively expensive at the periphery of the typically deployed outdoor equipment locations.

[0014] Therefore, in such outdoor equipment, cooling is typically provided by thermally coupling the housing to the electronic equipment by placing one or more conductive heat transfer elements (e.g., metal rods, heat pipes, etc.) in contact with and extending between the electronic components and the housing. This allows heat to be transferred from the electronic components to the housing, and the housing can then passively dissipate the heat to the surrounding environment, for example, through passive (or forced) convection and radiation.

[0015] However, the increasing power consumption and heat generation of information processing components such as CPUs make it increasingly difficult to adequately cool sealed outdoor equipment using conductive heat transfer elements. In particular, in some cases, the heat transfer rate achievable using conductive heat transfer elements may be slightly lower than the required rate. This can cause the conductive heat transfer element to become a bottleneck in the heat dissipation path. In other words, even if the housing is theoretically capable of dissipating heat at a sufficiently high rate to adequately cool the electronic components, the heat transfer element may transfer heat to the housing at a lower rate, thus preventing the housing from achieving its full heat dissipation capacity and potentially causing some components to overheat. In some cases, the relatively low heat transfer rate provided by conductive thermal interface elements may be due to poor thermal interface between the conductive thermal interface element and the electronic components. These poor thermal interfaces can occur because it is difficult to precisely position the conductive heat transfer element relative to the electronic components, given that the housing is sealed. Highly precise manufacturing tolerances can allow for better thermal interfaces, but this can significantly increase the system cost, which may be impractical in some cases.

[0016] Furthermore, conductive heat transfer elements can provide uneven cooling among various electronic components. In some systems, some components are not positioned in direct contact with conductive heat transfer elements, but instead rely on indirect cooling via thermal conduction through copper wires electrically connecting the components of the system. This can result in components not in direct contact with conductive heat transfer elements receiving less cooling than those in direct contact. Additionally, even if all components could be positioned in contact with conductive heat transfer elements, the quality of the thermal conduction paths between various electronic components and the housing can vary, potentially causing some electronic components to receive less cooling than others. Furthermore, the copper wires extending between components can allow heat generated by hotter components (such as the CPU) to flow into other components. All of these phenomena can lead to uneven cooling of components, meaning that some electronic components may receive sufficient cooling and operate at the desired temperature, while others may be undercooled and overheat. In particular, it has been found that even when the CPU or other hot components are adequately cooled, some heat-sensitive components (such as the Trusted Platform Module (TPM)) can still become overheated.

[0017] Therefore, cooling components of outdoor equipment can be challenging for various reasons. Consequently, the performance of outdoor equipment may be limited below its maximum capacity to avoid overheating, or if the outdoor equipment is allowed to operate at full capacity, some components may overheat, potentially leading to premature failure.

[0018] To address these issues, in the examples disclosed herein, the housing of the outdoor device is partially filled with a dielectric liquid non-flammable coolant, and the device's electronic components (e.g., a system motherboard) are immersed in this liquid. The coolant is selected such that its boiling temperature is below or equal to the desired operating temperature of the electronic components, and therefore, during operation, the coolant can undergo a phase change between liquid and vapor (gas), resulting in a liquid-phase coolant pool at the bottom of the housing and a volume of gaseous coolant at the top. By subjecting the coolant to a phase change cycle, heat is efficiently transferred from the electronic components to the housing.

[0019] Specifically, the coolant cools the electronic components by undergoing a repeated phase change cycle, which includes: (1) the liquid in contact with the electronic components absorbs heat from the electronic components, cooling the electronic components and heating the liquid until it reaches its boiling point, at which point some of the liquid transforms from liquid to vapor (boiling), and this phase change absorbs more heat from the electronic components due to the latent heat of vaporization; (2) the heated vapor then moves to contact the housing via natural convection, causing the vapor to condense back into liquid on the housing, where the phase change releases heat into the housing due to the latent heat of condensation, and cools the newly condensed liquid to slightly below its boiling point; (3) the heat received by the housing from the vapor is dissipated to the external environment via passive convection and radiation; and (4) the cooler condensate returns to the liquid pool by gravity, in which the condensate can absorb more heat from the electronic components. The housing can be sealed relative to the external environment to prevent the entry of external contaminants. Advantageously, this sealing also allows the coolant in both liquid and gaseous phases to remain within the housing.

[0020] The advantage of this arrangement is that the liquid flows naturally around and contacts all parts of the system board, allowing all electronic components to simultaneously contact the liquid coolant and be uniformly cooled by it. This contrasts with conductive heat transfer elements, which may extract heat from some components more easily than others, resulting in uneven cooling. Furthermore, the heat transfer rate from components to the housing is extremely fast, much faster than that provided by using copper or other heat transfer devices to thermally couple components to the housing. Therefore, the maximum heat dissipation rate of the entire device is limited only by the heat dissipation capacity of the housing, and not by any bottlenecks in the heat transfer from components to the housing. This allows all major components to remain at or below the boiling point of the coolant, and thus, when the coolant is appropriately selected to have a boiling point equal to or below the desired maximum operating temperature, the temperature of all components can be maintained at or below the desired maximum operating temperature.

