Arrangement for directly supplying electrical energy to a liquid cooling system

Abstract

The present invention relates to an arrangement for supplying electrical energy to a direct liquid coolant (DLC), the arrangement comprising at least one IT rack (1) having a plurality of slide-in units (2) arranged vertically in the height direction (z) of the IT rack (1) for a direct liquid coolant (DLC) and / or a slide-in device (2.1) of IT infrastructure, wherein the IT rack (1) has a DC voltage supply device (3) for the slide-in devices (2.1) housed in the slide-in units (2), the power supply device (5) extending along the height direction (z) of the IT rack (1) along the rear (R) of the IT rack (1) and supplied with a DC voltage from the rectifier (PSU), wherein at least one slide-in device (2.1) of the direct liquid coolant (DLC) is housed in one of the slide-in units (2) and electrically connected to the busbar (5).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an arrangement for supplying electrical energy to a direct liquid cooling (DLC) device. The arrangement comprises at least one IT rack having a plurality of slide-in units arranged one above the other in the height direction of the IT rack, for slide-in devices of direct liquid cooling devices and / or IT infrastructure. Such an arrangement is disclosed in US 2007 / 0274043 A1 or US 2022 / 0210953 A1. Similar arrangements are described in U.S. Patent No. 11,395,443, US 2023 / 0056298 A1, US 2022 / 0330459 A1, and US 2019 / 0037730 A1.

Background Art

[0002] Known configurations have the drawback that, if any of the slide-in devices inserted into the slide-in units fails, replacement of the relevant slide-in device is complicated and in particular requires a certain amount of time. During this time, the direct liquid cooling device becomes inoperable or can only be operated with reduced cooling capacity, and as a result, for example, IT components installed in an IT rack, such as server slide-in units, have to be shut down or operated with reduced output to avoid overheating of the devices. In this case, the wiring work for the power cables required for the slide-in device is particularly time-consuming.

Summary of the Invention

Problem to be Solved by the Invention

[0003] Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to improve the configuration described at the outset so that it accommodates simple replacement of a slide-in device.

Means for Solving the Problem

[0004] This object is achieved by an arrangement having the features of claim 1. Advantageous embodiments of the present invention are each the subject of the dependent claims.

[0005] For this purpose, in the type of arrangement described at the beginning, the IT rack can be configured to have a DC voltage supply for slide-in devices housed in slide-in units, which includes a rectifier and a power distributor. For example, a busbar is provided, which extends along the rear of the IT rack in the height direction of the IT rack and is supplied with a DC voltage from the rectifier, where at least one slide-in device of a direct liquid cooling system is housed in one of the slide-in units and is electrically connected to the power distributor, in particular to the busbar.

[0006] In a preferred embodiment, the power distribution device is a busbar, for example, a copper rail, and more preferably a busbar housed in a contact protector having contact openings for electrical contact with the busbar. The power distribution device, and especially the busbar, is particularly preferably designed as a linear strip.

[0007] Slide-in devices, particularly (but not limited to) slide-in devices for direct liquid cooling systems, can be operated by a DC voltage. An IT rack is provided with a DC voltage supply device, which extends at least in the height direction of the IT rack, and can supply a DC voltage to a slide-in device inserted into a slide-in unit. The DC voltage supply device, particularly a power distribution device (e.g., a busbar), can be self-contacting. Preferably, the power distribution device (e.g., a busbar) and the slide-in device have complementary contact elements on their rear sides facing the power distribution device, and these contact elements engage when the slide-in device is positioned fully inserted into the slide-in unit. Conversely, when the slide-in device is inserted in a position not fully inserted into the slide-in unit, the electrical contact is disengaged.

[0008] This arrangement can be part of an IT cabinet, an IT cabinet row, or a data center. Therefore, this arrangement can particularly be part of a switch cabinet housing. The switch cabinet housing can, in a well-known manner, provide air cooling for components requiring cooling housed within the switch cabinet, in addition to direct liquid cooling. For this purpose, cooled air can flow through the switch cabinet housing. The switch cabinet housing can be configured to include an air-cooled heat exchanger on the air outlet side, e.g., the front or rear. The heat exchanger can be configured, for example, as a rear door heat exchanger. This allows heated air flowing through the switch cabinet to be discharged as cooled air around the switch cabinet. Alternatively, or additionally, cooled air can flow from the cold aisle side into the housing via the front or rear of the switch cabinet in a switch cabinet row configuration, for example, a cold aisle-hot aisle configuration, and then flow as heated air into the hot aisle on the opposite side. The cooled air is discharged into the cold aisle by an air-liquid heat exchanger located, for example, on the raised floor of a data center. Cooled air can also be supplied in different ways within the cold aisle.

[0009] To further improve the maintainability of the DLC system, the DLC system can be configured with a modular structure, allowing multiple subunits to be interconnected. This enables embodiments of the DLC system that provide redundant configurations for subunits or modules that are particularly prone to failure. For example, multiple pump modules can be provided for liquid transport. The pump modules can be connected in parallel. Each pump module has multiple pumps, which are preferably connected in parallel.

