Server cooling system and its degassing device and working fluid distribution unit

Abstract

The application discloses a server cooling system, a degassing device and a working fluid distribution unit thereof. The server cooling system comprises a liquid cooling device and a degassing device. The degassing device comprises a heater, a radiator and a liquid-gas separator. The heater is connected with the radiator, and the liquid-gas separator is connected with the radiator and the liquid cooling device. In addition, the working fluid distribution unit comprises a heat exchanger, a working fluid storage connected with the heat exchanger, a fluid propeller connected with the working fluid storage, a heater connected with the fluid propeller, a radiator connected with the heater, a liquid-gas separator connected with the radiator and a filter connected with the liquid-gas separator.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to server cooling systems and their degassing devices and working fluid distribution units. Background Technology

[0002] Because servers generate a significant amount of heat during operation, they are typically equipped with cooling systems to dissipate this heat. Current cooling systems can be rack-mounted or immersion-type. Rack-mounted cooling systems generally include: liquid cooling modules and servers housed in separate racks; liquid cooling modules mounted on the rear door of the server rack; and liquid cooling modules and servers housed within the same rack. Immersion-type cooling systems can have different structures based on single-phase or two-phase coolants. For example, an immersion cooling system may include an immersion tank, a chiller, cooling water piping, and a cooling water monitoring unit. Summary of the Invention

[0003] To the inventor's knowledge, the coolant in a cooling circulation system is typically filled into the chassis or immersion tank at room temperature (e.g., 25°C) before the server is started. However, when the coolant vaporizes due to absorbing heat from the server, the vaporized gas includes not only the gaseous coolant but also gases originally dissolved in the liquid coolant. This causes a corresponding increase in pressure within the chassis or immersion tank, making it difficult to maintain stable pressure and potentially leading to fluid leakage. Furthermore, the vaporized gas may also cause hardware damage.

[0004] Embodiments of the present invention provide a server cooling system and its degassing device and working fluid distribution unit.

[0005] According to some embodiments, the server cooling system includes a liquid cooling unit and a degassing unit. The degassing unit includes a heater, a radiator, and a liquid-gas separator. The radiator is connected to the heater. The liquid-gas separator connects the radiator and the liquid cooling unit.

[0006] According to some embodiments, the working fluid distribution unit includes a heat exchanger, a working fluid reservoir, a fluid propeller, a heater, a radiator, a liquid-gas separator, and a filter. The working fluid reservoir is connected to the heat exchanger. The fluid propeller is connected to the working fluid reservoir. The heater is connected to the fluid propeller. The radiator is connected to the heater. The liquid-gas separator is connected to the radiator. The filter is connected to the liquid-gas separator.

[0007] According to some embodiments, the degassing device includes a heater, a radiator, and a liquid-gas separator. The heater is configured to heat a working fluid to output a heated fluid. The heated fluid has a first temperature, which is higher than the operating temperature of the working fluid. The radiator is configured to condense the heated fluid to output a cooled fluid. The cooled fluid has a second temperature, which is lower than the operating temperature. The liquid-gas separator is configured to separate the cooled fluid into liquid and gas components to output degassed fluid and gas, respectively.

[0008] In summary, according to some embodiments, the working fluid is degassed before being filled into the liquid cooling device, so that the air pressure in the casing or immersion tank can be maintained, reducing the degree of fluid leakage. According to some embodiments, the risk of hardware damage due to gas expansion after heat exchange can also be reduced. Attached Figure Description

[0009] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a server cooling system in some embodiments (I), with arrows indicating the flow direction of the working fluid;

[0010] Figure 2 This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of a liquid-gas separator according to some embodiments, wherein the spiral liquid guide plate and some gas guide pipes are not shown in cross-section;

[0011] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of a server cooling system in some embodiments (II), with arrows indicating the flow direction of the working fluid;

[0012] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of a server cooling system (III) according to some embodiments, showing that the first working unit, the second working unit and the third working unit are configured in the same server rack;

[0013] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of a server cooling system (fourth embodiment) showing the connection between the first working unit and the degassing device, with arrows indicating the flow direction of the working fluid;

[0014] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of a server cooling system (V) according to some embodiments, showing the connection relationship between the first working unit, the second working unit and the third working unit, with arrows indicating the flow direction of the working fluid;

[0015] Figure 7A This is a structural schematic diagram of the first working unit in some embodiments, showing that the liquid cooling device also includes a cold plate module and multiple components to be dissipated are arranged inside the housing;

[0016] Figure 7B yes Figure 7A Mark area D and follow Figure 7A Looking from below to above, a magnified view of area D shows the connection relationships of the components to be cooled, the cold plate, the branch inlet pipe, and the branch outlet pipe.

[0017] Figure 8A This is a top view of the first working unit in some other embodiments, showing that the housing of the first working unit is a sealed enclosure to house the working fluid, the boiling aid, and the components to be cooled.

[0018] Figure 8B yes Figure 8A Mark area D and follow Figure 8A Looking from below and upwards, a magnified view of area D shows the components to be cooled and the boiling module.

[0019] Symbol explanation:

[0020] 1: Working fluid storage tank

[0021] 3: Electronic devices

[0022] 4: Components to be cooled

[0023] 4A: Processor

[0024] 4B: Switch

[0025] 10: Degassing device

[0026] 11: Fluid Propulsion

[0027] 13: Heater

[0028] 14: Filter

[0029] 15: Radiator

[0030] 16: Flow meter

[0031] 17: Liquid-Gas Separator

[0032] 171: Gas check valve

[0033] 172: Upper Exit

[0034] 173: Spiral liquid guide plate

[0035] 174: Lower Exit

[0036] 175: Separating baffle

[0037] 176: Gas flow guide fittings

[0038] 20: Liquid cooling device

[0039] 21: Immersion Cooling Box

[0040] 21a: Gas phase space

[0041] 21b: Liquid space

[0042] 23: Pressure balancing device

[0043] 25: Condensation unit

[0044] 27: Server rack

[0045] 29, 729, 829: Chassis

[0046] 30: Working fluid

[0047] 30a: Propelled fluid

[0048] 30b: Heating fluid

[0049] 30c: Heat dissipation fluid

[0050] 30d: Degassing fluid

[0051] 30e: Filtered fluid

[0052] 30f: Fluid to be degassed

[0053] 41: Cold plate module

[0054] 411: Cold-rolled steel plate

[0055] 412, 512: Thermal interface materials

[0056] 51: Boiling aid module

[0057] 511: Boiling aid

[0058] 60: Cooling device

[0059] 62: Water-cooled pipe fittings

[0060] 70: Working fluid distribution unit

[0061] 71: Heat Exchanger

[0062] 73: Working fluid reservoir

[0063] 75: Fluid Propulsion

[0064] 81, 781, 881: First working unit

[0065] 83: Second Working Unit

[0066] 85: Third Working Unit

[0067] 91: Disagreement and Entry Management

[0068] 910: Divergent Entry Point

[0069] 911: Branching into the branch

[0070] 92: Divergence in Management

[0071] 920: Divergent Exports

[0072] 921: Branching out Detailed Implementation

[0073] In the following embodiments, the terms "connection" or "connection" are used, unless specifically stated to refer to electrical connection or signal transmission. "Connection" or "connection" can refer to a physical connection, or a direct or indirect connection between physical components. Furthermore, the accompanying drawings of this invention are for illustrative purposes only and are not necessarily drawn to scale, and not all details may be shown in the drawings.

[0074] Please see Figure 1 and Figure 2 , Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a server cooling system according to some embodiments (a) is shown, with arrows indicating the flow direction of the working fluid 30; Figure 2 A cross-sectional schematic diagram of a liquid-gas separator 17 according to some embodiments is shown, wherein the spiral liquid guide plate 173 and part of the gas guide pipe 176 are not shown in cross-section.

[0075] Please see Figure 1 The server cooling system includes a liquid cooling unit 20 and a degassing unit 10. The degassing unit 10 includes a heater 13, a radiator 15, and a liquid-gas separator 17. The radiator 15 is connected to the heater 13. The liquid-gas separator 17 connects the radiator 15 to the liquid cooling unit 20. The liquid cooling unit 20 is adapted to dissipate heat from the server using a working fluid 30. The liquid cooling unit 20 is, for example, but not limited to, an immersion cooling apparatus or a rack-mounted cooling apparatus. The working fluid 30 is, for example, but not limited to, a non-conductive coolant, such as non-conductive synthetic oil, polyalphaolefin (PAO) type coolant, gas to liquid base oil (GTL) type coolant, synthetic ester type coolant, and fluorocarbon coolant. In some embodiments, the working fluid 30 may be a two-phase coolant.

[0076] The degassing device 10 heats the working fluid 30, causing the air dissolved in the working fluid 30 to be released due to the increased temperature. Subsequently, the radiator 15 maintains the heated working fluid 30 at a specific temperature to preserve a specific proportion of the released air in an undissolved state. Next, the liquid-gas separator 17 separates the released air from the degassed working fluid 30. The released air is discharged, while the degassed working fluid 30 is directed to the liquid cooling device 20. In this way, the dissolved air ratio of the working fluid 30 in the liquid cooling device 20 is greatly reduced, maintaining the air pressure in the liquid cooling device 20.

[0077] Specifically, please refer to Figure 1In some embodiments, the heater 13 of the degassing device 10 is configured to heat the working fluid 30 to output a heated fluid 30b. The heated fluid 30b has a first temperature higher than the operating temperature of the working fluid 30. The heater 13 is, for example, but not limited to, electric heaters or ceramic heaters. In some embodiments, the operating temperature of the working fluid 30 may be the boiling point of the working fluid 30. A temperature range of 2 °C. For example, if the boiling point of the working fluid 30 is 49 °C, then the operating temperature of the working fluid 30 is 47 °C to 51 °C. The heater 13 is set to a heating temperature higher than the minimum operating temperature. In some embodiments, the first temperature is about 2 °C to 10 °C higher than the operating temperature. In some embodiments, the first temperature is the boiling point of the working fluid 30.

[0078] The solubility (unit: air volume / liquid volume) of the working fluid 30 decreases as the temperature increases. Taking a fluorinated coolant as an example, at room temperature, such as 25 °C, the solubility of the working fluid 30 is 30%. When the temperature rises above 49 °C, the solubility is less than 1%. When the heater 13 heats the working fluid 30 to a temperature higher than its operating temperature (e.g., 49 °C), the solubility of the working fluid 30 can be reduced from the original 30% to below 1%.

[0079] Please see Figure 1 Radiator 15 is configured to condense heating fluid 30b to output cooling fluid 30c. Cooling fluid 30c has a second temperature lower than the operating temperature. Radiator 15 is, for example, but not limited to, a heat pipe radiator or a finned radiator, such as a liquid-gas heat exchange (L2A) hybrid cooling module or a liquid-liquid heat exchange (L2L) cooling module. In some embodiments, the second temperature is about 1°C to 5°C lower than the operating temperature. In some embodiments, the second temperature is 1°C to 5°C lower than the boiling point of the working fluid 30. In some embodiments, the second temperature is not lower than 45°C. In some embodiments, the temperature of cooling fluid 30c is lower than the temperature of heating fluid 30b, but the temperature of cooling fluid 30c is still sufficient to keep the dissolved air rate of the working fluid 30 below a certain percentage (e.g., dissolved air rate less than 10%).