[0021] These and other examples will be combined below. Figures 1 to 10 To describe in more detail.

[0022] Figure 1 The example system 100 is illustrated. Figure 1 It is illustrative in nature and should be understood that, unless otherwise stated herein, Figure 1 The illustrations are not intended to accurately or to scale depict specific shapes, dimensions, positional relationships, or other structural details. Implementations of the information processing system 100 may include different numbers and arrangements of illustrated components. Furthermore, Figure 1 The components illustrated in the diagram may be omitted from some of the examples disclosed herein, and Figure 1 Components not shown in the figures may also be included in some of the examples disclosed herein. Figure 1 In this diagram, physical connections between components (e.g., physical attachments and / or supports) are conceptually indicated by solid lines extending between the components. Intermittent attachments are conceptually indicated by solid-line arrows. Electrical connections are indicated by double solid lines. Certain positional relationships are indicated by thick white-filled arrows. Phase changes and / or movement of the coolant are indicated by dashed arrows and / or dotted arrows.

[0023] System 100 includes an information processing device 102. The information processing device 102 may be a networked device (e.g., a wireless access point), an edge device (e.g., an edge server), or any other information processing device. More specifically, in some examples, device 102 may be an outdoor information processing device 102, meaning that the device's electronic components are hermetically isolated from the external environment, as discussed further below. The information processing device 102 may include a housing 104, which may include a housing body 106 and a cover 110 that can engage with the housing body 106. When the cover 110 is engaged with the housing body 106, the housing 104 may be a closed environment; however, the cover 110 may be removed from the housing body 106 to allow access to the housing body 106. More specifically, the housing body 106 may define a hollow internal volume 108, wherein the housing body 106 defines the side and bottom boundaries of the hollow internal volume 108, and the cover 110 defines the upper boundary of the hollow internal volume 108.

[0024] When the cover 110 is attached to the housing body 106, the hollow internal volume 108 can be sealed relative to the external environment. More specifically, when the cover 110 is attached to the housing body 106, the airtight seal can separate the internal volume 108 of the housing from the environment, thereby preventing external contaminants from entering the internal volume 108 of the housing.

[0025] In some examples, at least one heat dissipation structure 112 may be located on the exterior of the housing 104. As used herein, a heat dissipation structure refers to a structure designed to dissipate excess heat from the system to the external environment. The heat dissipation structure 112 may be passive (i.e., the heat dissipation structure dissipates heat naturally) or forced (i.e., the heat dissipation structure receives assistance such as a fan to dissipate heat). The heat dissipation structure 112 may be disposed on the cover 110 of the housing 104, thereby allowing heat to be released from the top of the information processing device 102; however, the examples are not limited thereto, and the heat dissipation structure 112 may be located elsewhere on the housing 104, such as on the housing body 106.

[0026] In some examples, the heat dissipation structure 112 may be a radiator. A radiator is a device that typically receives heat from a body via conduction, and this device has multiple protrusions that increase the surface area, protruding into a gaseous cooling medium and dissipating heat into the gaseous cooling medium (such as air). The protrusions increase the total surface area exposed to the gaseous cooling medium, and thereby increase the rate of heat transfer to the gaseous cooling medium. The protrusions may include cut fins, cast fins, needle-like portions (sometimes also called needle fins), or other shapes. In some examples, the heat dissipation structure 112 may include a radiator having multiple heat dissipation fins on the outer surface of the housing 104. The heat dissipation fins can absorb heat from the housing 104 via conduction and thus release heat efficiently due to the increased surface area exposed to air.

[0027] In some examples, the heat dissipation structure 112 may include a heat sink integrally connected to the housing 104, meaning that the housing and the heat sink are formed as part of a single unit. For example, the heat sink and housing 104 may be formed together by: machining from the same solid metal block, casting together in the same casting, or forming together as a single piece via additive manufacturing (e.g., 3D printing, etc.). In such examples, because the heat sink and housing 104 are integrally connected, heat transferred to the inner surface of the housing 104 (as described below) can be efficiently transferred to the protrusion via conduction without having to pass through any thermal interface.

[0028] In other examples, the heat dissipation structure 112 may include a heat sink that is formed separately from the housing 104 and then subsequently attached to the housing. This introduces a thermal interface between the two, which may reduce the rate of heat transfer. However, in some cases, the overall heat dissipation rate may be sufficient despite the presence of this additional thermal interface.

