Dielectric liquid immersion cooling vessel

Abstract

An immersion cooling vessel for immersion cooling of a single phase liquid dielectric. The vessel has a tank and a liner that mate together to form a sealed inlet flow passage and one or more sealed outlet flow passages. The liner and support base include one or more vents that allow for the passage of liquid dielectric coolant to surround and cool equipment disposed within the vessel. A sidewall of the tank has corrugations that define one or more descending flow passages that facilitate the passage of the liquid coolant from the vessel into the outlet flow passages, thereby allowing for continuous circulation of the liquid dielectric coolant.

Description

[Background technology]

[0001] (1) Areas of Focus

[0002] The present invention relates generally to the field of submersion cooling of objects using complete immersion of such objects in a liquid dielectric coolant, and more particularly to liquid dielectric submersion cooling vessels.

[0003] (2) Description of related fields

[0004] Liquid immersion cooling is often performed by immersing the object to be cooled in a container filled with a liquid dielectric coolant. Such objects may be electronic circuits, batteries, or other heat-generating electronic components. The dielectric liquid circulates through the container and around the material to remove heat from the surface of the electronic components in or on the target object. Conventional dielectric cooling containers have certain inefficiencies, such as the conduction and radiation of heat through the walls of the container and from it, the conduction of charge through the metallic materials typically used in the construction of the container, the difficulty of scaling the production of such containers due to the nature of the metallic materials used in the manufacture of the container, and the susceptibility to air entrainment, which reduces the cooling efficiency of the dielectric liquid. The containers are often constructed in a configuration that only facilitates one flow method of the circulating dielectric liquid coolant, without the ability to adapt or tailor the circulation to the specific or unique cooling requirements of the object to be cooled. Thus, the use of a standard container with circulation characteristics tailored to cool a particular object may not provide ideal efficiency when used to cool another object with a different set of cooling requirements.

[0005] Conventional containers are generally constructed from metals or other materials that require specific configurations or construction techniques that can be relatively expensive or difficult or labor-intensive, and therefore are difficult to produce in quantity and expensive to modify to meet the requirements of a particular object.

[0006] The present vessel attempts to overcome these problems by using layers of non-metallic material to provide a customizable, modular vessel with an improved downward flow path that reduces or eliminates air entrainment, flow inefficiencies, manufacturing variability, and other shortcomings of conventional immersion cooling vessels. Summary of the Invention

[0007] In one embodiment, the present invention relates to an immersion cooling apparatus. The immersion cooling apparatus includes a tank. The tank has a bottom and one or more walls at least partially enclosing an interior volume. The immersion cooling apparatus further includes a liner disposed within the interior volume of the tank. The liner has an exterior surface and an interior volume configured to accommodate an object therein, such as a heat-generating electronic device.

[0008] An input flow passage is defined within the interior volume of the tank. An inlet is fluidly coupled to the tank, where the inlet is in fluid communication with the input flow passage such that dielectric liquid from a source external to the tank can enter the input flow passage via the inlet.

[0009] The liner has vent holes that are in fluid communication with the inlet passages, thus allowing the dielectric liquid to enter the interior volume of the liner through the vent holes, and as the dielectric liquid fills the interior volume of the liner, an object positioned therein becomes immersed in the dielectric liquid, thereby allowing heat transfer between the object and the dielectric liquid.

[0010] A downflow passage is defined in a space between the exterior surface of the liner and the interior surface of the tank such that dielectric liquid is configured to enter the downflow passage upon overflow from the second interior volume of the liner. The downflow passage is in fluid communication with an outlet passage defined in the interior volume of the tank and exterior to the liner. The tank has an outlet fluidly coupled thereto. The outlet is in fluid communication with the outlet passage, thereby allowing dielectric liquid to exit the first interior volume of the tank via the outlet.

[0011] In one embodiment, the tank has a first corrugation that is open to the interior volume of the tank. In this embodiment, the descending flow path is defined within the corrugation. The tank may include a second corrugation, whereby the first and second corrugations define a receiving flow path therebetween. The receiving flow path is configured to receive a corrugation of another tank, thereby allowing multiple tanks to be placed in a mating relationship with one another to form an array. One or more descending flow regulators may be disposed within the descending flow path. The descending flow regulators are configured to prevent air bubbles from forming within the dielectric liquid as it flows through the descending flow path.