[0080] The liquid-gas separator 17 is configured to separate the cooling fluid 30c into liquid and gas, outputting degassed fluid 30d and gas respectively. The liquid-gas separator 17 is, for example, but not limited to, a gravity-type liquid-gas separator or a centrifugal-type liquid-gas separator. See also... Figure 2In some embodiments, the liquid-gas separator 17 includes a spiral guide plate 173, a gas check valve 171, a liquid separating baffle 175, and a gas guide tube 176. The spiral guide plate 173 is disposed on the outer surface of the gas guide tube 176. One end of the gas guide tube 176 opens toward the liquid separating baffle 175 located at the bottom of the chamber of the liquid-gas separator 17, and the other end (i.e., the upper outlet 172) opens toward the outside of the liquid-gas separator 17. The spiral guide plate 173 is configured to cause the heat dissipation fluid 30c to generate a spiral centrifugal motion to separate the heat dissipation fluid 30c into gas and degassed fluid 30d. In addition, the gas guide tube 176 is provided with a gas check valve 171. The gas check valve 171 is located near the upper outlet 172 and is configured to output the gas separated from the heat dissipation fluid 30c, so that the gas can only be discharged in one direction. The separating baffle 175 is located near the lower outlet 174 of the spiral guide plate 173, and is configured to separate the degassing fluid 30d from the gas. In some embodiments, the degassing fluid 30d may be a working fluid 30 with a dissolved gas rate of a preset value (e.g., 1%), and is not a liquid in which no gas is dissolved.

[0081] Please see Figure 1 In some embodiments, the server cooling system further includes a working fluid storage tank 1. The degassing device 10 also includes a fluid thruster 11, a filter 14, and a flow meter 16. The working fluid storage tank 1 is configured to store working fluid 30. The fluid thruster 11 is connected to the working fluid storage tank 1. The fluid thruster 11 is configured to draw working fluid 30 from the working fluid storage tank 1 to output propelled fluid 30a. The fluid thruster 11 is, for example, but not limited to, a pump or a circulation pump. The filter 14 is configured to filter impurities from the working fluid 30. The filter 14 may be connected to a liquid-gas separator 17 to filter degassed fluid 30d and output filtered fluid 30e. The filter 14 is, for example, but not limited to, a filter, a filter pump, an oil-water separator, or combinations thereof. Additionally, the flow meter 16 is connected to the filter 14 and the liquid cooling device 20. The flow meter 16 is configured to measure the flow rate of the working fluid 30 filling the liquid cooling device 20, or to measure the flow rate of the filtered fluid 30e.

[0082] by Figure 1For example, the fluid thruster 11 extracts the working fluid 30 from the working fluid storage tank 1 and outputs the propelled fluid 30a. The temperature of both the working fluid 30 in the working fluid storage tank 1 and the propelled fluid 30a is 25°C, and the dissolved air rate is approximately 30%. The heater 13 receives and heats the propelled fluid 30a to output the heated fluid 30b. After being heated by the heater 13, the temperature of the heated fluid 30b reaches 50°C, and the dissolved air rate decreases to below 1%. Since the purpose of the heater 13 is to boil the working fluid 30, the heated fluid 30b is a mixture that may contain liquid working fluid 30, gaseous working fluid 30, and air released due to the decrease in the dissolved air rate of the working fluid 30 (hereinafter referred to as released air). The radiator 15 receives and condenses the heated fluid 30b to output the cooling fluid 30c, and the temperature of the cooling fluid 30c is approximately 49°C. Since the purpose of the radiator 15 is to condense the working fluid 30, the cooling fluid 30c is a mixture that may contain liquid working fluid 30 and released air. Next, the heat dissipation fluid 30c flows into the liquid-gas separator 17 and is degassed.

[0083] Please see Figure 2 The cooling fluid 30c flows along the spiral guide plate 173. Under centrifugal force, the liquid working fluid 30 and the released air are separated. The released air, due to its relatively small gravity, flows along the gas guide pipe 176 and exits from the gas check valve 171 (upper outlet 172). The liquid working fluid 30, due to its relatively large gravity, flows out from the lower outlet 174. The liquid working fluid 30 flowing out from the lower outlet 174 is the degassed fluid 30d, with a temperature of approximately 48 °C. The degassed fluid 30d has a dissolved air content of approximately 1% to 5%. The filter 14 filters the degassed fluid 30d and outputs filtered fluid 30e, which has a temperature of 47 °C and a dissolved air content of approximately 5%. Finally, the filtered fluid 30e flows through the flow meter 16 and into the liquid cooling device 20. This means that the working fluid 30 entering the cooling circulation system of the liquid cooling device 20 has a low dissolved gas ratio, and the gas volume required by the liquid cooling device 20 can be reduced.

[0084] The following will describe in detail some embodiments of the liquid cooling device 20 as an immersion cooling device.

[0085] Please see Figure 3 , Figure 3 A schematic diagram (II) of a server cooling system according to some embodiments is shown, with arrows indicating the flow direction of the working fluid 30.

[0086] In some embodiments, the liquid cooling device 20 is an immersion cooling device, and the working fluid 30 is a two-phase coolant. The liquid cooling device 20 includes an immersion cooling tank 21, a condensation device 25, and a pressure balancing device 23. The immersion cooling tank 21 is configured to contain the working fluid 30 and at least one electronic device 3 (e.g., a server) at least partially immersed in the working fluid 30. The immersion cooling tank 21 has a gas phase space 21a and a liquid phase space 21b. The gas phase space 21a is configured to contain the gaseous working fluid 30, and the liquid phase space 21b is configured to contain the liquid working fluid 30. The liquid phase space 21b is connected to the degassing device 10. The gas phase space 21a is connected to the pressure balancing device 23.