[0029] In some examples, the heat dissipation structure 112 may include a heat sink with protrusions configured to facilitate passive heat dissipation. The protrusions facilitating passive heat dissipation include cast fins or needles with relatively wide spacing between them to allow for easier natural convection without forced airflow. This contrasts with cut fins, which have very small spacing to maximize surface area, but typically require forced airflow due to the small spacing.

[0030] In some examples, the heat dissipation structure 112 and / or other portions of the housing 104 can be configured to have a relatively high emissivity. This allows the body to passively dissipate heat to the external environment through thermal radiation, thereby further increasing the heat dissipation rate. All materials radiate heat, but materials with high emissivity radiate heat at a higher rate. The emissivity of the body depends not only on the type of material but also on the condition of the material surface, such as whether it is polished or rough, or whether it is oxidized. Materials with higher emissivity can also be coated or plated onto the surface of materials with lower emissivity to increase emissivity. Generally, as used herein, "high emissivity" means an emissivity of at least 0.7. Some examples of suitable materials with high emissivity include: anodized aluminum; anodized beryllium; various black paints, enamels, or varnishes; various oxidized metals (steel, nickel, copper, etc.), glass (e.g., pyrex glass), wrought iron, etc.

[0031] The housing body 106 may further include at least one mounting feature 114 coupled to the housing body 106. The mounting feature 114 may be a bracket, aperture, screw hole, or any other means by which the housing 104 can be coupled to an outer surface of the housing body 106. More specifically, the mounting feature 114 may be configured to engage with a corresponding mounting feature on an outer surface (e.g., a wall), thereby allowing the information processing device 102 to be mounted in a desired location.

[0032] Coolant 116 is disposed within the hollow internal volume 108, such as Figure 1The coolant 116 can be a non-conductive material that is liquid at room temperature, such as a dielectric fluid. In cooling applications, such as in system 100, the coolant absorbs heat from components of the system and releases the heat to a cooling device, which in the case of system 100 is housing 104. More specifically, the coolant 116 is a two-phase coolant, meaning that the coolant is designed to transfer heat by changing between a liquid phase and a vapor (gas) phase during operation of the device. In particular, the coolant 116 has a boiling point close to the desired operating temperature of the components, meaning that the components can cause the coolant 116 to boil during operation. This boiling absorbs heat from the components while also facilitating efficient heat transfer to housing 104, as will be described below. In some embodiments, the coolant 116 may be made of 3M TM Novec manufacturing TM 7300 engineering fluid, but this is not the only example and other types of coolants can be used.

[0033] A portion of the coolant 116 may be in the liquid phase 118. In the liquid phase 118, the coolant 116 may be disposed towards the bottom of the housing body 106, and thus in the lower portion of the hollow internal volume 108. The liquid phase 118 of the coolant 116 forms a pool within the hollow internal volume 108. The electronic components of the device 102 (including the system board 122 discussed below) are immersed (submerged) in the pool of coolant 116 in the liquid phase 118, such as... Figure 1 The arrow marked "B" indicates this.

[0034] Another portion of the coolant 116 may be in the gas phase 120. As used herein, the gas phase refers to the state in which a substance (such as coolant 116) exists as a gas. The gas phase 120 of coolant 116 may be disposed above the liquid phase 118; however, the gas phase 120 of coolant 116 is retained within the hollow internal volume 108.

[0035] System 100 may further include system board 122. System board 122 may be a motherboard including central processing unit (CPU) 121, memory 123 and other core components (not shown), but the example is not limited thereto, and any system board may be used. System board 122 may be disposed within the hollow internal volume 108 of housing body 106, and more specifically may be immersed in a pool formed by liquid phase 118 of coolant 116, such that coolant 116 surrounds system board 122 and electronic components (including CPU 121 and memory 123) disposed on system board. System board 122 may be coupled to housing 104 (e.g., coupled to housing body 106) to secure and support system board 112.

[0036] Each electronic component on system board 122 (including CPU 121 and memory 123) may have an individual maximum operating temperature, which is the maximum temperature at which the respective component is designed to operate for extended periods. The individual maximum operating temperature may be specified by the component's manufacturer. The maximum operating temperature reflects the maximum temperature at which the component can be operated without risk of damaging the electronic component. Each electronic component may have a different individual maximum operating temperature, and the maximum operating temperature may depend on factors such as the materials constituting the individual component, default settings (e.g., the clock speed on a processor such as CPU 121), etc. Additionally, system board 122 and the electronic components disposed thereon can generate heat through operation. Components may also have a desired operating temperature, which represents the maximum temperature at which the manufacturer of device 102 intends to operate the component. In some cases, the desired operating temperature may be equal to the maximum operating temperature, or in other cases, the desired operating temperature may differ from the maximum operating temperature. For example, in some cases, the desired operating temperature of a component may be set below the component's maximum operating temperature to reduce energy consumption, increase component lifespan, or for other reasons.