[0012] In one embodiment, the immersion cooling apparatus further includes a support base disposed within the interior volume of the liner. The support base is configured to support an object thereon. The support base has one or more openings disposed therein configured to allow flow of a dielectric liquid therethrough. The support base may be disposed on a shoulder within the liner such that the support base is maintained at a predefined distance relative to a vent hole in the liner. The vent hole in the liner, the one or more openings in the support base may be elongated. In one embodiment, the longitudinal axes of the vent hole in the liner and the opening in the support base are not directionally aligned with one another.

[0013] In one embodiment, the inner surface of the bottom of the tank, the outer surface of the liner, or both, may include one or more dividers. The dividers may be configured to divide a first interior volume of the tank into an inlet flow path and an outlet flow path when the liner is placed within the interior volume of the tank. The outer surface of the liner is configured to be placed in abutting contact with the walls and / or bottom of the tank to form a liquid-tight seal at their interface.

[0014] The inlets and outlets may be arranged in a variety of configurations. In some embodiments, the inlets and / or outlets may be fluidly coupled to a bottom of the tank. In other embodiments, the inlets and / or outlets may be fluidly coupled to one or more walls of the tank.

[0015] The inlet and outlet flow paths may have a variety of configurations. The inlet flow path, the outlet flow path, or both may be defined between the bottom of the tank and the exterior surface of the liner. In some embodiments, the inlet flow path may be defined within the interior of the liner.

[0016] In one embodiment, a shelf is disposed on an inner surface of one or more walls of the tank. In this embodiment, the shelf, the inner surface of the one or more walls of the tank, and the outer surface of the liner collectively define a downflow path, an outflow path, or both. The shelf may have a downward slope that directs the dielectric liquid to flow toward the outlet.

[0017] In one embodiment, the immersion cooling apparatus includes a directional nozzle positioned within the interior volume of the liner, the directional nozzle in fluid communication with the inlet passage and configured to direct a flow of the dielectric liquid toward the target area of ​​the object.

[0018] The immersion cooling apparatus may include a second liner positioned within the interior volume of the first liner. The first liner and the second liner form a fluid-tight seal at their interface. In this embodiment, the inlet flow passage may be defined in a space between the first and second liners. The second liner may have an aperture in fluid communication with the inlet flow passage, and the directional nozzle may be configured to be fluidly coupled to the aperture. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0019] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of one embodiment of an immersion vessel.

[0020] [Diagram 2] 1 shows the bottom and sides of one embodiment of an immersion vessel.

[0021] [Diagram 3] 1 illustrates one embodiment of an exploded view of the tank, liner, and support base.

[0022] [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of one embodiment of a tank.

[0023] [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 illustrates a top view of an embodiment of a tank.

[0024] [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the cross section AA of FIG. 5.

[0025] [Figure 7] 1 illustrates one embodiment of a liner.

[0026] [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a top view of one embodiment of a liner.

[0027] [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a cross section taken along line BB in FIG. 8 .

[0028] [Figure 10] FIG. 2 illustrates a top view of an embodiment of a liner positioned within a tank.

[0029] [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a cross section taken along line CC in FIG.

[0030] [Figure 12] This is a cross section taken along line CC in Figure 10.

[0031] [Figure 13] 1 illustrates one embodiment of a support base.

[0032] [Figure 14]FIG. 13 is a top view of one embodiment of a support base placed within a tank without a liner in place.

[0033] [Figure 15] FIG. 15 is a perspective view of the cross section taken along line DD in FIG.

[0034] [Figure 16] FIG. 2 is a top view of one embodiment of a container.

[0035] [Figure 17] FIG. 17 is a perspective view of the E-E cross section of FIG. 16.

[0036] [Figure 18] This is an E-E cross section of Figure 16.

[0037] [Figure 19A] Five embodiments of the downflow regulator are shown.

[0038] [Figure 19B] FIG. 13 is a close-up view of an embodiment of a downflow regulator utilizing slats.

[0039] [Figure 19C] FIG. 13 is a close-up view of an embodiment of a downflow regulator utilizing pleats.

[0040] [Figure 20A] 13A-13C are front views showing three further embodiments of a downflow regulator.

[0041] [Figure 20B] 20B is a perspective view of three embodiments of the downflow regulator shown in FIG. 20A.

[0042] [Figure 21] 19B illustrates an embodiment of a vessel having the downflow regulators shown in FIG. 19A disposed within multiple downflow channels.

[0043] [Figure 22]20B illustrates an embodiment of a vessel having the downflow regulators shown in FIG. 20A disposed within multiple downflow channels.

[0044] [Figure 23] FIG. 2 is a perspective bottom view of one embodiment of a vessel having an inlet and outlet for a dielectric liquid located at the bottom of the vessel.