[0087] The pressure balancing device 23 is configured to maintain the pressure of the immersion cooling chamber 21 within a predetermined pressure range, for example, less than 1 atmosphere. Specifically, the pressure balancing device 23 may have an expandable space to accommodate gas from the gas phase space 21a. The pressure balancing device 23 may be, for example, but not limited to, a bellows or bag structure with an expansion and contraction function. Accordingly, the pressure balancing device 23 can regulate the internal pressure of the immersion cooling chamber 21 by changing the volume of the expandable space. For example, the internal pressure can be maintained at a negative pressure state that is less than or equal to the external pressure (e.g., 1 atmosphere). Specifically, if the working fluid 30 entering the immersion cooling chamber 21 is heated without proper degassing, the working fluid 30 may vaporize due to heating and release air from the liquid, thereby increasing the pressure inside the immersion cooling chamber 21, causing gas in the gas phase space 21a to flow into the pressure balancing device 23. To maintain a negative pressure state, the immersion cooling chamber 21 may be equipped with multiple pressure balancing devices 23. In some embodiments, the pressure balancing device 23 may also have a drive assembly, such as, but not limited to, a motor or cylinder, configured to drive the gas in the gas phase space 21a to flow into the expandable space.

[0088] The condensation unit 25 may include water-cooled pipes, a water pump, and a water chiller unit. Some of the water-cooled pipes are located in the vapor phase space 21a of the immersion cooling tank 21, while others are located outside the immersion cooling tank 21 and connected to the water pump and the water chiller unit. For example, the coolant in the water-cooled pipes located in the vapor phase space 21a absorbs heat from the gaseous working fluid 30. The heated coolant in the water-cooled pipes is propelled by the water pump to the water chiller unit for heat dissipation and cooling. Then, the cooled coolant flows back into the vapor phase space 21a of the immersion cooling tank 21 for the next heat dissipation cycle. On the other hand, the gaseous working fluid 30 condenses into a liquid state due to the heat dissipation effect of the water-cooled pipes and flows back to the liquid phase space 21b of the immersion cooling tank 21.

[0089] Please see Figure 3 The degassing device 10 may also include a fluid propeller 11 and a filter 14. The liquid phase space 21b of the immersion cooling tank 21 connects the fluid propeller 11 and the liquid-gas separator 17. The fluid propeller 11 is configured to extract the liquid working fluid 30 from the immersion cooling tank 21 to output the propelled fluid 30a. The liquid-gas separator 17 is configured to output degassed fluid 30d to the immersion cooling tank 21.

[0090] Specifically, with Figure 3 For example, the liquid working fluid 30 in the immersion cooling chamber 21 absorbs heat from the server and vaporizes, releasing the air within the liquid. A portion of the gas in the gas phase space 21a is allowed to flow to the pressure equalization device 23, allowing the internal pressure of the immersion cooling chamber 21 to be regulated (e.g., maintained at a negative pressure). At this time, the temperature of the liquid working fluid 30 in the liquid phase space 21b is approximately 47 °C. The fluid thruster 11 extracts the liquid working fluid 30 from the immersion cooling chamber 21 and outputs the propelled fluid 30a. The filter 14 filters the propelled fluid 30a and outputs the filtered fluid 30e. The heater 13 receives the filtered fluid 30e and outputs the heated fluid 30b. The temperature of the heated fluid 30b is, for example, 55 °C. The heated fluid 30b mainly consists of the gaseous working fluid 30 and released air. In the embodiment shown in the figures, since the filter 14 is located upstream of the heater 13, the working fluid 30 pre-flows through the filter 14, saving energy consumption in the downstream heater 13. In other words, heater 13 only needs to heat the working fluid 30 from 47°C to 55°C. Then, the heated fluid 30b is condensed by radiator 15 to become a cooling fluid 30c at 48°C. The cooling fluid 30c mainly consists of liquid working fluid 30 and released air. Liquid-gas separator 17 receives the cooling fluid 30c and separates the liquid working fluid 30 (i.e., degassed fluid 30d) from the released air. Gas check valve 171 outputs released air. Degassed fluid 30d flows back to the immersion cooling chamber 21. The temperature of degassed fluid 30d is, for example, 48°C.

[0091] In some embodiments, the total volume of the gas phase space 21a and the liquid phase space 21b is a first volume. The pressure balancing device 23 has a gas volume. This gas volume is 1% to 30% of the first volume. This gas volume can be the maximum volume of the expandable space of the pressure balancing device 23.

[0092] For example, please refer to Figure 3In immersion cooling systems, a large volume of liquid working fluid 30 (e.g., 300 liters) is typically filled into the immersion cooling chamber 21. The volume ratio of the gas phase space 21a to the liquid phase space 21b is approximately 3:7. If the working fluid 30 is filled at 25°C, its dissolved gas ratio reaches 30%, then the gas volume of the pressure balancing device 23 needs to be 90 liters to maintain the negative pressure state of the immersion cooling chamber 21. If the working fluid 30 is heated and degassed by the degassing device 10 before being filled into the liquid cooling device 20, reducing the dissolved gas ratio to 10%, then the gas volume of the pressure balancing device 23 configured in the liquid cooling device 20 only needs to be 9 liters. Therefore, the gas volume of the pressure balancing device 23 can be significantly reduced.

[0093] In this way, since the degassing device 10 can maintain the dissolved air rate of the working fluid 30 at a certain level, thereby reducing the amount of air released by the working fluid 30 due to heat absorption, the internal pressure of the immersion cooling box 21 can be stably maintained.

[0094] In some embodiments, the submersible cooling chamber 21 is directly connected to the heater 13, and the filter 14 is installed between the liquid-gas separator 17 and the submersible cooling chamber 21. The degassed fluid 30d output from the liquid-gas separator 17 flows into the submersible cooling chamber 21 only after being filtered by the filter 14.

[0095] Please see Figure 4 , Figure 5 and Figure 6 , Figure 4 A schematic diagram of a server cooling system according to some embodiments (III) is shown, showing that the first working unit 81, the second working unit 83 and the third working unit 85 are configured in the same server rack 27; Figure 5 A schematic diagram of a server cooling system according to some embodiments (IV) is shown, illustrating the connection between the first working unit 81 and the degassing device 10, with arrows indicating the flow direction of the working fluid 30; Figure 6 A schematic diagram of a server cooling system according to some embodiments is shown (V), illustrating the connection relationship between the first working unit 81, the second working unit 83 and the third working unit 85, with arrows indicating the flow direction of the working fluid 30.