[0037] As previously described, coolant 116 may have a portion in the liquid phase 118 and a portion in the gas phase 120. Coolant 116 may undergo a phase change cycle, thereby switching between the liquid phase 118 and the gas phase 120. More specifically, the liquid portion 118 of coolant 11 may boil when the heat generated by the electronic components on system board 122 corresponds to the boiling point of coolant 116. In some examples, the boiling point of coolant 116 may be lower than or equal to the lowest of the various maximum operating temperatures of the electronic components on system board 122. For example, CPU 121 may have a maximum operating temperature of 99 degrees Celsius, while memory 123 may have a maximum operating temperature of 102 degrees Celsius. Therefore, the boiling point of coolant 116 may be less than or equal to 99 degrees Celsius because CPU 121 has the lowest maximum operating temperature of the components on system board 122. In some examples, the boiling point of coolant 116 may be between 97 and 99 degrees Celsius, ensuring that neither CPU 121 nor memory 123 exceeds their respective maximum operating temperatures. However, the examples are not limited to this, and the components may have other maximum operating temperatures. Furthermore, in some examples, the boiling point of coolant 116 may be equal to or lower than the lowest of the desired operating temperatures of the components.

[0038] Boiling the coolant 116 in the liquid phase 118 causes the coolant 116 to switch to the gas phase 120, such as Figure 1 The dotted line is shown in the diagram. The conversion from liquid phase 118 to gas phase 120 also includes removing the heat generated by system plate 122.

[0039] The vapor phase 120 of coolant 116 moves toward the cover 110 of housing 104, where the coolant finally comes into contact with a portion of cover 110 facing the hollow internal volume 108. As previously described, the heat dissipation structure 112 may be located on the exterior of cover 110 and thermally coupled (directly or indirectly) to the inner surface of cover 110. When the coolant 116 in vapor phase 120 contacts the inner surface of cover 110, heat carried by vapor phase 120 is transferred into cover 110, and from cover, heat is transferred via conduction to heat dissipation structure 112. This removal of heat from vapor phase 120 cools coolant 116 and allows condensation from vapor phase 120 into liquid phase 118, as indicated by the dashed arrow. In this way, coolant 116 can return to liquid phase 118 after transferring heat generated by system plate 122 out of housing 104 via heat dissipation structure 112. Therefore, coolant 116 can continuously cool system board 122 and electronic components connected to system board (such as CPU 121 and memory 123).

[0040] System 100 may include one or more external devices 125, and device 102 may further include at least one electrical interface 124 to allow electrical connection between device 102 and (one or more) external devices 125. Electrical interface 124 may be coupled to the outside of housing 104 and electrically connected to system board 122 via housing 104 of information processing device 102. Electrical interface 124 includes one or more connectors, ports, plugs, or other such devices configured to establish an electrical connection with one or more external electrical devices 199 (e.g., external power supply and / or external information processing device). These connectors, ports, plugs, or other such devices are then electrically connected to system board 112, for example, via wires, cables, or other conductors extending through housing 104 via airtight channels or via radio electromagnetic connections. When electrical interface 124 is connected to an external power supply (not shown), system board 122 may receive power from the external power supply via electrical interface 124. Additionally, the connection between system board 122 and electrical interface 124 allows for electrical communication exchange between system board 122 and electrical interface 124, which can assist the functionality of system board 122 and components connected to it. In some examples, electrical interface 124 may be physically connected to system board 122, while in other examples, the connection between electrical interface 124 and system board 122 may be wireless. Electrical interface 124 may include at least one power supply portion that supplies power to system board 122. This power supply portion of electrical interface 124 may include a power input port (such as a DC receptacle) configured to removably engage with an external power cord (which in turn is plugged into a power source), a permanently connected power cord configured to plug into an external power source, a Power over Ethernet (PoE) port, a solar panel, etc. Electrical interface 124 may also include one or more data communication portions that communicate with system board 122. These data communication portions of electrical interface 124 may include an Ethernet connector, an antenna, an optical transceiver, or any other suitable data communication interface capable of electrical connection and / or electrical communication exchange with external devices. External device 125 may include external power sources such as power outlets, power supplies, generators, batteries, and solar cells. External device 199 may also include one or more information processing devices (e.g., networking devices, servers, etc.) that are separate from device 102 and exchange data with device 102.

[0041] Go to Figures 2 to 10 An example information processing device 202 is shown. The information processing device 202 can be in... Figure 1 An example embodiment of the information processing device 202 shown and described with respect to the figure is illustrated, and can be described in other ways, such as with respect to Figure 1The system described is used in systems such as System 100. Therefore, the information processing device 202 includes components corresponding to the components of the information processing device 202 (i.e., examples of embodiments of the components of the information processing device), and the correspondence between these components is indicated herein by components having the same last two digits as reference numerals (e.g., 112 and 212). The aspects of the information processing device 102 and its components described above can also be applied to the information processing device 202 and its corresponding components, but the information processing device 102 and its components are not limited to the information processing device 102 and its components (the information processing device and its components are merely one example of how the information processing device 102 can be implemented). In some cases, aspects of the information processing device 102 that have already been described above and are also applicable to the information processing device 202 will not be described below to avoid repetition.