[0010] In one embodiment, the direct liquid cooling system has at least one pump module formed independently of other functional modules of the liquid cooling system. At least one module or one of the modules of the direct liquid cooling system may be a slide-in device of the direct liquid cooling system connected to a DC voltage supply device in the manner described above.

[0011] If the power supply to a direct liquid cooling (DLC) is part of a switch cabinet housing, a row of switch cabinets, or a data center, and if air cooling is provided with at least one air-cooled heat exchanger, it is possible to connect the return flow of the air-cooled heat exchanger to the feedflow of the DLC, particularly to the feedflow of the liquid-liquid heat exchanger of the DLC. This allows the heated liquid discharged from the air-liquid heat exchanger to continue to be used as a heat sink for recooling the coolant in the primary circuit of the DLC. This is because the liquid cooling can be operated at a higher forward flow temperature compared to the air cooling air flowing through the switch cabinet, in order to enable effective heat transfer from components that require cooling to the liquid in the primary circuit of the liquid cooling.

[0012] In one embodiment, the return flow path of an air-liquid heat exchanger housed in a switch cabinet door may be connected to the forward flow path of a liquid-liquid heat exchanger in a direct liquid cooler, particularly to the external circuitry of the direct liquid cooler. The air-liquid heat exchanger may also occupy an alternative location to a switch cabinet, a row of switch cabinets, or a data center with DLC. For example, the air-liquid heat exchanger may be located in a raised floor of a data center and configured to cool air discharged from the hot aisle as heated air by passing it through the raised floor and the air-liquid heat exchanger before blowing it into the cold aisle. Alternatively, the heat exchanger may function as part of an inline cooler located in a row of switch cabinets. The row of switch cabinets, for example, separates the cold aisle from the hot aisle, draws in heated air from the hot aisle from the rear of the inline cooler, passes it through an air-liquid heat exchanger within the device, and then discharges the cooled air to the cold aisle at the front.

[0013] In one embodiment, this arrangement is part of a switch cabinet housing or IT rack, and in addition to the components of the arrangement according to the invention, only liquid-cooled components and optionally air-liquid-cooled components are arranged. Such a switch cabinet housing or IT rack may be part of a row of switch cabinets (e.g., switch cabinets or IT racks arranged in a row), and may be configured to supply coolant for liquid cooling of components housed in adjacent switch cabinet housings or IT racks. Optionally, a switch cabinet housing or IT rack having this configuration may include at least one air-liquid heat exchanger that supplies cooling air for cooling the components. The liquid circuit of the air-liquid heat exchanger may be interconnected with the liquid circuit of the outer circuit of a liquid-cooled liquid-liquid heat exchanger in the manner described above, in particular, such that the return flow of the air-liquid heat exchanger is connected to the forward flow of the outer circuit of the liquid-liquid heat exchanger. The return flow of the outer circuit of the liquid-liquid heat exchanger may be connected to a recooling device (e.g., a chiller). The forward flow of the chiller may be connected to the forward flow of the air-liquid heat exchanger. However, the air-liquid heat exchanger and liquid-liquid heat exchanger in a direct liquid cooling system can be formed independently of each other and connected to a recooling unit to supply the coolant. Furthermore, it is possible to omit the air-liquid heat exchanger and perform liquid cooling only.

[0014] Multiple first blind mating connectors can be arranged vertically spaced apart from each other along a power distribution device, particularly a busbar, to directly connect a liquid cooling device and / or a subunit of IT infrastructure to a power distribution device, such as a busbar, without the need for tools. A slide-in device housed in a slide-in unit may have connectors complementary to the first blind mating connectors. These complementary connectors may be self-centered. This ensures reliable contact between the slide-in device and the busbar when the slide-in device is inserted into the slide-in unit and reaches a fully inserted position within the slide-in unit.

[0015] The direct liquid cooling system has at least one coolant distribution manifold extending vertically along the rear of the IT rack, wherein a plurality of second blind mating connectors for toolless connection of the direct liquid cooling system and / or subunits of the IT infrastructure to the coolant distribution manifold are arranged vertically and spaced apart from each other along the coolant distribution manifold.

[0016] The slide-in unit may have a linear guide for a direct liquid cooling device and / or a subunit of the IT infrastructure. This linear guide extends parallel to the insertion direction of the first and / or second blind mating connector.

[0017] A direct liquid cooling system may have multiple slide-in devices. Each slide-in device is housed in one of the slide-in units, and at least two slide-in devices are designed as redundant slide-in devices, preferably as redundant pump units, and may be configured, for example, as redundant pump units (RPUs). All slide-in devices of the direct liquid cooling system, preferably at least one slide-in device, are connectable to a power distribution device (particularly a busbar), in particular via blind mating connectors, and are easily replaceable in case of failure.