[0096] Please see Figure 4 and Figure 6 In some embodiments, the server cooling system further includes a Cooling Distribution Unit (CDU) 70, configured to contain and distribute working fluid 30 to servers, operation units, or other devices. The following will specifically describe some embodiments of a rack-mount server cooling system using liquid cooling device 20.

[0097] Please see Figure 4 In some embodiments, the liquid cooling device 20 is a rack-mount server cooling device and is configured with multiple working units, within which the working fluid 30 circulates. Each working unit has a standardized housing 29, such as 1U, 2U, 3U, 4U, etc. In some embodiments, the width of the housing 29 of a working unit is 19 inches or 23 inches, and the height of the housing 29 is a positive integer multiple of 1.75 inches.

[0098] In some embodiments, the degassing device 10, the working fluid distribution unit 70, and the server are all modular and removable from the server rack 27. For details, please refer to... Figure 4 The working unit includes a first working unit 81, a second working unit 83, and a third working unit 85. The number of the first working unit 81, the second working unit 83, and the third working unit 85 can be one or more.

[0099] Please see Figures 7A to 8B , Figure 7A A schematic diagram of the structure of the first working unit 781 according to some embodiments is shown, indicating that the liquid cooling device 20 also includes a cold plate module 41 and a plurality of heat dissipation components 4 are arranged in the housing 729. Figure 7B Draw Figure 7A Mark area D and follow Figure 7A Looking from below and upwards at a magnified view of area D, the connection relationship between the heat dissipation component 4, the cold plate 411, the branch inlet pipe 911, and the branch outlet pipe 921 is shown. Figure 8A A top view of a first working unit 881 according to some other embodiments is shown, showing that the housing 829 of the first working unit 881 is a sealed enclosure to house the working fluid 30, the boiling aid 511 and the heat dissipation component 4. Figure 8B Draw Figure 8A Mark area D and follow Figure 8A Looking from below and upwards, a magnified view of area D shows the heat dissipation component 4 and the boiling module 51.

[0100] Please see Figure 7A and Figure 7BThe first working unit 781 may be a server module mounted in a rack. The housing 729 of the first working unit 781 may accommodate at least one component 4 to be cooled, such as, but not limited to, a processor 4A (CPU or GPU) or a switch 4B (e.g., a network switch). In some embodiments, the liquid cooling device 20 further includes a cold plate module 41 configured to cool the component 4. The cold plate module 41 includes, for example, but not limited to, a working fluid inlet, at least one cold plate 411 thermally coupled to at least one component 4 to be cooled, working fluid channels (e.g., branch inlet 91, branch outlet 911, branch outlet 92, branch outlet 921), and a thermal interface material 412 (TIM). The cold plate 411 is connected to the branch inlet 91 via the branch inlet 911 and to the branch outlet 92 via the branch outlet 921. The thermal interface material 412 is configured to bond the cold plate 411 and the component 4 to be cooled, and includes thermal paste and / or a thermal pad. For example, Figure 5 The fluid propulsion 11 of the degassing device 10 extracts Figure 7B The working fluid 30 within the cold plate 411 is used to output the propelled fluid. The heater 13 heats the propelled fluid to output heated fluid. Next, the heated fluid flows sequentially through the radiator 15 and the liquid-gas separator 17, with the liquid-gas separator 17 outputting degassed fluid. The filter 14 filters the degassed fluid to output filtered fluid. Figure 7B The cold plate 411. Thus, the degassed working fluid 30 enters the cold plate 411 through the branch inlet pipe 91 and the branch outlet pipe 911, exchanges heat with the component 4 to be cooled, and then flows out of the first working unit 781 through the branch outlet pipe 921 and the branch outlet pipe 92. In some embodiments, the housing 729 may be non-sealed, meaning that the housing 729 may also be equipped with air-cooling components, such as a fan. In some embodiments, the housing 729 may be further equipped with other heat pipes or other heat dissipation devices to enhance the cooling effect.

[0101] exist Figure 7A The four cold plates 411 corresponding to the four exchangers 4B on the left are connected in series to the piping (branch inlet pipe 91 and branch outlet pipe 92). The working fluid 30 flows from the branch inlet pipe 91 into the cold plates 411 disposed on the exchangers 4B, and sequentially passes through all the downstream cold plates 411 of the exchangers 4B before flowing out of the housing 729 from the branch outlet pipe 92. On the other hand, Figure 7A The eight processors 4A and their corresponding eight cold plates 411 are connected in parallel to the pipes (branch inlet pipe 91 and branch outlet pipe 92). From filter 14 (see...) Figure 6The filtered fluid 30e flows out and into the branch inlet pipe 91, where it is then distributed to each cold plate 411 located on the processor 4A. It then flows through the corresponding branch outlet pipe 921 to the branch outlet pipe 92, and finally exits the housing 729. In some embodiments, the connection method between the multiple cold plates 411 can be adjusted as needed.

[0102] Please see Figure 8A and Figure 8B In some embodiments, the housing 829 of the first working unit 881 is a sealed chassis to contain the working fluid 30 and the component 4 to be cooled, which is at least partially immersed in the working fluid 30, and the sealed chassis prevents the gaseous working fluid 30 from escaping. The working fluid 30 within the housing 829 is configured to exchange heat with the component 4 to be cooled (e.g., processor 4A or exchanger 4B). In such embodiments, the first working unit 881 employs immersion cooling, and a boil-enhancing module 51 may be provided on the component 4 to be cooled. The liquid cooling device 20 also includes a boil-enhancing module 51, which is configured to be thermally coupled to the component 4 to be cooled. The boil-enhancing module 51 includes, for example, but not limited to, a boiler 511 and a thermal interface material 512. For example, Figure 5 The fluid propulsion 11 of the degassing device 10 extracts Figure 8A The working fluid 30 within the sealed casing of the first working unit 881 is used to output the propelled fluid. The heater 13 heats the propelled fluid to output heated fluid. Next, the heated fluid flows sequentially through the radiator 15 and the liquid-gas separator 17, with the liquid-gas separator 17 outputting degassed fluid. The filter 14 filters the degassed fluid to output filtered fluid. Figure 8A The housing 829. Thus, the degassed working fluid 30 flows into the housing 829 from the branch inlet pipe 91, and a portion of the working fluid 30 evaporates into a gaseous state due to heat exchange with the boiling aid module 51. Then, the heat-exchanged working fluid 30 (including gaseous, liquid, or liquid-gas coexistence states) flows out of the housing 829 from the branch outlet pipe 92.