[0042] The information processing device 202 includes a housing 204, which further includes a housing body 206 and a cover 210. It should be noted that the lines depicted on the housing body 206 in the figures are outlines and do not represent individual portions of the housing body 206. The housing 204 may have a diameter d, which may be between 200 mm and 300 mm. The housing 204 may also have a weight, which may be approximately two kilograms. The information processing device 202 (including coolant, system boards, and other components) may have a weight of approximately five kilograms.

[0043] like Figures 8 to 10 As shown, the shell body 206 defines a hollow internal volume 208. More specifically, as... Figures 8 to 10 As shown, the hollow internal volume 208 is defined by the bottom 207 of the housing body 206 and the cover 210 of the housing 204, wherein the housing body 206 extends between the bottom 207 and the cover 210. The cover 210 can be removably attached to the housing body 206. In some examples, in the attached state, the attachment feature 228 (especially...) Figure 5 (As shown in the diagram) can be used to secure the cover 210 to the housing body 206. The attachment feature 228 can be a screw, snap-fit ​​connector, pin, or any other suitable attachment feature.

[0044] When the cover 210 is attached to the housing body 206, the hollow internal volume 208 can be sealed relative to the external environment. More specifically, attaching the cover 210 to the housing body 206 provides an airtight seal between the external environment and the hollow internal volume 208. Therefore, the hollow internal volume 208 can be protected from contaminants.

[0045] The housing 204 may further include at least one mounting feature 214. For example, such as Figure 3As shown, installation feature 214 can be one of multiple installation features 214; however, the example is not limited to this, and a single installation feature 214 can be used. Additionally, although Figure 3 The mounting feature 214 shown is screw-shaped, but the example is not limited to this, and other types of mounting features 214 can be used. For example, the mounting feature 214 can be a bracket disposed on the housing 204 and configured to engage with a corresponding attachment feature on an external surface (such as a wall), thereby allowing the information processing device 202 to be mounted. The mounting feature 214 can be configured to engage with a corresponding attachment feature (such as an orifice) on a corresponding mounting bracket disposed on an external surface. In some examples, the bracket can be one of a wall bracket and a ceiling bracket; therefore, the mounting feature 214 can be used to mount the information processing device 202 to a wall or ceiling, wherein the specific mounting location is determined based on factors including environmental and system considerations.

[0046] The housing 204 further includes a heat dissipation structure 212, which includes multiple heat dissipation fins. For example... Figures 2 to 10 As shown, the heat dissipation structure 212 may be provided on the cover 210; however, the example is not limited to this, and in other examples, in addition to or in place of the cover 210, other parts of the housing 204 (such as the housing body 206) may include heat dissipation structures.

[0047] In this example, the heat dissipation structure 212 takes the form of a radiator, which includes multiple heat dissipation fins extending outward from the housing 204. Figures 2 to 10 As shown, fins can extend upward from cover 210. In this example, the fins can be configured to allow passive heat dissipation. Specifically, the fins are slightly thicker in thickness, narrower in width, and slightly wider spaced. The shape and wide spacing of the fins make it easier for air to move passively through the fins, or in other words, passive convection is more likely to occur, thus allowing cooling even without a forced airflow. In contrast, other heat dissipation structures designed for forced airflow heat dissipation may include slightly thinner (in thickness), wider (in width), and slightly closer spaced cut fins, which allow for a larger surface area and therefore better cooling, but require a fan to force sufficient airflow between the fins. Although structure 212 is designed to achieve passive dissipation, active airflow can also be provided to device 202 if it is desired to supplement the cooling capacity of the system, for example, by mounting a fan on or next to device 202.

[0048] exist Figures 2 to 10In the illustrated example, the heat sink of the heat dissipation structure 112 is formed as part of the cover 210; that is, they are integrally connected (part of the same single unit). Because the fins are integrally connected to the cover 210, there is a conductive heat transfer path between the inner surface 213 of the cover 210 and the fins. Accordingly, heat transferred from the vapor coolant 220 to the inner surface 213 of the cover 210 can flow into the fins through conduction. The cover 210 can be formed of a thermally conductive material, so the heat transfer rate from the inner surface 213 to the fins can be relatively high.

[0049] Figures 8 to 10 They are shown respectively Figure 2 , Figure 6 as well as Figure 7 A cross-sectional view is provided, allowing a view of the hollow interior portion 208 of the information processing device 202. It should be noted that... Figures 8 to 10 The grayscale portion in the image represents the location of a single cross-section.