[0045] [Figure 24] FIG. 13 is a perspective bottom view of one embodiment of a container having an alternative divider configuration for cooling irregularly shaped objects.

[0046] [Diagram 25] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing two containers according to one embodiment configured for laterally overlapping, positioned in a side-by-side configuration such that their respective corrugations and receiving channels are in a mating configuration.

[0047] [Figure 26] FIG. 1 is a top view showing two containers according to one embodiment configured to overlap laterally, positioned in a side-by-side configuration such that their respective corrugations and receiving channels are in a mating configuration.

[0048] [Figure 27] FIG. 1 is a perspective bottom view showing two containers according to one embodiment configured to overlap laterally, the containers positioned in a side-by-side configuration such that their respective corrugations and receiving channels are in a mating configuration.

[0049] [Figure 28] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of a container positioned in a rack.

[0050] [Figure 29] FIG. 2 is a perspective bottom view of one embodiment of a container positioned in a rack, showing an inlet and outlet for a dielectric liquid positioned on the bottom surface of the container and disposed between the slats of the rack.

[0051] [Diagram 30] Perspective view of an exemplary array of six containers.

[0052] [Diagram 31] Perspective view showing one embodiment of a container having a circular shape.

[0053] [Diagram 32] Bottom perspective exploded view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 31.

[0054] [Diagram 33] Top perspective exploded view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 31.

[0055] [Diagram 34] Cross-sectional perspective view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 31.

[0056] [Diagram 35] Perspective view showing one embodiment of a container having an octagonal shape.

[0057] [Diagram 36] Bottom perspective exploded view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 35.

[0058] [Figure 37] Top perspective exploded view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 35.

[0059] [Figure 38] Cross-sectional perspective view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 35.

[0060] [Figure 39] Cross-sectional perspective view of one embodiment of a tank having an inner shelf for directing a downward flow of dielectric liquid towards an outlet coupled to an end wall of the tank.

[0061] [Diagram 40]FIG. 40 is a cross-sectional perspective view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 39, further showing the liner and support base disposed within the tank.

[0062] [Diagram 41] FIG. 41 is a top perspective exploded view of the embodiment shown in FIG.

[0063] [Diagram 42] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a vessel having an internal shelf for directing a downward flow of dielectric liquid toward an outlet coupled to a side wall of the tank.

[0064] [Diagram 43] FIG. 43 is a cross-sectional perspective view of an embodiment of the tank shown in FIG.

[0065] [Diagram 44] FIG. 43 is a top view of the assembled container embodiment shown in FIG. 42.

[0066] [Diagram 45] FIG. 43 is a cross-sectional perspective view of an embodiment of the tank shown in FIG.

[0067] [Diagram 46] FIG. 1 illustrates a top, left side perspective view of an embodiment of a container utilizing a directional nozzle for directing a flow of a dielectric fluid to a target area of ​​an object disposed within the container.

[0068] [Figure 47] FIG. 47 is a top right perspective view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 46.

[0069] [Figure 48] FIG. 47 is a top perspective exploded view of the embodiment shown in FIG.

[0070] [Figure 49] FIG. 47 is a cross-sectional front view of the embodiment shown in FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0071] With reference now to the drawings, the liquid dielectric cooling submerged vessel will be described in terms of best mode and preferred embodiments. In general, the device is a customizable, modular submerged vessel for liquid dielectric cooling. The embodiments disclosed herein are intended to illustrate, not limit, the invention. A practitioner of ordinary skill will understand that numerous variations of the following embodiments can be created by varying factors such as width, length, height, inserts, etc., without undue experimentation. Unless otherwise stated herein, references to length refer to the dimension in the L direction shown in FIG. 1, references to width refer to the dimension in the W direction, and references to height refer to the dimension in the H direction.

[0072] The components of the vessel 1 may be formed by attaching multiple plastic corrugated panels with channels designed to handle liquids, as described in more detail below. The embodiments described below may be constructed integrally by using 3D printing techniques, or by using various metals, plastics, fiberglass, carbon fiber composites, and the like. In any of the embodiments, one or more of the components discussed herein include acrylonitrile butadiene styrene and corresponding thermoforming methods. Some examples of cooling liquids that may be used with the vessel 1 include water, deionized water, mineral oil, two-phase dielectric coolant, single-phase dielectric coolant, or combinations thereof.

