Cooling device

Abstract

A cooling device for cooling an electronic device is provided. The cooling device comprises a heat sink with a fluid channel and an additional fluid channel, the additional fluid channel being separate from the fluid channel, a pump configured to generate a fluid flow in the fluid channel for absorbing heat from the heat sink and supplying the heat to a heat exchanger for extracting the heat from the cooling device, and an additional pump configured to generate an additional fluid flow in the additional fluid channel for absorbing heat from the heat sink and supplying the heat to an additional heat exchanger for extracting the heat from the cooling device.

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a cooling device for cooling an electronic device.

[0002] Electronic devices, such as devices or equipment for electronic data processing (EDP), are used on a large scale.

[0003] Most electronic devices are cooled by cold air. Air-cooled systems may require a large number of fans and relatively large airflow cross-sections.

[0004] Furthermore, it is typically necessary to pre-cool the air, which is achieved using compression refrigeration systems according to the state of the art. All this leads to a relatively high auxiliary energy requirement and thus low energy efficiency.

[0005] Only a small proportion of electronic devices are cooled using direct liquid cooling. With direct liquid cooling, the heat is absorbed directly into the liquid at the point of generation, thus reducing the required cross-sections and thus the space required.

[0006] If the liquid is pre-cooled, the required cooling usually has to be dissipated by mechanical cooling. With direct hot liquid cooling, which uses heat sinks on the key components, this is not necessary, allowing high temperatures to be achieved in the liquid.

[0007] However, according to the current state of the art, some of the heat remains in the air with direct hot liquid cooling, so it still needs to be cooled in other ways.

[0008] The heat sinks are typically crisscrossed with individual channels, so that in the event of a fault, the cooling performance of the entire heat sink and with it the corresponding component fails.

[0009] To circumvent this source of error, a motherboard with all its components can be immersed in an electrically non-conductive liquid, using so-called immersion cooling, so that the heat is almost completely absorbed by the liquid. However, this only achieves low temperatures, meaning the energy cannot be reused or can only be used to a limited extent.

[0010] In various embodiments, a cooling device is provided which provides increased protection against overheating of an electronic component, wherein at the same time the heat generated by the electronic component is bound at a high temperature level in a (cooling) liquid (or more generally a fluid).

[0011] In various embodiments, the cooling device forms part of a thermally insulated system so that approximately 100% of the heat is absorbed in the liquid (or fluid).

[0012] In various embodiments, a dedicated heat sink, which ensures a high temperature level in the liquid or fluid, is equipped with fully redundant flow paths. The redundancy of the flow paths achieves increased protection against overheating, and the high temperature level facilitates reuse of the heat.

[0013] An additional immersion of heat-generating components of the electronic device (for example, the entire motherboard with all components such as processors, graphics cards, etc.) in the liquid, which optionally also flows through the heat sink(s), or in another cooling liquid, provides additional cooling performance and thus increases protection against overheating.

[0014] According to various embodiments, additional air cooling of the electronic device is unnecessary.

[0015] According to various embodiments, a fully redundant cooling device for cooling an electronic device is provided.

[0016] According to various embodiments, the cooling device can comprise a heat sink equipped with fully redundant flow paths. A respective fluid flow through the redundant flow paths can be generated by means of at least two pumps, which can also be configured redundantly.

[0017] In various embodiments, the cooling device for cooling an electronic device can have a heat sink with a fluid channel and an additional fluid channel, wherein the additional fluid channel is separate from the fluid channel, a pump which is configured to generate a fluid flow in the fluid channel for absorbing heat from the heat sink and for supplying the heat to a heat exchanger for coupling the heat out of the cooling device, and an additional pump which is configured to generate an additional fluid flow in the additional fluid channel for absorbing heat from the heat sink and for supplying the heat to an additional heat exchanger for coupling the heat out of the cooling device.

[0018] According to various embodiments, the electronic device to be cooled may be part of an electronic device comprising the at least one electronic device, as well as a housing in which the electronic device is accommodated, an immersion liquid accommodated in the housing, wherein a part of the electronic device is immersed in the immersion liquid for cooling the electronic device, and the cooling device according to various embodiments.

[0019] Embodiments of the invention are illustrated in the figures and are explained in more detail below.

[0020] It shows Fig. 1A is a schematic plan view of an electronic device with a cooling device according to various embodiments; Fig. 1B is a schematic side view of the electronic device with the cooling device of Fig. 1A; Fig. 2 a schematic plan view of an electronic device with a cooling device according to various embodiments; Fig. 3 a schematic plan view of an electronic device with a cooling device according to various embodiments; Fig. 4 a schematic plan view of an electronic device with a cooling device according to various embodiments; Fig. 5A is a schematic plan view of an electronic device with a cooling device according to various embodiments in a first operating state; Fig. 5B is a schematic plan view of an electronic device with a cooling device according to various embodiments in a second operating state.

[0021] In the following detailed description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings, which form a part hereof, and in which is shown by way of illustration specific embodiments in which the invention may be practiced. In this regard, directional terminology such as "top," "bottom," "front," "back," "fore," "rear," etc., will be used with reference to the orientation of the described figure(s). Since components of embodiments can be positioned in a number of different orientations, the directional terminology is for purposes of illustration and is in no way limiting. It is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and structural or logical changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.It is understood that the features of the various exemplary embodiments described herein may be combined with one another unless specifically stated otherwise. The following detailed description is therefore not to be construed in a limiting sense, and the scope of the present invention is defined by the appended claims.