[0050] like Figures 8 to 10 As shown, the hollow interior portion 208 includes a coolant 216. More specifically, the coolant 216 is divided into a liquid portion 218 and a vapor portion 220, wherein the liquid portion 218 is primarily disposed in a pool 217, and the vapor portion 220 is primarily disposed in a volume 219 above the pool 217. (Note that due to a phase change, some of the liquid portion 218 may temporarily reside in volume 219, and some of the vapor portion 220 may temporarily reside in pool 217, as discussed below). It should be noted that the markings (dots) on the liquid portion 218 in the figures are used to visually distinguish the liquid portion 218 of the coolant 216 from other components contained within the hollow interior volume 208, but are not intended to represent actual objects. The vapor portion 220 is indicated by a dotted line arrow in the figures, but it should be understood that the vapor portion 220 of the coolant 216 is in a gaseous state and therefore can be dispersed throughout volume 219. The coolant 216 may be a dielectric fluid, but the examples are not limited to this.

[0051] System board 222 is disposed within the hollow internal volume 208, and more specifically within pool 217, such that system board 222 and electronic components 226 disposed on system board 222 are immersed in the liquid portion 218 of coolant 216. In some examples, the electronic components may include a central processing unit (CPU) and memory, for example, regarding... Figure 1 The CPU 121 and memory 123 are discussed. However, the example is not limited to this, and other or additional electronic components may be present on the system board 222.

[0052] System board 222 is connected to electrical interface 224, which is formed by external portions 223 and 224a and internal portion 224b. For example... Figure 3 As shown, the external electrical interface portion 224a can be disposed on an external portion of the housing 204. More specifically, the external electrical interface portion 224a can be a port through which electrical connections can be made. Figure 3 In the diagram, the external electrical interface portion 224a is shown with a plug installed to seal the port relative to the external environment when not in use. The external electrical interface portion 223 is a grounding connection point, thereby providing an electrically grounded connection to the electrical interface 224.

[0053] Figures 8 to 10 As shown, the internal electrical interface portion 224b may include wires or other connections that extend from the system board 222 to the external electrical interface portion 224a. In this way, the system board 222 can receive power, thereby allowing the electronic components 226 to operate. Additionally, the electrical interface 224 may allow electrical communication exchange between the electrical interface 224 and the system board 222. Although the external electrical interface portion 224a takes the form of a plug-in interface portion, and wires are shown in the internal electrical interface portion 224b, the example is not limited to this, and wired or wireless connections can be used. Examples of the electrical interface 224 include an Ethernet connector, a power input port, and an antenna, but the example is not limited to this. Furthermore, although... Figure 3 and Figures 8 to 10 Only one electrical interface 224 is shown, but more than one electrical interface 224 may exist. For example, in some examples, the information processing device 202 may have both an antenna and a power input port, but the examples are not limited to this.

[0054] Such as about Figure 1 As described, each electronic component 226 on system board 222 may have a specific maximum operating temperature, which represents the maximum temperature that electronic component 226 can reach before there is a risk of component damage. When system board 222 is connected to electrical interface 224, electronic component 226 receives power and therefore generates heat due to the use of electronic component. Therefore, coolant 216 can be used to remove heat from electronic component 226, thereby allowing electronic component to be maintained at a safe operating temperature.

[0055] More specifically, coolant 216 may undergo repeated phase change cycles to transfer heat from electronic component 226 to housing 204. In some examples, the repeated phase change cycle may begin with the boiling of the liquid portion 218 of coolant 216 in pool 217. The boiling point of coolant 216 may correspond to a temperature lower than or equal to the lowest maximum operating temperature of electronic component 226. That is, as previously stated, each electronic component 226 may have a maximum operating temperature, and in some examples, each electronic component 226 may have a separate maximum operating temperature. Therefore, coolant 216 may be selected to have a boiling point lower than or equal to the lowest maximum operating temperature among the various maximum operating temperatures. In some examples, the boiling point of coolant 216 may be between 97 degrees Celsius and 99 degrees Celsius; however, the examples are not limited to this, and coolant 216 with other boiling points may be used depending on the specific electronic component 226 on system board 222.

[0056] As coolant 216 boils, a portion of the liquid phase 218 turns into vapor, becoming part of the gas phase 220. This phase change is indicated by an upward dotted arrow. The newly formed vapor bubbles upward through pool 217 and enters volume 219 above pool 217, combining with the other existing portions of gas phase 220 in volume 219. By boiling and entering gas phase 220, coolant 216 absorbs heat from electronic components 226, carrying the heat away from the electronic components and away from liquid phase 218. Vapor can diffuse within volume 219 via passive convection, and a portion of the vapor occasionally comes into contact with the inner surfaces of housing 204 (including the inner surface 213 of cover 210). Once a portion of the coolant 216 in gas phase 220 contacts inner surface 213, it can condense on the inner surface, as inner surface 213 can be cold (relative to the vapor's condensation point). Inner surface 213 remains cold because it is thermally coupled to heat dissipation structure 212.