[0103] The second working unit 83 is a general term for the degassing device 10. Figure 6 For example, the degassing device 10 includes a heater 13, a radiator 15, a liquid-gas separator 17, and a filter 14. The heater 13, radiator 15, liquid-gas separator 17, and filter 14 are all housed within the casing 29 of the second working unit 83 (see [reference needed]). Figure 4 ).

[0104] The third working unit 85 is a general term for the working fluid distribution unit 70. Please refer to [link / reference]. Figure 4The first working unit 81 is installed on the top of the server rack 27, the third working unit 85 (working fluid distribution unit 70) is installed on the bottom of the server rack 27, and the second working unit 83 (degassing device 10) is located near the third working unit 85.

[0105] Please see Figure 4 and Figure 6 Server rack 27 includes a branch inlet pipe 91 and a branch outlet pipe 92. Branch inlet pipe 91 has a branch inlet 910. Branch outlet pipe 92 has a branch outlet 920. First working unit 81, second working unit 83, and third working unit 85 are connected via branch inlet pipe 91 and branch outlet pipe 92. For example, please refer to... Figure 6 The working fluid 30 in the first working unit 81 absorbs heat and flows along the branch pipe 92 to the third working unit 85 (working fluid distribution unit 70). Since the working fluid 30 vaporizes due to absorbing heat generated by the server, the working fluid 30 flowing out of the first working unit 81 is primarily gaseous, with a temperature, for example, reaching 50 °C. The working fluid distribution unit 70 is connected to the branch outlet 920 and configured to contain and output the working fluid 30. The working fluid distribution unit 70 may include a heat exchanger 71, a working fluid reservoir 73, and a fluid propulsion device 75. The heat exchanger 71 is connected to the first working unit 81. The working fluid reservoir 73 is connected to the heat exchanger 71. The fluid propulsion device 75 is connected to the working fluid reservoir 73 and the degassing device 10. Specifically, the heat exchanger 71 receives this gaseous working fluid 30 and performs heat exchange to output a degassed fluid 30f. The degassed fluid 30f is primarily liquid working fluid 30, with a temperature, for example, 47 °C. The working fluid reservoir 73 receives and contains the fluid to be degassed 30f. The fluid thruster 75 extracts from the working fluid reservoir 73 and pushes the fluid to be degassed 30f to the heater 13.

[0106] Next, the heater 13 of the degassing device 10 heats the working fluid 30 output from the working fluid distribution unit 70 to, for example, 50 °C. The radiator 15 condenses the heated fluid 30b from the heater 13. The radiator 15 outputs a cooling fluid 30c at, for example, a temperature of 49 °C. The cooling fluid 30c is separated by the liquid-gas separator 17 and the released gas is discharged. The degassed fluid 30d is filtered by the filter 14 into filtered fluid 30e. Finally, along the branch inlet pipe 91, the filtered fluid 30e flows back to the first working unit 81 from the branch inlet 910. In this way, since the filter 14 is located upstream of the first working unit 81, the working fluid 30 can be filtered clean before flowing into the cold plate, working fluid channels, and other microstructures of the first working unit 81. In addition, placing the filter 14 inside the housing 29 also facilitates maintenance.

[0107] In some embodiments, the liquid cooling device 20 is externally connected to the working fluid distribution unit 70. For example, Figure 4 The server rack 27 of the liquid cooling unit 20 only houses the first working unit 81 and the second working unit 83, while the working fluid distribution unit 70 is located in another independent rack connected to the liquid cooling unit 20. The heat exchanger 71 of the working fluid distribution unit 70 is connected to the first working unit 81. The fluid propulsion unit 75 of the working fluid distribution unit 70 is connected to the heater 13 of the second working unit 83. The structural details of this embodiment are similar to those of the embodiments described above and will not be repeated here.

[0108] Please see Figure 6 In some embodiments, the working fluid distribution unit 70 may include a heat exchanger 71, a working fluid reservoir 73, a fluid propulsion unit 75, a heater 13, a radiator 15, a liquid-gas separator 17, and a filter 14. In this embodiment, the working fluid distribution unit 70 has the function of degassing and distributing the working fluid 30. The working fluid distribution unit 70 and the liquid cooling device 20 may be externally connected, or the working fluid distribution unit 70 may be installed as a modular working unit within the server rack 27 of the liquid cooling device 20.

[0109] For example, the heat exchanger 71, working fluid reservoir 73, fluid propulsion unit 75, heater 13, radiator 15, liquid-gas separator 17, and filter 14 are all housed within Figure 4 The working fluid 30 is located within the casing 29 of the third working unit 85. The heat exchanger 71 of the working fluid distribution unit 70 is connected to the first working unit 81. Within the working fluid distribution unit 70, the working fluid 30 flows sequentially through the heat exchanger 71, working fluid reservoir 73, fluid propulsion unit 75, heater 13, radiator 15, liquid-gas separator 17, and filter 14. The structural details are similar to those in the aforementioned embodiments and will not be repeated. Therefore, the working fluid 30 is first heated and degassed before being distributed to different first working units to absorb heat from the server. The working fluid 30 flowing out of the first working unit 81 can flow back to the working fluid distribution unit 70 for heat dissipation, degassed, and filtered before entering the next cooling cycle.