[0073] 1-3, one embodiment of the vessel 1 includes a tank 10, a liner 11, and a support base 12. The tank 10, liner 11, and support base 12 mate together to define at least one inlet flow path 15 and at least one outlet flow path 16. The tank 10 includes one or more corrugations 17, such as channels, grooves, ridges, or other contoured features, each of which defines a descending flow path 18 between the liner 11 and the tank 10. In one embodiment, the corrugations 17 are tapered, narrower at the bottom and wider at the top. This allows the tanks 10 of the vessel 1 to be stacked in an array, as discussed in more detail below. The corrugations 17 may be linear or non-linear, regular or irregular, vertically or diagonally oriented, or in any other configuration suitable for the purposes discussed below.

[0074] 4-6, one embodiment of the tank 10 generally defines a box-like shape of the embodiment of the vessel 1 introduced above. In this embodiment, the tank 10 includes two end walls 19 and two side walls 20. One or more dividers 21 are located within the tank 10 in communication with a tank bottom 22 of the tank 10. The dividers 21 are positioned to mate with the liner 11 to define the inlet flow passages 15 and the outlet flow passages 16, as will be described in more detail below.

[0075] 7-9, one embodiment of the liner 11 has a rectangular or box-like shape for fitting insertion into the tank 10. The liner 11 has a liner end wall 23, liner side walls 24a and 24b, and a liner bottom 25 having one or more liner vents 26. The liner vents 26 allow for the passage of dielectric cooling liquid from the inlet passage 15 to the inside of the vessel 1. The liner vents 26 may include one or more ports, holes, slots, openings, and the like. The liner further includes a shoulder 31 configured to support the support base 12 at a higher position than the liner bottom 25. In this manner, the liner bottom 25 and the support base 12 define a chamber 32 therebetween that becomes filled with liquid as the dielectric liquid rises through the liner vents 26. In one embodiment, the first liner side wall 24a has a height H1 and the second liner side wall 24b has a height H2, where H1 is less than H2.

[0076] 10-12, in one embodiment, the liner 11 mates with the tank 10 to define the inlet flow passage 15 and the outlet flow passage 16. The liner bottom 25 rests against the top of the one or more dividers 21 to form a liquid-tight seal at their interface, thereby defining the inlet flow passage 15 and the outlet flow passage 16. Additionally, the liner sidewalls 24a and 24b mate with the sidewall 20 of the tank 10 to form a liquid-tight seal therebetween. In this manner, the corrugations 17 of the tank sidewall 20 define the downflow passage 18 formed between the outer surfaces of the sidewalls 24a and 24b of the liner 11 and the inner surfaces of the corrugations 17 of the tank 10.

[0077] 13, 14 and 15, one embodiment of the support base 12 includes a bottom panel 27 having one or more vents 28 for facilitating flow of the dielectric liquid within the vessel 1. The vents 28 may be elongated openings such as slots that allow for the ingress of the dielectric liquid in a wall-like or curtain-like upward flow. In this embodiment, each vent 28 preferably has an aspect ratio of 2:1 or greater. The elongated circulation vents 28 can have any shape that meets or exceeds this aspect ratio, such as a rectangle, an ellipse, an elongated hexagon or octagon, an arc shape, a serpentine shape, or other curved shape.

[0078] Alternatively, each vent 28 may be multiple point vents, oriented such that the combined effect of the point vents approximates a wall of upward flow emanating from a single elongated vent 28. Each point vent may take a variety of shapes and forms, each having an aspect ratio of less than 2:1. The point vents may have a cross-sectional shape that is circular, triangular, square, or other regular polygonal, star-shaped, cross-shaped, or any other suitable shape.

[0079] The support base 12 may further include one or more stiffeners 29, such as edge walls, stems, webs, etc., that provide structural support to the bottom panel 27 of the support base to support the load of the equipment being cooled within the vessel 1.

[0080] 16-18, in one embodiment of the vessel 1, pressurized dielectric cooling liquid enters the vessel 1 through the inlet 13. The liquid then flows through the inlet passage 15 and rises into the interior volume of the liner 11 through the liner vent 26. The dielectric liquid fills the chamber 32 defined between the liner bottom 25 and the support base 12. The dielectric liquid then continues to rise through the vent 28 of the liner 12, such that the equipment positioned on the support base 12 becomes submerged in the dielectric liquid. When the level of the dielectric liquid reaches the top of the first sidewall 24a of the liner 11 (height H1), the liquid flows over the first sidewall 24a and enters the descending passage 18. Gravity causes the dielectric liquid to flow through the passage 18, which directs the liquid to the first outlet passage 16a. The dielectric liquid then flows through the first outlet passage 16a and exits the tank 10 through the first outlet 14a. The continuous circulation of the dielectric liquid along this flow path facilitates heat transfer between the dielectric liquid and the equipment positioned on the support base 12, thereby effectively cooling the immersed equipment.