[0057] Due to the contact between a portion of the vapor phase 220 coolant 216 and the inner surface 213, the heat carried by this portion of the vapor phase 220 coolant 216 is transferred to the cover 210. Heat is removed from this portion of the vapor phase 220 coolant 216, causing it to condense, thus returning this portion of the coolant 216 to the liquid phase 218. The newly condensed and cooled liquid phase 220 coolant 216 (which in...) Figures 8 to 10The phase change cycle (described stylized as droplets) can then return to the pool 217 of the liquid coolant 216 by gravity, allowing the phase change cycle to continue. Simultaneously, heat transferred from the coolant 216 to the cover 210 can be conducted to the heat dissipation structure 212, and the heat can be dissipated to the external environment from the heat dissipation structure. This keeps the cover 210 sufficiently cold to allow more of the gas phase 220 to continue condensing as it comes into contact with the cover 210. Therefore, the system board 222, and more specifically the electronic components 226 connected to the system board, can be continuously cooled via the repeated phase change of the coolant 216 and the heat dissipation of the heat dissipation structure.

[0058] It should be understood that both the general description and the detailed description provide illustrative examples of implementations that are inherently explanatory and are intended to provide an understanding of the disclosure without limiting its scope. Other examples of the disclosure will be apparent to those skilled in the art based on considerations of the disclosure. For example, various mechanical, compositional, structural, electronic, and operational changes may be made to the disclosed examples without departing from the scope of the disclosure, including, for example, the addition, removal, alteration, substitution, or rearrangement of elements of the disclosed examples, as will be apparent to those skilled in the art in considering the disclosure. Furthermore, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that certain features or aspects of the teachings may be utilized independently (even if they are disclosed together in some examples) or together (even if disclosed in separate examples), provided they are applicable. In some instances, well-known circuits, structures, and techniques have not been shown or described in detail to avoid obscuring these examples. Therefore, the appended claims are intended to provide their fullest scope, including equivalents under applicable law, and are not limited to the examples disclosed herein.

[0059] Unless otherwise expressly stated, references to examples, implementation methods, or other similar references herein should be understood as predictive or hypothetical examples, not as devices / systems that have actually been manufactured. Similarly, unless otherwise expressly stated, references to the quality or characteristics of examples should be understood as indicating the inventors' educated estimates or expectations based on their understanding of the relevant principles involved, the application of theories and / or modeling, and / or past experience, rather than representing the actual quality or characteristics of actually manufactured devices / systems, or the empirical results of actual tests performed.

[0060] Furthermore, the spatial, positional, and relational terms used herein are chosen to aid the reader in understanding examples of the invention, but are not intended to limit the invention to specific frames of reference, orientations, or positional relationships. For example, spatial, positional, and relational terms such as “up,” “down,” “side,” “below,” “below,” “lower,” “above,” “upper,” “near,” “far,” etc., are used herein to describe direction or the spatial relationship of one element or feature relative to another element or feature as shown in the figures. These spatial terms are used relative to the frame of reference in the figures and are not limited to a specific frame of reference in the real world. Moreover, if a different frame of reference is considered, the spatial terms used herein may require different interpretations in that different frame of reference. Furthermore, the orientations of the items shown in the figures are chosen for ease of illustration and description, but in actual implementations, the orientations of the items may differ.

[0061] Additionally, unless the context otherwise indicates, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well. Furthermore, the terms “comprising,” “including,” etc., specify the presence of the stated features, steps, operations, elements, and / or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, steps, operations, elements, components, and / or groups. Unless otherwise specifically stated, components described as interconnected may be directly electrically or mechanically connected, or may be indirectly connected via one or more intermediate components.

[0062] And / or: Occasionally, the phrase “and / or” is used in conjunction with a list of enumerated items in this text. This phrase means that any combination of items in the list can be included—from a single item to all items, and any permutation in between. Thus, for example, “A, B and / or C” means “one of {A}, {B}, {C}, {A, B}, {A, C}, {C, B}, and {A, C, B}.”

[0063] Unless the context otherwise indicates, mathematical and geometric terms need not necessarily be used according to their strict definitions, as those skilled in the art will understand that, for example, substantially similar elements that function in substantially similar ways can readily fall within the scope of descriptive terms, even if those terms have strict definitions. Furthermore, unless otherwise stated herein or implied by the context, the use of approximate terms such as “substantially,” “approximately,” “about,” “around,” “probably,” etc., should be understood to mean that mathematical precision is not required, but rather refers to a range of variation encompassing, but not strictly limited to, the stated values, properties, or relationships. In particular, in addition to any range explicitly stated herein (if any), the range of variation implied by the use of such approximate terms includes at least any insignificant variations and those typical in the relevant field for items of the type discussed due to manufacturing tolerances or other tolerances. In any case, unless otherwise indicated, a range of variation may include at least values ​​within ±1% of the stated values, properties, or relationships.