[0110] Please see Figure 4 and Figure 5In some embodiments, server rack 27 only houses the first working unit 81, and the degassing device 10 is located in a separate rack connected to the liquid cooling device 20. The degassing device 10 includes a fluid propulsion unit 11, a heater 13, a radiator 15, a liquid-gas separator 17, and a filter 14. The radiator 15 is connected to a cooling device 60. The cooling device 60 is configured to provide cooling water for the radiator 15 to dissipate heat from the working fluid 30. The cooling device 60 includes, for example but not limited to, water-cooled pipes 62, a water pump, and a cooling tower, wherein cooling water circulates along the water-cooled pipes 62 between the cooling device 60 and the radiator 15.

[0111] For examples, please refer to Figure 5 The working fluid 30 in the first working unit 81 absorbs heat and flows into the degassing device 10 along the branch pipe 92. In the degassing device 10, the working fluid 30 flows sequentially through the fluid propeller 11, heater 13, radiator 15, liquid-gas separator 17, and filter 14. Finally, the working fluid 30 flowing out of the filter 14 flows back to the first working unit 81 along the branch pipe 91. The temperature of the working fluid 30 flowing into the first working unit 81 is controlled at a preset temperature (e.g., 45 °C). Therefore, the dissolved gas rate of the working fluid 30 can be maintained at a certain level.

[0112] Please see Figure 6 In some embodiments, the server rack 27 of the liquid cooling device 20 is provided with a first working unit 81 and a third working unit 85. The degassing device 10 is located at... Figure 4 The liquid cooling unit 20 is connected to another independent cabinet. The heater 13 of the degassing unit 10 is connected to the fluid thruster 75 of the third working unit 85. In the degassing unit 10, the working fluid 30 flows sequentially through the heater 13, the radiator 15, the liquid-gas separator 17, and the filter 14. Finally, the working fluid 30 flowing out of the filter 14 flows back to the first working unit 81 along the branch inlet pipe 91.

[0113] In summary, according to some embodiments, the working fluid 30 is degassed before being filled into the liquid cooling device 20, so that the air pressure in the housing 29 or immersion tank can be maintained, reducing the degree of fluid leakage. According to some embodiments, the risk of hardware damage due to gas expansion after heat exchange can also be reduced.

[0114] Although the present invention has been disclosed above with reference to embodiments, it is not intended to limit the present invention. Any person skilled in the art can make some modifications and refinements without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present invention shall be defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A server cooling system, characterized in that, The server cooling system includes: Liquid cooling device; and Degassing device, including: heater; Radiator, connected to the heater; and A liquid-gas separator, connected to the radiator and the liquid cooling device.

2. The server cooling system as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The heater is configured to heat a working fluid to output a heated fluid, the heated fluid having a first temperature higher than the working temperature of the working fluid. The radiator is configured to condense the heating fluid to output a cooling fluid, the cooling fluid having a second temperature lower than the operating temperature; and The liquid-gas separator is configured to separate the heat dissipation fluid into liquid and gas, so as to output degassed fluid and gas respectively, and the liquid-gas separator outputs the degassed fluid to the liquid cooling device.

3. The server cooling system as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The first temperature is about 2°C to 10°C higher than the operating temperature, and the second temperature is about 1°C to 5°C lower than the operating temperature.

4. The server cooling system as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The liquid-gas separator includes: A spiral guide plate is configured to cause the heat dissipation fluid to undergo spiral centrifugal motion to separate the heat dissipation fluid into the gas and the degassing fluid; A gas check valve, configured to output the gas separated from the cooling fluid; and Separating baffles are configured to separate the degassing fluid from the gas.

5. The server cooling system as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The liquid cooling device is configured with multiple working units, each working unit having a housing configured to accommodate at least one component to be cooled; the liquid cooling device also includes at least one cold plate configured to be thermally coupled to the at least one component to be cooled. The degassing device further includes a fluid thruster and a filter. The fluid thruster extracts the working fluid from the at least one cold plate to output the propelled fluid. The heater heats the propelled fluid to output the heated fluid. The filter filters the degassed fluid to output the filtered fluid to the at least one cold plate.

6. The server cooling system as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The liquid cooling device is configured with multiple working units, each working unit having a sealed enclosure configured to accommodate at least one component to be cooled; the liquid cooling device also includes at least one boiling aid module configured to be thermally coupled to the at least one component to be cooled. The degassing device also includes a fluid thruster and a filter. The fluid thruster extracts the working fluid from the sealed casing of each of the working units to output the propelled fluid. The heater heats the propelled fluid to output the heated fluid. The filter filters the degassing fluid to output the filtered fluid to the sealed enclosure.

7. The server cooling system as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The liquid cooling device includes: An immersion cooling chamber, configured to contain a working fluid and at least one electronic device at least partially immersed in the working fluid, the immersion cooling chamber having a liquid phase space and a gas phase space, the liquid phase space being connected to the liquid-gas separator; and A pressure balancer is connected to the gas phase space and configured to maintain the pressure of the immersion cooling chamber within a predetermined pressure range.

8. The server cooling system as described in claim 7, characterized in that, The total volume of the gas phase space and the liquid phase space is the first volume, and the pressure balancing device has a gas volume, which is 1% to 30% of the first volume.

9. The server cooling system as described in claim 7, characterized in that, The server cooling system also includes: A fluid thruster configured to extract the working fluid from the immersion cooling tank to output the propelled fluid; and A filter is configured to filter the propelled fluid to output filtered fluid; a heater receives and heats the filtered fluid to output heated fluid, the heated fluid having a first temperature higher than the operating temperature of the working fluid; a radiator condenses the heated fluid to output heat dissipation fluid; a liquid-gas separator separates the heat dissipation fluid into liquid and gas to output degassed fluid and gas respectively, the liquid-gas separator outputting the degassed fluid to the immersion cooling tank.