[0081] In the event that the first outlet flow path 16a becomes blocked, the level of the dielectric liquid continues to rise above the level of H1. When the liquid level exceeds the height of the second side wall 24b of the liner 11 (height H2), the dielectric liquid flows or cascades over the second side wall 24b of the liner 11 into a descending flow path 18 defined by the corrugations 17 in the side of the tank 10 that abuts the second side wall 24b. The liquid passes through the descending flow path 18 into the second outlet flow path 16b, where it exits the vessel 1 via the second outlet 14b. The difference in wall heights H1 and H2 thus provides a fail-over safety feature in the event that the first outlet flow path 16a becomes blocked.

[0082] 19A, 19B, 19C, 20A, 20B, 21, and 22, an embodiment of the vessel 1 may include one or more downward flow regulators 30. The downward flow regulators 30 allow the dielectric liquid to flow down the downward flow path 18 without entraining air bubbles in the dielectric liquid. Air entrainment is detrimental to liquid dielectric cooling as it reduces the efficiency of heat transfer facilitated by the liquid. The downward flow regulators 30 may be corrugations 30a, pipes 30b, slats 30c, pleats 30d, helical tubes 30e, cascades 30f, finned conduits 30g, baffles, rods, stringers, or other similar members that facilitate the downward flow of the dielectric liquid coolant to reduce or eliminate air entrainment in the liquid. The regulators 30 may be used alone or in combination with other embodiments of regulators 30, which may be used in one or more downward flow paths 18. 21 and 22 show embodiments of regulators 30 located in particular downflow paths 18. Regulators 30 may be located in all or only some of the downflow paths 18, and the regulators 30 located within a tank 10 may all be of the same type or may be of different types.

[0083] 23-27, in some embodiments, the inlet 13 and outlet 14 are located on the tank bottom 22. This configuration allows the end walls 19 of adjacent tanks 10 to abut against one another without requiring a gap between them to accommodate the inlet 13 and outlet 14 (as shown in FIG. 30). Additionally, by locating the inlet 13 and outlet 14 on the tank bottom 22, the container 1 can be efficiently positioned on a rack 35 as shown in FIGS. 28 and 29.

[0084] 28 and 29, in one embodiment, a rack 35 has a number of slats 38 configured to support one or more containers 1 placed thereon. FIG. 29 shows the slats 38 arranged such that the inlets 13 and outlets 14 are positioned within the spaces between the slats 38. The rack 35 has legs 39 configured to elevate the containers 1, thereby creating sufficient clearance between the tank bottom 22 and the support surface to accommodate conduits 40 attached to the inlets 13 and outlets 14 for transporting dielectric liquid to and from the containers 1.

[0085] In other embodiments, the vessel 1 may have one or more inlets 13 or outlets 14 coupled to either the end wall 19 or the side wall 20 of the tank 10, while one or more inlets 13 or outlets 14 may be coupled to the tank bottom 22. As shown in Figure 24, the location and orientation of the partitions 21 that define the configuration of the inlet channels 15 and outlet channels 16 can be customized to provide efficient cooling for various objects having various shapes. This customization may be applied to customize the configuration of the vessel 1 for efficient cooling of irregularly shaped objects.

[0086] 25-27, the liquid dielectric submersion cooling vessels 1 may be configured to be arranged in an array, where two or more vessels 1 are arranged in mating relationship with one another in a substantially planar orientation. In this embodiment, the corrugations 17a of a first vessel 1a are disposed between the corrugations 17b of a second vessel 1b to define a mating interface 36 between the first vessel 1a and the second vessel 1b.

[0087] In this embodiment, the external spaces between adjacent corrugations 17a of the first tank 10a define receiving channels 37a configured to receive the corrugations 17b of the second tank 10b. In this way, the first tank 10a includes a number of receiving channels 37a for receiving the corrugations 17b of the second tank 10b, while the second tank 10b includes a number of receiving channels 37b for receiving the corrugations 17a of the first tank 10a. This configuration allows the side walls of the vessels 10a and 10b to fit together. A number of vessels 1 can be arranged in an array by fitting their respective corrugations 17 and channels 37 defined therebetween. An example of an array of six vessels 1a-1f is shown in FIG. 30. The vessels 1 can be utilized to be arranged in various arrays, allowing for efficient and space-saving stacking configurations.