[0022] Throughout this description, the terms "connected," "attached," and "coupled" are used to describe both a direct and an indirect connection, a direct or indirect connection, and a direct or indirect coupling. In the figures, identical or similar elements are provided with identical reference numerals where appropriate.

[0023] In various embodiments, a highly fail-safe and energy-efficient cooling device for an electronic device that is part of an electronic device (also referred to as an electronic data processing device (EDP device)) is provided.

[0024] In various embodiments, a cooling device is provided which, using completely redundant components, optionally by means of combined immersion and direct hot liquid cooling, binds heat directly at the point of generation in liquid (generally: in a fluid) and makes it available for subsequent use at a high temperature level.

[0025] The electrical energy required to operate the electronic device is ultimately completely converted into heat.

[0026] In various devices, the heat is absorbed in a (cooling) liquid. At least one flow-through heat sink (optionally several) can be provided in thermal, e.g., direct contact with the electronic device to be cooled, for example, mounted (e.g., directly) on it. The heat sink or each of the multiple heat sinks is equipped with redundant fluid channels, wherein each of the redundant fluid channels is configured to have fluid flow through it by means of its own pump.

[0027] The fluid heated by the electronic device can be fed into the respective redundant fluid channels by means of its own (and thus also redundant) pump to one of a set of redundant heat exchangers.

[0028] In various embodiments, each of the redundant systems comprising fluid channel, pump and heat exchanger can form a closed system.

[0029] Alternatively or additionally, a liquid may be provided which surrounds at least some (e.g. all) of the components of the electronic device like an immersion bath, and the heat sink(s) may be attached to particularly powerful components, such as central processors or graphics processors.

[0030] In such a case, according to various embodiments (alternatively or in addition to the closed liquid circuit), the liquid can be sucked in, which has already flowed around some or all of the heat-generating components and can be preheated accordingly.

[0031] The sucked-in liquid can be guided as a fluid flow through the heat sink, for example in at least one of the redundant fluid channels formed in or on the heat sink, and experiences a large temperature increase in the at least one fluid channel of the heat sink.

[0032] In various embodiments, the cooling device can be configured to allow the liquid to flow through only one of the redundant fluid channels during normal operation, and to use the other of the redundant fluid channels alternatively or additionally only in the event of a failure or excessive heat generation.

[0033] This makes it possible to maximize the temperature lift compared to a situation in which both redundant fluid channels are regularly flowed through by liquid during normal operation.

[0034] According to various embodiments, the redundant heat exchangers can each be provided and configured for system separation to an external circuit and for coupling out the heat for subsequent use.

[0035] In various embodiments, the heat sink may be provided with more than two separate channels, each of which is connected to one or more pumps and one or more heat exchangers.

[0036] This allows for a completely redundant direct cooling system for heat-sensitive and / or highly heat-generating components.

[0037] Accordingly, maximum reliability is achieved by means of fully redundant internal cooling circuits, which are operated by electrically redundantly supplied pumps.

[0038] This means that IT operations can be carried out in accordance with EN 50600 Availability Class 4 or Uptime Tier Class IV, thus meeting the highest standards of reliability.

[0039] Fig. 1A shows a schematic top view of an electronic device 100 with a cooling device 101 according to various embodiments, and Fig. 1B shows a schematic side view of the electronic device 100 with the cooling device 101 from Fig. 1A.

[0040] The electronic device 100 comprises the cooling device 101 and at least one electronic device 106, wherein the cooling device 101 is configured to cool the at least one electronic device 106.

[0041] The electronic device 106 may, for example, include server components, typically, for example, a motherboard, one or more memories, one or more central processing units (CPUs), and / or plug-in cards (e.g., graphics and / or network cards).

[0042] The electronic device 106 may further include a housing 104.

[0043] The electronic device 106 can be accommodated in the housing 104, e.g., completely hermetically sealed or at least predominantly sealed.

[0044] Additional components of the electronic device 106, such as solid state drives (SSDs), power supplies, and possibly hard drives, can be arranged, e.g., mounted, within the (e.g., hermetically sealed) housing 104 or outside the housing 104.

[0045] The cooling device 101 has a heat sink 102 with a fluid channel 110 and an additional fluid channel 610, wherein the additional fluid channel 610 is separated from the fluid channel 110.

[0046] The fluid channel 110 and the additional fluid channel 610 may be arranged in and / or on the heat sink 102 such that they may overlap each other laterally and / or vertically, but do not have or form a fluid connection with each other.

[0047] The heat sink 102 can be arranged in thermal contact, e.g., direct contact, with the electronic device 106. In other words, the heat sink 102 and the electronic device 106 can form a common interface. Thus, the heat sink 102 can be used to cool the electronic device 106.

[0048] The fluid channel 110 can, for example, be arranged in or on the heat sink 102. The fluid channel 110 can have an inlet and an outlet. The fluid channel 110 can further have one of a variety of shapes. For example, it can be formed in a meandering manner as in Fig. 1A, or be curved or straight, may be arranged in a two-dimensional plane or as a three-dimensional structure (with one or more parts extending outside a two-dimensional, planar arrangement).