10. The server cooling system as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The server cooling system also includes a working fluid storage tank, and the degassing device further includes: A fluid thruster, connected to the working fluid storage tank; and A filter connected to the liquid-gas separator.

11. The server cooling system as described in claim 10, characterized in that, The working fluid storage tank is configured to store working fluid; The fluid thruster is configured to draw working fluid from the working fluid storage tank to output the propelled fluid; The heater receives and heats the propelled fluid to output a heated fluid, the heated fluid having a first temperature higher than the operating temperature of the working fluid; The radiator condenses the heating fluid to output a cooling fluid, the cooling fluid having a second temperature lower than the operating temperature; The liquid-gas separator separates the heat dissipation fluid into liquid and gas, respectively outputting degassed fluid and gas; and The filter is configured to filter the degassed fluid to output the filtered fluid to the liquid cooling device.

12. The server cooling system as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The server cooling system further includes a working fluid distribution unit, which comprises: Heat exchanger, connected to the liquid cooling device; Working fluid reservoir, connected to the heat exchanger; and A fluid thruster that connects the working fluid reservoir and the heater.

13. The server cooling system as described in claim 12, characterized in that, The server cooling system also includes a server rack, which includes branch inlet pipes and branch outlet pipes. The branch inlet pipes have branch inlets, and the branch outlet pipes have branch outlets. The working fluid distribution unit is connected to the branch outlet, and the working fluid distribution unit is configured to receive and output working fluid; The heater is configured to heat the working fluid output from the working fluid distribution unit to output heated fluid, the heated fluid having a first temperature higher than the working temperature of the working fluid; The radiator is configured to condense the heating fluid to output a cooling fluid, the cooling fluid having a second temperature lower than the operating temperature; and The liquid-gas separator is configured to separate the heat dissipation fluid into liquid and gas, so as to output degassed fluid and gas respectively, and the liquid-gas separator outputs the degassed fluid to the manifold inlet.

14. The server cooling system as described in claim 13, characterized in that, The heat exchanger performs heat exchange on the working fluid output from the server rack and outputs the fluid to be degassed to the working fluid storage tank. The fluid thruster extracts the degassed fluid from the working fluid reservoir to output the propelled fluid, wherein the heater heats the propelled fluid to output the heated fluid.

15. The server cooling system as described in claim 14, characterized in that, The degassing device also includes: A filter is configured to filter the degassing fluid to output filtered fluid to the manifold inlet.

16. The server cooling system as described in claim 13, characterized in that, The degassing device has a housing with a width of 19 inches or 23 inches and a height that is a positive integer multiple of 1.75 inches, and the housing is configured in the server rack.

17. A working fluid distribution unit, characterized in that, The working fluid distribution unit includes: Heat exchanger; A working fluid reservoir connected to the heat exchanger; A fluid thruster connected to the working fluid reservoir; Heater, connected to the fluid thruster; Radiator, connected to the heater; A liquid-gas separator, connected to the radiator; and A filter connected to the liquid-gas separator.

18. The working fluid distribution unit as claimed in claim 17, characterized in that, The heat exchanger is configured to exchange heat with the working fluid in order to output the fluid to be degassed. The working fluid reservoir is configured to store the fluid to be degassed; The fluid thruster is configured to draw the degassing fluid from the working fluid reservoir to output the propelled fluid. The heater is configured to heat the propelled fluid to output heated fluid, the heated fluid having a first temperature higher than the operating temperature of the working fluid; The radiator is configured to condense the heating fluid to output a cooling fluid, the cooling fluid having a second temperature lower than the operating temperature; and The liquid-gas separator is configured to separate the heat dissipation fluid into liquid and gas, so as to output degassed fluid and gas respectively. The liquid-gas separator outputs the degassed fluid to the liquid cooling device.

19. The working fluid distribution unit as claimed in claim 18, characterized in that, The liquid-gas separator includes: A spiral guide plate is configured to cause the heat dissipation fluid to undergo spiral centrifugal motion to separate the heat dissipation fluid into the gas and the degassing fluid; A gas check valve, configured to output the gas separated from the cooling fluid; and Separating baffles are configured to separate the degassing fluid from the gas.

20. The working fluid distribution unit as claimed in claim 17, characterized in that, The working fluid distribution unit also includes a housing, in which the heat exchanger, the working fluid reservoir, the fluid thruster, the heater, the radiator, the liquid-gas separator, and the filter are housed. The housing has a width of 19 inches or 23 inches and a height that is a positive integer multiple of 1.75 inches.

21. A degassing device, characterized in that, The degassing device includes: A heater configured to heat a working fluid to output a heated fluid, the heated fluid having a first temperature higher than the working temperature of the working fluid; A radiator configured to condense the heating fluid to output a cooling fluid having a second temperature lower than the operating temperature; and A liquid-gas separator is configured to separate the heat dissipation fluid into liquid and gas, so as to output degassed fluid and gas respectively.

22. The degassing device as described in claim 21, characterized in that, The degassing device also includes: A fluid thruster configured to propel the working fluid to the heater.

23. The degassing device as described in claim 22, characterized in that, The degassing device also includes: A filter is configured to filter the propelled fluid output from the fluid thruster and output filtered fluid, wherein the heater heats the filtered fluid to output heated fluid.

24. The degassing device as described in claim 21, characterized in that, The degassing device also includes: A filter is configured to filter the degassed fluid before output.

25. The degassing device as described in claim 21, characterized in that, The degassing device also includes: The housing houses the heater, the radiator, and the liquid-gas separator. The housing has a width of 19 inches or 23 inches and a height that is a positive integer multiple of 1.75 inches.

26. The degassing device as described in claim 21, characterized in that, The liquid-gas separator includes: A spiral guide plate is configured to cause the heat dissipation fluid to undergo spiral centrifugal motion to separate the heat dissipation fluid into the gas and the degassing fluid; A gas check valve, configured to output the gas separated from the cooling fluid; and Separating baffles are configured to separate the degassing fluid from the gas.

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