[0088] 30 illustrates that devices 42, such as computer servers, cryptocurrency miners, batteries, etc., can be placed in the container 1 to be cooled by the dielectric liquid. As explained above, the shape of the container 1 and the dividers 21, and the locations of the inlets 13 and outlets 14 can be customized to efficiently accommodate objects 42 of various shapes. Furthermore, by arranging the containers 1 in an array, the conduits 40 that carry the dielectric liquid can also be efficiently arranged, e.g., linearly, and coupled to the appropriate inlets 13 and outlets 14 of the containers 1.

[0089] One embodiment of the vessel 1 is generally rectangular or box-like in shape and includes at least one inlet 13 and at least one outlet 14 for circulating a dielectric liquid coolant through the vessel 1. The embodiment shown in Figure 1 is generally rectangular in top plan view (in the LW plane). However, other embodiments of the vessel can have circular, triangular, hexagonal, or irregular shapes in top plan view, as described in more detail below.

[0090] 31-34 show a vessel 1 having a generally circular shape in top plan view. In this embodiment, the vessel 1 includes a tank 10 and a liner 11. A sidewall 24 of the liner 11 is disposed in abutting contact with the inside of the sidewall 20 of the tank 10. The tank 10 includes a plurality of corrugations 17, the interior surface of which defines a descending flow path 18.

[0091] The inlet 13 is coupled to a sidewall 20 of the tank 10, allowing pressurized dielectric liquid to flow into the interior volume of the tank 10. FIG. 32 shows that the inner surface of the tank bottom 22 has a partition 21a, while the outer surface of the liner bottom 25 has a corresponding partition 21b. When the liner 11 is placed within the tank 10, the partitions 21a and 21b are placed in contact with one another to form a liquid-tight seal at their interface, thereby defining an inlet flow passage 15 and an outlet flow passage 16. The inlet flow passage 15 is in fluid communication with the inlet 13, while the outlet flow passage 16 is in fluid communication with the outlet 14.

[0092] As shown most clearly in FIG. 34, the dielectric liquid enters the inlet passage 15 via the inlet 13. The dielectric liquid rises through the liner vents 26 and fills the chamber 32 formed between the liner bottom 25 and the support base 12, which rests on a shoulder 31 disposed within the liner 11. The dielectric liquid rises through the vents 28 in the support base 12 and fills the interior volume of the liner 11, such that one or more objects positioned therein become immersed in the dielectric liquid. In this manner, heat is transferred from the one or more objects to the dielectric liquid. As the liquid level continues to rise and exceeds the height of the liner sidewall 24, the liquid spills over the liner sidewall 24 and enters the downflow passage 18. The downflow passage 18 directs the dielectric liquid to the outlet passage 16, from which the dielectric liquid exits the tank 10. This continuous flow of the dielectric liquid allows for efficient heat transfer and removal from the equipment contained within the vessel 1. In this manner, the dielectric liquid cools the equipment.

[0093] Figures 35-38 show one embodiment of the container 1 having an octagonal shape in top plan view, which functions in substantially the same manner as the circular embodiment described above.

[0094] Another embodiment of the vessel 1 is shown in Figures 39-41. Unlike the embodiment described above, the tank 10 does not have corrugations defining a downward flow path. Instead, Figures 39 and 40 show that the downward flow path 18 is formed between the inner surface of the tank side wall 10 and the outer surface of the liner side wall 24. The tank 10 has a ledge 44 that facilitates the dielectric liquid to flow downward to the outlet flow path 16. When the liner 11 is positioned in the tank 10, a liquid-tight seal is established between the partition 21 located on the tank bottom 22 and the outer surface of the liner bottom 25. In this way, the partition 21 divides the bottom of the tank 10 into an inlet flow path 15 and an outlet flow path 16. The inlet flow path 15 is in fluid communication with the inlet 13, while the outlet flow path 16 is in fluid communication with the outlet 14.

[0095] The vessel 1 shown in Figures 39-41 operates according to the same principles of operation as described with respect to the other embodiments disclosed above. Dielectric liquid enters the inlet channel 15 via the inlet 13. The dielectric liquid rises and enters the chamber 32 formed between the liner bottom 25 and the support base 12 via the liner vent 26. As the dielectric liquid continues to rise, it flows into the interior volume of the liner 11 via the vent 28 in the support base 12. Figure 41 illustrates that the liner vent 26 and the support base vent 28 may be oriented perpendicular to one another.