[0049] The fluid channel 110 may extend outward from the heat sink 102, for example, in one, two, or more directions, and form a fluid connection to other regions and / or components of the electronic device, which may be used to generate and maintain a fluid flow 119, as explained in more detail below. In particular, the regions of the fluid channel 110 located outside the heat sink 102 may also be referred to as a fluid line or conduit.

[0050] The heat sink 102 may comprise or be formed (at least predominantly) from a material with high thermal conductivity. The heat sink 102 may, for example, comprise a material with a thermal conductivity in a range of approximately 100 watts per meter per Kelvin (W / m·K) or more, for example approximately 200 W / m·K or more (also referred to as highly thermally conductive), for example approximately 300 W / m·K or more, for example approximately 400 W / m·K or more, for example a metal such as copper or aluminum or alloys thereof, and / or a thermally conductive ceramic material that can be equipped with fluid channels.

[0051] The heat sink 102 may comprise the material with high thermal conductivity in an area where it directly contacts the electronic device 106.

[0052] In a manner comparable to the fluid channel 110, the additional fluid channel 610 can be connected to the heat exchanger 108, 108_2 and supply the additional fluid flow 619 to it by means of the additional pump 118_2.

[0053] In various embodiments, the fluid stream 119 and the additional fluid stream 619 can each circulate in a closed cooling circuit. This is shown in Fig. 1A and Fig. 1B by means of the optional (and therefore dashed) part of the respective fluid channel 110, 610.

[0054] The pumps 118_1, 118_2 can each be provided with a check valve to ensure a fluid flow 119 or 619 in the intended direction even in the event of failure or shutdown of one of the pumps 118_1, 118_2.

[0055] Providing the heat sink 102 with two separate (particularly redundant) fluid channels 110, 610 may enable cooling of the region of the electronic device 106 to which the heat sink 102 is attached even if one of the fluid channels 110, 610 is impaired, for example, blocked or otherwise interrupted.

[0056] This may be particularly important because the area where the heat sink 102 is mounted is an area with a particularly high power density (e.g., a power density above a predetermined limit) and a correspondingly high amount of heat to be dissipated.

[0057] The degree of redundancy in the cooling device 101 of the electronic device 106 can be adjusted between full redundancy and partial redundancy. Thus, the electronic device 100 can be adapted to individual needs regarding reliability / availability level on the one hand and design effort / auxiliary power requirements during operation on the other.

[0058] In the cooling device 101 with complete redundancy, in various embodiments, separate fluid channels 110, 610 with separate fluid flows 119, 619 can be provided, which are generated by means of separate redundant pumps 118_1, 118_2 supplied with separate power supplies and are led to separate, mutually redundant heat exchangers 108_1, 108_2.

[0059] In the case of an only partially redundant cooling device 101, elements can be provided in a single instead of double design in various embodiments, for example both separate fluid channels 110, 610, which are however guided to the two heat exchangers 108_1, 108_2 by means of two separate pumps 118_1, 118_2, which may not be or may not be completely redundant, wherein the pumps 118_1, 118_2 may have a common power supply or independent power supplies.

[0060] The fluid channel 110 may cover an area A1 in a plan view, the sides of which are defined by sections closest to edges of the heat sink 102. The area A1 is shown in the partial enlargement of the Fig. 1A. The area A1 approximately represents a minimum surface area of ​​the electronic device 106 that can be cooled by the fluid flow 119 through the fluid channel 110.

[0061] The additional fluid channel 610 may cover an area A2 in a plan view, the sides of which are defined by sections closest to edges of the heat sink 102. The area A2 is shown in the partial enlargement of the Fig. 1A. Area A2 approximately represents a minimum surface area of ​​electronic device 106 that can be cooled by fluid flow 619 through fluid channel 610.

[0062] In various embodiments, surface A1 and surface A2 may overlap each other to a large extent, for example, by at least 70%, e.g., by at least 80%, e.g., by at least 90%. This ensures that essentially the same surface area of ​​the electronic device 106 can be cooled by flowing through the fluid channel 110 and the additional fluid channel 610.

[0063] The fluid channel 110 and the additional fluid channel 610 can, for example, be arranged on different vertical planes of the heat sink 102, or, for example, each have a three-dimensional structure.

[0064] The cooling device 101 further comprises a pump 118_1, which is configured to generate a fluid flow in the fluid channel 110 for absorbing heat from the heat sink 102 and for supplying the heat to a heat exchanger 108_1 for coupling the heat out of the cooling device 101.

[0065] The cooling device 101 further comprises an additional pump 118_2, which is configured to generate an additional fluid flow in the additional fluid channel 610 for absorbing heat from the heat sink 102 and for supplying the heat to an additional heat exchanger 108_2 for coupling the heat out of the cooling device 102.

[0066] The heat exchanger 108_1 can be configured to transfer the heat transferred to it to a heat receiver (e.g., a heat receiver medium, e.g., also a fluid), which is supplied to the heat exchanger 108_1 via an inlet 114_1 leading from an outside of the electronic device 100, i.e., from outside the housing 104 to the heat exchanger 108_1, and is removed via an outlet 118_1 leading away from the heat exchanger 108_1 to the outside. The heat receiver can dissipate the heat transferred to it, for example, for subsequent use.