Claims

1. An outdoor information processing device, comprising: Housing, the housing comprising: A hollow internal volume, wherein the hollow internal volume is airtight relative to the external environment; and A heat dissipation structure is located on the outside of the housing; A coolant disposed within the hollow internal volume of the housing, a portion of which is in a liquid phase and collected in a pool within the housing, and a portion of which is in a gaseous phase and located above the pool; and An information processing system board, comprising electronic components, is disposed within the hollow internal volume and immersed in the liquid coolant bath. The coolant is configured to transfer heat from the electronic components to the housing by undergoing repeated phase change cycles.

2. The outdoor information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein The repeated phase change cycle includes boiling from the liquid phase to the gas phase, convection, condensation from the gas phase onto the shell to become the liquid phase, and return to the pool.

3. The outdoor information processing equipment as described in claim 1, wherein, The housing includes: A housing body that defines the hollow internal volume; A cover, the cover being selectively engaged with the housing body, wherein, in the engaged state of the cover and the housing body, the hollow internal volume is sealed relative to the external environment; and The heat dissipation structure is disposed on the cover of the housing.

4. The outdoor information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein The heat dissipation structure includes a heat sink.

5. The outdoor information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein The heat dissipation structure further includes a plurality of heat dissipation fins on the outer surface of the housing.

6. The outdoor information processing equipment as described in claim 1, wherein, The diameter of the housing is between 200 mm and 300 mm; and The weight of the shell is between 2 kg and 5 kg.

7. The outdoor information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein The coolant is a dielectric fluid.

8. The outdoor information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein The boiling point of the coolant is lower than or equal to the minimum maximum operating temperature of the electronic components of the system board.

9. The outdoor information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein The boiling point of the coolant is between 97 and 99 degrees Celsius.

10. The outdoor information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein The outdoor information processing equipment is an outdoor wireless access point.

11. The outdoor information processing device of claim 1, further comprising an electrical interface connected to the exterior of the housing, electrically connected to the system board through the housing, and configured to supply power to the system board and exchange electrical communication with the system board.

12. The outdoor information processing equipment as described in claim 11, wherein, The electrical interface includes one or more Ethernet connectors.

13. The outdoor information processing equipment as described in claim 11, wherein, The electrical interface includes one or more antennas.

14. The outdoor information processing equipment as described in claim 11, wherein, The electrical interface includes a power input port.

15. The outdoor information processing device of claim 1, further comprising mounting features on the housing configured to mount the outdoor information processing device to a bracket, wherein, The bracket is either a wall bracket or a ceiling bracket.

16. A system comprising: Outdoor information processing equipment, the outdoor information processing equipment comprising: Housing, the housing comprising: A shell body that defines a hollow internal volume; A cover, the cover being used to engage with the housing body to hermetically seal the hollow internal volume relative to the external environment; and A heat dissipation structure is located on the outside of the housing; A coolant is disposed in the hollow internal volume of the housing, a portion of which is in the liquid phase and collected in a pool within the housing, and a portion of which is in the gas phase and located above the pool; System board, the system board including electronic components, disposed within the hollow internal volume of the housing body, wherein the system board is immersed in the liquid coolant pool; and A power supply located outside the housing and electrically connected to the system board via an electrical interface connected to the outside of the housing.

17. The system of claim 16, further comprising a data communication device located outside the housing and electrically connected to the system board via the electrical interface.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein, The coolant is configured to transfer heat from the electronic components to the housing by undergoing repeated phase change cycles, the repeated phase change cycles including boiling from the liquid phase to the gas phase, convection, condensation from the gas phase onto the housing to become the liquid phase, and return to the pool.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein, The coolant is a dielectric fluid, and the boiling point of the dielectric fluid is less than or equal to the minimum specified maximum operating temperature of the electronic components of the system board.

20. A system comprising: Outdoor information processing equipment, the outdoor information processing equipment comprising: Housing, the housing comprising: A shell body that defines a hollow internal volume; A cover, the cover being used to engage with the housing body to hermetically seal the hollow internal volume relative to the external environment; and A heat dissipation structure is located on the outside of the housing; A coolant disposed in the hollow internal volume of the housing, a portion of the coolant being in a liquid phase and collected in a pool within the housing, and a portion of the coolant being in a gas phase and located above the pool, wherein the coolant further comprises a dielectric fluid; A system board, comprising electronic components, is disposed within the hollow internal volume of the housing body, wherein the system board is immersed in the liquid coolant pool; A power supply located outside the housing and electrically connected to the system board via an electrical interface connected to the outside of the housing; A data communication device, located outside the housing and electrically connected to the system board via the electrical interface; and Mounting features are attached to the housing body and configured to engage with corresponding mounting brackets on the outer surface.

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