[0096] As the dielectric liquid continues to flow through the support base vents 28, the liquid fills the interior volume of the liner 11. As the liquid level rises above the sidewall 24, the liquid spills over and enters the downflow channel 18 formed between the exterior surface of the liner sidewall 24 and the interior surface of the tank sidewall 20. Gravity causes the liquid to flow through the downflow channel 18, guided by the slope of the shelf 44, and into the outlet channel 16. From there, the dielectric liquid exits the tank 10 via the outlet 14. The continuous flow of dielectric liquid removes heat from objects placed on the support base 12 through heat exchange that occurs between the cooler dielectric liquid and the warmer object. Heat is carried out of the vessel 1 as the warmer dielectric liquid exits the tank 10 via the outlet 14.

[0097] 42-45 show another embodiment of the vessel 1. Unlike the other embodiments disclosed herein, the tank 10 does not have a partition 21 dividing the bottom portion of the tank 10 into an inlet channel 15 and an outlet channel 16. Instead, the outlet channel 16 is established between the inner surface of the tank sidewall 20 and the outer surface of the liner sidewall 24. A shelf 44 creates a downward flow channel 18 that directs the flow of the dielectric liquid into the outlet channel 16 that is coupled to the outlet 14, allowing the dielectric liquid to exit the tank 10.

[0098] Figures 46-49 show one embodiment of a tank 1 that uses directional nozzles 46 to direct the flow of dielectric liquid to specific target areas 48 of an object 42 to facilitate efficient cooling of critical components or hot spots. This embodiment includes nested liners 11a and 11b, which are most clearly shown in an exploded view in Figure 48 and in a cross-sectional view in Figure 49. In this embodiment, an inlet channel 15 is formed in the enclosed volume between liners 11a and 11b, where the upper edges of sidewall 24 and end wall 23 of liner 11 form a liquid-tight seal with the underside of top flange 52 of liner 11b.

[0099] The liner 11b has a number of holes 50 configured to be fluidly coupled to the directional nozzles 46. The dielectric liquid enters the liner 11a from the inlet 13 through the openings 51. The dielectric liquid then fills the inlet channels 15 formed between the inner surfaces of the sidewalls 24 and end walls 23 of the liner 11a and the corresponding outer surfaces of the tank 11b. From the inlet channels 15, the dielectric liquid flows into the directional nozzles 46, which eject the dielectric liquid onto the target area 48. To further control the flow of the dielectric liquid, some or all of the holes 50 that are not coupled to the directional nozzles 46 may be closed with designated plugs, thereby directing the flow of the dielectric liquid only through the nozzles 46.

[0100] When the dielectric liquid enters the interior volume of the liner 11b, the liquid level rises, filling the interior volume of the liner 11b and immersing the object 42 in the dielectric liquid. When the liquid level exceeds the height of the side walls of the liner 11b, the dielectric liquid spills over the side walls and end walls of the liner 11b into the downflow channels 18 formed between the inner surface of the corrugations 17 and the outer surface of the liner 11a. Downflow regulators 30 may be disposed in one or more of the downflow channels 18. Gravity causes the dielectric liquid to flow through the downflow channels 18 and into the outflow channels 16 formed between the outer surface of the liner bottom 25 and the inner surface of the tank bottom 22. The dielectric liquid leaves the tank 10 via the outlet 14.

[0101] In all of the embodiments described above, a pump may be used to circulate the dielectric liquid through the vessel 1 and to control the pressure and flow rate of the dielectric liquid through the vessel 1. Additionally, the dielectric liquid may be cooled upon exiting the vessel 1 and the cooled dielectric liquid may then be reintroduced into the tank, thereby maintaining the circulation of cold dielectric liquid through the vessel 1.

[0102] The foregoing embodiments are merely representative of liquid dielectric immersion cooling vessels and are not intended to limit the present invention. For example, one of ordinary skill in the art will readily recognize several embodiments and configurations of tanks, liners, inlet channels, outlet channels, downflow channels, and support bases that do not substantially change the nature of the immersion cooling vessel and can be interchanged between the embodiments disclosed herein. Furthermore, while the above description focuses on cooling an object positioned within the vessel, one of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that substantially the same techniques can be used to heat or otherwise regulate the temperature of the object without departing from the principles of the present invention. Accordingly, it will be understood that equivalents and alternatives to the specific elements and components described above are part of the invention described herein, with the true scope of the invention being set forth in the following claims.