[0067] The additional heat exchanger 108_2 can be configured to transfer the heat transferred to it to a heat receiver (e.g., a heat receiver medium, e.g., also a fluid), which is supplied to the additional heat exchanger 108_2 via an additional inlet 114_2 leading from an outside of the electronic device 100, i.e., from outside the housing 104, to the additional heat exchanger 108_2, and is removed via an outlet 118_2 leading away from the heat exchanger 108_2 to the outside. The heat receiver can dissipate the heat transferred to it, for example, for subsequent use.

[0068] The pump 118_1 and / or the additional pump 118_2 can be arranged, with respect to a flow direction of the fluid flow 110 or 610, upstream of the heat sink 102 or downstream of the heat sink 102, e.g., between the heat sink 102 and the heat exchanger 108_1 or the additional heat exchanger 108_2.

[0069] The pump 118_1 and the additional pump 118_2 can be controlled or regulated. For example, their speed can be regulated. One or more temperatures can serve as input parameters for controlling the pumps 118_1, 118_2, for example, a temperature of the heat sink 102, a temperature of an immersion liquid 122 (in a reservoir surrounding the electronic device 106), a temperature of the fluid stream 119 at one or more points, a temperature at the fluid outlet 112 or 612, a temperature in the heat exchanger 108_1 or in the additional heat exchanger 108_2, etc. To detect the temperature, one or more temperature sensors can be provided in the cooling device 101 or in the electronic device 100.

[0070] In various embodiments, other and / or additional control parameters may be detected and provided for controlling the pumps 118_1, 118_2, for example, volume flows, operating parameters of the electronic device 106, etc.

[0071] A pump control device may be part of the electronic device 106 or may be provided externally, e.g., outside the housing 104 and connected, for example, via the interface to the pump 118_1 or the additional pump 118_2.

[0072] The interface can be configured as an interface between a measurement, control and regulation technology for operating the cooling device 101 for cooling the electronic device 100 and the electronic device 106 (e.g., the mainboard).

[0073] This makes it possible to take into account not only sensor data for liquid temperatures, flow rates, pressure differences, etc., but also sensor data of the electronic device 106 (e.g., the mainboard) and, in particular, of electronic components that are equipped with direct cooling by means of the heat sinks 102.

[0074] In various embodiments, the electrical supply to the pumps 118_1, 118_2 can be provided via separate electrical circuits. In other words, the electrical supply to the pumps 118_1, 118_2 can also be configured redundantly with regard to the power supply. This can allow the cooling device 101 to continue operating if one of the pumps 118_1, 118_2 fails.

[0075] The pumps 118_1, 118_2 can be individually adjustable in their speed, allowing electrical power consumption to be adapted to thermal requirements. For example, depending on the desired availability level, it may be possible to control one of the pumps 118_1, 118_2 to provide additional power to increase the sum of the volume flows of the fluid flows 119, 119, or to reduce the power of one of the pumps 118_1, 118_2 or to shut it down.

[0076] This has a direct influence on an auxiliary energy requirement of the pumps 118_1, 118_2 and thus the energy efficiency of the electronic device 100 or a higher-level data center and / or on a temperature increase that can be achieved by means of a predetermined amount of generated thermal energy at the heat exchangers 108_1, 108_2.

[0077] For example, the pump 118_1 and the additional pump 118_2 can be configured to be controlled such that during normal operation of the cooling device 101 or the electronic device 100, only either the pump 118_1 or the additional pump 118_2 is operated.

[0078] This is because the pump 118_1 with the fluid channel 110 and the heat exchanger 108_1 can be part of a cooling circuit that is redundant to an additional cooling circuit that has the additional pump 118_2, the additional fluid channel 610 and the additional heat exchanger 108_2.

[0079] In other words, the cooling circuit and the additional cooling circuit can each be dimensioned such that each of them is capable of maintaining a temperature of the electronic device 106 below a maximum operating temperature during normal operation.

[0080] In various embodiments, the cooling device 101 can be configured to activate the other cooling circuit alternatively or additionally only in the event of an operational malfunction of the active cooling circuit, which results in a temperature of the electronic device 106 no longer being able to be maintained below a maximum operating temperature by means of the active cooling circuit.

[0081] A normal operation in which only either the cooling circuit (with the pump 118_1, the fluid channel 110 and the heat exchanger 108_1) or the additional cooling circuit (with the additional pump 118_2, the additional fluid channel 610 and the additional heat exchanger 108_2) is active enables a maximum temperature lift.

[0082] This is in Fig. 5A and Fig. 5B, which essentially shows the schematic top view of the electronic device 100 with the cooling device 101 according to various embodiments of Fig. 1A and are additionally provided with arrows whose size illustrates the amount of heat absorbed.

[0083] In Fig. In the embodiment shown in Figure 5A, the cooling circuit (with the pump 118_1, the fluid channel 110 and the heat exchanger 108_1) is active and transfers a large amount of heat at the heat exchanger 108_1, whereas no heat is transferred at the additional heat exchanger 108_2.

[0084] In Fig. 5B, the additional cooling circuit (with the additional pump 118_2, the additional fluid channel 610 and the additional heat exchanger 108_2) is active and transfers a large amount of heat at the additional heat exchanger 108_2, whereas no heat is transferred at the heat exchanger 108_1.

[0085] The electronic device 106 may further include an immersion liquid 122 housed in the housing 104, wherein at least a portion of the electronic device 106 (optionally a majority or all of the electronic device 106) may be immersed in the immersion liquid 122 for cooling the electronic device 106.

[0086] Accordingly, the immersion fluid 122 may be a dielectric thermally conductive fluid, such as a mineral oil, distilled water, a perfluorocarbon-based fluid, a synthetic fluid, or another fluid suitable for immersion cooling.

[0087] A liquid-tight electrical interface or interconnect may be provided as part of the electronic device 100, through which electrical lines are routed from the interior to the exterior.

[0088] External surfaces of the heat sink 102 that are not in direct contact with the electronic device 106, but are, for example, surrounded by or immersed in the immersion liquid 122, can be equipped with thermal insulation. Likewise, the fluid channel 110 can be thermally insulated or at least substantially insulated, at least in a region that leads away from the heat sink 102 (in the flow direction of the immersion liquid 122) and thus dissipates the heat absorbed by the heat sink 102 from the electronic device 106.

[0089] In other words, the heat sink 102, the fluid channel 110 (in an area outside the heat sink 102 in the flow direction behind the heat sink 102) and the heat exchanger 108 (see below) can be thermally insulated.

[0090] This makes it possible to reduce heat losses into a cooler interior of the electronic device 100 (e.g., a server interior).

[0091] The electronic device 100 itself can also be thermally insulated from the outside. For example, the housing 104 can be thermally insulated.

[0092] This makes it possible for the electronic device 100 to be used even in a data center that is typically quite cool in temperature, while still allowing high proportions of waste heat to be dissipated in the immersion liquid 122 at a high temperature level.

[0093] The pump 118_1 and the additional pump 118_2 can be configured to form the fluid stream 119 and the additional fluid stream 619 at least partially from the immersion liquid 122. The pump 118_1 and the additional pump 118_2 can further be configured to supply the fluid stream 119 downstream of the heat sink 102 to the heat exchanger 108_1 and the additional heat exchanger 108_2, respectively.

[0094] In Fig. 1A and Fig. In Figure 1B, this is symbolized by the fluid streams 119, 619, which have only the solid lines (without the dashed lines).

[0095] In Fig. 1A and Fig. 1B, the pump 118_1 is positioned between the heat sink 102 and the heat exchanger 108_1, and the pump 118_2 is positioned between the heat sink 102 and the heat exchanger 108_2. The respective conveying direction of the pumps 118_1, 118_2 is configured such that the immersion liquid 122 is pumped from the heat sink 102 toward the heat exchangers 108_1, 108_2. The pumping process also causes one end of the fluid channels 110, 610 (as seen from the pumps 118_1, 118_2) located beyond the heat sink 102, the respective opening of which is located within the immersion liquid 122, to suck in the immersion liquid 122 and supply it to the heat sink 102. In addition, the pumping process causes the respective fluid stream 119, 619 to be fed back to the immersion liquid 122 at a low temperature through a respective fluid outlet 112, 612 after it has released its heat in the heat exchanger 108_1, 108_2.

[0096] In other words, the pump 118 may be further configured to add the portion of the immersion liquid 122 forming the fluid stream 119, after transferring the heat, to another portion of the immersion liquid 122 in which the electronic device 106 is immersed.

[0097] Although the immersion liquid 122 may be liquid at least in a region in which it is arranged to flow around the electronic device 106, the immersion liquid 122 may be configured to undergo a phase transition upon heating, e.g., from liquid to gaseous (also referred to as two-phase cooling).

[0098] In the case of two-phase cooling, the placement of pumps 118_1, 118_2 is crucial. For example, it may be necessary to place heat exchangers 108_1, 108_2 on the pressure side.

[0099] In the case of two-phase cooling, the pumps 118_1, 118_2 can thus be arranged, for example, at a position between the heat sink 102 and the heat exchanger 108_1 or 108_2, or at a position in front of the inlet into the heat sink 102, but not at a position at the outlet of the heat exchangers 108_1, 108_2.

[0100] A position of the heat sink 102 on the electronic device 106 (e.g., on a motherboard) may be selected such that the heat sink 102 is arranged on or above a component with a high thermal load, for example, on or above a main processor and / or on or above a graphics card.

[0101] In various embodiments, a lateral extension of the heat sink 102 may be configured such that the heat sink completely or substantially completely covers an extension of the component with the high heat load.

[0102] If the electronic device 106 contains several components with a high heat load, ie if several components are to be cooled within an electronic device 100, e.g. a server, the fluid flow 119 and the additional fluid flow 619 can each be used as a "series connection", as a "parallel connection" or - in the case of three or more components - as a mixture of series and parallel connection.

[0103] The “series connection” is in Fig. 2 illustrates.

[0104] Fig. 2 shows a schematic top view of a cooling device 101 according to various embodiments.

[0105] The electronic device 100 from Fig. 2 with the cooling device 101 is in many respects - apart from the differences described below or resulting therefrom - similar or identical to the electronic device 100 with the cooling device 101 of Fig. 1A and Fig. 1B, so that their description in this regard also applies to Fig. 2 applies and is not repeated.