Claims

1. a tank having a bottom and one or more walls at least partially enclosing a first interior volume; a liner disposed within the first interior volume of the tank, the liner having an exterior surface and a second interior volume configured to receive an object therein; an inlet passage defined within the first interior volume of the tank; an inlet fluidly coupled to the tank, wherein the inlet is in fluid communication with the input passage such that dielectric liquid from a source external to the tank can enter the input passage via the inlet; a vent hole disposed within the liner, the vent hole being in fluid communication with the inlet passage such that the dielectric liquid can enter the second interior volume of the liner through the vent hole, such that the object positioned within the second interior volume of the liner becomes immersed in the dielectric liquid, thereby enabling heat transfer between the object and the dielectric liquid; a downcomer flow path defined in a space between the exterior surface of the liner and an interior surface of the tank, wherein the dielectric liquid is configured to enter the downcomer flow path upon overflowing the second interior volume of the liner; an outlet passage in fluid communication with the downflow passage, the outlet passage being defined within the first interior volume of the tank and external to the liner; and an outlet fluidly coupled to the tank, the outlet being in fluid communication with the outlet passage such that the dielectric liquid can exit the first interior volume of the tank via the outlet; An immersion cooling device comprising:

2. 2. The immersion cooling apparatus of claim 1, wherein the tank includes a first corrugation opening to the first interior volume thereof, the descending flow path being defined within the first corrugation.

3. 3. The immersion cooling apparatus of claim 2, wherein the tank comprises second corrugations disposed on the one or more walls of the tank, the first and second corrugations defining a receiving flow passage therebetween, the receiving flow passage being configured to receive a third corrugation of a second tank, thereby enabling multiple tanks to be disposed in a mating relationship with one another.

4. 10. The immersion cooling apparatus of claim 1, wherein a downflow regulator is disposed in the downflow passage, the downflow regulator configured to reduce air bubble entrainment in the dielectric liquid.

5. 2. The immersion cooling apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a support base disposed within the second interior volume of the liner, the support base configured to support the object thereon, wherein the support base has one or more openings disposed therein configured to allow the dielectric liquid to flow therethrough.

6. 6. The immersion cooling apparatus of claim 5, wherein the liner has a shoulder configured to maintain the support base at a predefined distance relative to the vent hole in the liner.

7. 6. The immersion cooling apparatus of claim 5, wherein the vent hole in the liner and the one or more openings in the support base are elongated and each have a longitudinal axis, and their respective longitudinal axes are not directionally aligned with respect to one another.

8. 2. The immersion cooling apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a divider disposed on an inner surface of the bottom of the tank, an outer surface of the liner, or both, wherein the divider divides the first interior volume of the tank into the inlet flow path and the outlet flow path.

9. The immersion cooling apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the inlet and the outlet are fluidly coupled to the bottom of the tank.

10. The immersion cooling apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the inlet and the outlet are fluidly coupled to the one or more walls of the tank.

11. The immersion cooling apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the inlet flow passage is defined between the bottom of the tank and the exterior surface of the liner.

12. The immersion cooling apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the outlet flow passage is defined between the exterior surface of the liner and the bottom of the tank.

13. 2. The immersion cooling apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a ledge disposed on an interior surface of the one or more walls of the tank, the ledge, the interior surface of the one or more walls of the tank, and the exterior surface of the liner collectively defining the downflow passage, the outflow passage, or both.

14. 14. The immersion cooling apparatus of claim 13, wherein the shelf has a downward slope that directs the dielectric liquid to flow toward the outlet.

15. 15. The immersion cooling apparatus of claim 1, wherein the outer surface of the liner is positioned in abutting contact with the one or more walls of the tank to form a liquid-tight seal at their interface.

16. 15. The immersion cooling apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a directional nozzle disposed within the second interior volume of the liner, the directional nozzle in fluid communication with the inlet passage and configured to direct a flow of the dielectric liquid towards a target area of ​​the object.

17. 15. The immersion cooling apparatus of claim 1, wherein the inlet flow passage is defined within the second interior volume of the liner.

18. 20. The immersion cooling apparatus of claim 17, wherein the liner is a first liner and a second liner is disposed within the second interior volume of the first liner, thereby defining the inlet flow passage therebetween.

19. 20. The immersion cooling apparatus of claim 18, wherein the first liner and the second liner form a fluid-tight seal at their interface.

20. 20. The immersion cooling apparatus of claim 18, wherein the second liner comprises an aperture in fluid communication with the inlet passage, and a directional nozzle is configured to be fluidly coupled to the aperture.

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