[0106] The cooling device 101 from Fig. 2 includes a second heat sink 202 having a second fluid channel 210 and a second additional fluid channel 810, wherein the second heat sink 202 is arranged in direct contact with the electronic device 106 in a different region than the heat sink 102.

[0107] The fluid flow 119 and the additional fluid flow 619 can be in the embodiment according to Fig. 2 may also be configured to flow through the second fluid channel 210 and the second additional fluid channel 810.

[0108] According to the exemplary embodiment, the fluid (e.g., the immersion liquid 122 in the illustration without the dashed lines or fluid flowing in a closed circuit according to the illustration with the dashed lines) first moves through an inlet opening of the second fluid channel 210 into the second heat sink 202, meanders along the second fluid channel 210 through it, exits the second fluid channel 210 again and enters the fluid channel 110.

[0109] From this point on, the further fluid flow 119 proceeds as described above in connection with Fig. 1A and Fig. 1B.

[0110] Furthermore, according to the exemplary embodiment, the fluid (e.g., the immersion liquid 122 in the illustration without the dashed lines or fluid flowing in a closed circuit according to the illustration with the dashed lines) first moves through an inlet opening of the second additional fluid channel 810 into the second heat sink 202, meanders along the second additional fluid channel 810 through it, exits the second additional fluid channel 810 again, and enters the fluid channel 610.

[0111] From this point on, the further fluid flow 619 proceeds as described above in connection with Fig. 1A and Fig. 1B.

[0112] From a fluidic perspective, the second fluid channel 210 and the first fluid channel 110 are connected in series, and the second additional fluid channel 810 and the additional fluid channel 610 are connected in series.

[0113] A robustness of the electronic device 106 against an increased operating temperature in the other region in which the second heat sink 202 is arranged may be lower than in a region in which the heat sink 102 is arranged, because in the embodiment according to Fig. 2, the first heat sink 102 is flowed through after the second heat sink 202, so that a temperature of the fluid flow 219 at the heat sink 102 is higher.

[0114] In a reverse order, ie, when the second heat sink 202 receives the fluid flow 219 from the first heat sink 102, the robustness may be reversed, ie higher in the other area.

[0115] In various embodiments, more than two heat sinks may be provided, each having a fluid channel and configured to be flowed through by the fluid flow 219 and the additional fluid flow 619.

[0116] If within an electronic device 100 (e.g. within a server) several components of the electronic device 106 are to be cooled (by means of direct cooling), a series connection, a parallel connection and / or (from three or more components) a mixture of series and parallel connection is possible.

[0117] The fluid flow 219 and the additional fluid flow 619 can be arranged such that a flow through occurs such that the components to be cooled are arranged in the flow direction with increasing temperature tolerance.

[0118] This allows for maximum temperature levels. The heated fluid can be fed to two or more heat exchangers 108_1, 108_2, which implement a system separation between an inner circuit (within the housing 104 in the electronic device 100, e.g., in the server) and an outer circuit, e.g., in a data center, which can reuse the heat conducted to the outside.

[0119] Fig. 3 shows a schematic top view of an electronic device 100 with a cooling device 101 according to various embodiments.

[0120] The electronic device 100 with the cooling device 101 from Fig. 3 is in many respects - apart from the differences described below or resulting therefrom - similar or identical to the electronic devices 100 with the cooling devices 101 of Fig. 1A and Fig. 1B or Fig. 2, so that their description in this regard also applies to Fig. 3 applies and is not repeated.

[0121] The electronic device 100 from Fig. 3 includes a second heat sink 202 having a second fluid channel 210, wherein the second heat sink 202 is disposed in direct contact with the electronic device 106 in a different region than the heat sink 102.

[0122] The second fluid channel 210 is configured to be flowed through by an additional fluid flow 319. The additional fluid flow 319 can be provided at least partially parallel to the fluid flow 119.

[0123] According to various embodiments, the fluid stream 119 and the additional fluid stream 319 can be combined before being fed to the heat exchanger 108. According to other embodiments, each of the fluid streams 119, 319 can be provided with its own heat exchanger 108_1, 108_2.

[0124] According to the embodiment, the immersion liquid 122 (or the fluid guided in the closed circuit, even if for the sake of clarity in Fig. 3 it was omitted to illustrate this by means of dashed lines) first through a respective inlet opening of the fluid channel 110 into the heat sink 102 or through an inlet opening of the second fluid channel 210 into the second heat sink 202, meanders along the fluid channel 110 or the second fluid channel 210 through the respective heat sink 102, 202 and, after an optional merging of the fluid flow 119 and the second fluid flow 319 or the additional fluid flow 619 and the second additional fluid flow 819 (or without such merging), is fed to the heat exchanger 108_1 or the additional heat exchanger 108_2.

[0125] From this point on, the further fluid flows 119, 319 proceed as described above in connection with Fig. 1A and Fig. 1B.

[0126] The design according to Fig. 3 makes it possible to generate both fluid streams 119, 319 or both additional fluid streams 619, 819 based on immersion liquid 122 with a similar starting temperature for components with approximately the same high (or equally low) temperature tolerance.

[0127] In various embodiments, the electronic device 100 can be provided with more than two heat sinks, each of which can have a fluid channel. The fluid channels can be connected in parallel for fluidic purposes.

[0128] Fig. 4 shows a schematic top view of an electronic device 100 with a cooling device 101 according to various embodiments.

[0129] The electronic device 100 from Fig. 4 is in many respects - apart from the differences described below or resulting therefrom - similar or identical to the electronic devices from Fig. 1A and Fig. 1B or Fig. 2 and Fig. 3, so that their description in this regard also applies to Fig. 4 applies and is not repeated.

[0130] The cooling device 101 according to Fig. 4 can be derived from the embodiment Fig. 1A and Fig. 1B in that the fluid flow 119 emerging from the fluid outlet 112 is at least partially fed to an inlet opening of the fluid channel 110 (in Fig. 1A and Fig. 1B this was optional).

[0131] The rest can be done similarly to the example according to Fig. 1A and Fig. 1B of the immersion liquid 122 in the reservoir.

[0132] Feeding a portion of the fluid stream 119 exiting from the fluid outlet 112 to the inlet opening of the fluid channel 110 may mean that the immersion liquid 122 is provided for the fluid stream 119 at a lower temperature than in a case where the fluid stream 119 is fed exclusively from the immersion liquid 122 already preheated by flushing the electronic device 106.

[0133] In various embodiments, the electronic device 100 has a valve 440_1 for the fluid flow 119 and an additional valve 440_2 for the additional fluid flow 619, which can each be configured to adjust a ratio of the portion of the fluid flow 119 or 619 supplied to the respective inlet opening of the fluid channels 110, 610 and the portion of the fluid flow 119 or 619 supplied to the reservoir of the immersion liquid 122, for example based on measured temperature values, for example at one or more of the locations mentioned above or the temperature sensors placed there.

[0134] It should be understood that the different combinations of direct and immersion cooling used in connection with the Fig.1A to 5 for the cooling device 101 of the electronic device 100 (e.g., a plurality of heat sinks 102, 202 connected in series or parallel, supplying the cooled immersion liquid 122 directly from the outlet of the heat exchanger 108_1 or 108_2 to the inlet of the respective fluid channel 110, 210, 610 or 810, a single pump 118 per fluid channel 110, 210, 210, 610 or multiple pumps per fluid channel 110, 210, 210, 610, etc., as far as technically possible, can be combined with the redundant design of the cooling device 101.

[0135] This applies analogously to more than two or three pumps 118. The sequence of pumps 118 and heat sinks 102, 202 depends on the specific conditions in the electronic device 100 (e.g., in the server), so that both a suction-side and a pressure-side mounting of the heat sink 102 or the plurality of heat sinks 102, 202 is possible.

[0136] The pumps 118 and valves 440 are controlled depending on the heat load and temperature tolerance.

[0137] Some examples of implementation are summarized below.

[0138] Embodiment 1 is a cooling device for cooling an electronic device. The cooling device comprises a heat sink with a fluid channel and an additional fluid channel, wherein the additional fluid channel is separate from the fluid channel, a pump configured to generate a fluid flow in the fluid channel for absorbing heat from the heat sink and supplying the heat to a heat exchanger for extracting the heat from the cooling device, and an additional pump configured to generate an additional fluid flow in the additional fluid channel for absorbing heat from the heat sink and supplying the heat to an additional heat exchanger for extracting the heat from the cooling device.

[0139] Embodiment 2 is a cooling device according to Embodiment 1, wherein the heat sink is arranged in thermal contact with the electronic device.

[0140] Embodiment 3 is a cooling device according to embodiment 1 or 2, wherein the pump and the additional pump are controllable or adjustable.

[0141] Embodiment 4 is a cooling device according to embodiment 3, which further comprises at least one temperature sensor configured to detect a temperature of the fluid flow and / or the heat sink and / or the electronic device and to provide at least one pump controller for controlling the pump and / or the additional pump.

[0142] Embodiment 5 is a cooling device according to one of the embodiments 1 to 4, wherein the pump and the additional pump are configured as mutually redundant systems.

[0143] Embodiment 6 is a cooling device according to one of the embodiments 1 to 5, wherein the heat exchanger and the additional heat exchanger are configured as mutually redundant systems.

[0144] Embodiment 7 is a cooling device according to any one of embodiments 1 to 6, which further comprises a housing, wherein at least the electronic device and the heat sink are arranged in the housing, and wherein the cooling device is further configured to remove the heat transported away from the heat sink from the housing.

[0145] Embodiment 8 is a cooling device according to one of the embodiments 1 to 7, wherein the pump and / or the additional pump is / are arranged upstream of the heat sink or downstream of the heat sink with respect to a flow direction of the fluid flow.

[0146] Embodiment 9 is a cooling device according to one of the embodiments 1 to 8, which further comprises a second heat sink with a second fluid channel and a second additional fluid channel separate from the second fluid channel, wherein the fluid flow is configured to flow through the second fluid channel after the first fluid channel, and the additional fluid flow is configured to flow through the second additional fluid channel after the additional fluid channel, or vice versa.

[0147] Embodiment 10 is a cooling device according to Embodiment 9, wherein the second heat sink is arranged in thermal contact with the electronic device.

[0148] Embodiment 11 is a cooling device according to embodiments 2 and 10, wherein a robustness of the electronic device against an increased operating temperature is higher in a region that is in thermal contact with that of the heat sink and the second heat sink arranged downstream in the flow direction of the fluid flow than in a region that is in thermal contact with the other of the heat sink and the second heat sink.

[0149] Embodiment 12 is a cooling device according to any one of embodiments 1 to 11, which further comprises the fluid for forming the fluid flow and the additional fluid flow.

[0150] Embodiment 13 is a cooling device according to Embodiment 12, wherein the fluid is a liquid that remains in a liquid state or changes into a gaseous state after absorbing the heat.

[0151] Embodiment 14 is a cooling device according to any one of embodiments 1 to 13, wherein the fluid is formed from an immersion liquid in which at least a part of the electronic device is immersed.

[0152] Embodiment 15 is a cooling device according to embodiment 14, wherein the pump and the additional pump are further configured to add the part of the immersion liquid forming the fluid flow and / or the additional fluid flow, after transferring the heat, in a cooled state to another part of the immersion liquid in which the electronic device is immersed.

[0153] Embodiment 16 is a cooling device according to one of the embodiments 1 to 8, which further comprises a second heat sink with a second fluid channel and a second additional fluid channel separate from the second fluid channel, wherein the fluid flow is configured to flow through the second fluid channel in parallel to the first fluid channel, and the additional fluid flow is configured to flow through the second additional fluid channel in parallel to the additional fluid channel.

[0154] Embodiment 17 is a cooling device according to embodiment 9, wherein the second heat sink is configured to be flowed through by the fluid flow that has absorbed heat from the heat sink, or vice versa.

[0155] Embodiment 18 is a cooling device according to embodiments 1 to 17, wherein the pump and the additional pump can be operated simultaneously and the additional pump can be controlled separately from the pump.

[0156] Embodiment 19 is a cooling device according to any one of embodiments 1 to 18, wherein the at least one electronic device comprises a plurality of electronic devices, wherein a first electronic device of the plurality of electronic devices has a first temperature stability and wherein a second electronic device of the plurality of electronic devices has a second temperature stability that is higher than the first temperature stability, wherein the fluid channel is arranged along the first electronic device and along the second electronic device such that the fluid flow for removing heat from the heat sink is first guided past the first electronic device and then past the second electronic device.

[0157] Embodiment 20 is a cooling device according to any one of embodiments 1 to 19, wherein the fluid flow is formed from a liquid which, after absorbing the heat, remains in the liquid state or changes into a gaseous state.

[0158] Further advantageous embodiments of the device result from the description of the method and vice versa.

Claims

[1] Cooling device for cooling an electronic device, comprising: a heat sink having a fluid channel and an additional fluid channel, wherein the additional fluid channel is separate from the fluid channel; a pump configured to generate a fluid flow in the fluid channel for absorbing heat from the heat sink and for supplying the heat to a heat exchanger for extracting the heat from the cooling device; and an additional pump configured to generate an additional fluid flow in the additional fluid channel for absorbing heat from the heat sink and for supplying the heat to an additional heat exchanger for coupling the heat out of the cooling device. [2] Cooling device according to claim 1, wherein the heat sink is arranged in thermal contact with the electronic device. [3] Cooling device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the pump and the additional pump are controllable or adjustable. [4] Cooling device according to claim 3, further comprising: at least one temperature sensor configured to detect a temperature of the fluid flow and / or the heat sink and / or the electronic device and to provide at least one pump control to control the pump and / or the additional pump. [5] Cooling device according to one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the pump and the additional pump are arranged as mutually redundant systems. [6] Cooling device according to one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising: a housing; wherein at least the electronic device and the heat sink are arranged in the housing; and wherein the cooling device is further configured to remove the heat dissipated from the heat sink from the housing. [7] Cooling device according to one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the pump and / or the additional pump is / are further arranged to supply the heat by means of the fluid flow to at least one heat transfer region in order to transfer the heat in the heat transfer region to at least one heat receiver. [8] Cooling device according to one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the pump and / or the additional pump is / are arranged upstream of the heat sink or downstream of the heat sink with respect to a flow direction of the fluid flow. [9] Cooling device according to one of claims 1 to 8, further comprising: a second heat sink having a second fluid channel and a second additional fluid channel separate from the second fluid channel; wherein the fluid flow is arranged to flow through the second fluid channel after the first fluid channel, and the additional fluid flow is arranged to flow through the second additional fluid channel after the additional fluid channel. [10] Cooling device according to claim 9, wherein the second heat sink is arranged in thermal contact with the electronic device. [11] Cooling device according to claim 2 and 10, wherein a robustness of the electronic device against an increased operating temperature in a region that is in thermal contact with the second heat sink is higher than in a region that is in thermal contact with the heat sink. [12] Cooling device according to one of claims 1 to 11, further comprising: the fluid for forming the fluid flow and the additional fluid flow. [13] A cooling device according to claim 12, wherein the fluid is a liquid which remains in a liquid state or changes into a gaseous state after absorbing the heat. [14] Cooling device according to one of claims 1 to 13, wherein the fluid is formed from an immersion liquid in which a part of the electronic device is immersed. [15] Cooling device according to claim 14, wherein the pump and the additional pump are further arranged to add the part of the immersion liquid forming the fluid flow and / or the additional fluid flow, after transferring the heat, cooled to another part of the immersion liquid in which the electronic device is immersed.

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