[0018] A rectifier can be designed as one of the slide-in devices. For example, a rectifier can be designed as a power supply unit (PSU) and housed as a slide-in device in one of the slide-in units. The PSU has a blind-mating connector on its rear side facing the power distribution device, through which the PSU is electrically connected to the power distribution device (e.g., the busbars of the power distribution device) to apply a DC voltage to it.

[0019] At least one slide-in device of a direct liquid cooling system can be a coolant distribution unit (CDU) or at least one subunit of a coolant distribution unit. Preferably, the coolant distribution unit has a plurality of subunits formed independently of each other. Preferably, the coolant distribution unit has at least two redundant subunits. The redundant subunits are designed as identical components and connected in parallel. Particularly preferably, the coolant distribution unit has at least two subunits having different functions. Each subunit may be designed as a slide-in device that is housed in one of the slide-in units.

[0020] Subunits of a coolant distribution unit (CDU) may include, for example,: a coolant pump unit (preferably a 2N redundant pump), a heat exchanger, an expansion tank, pressure and / or temperature sensors, a three-way valve with a bypass valve, an AC power supply, a control unit, a service valve, a filter (preferably a filter fan), an automatic degassing device, and a pressure limiting valve. Individual subunits can be designed as independent slide-in devices. Multiple subunits may form a common slide-in device. Subunits may be designed to be hot-swappable, which is particularly preferable with respect to connections to the coolant circuit (if any) and / or to the power supply (if any).

[0021] The pump unit of the CDU can be configured to be designed as an independent slide-in device. The pump unit preferably has multiple slide-in devices. Multiple slide-in devices of the pump unit can be identical components. Multiple slide-in devices of the pump unit can be connected in series with respect to the pumping capacity for the coolant. Multiple pump units can be configured so that if any of the multiple pump units fail, the remaining pump units provide the required pumping capacity. For this purpose, the multiple pump units can operate at a reduced pumping capacity during normal operation, i.e., when none of the multiple pump units have failed. If any of the pump units fail, the remaining pump units can increase their pumping capacity to compensate for the pumping capacity lost due to the failure. After the failed pump unit is replaced, the multiple pump units can return to normal operation.

[0022] In conventional coolant distribution units (CDUs), the subunits are often housed in the same housing as needed for each application, resulting in a single device configuration. Therefore, if any of these subunits fail, the entire CDU must be replaced. This disrupts the cooling capacity provided by the CDU and could lead to failure of the IT infrastructure being cooled by it.

[0023] At least one of the subunits of the coolant distribution unit, preferably the control unit and / or the expansion tank, can be located outside the housing of the coolant distribution unit (CDU) and inside or outside the IT rack. For example, the expansion tank of the coolant distribution unit can be located on the roof of the IT rack.

[0024] At least one subunit of the coolant distribution unit may be a control device for the coolant distribution unit, which is electrically connected to a power supply, particularly a busbar, and is designed as a slide-in device, preferably housed in one of the slide-in units.

[0025] At least one subunit of the coolant distribution unit is fluidly connected directly to the coolant distribution channel of the direct liquid cooling apparatus, and may preferably be an directly connected expansion tank. In this case, the expansion tank can particularly preferably be arranged outside the IT rack, for example on the roof of the IT rack.

[0026] A plurality of subunits of the coolant distribution unit can be accommodated in respective slide-in units as individual slide-in devices. In this case, the subunits of the coolant distribution unit designed as mutually independent slide-in devices may comprise at least two identical or structurally identical subunits, preferably a plurality of identical or structurally identical pump units (e.g., RPU) of the coolant distribution unit. For example, at least two of the identical or structurally identical pump units can be designed as redundant pump units. To achieve redundancy, the pump units are connected in parallel.

[0027] At least one slide-in device may be a subunit of the direct liquid cooling apparatus. This slide-in device has a housing in which at least two redundant, preferably parallel-connected pumps are arranged. The housing otherwise does not include at least a compressor, expansion means, or a condenser. The housing preferably does not include all other active components of a refrigerator. In this way, an embodiment of the invention can be provided in which a failure-prone pump unit can be easily replaced during operation. To further optimize this, not only one but a plurality of slide-in devices each including at least two redundant pumps are provided, and particularly preferably, the slide-in devices are operated in a state of being fluidly connected in parallel to the coolant distribution passage through which cooled coolant flows.

[0028] In one embodiment, in addition to at least two redundant pumps, a heat exchanger can be housed in the housing. In this case, for cooling components of IT infrastructure, a coolant can be transported or passed through an inner circuit of the heat exchanger using the redundant pumps. If the heat exchanger is a liquid-liquid heat exchanger, its outer circuit can be connected to a recooler for coolant. Alternatively, similar to the aforementioned method, it is also possible to connect the outer circuit of the liquid-liquid heat exchanger to the return flow path of an air-liquid heat exchanger of existing IT infrastructure.

[0029] On the outside of the housing, at least one supply flow path and a first return flow path can be provided for directly connecting the inner circuit to a coolant distribution manifold of a direct liquid cooling device. Furthermore, unipolar or bipolar electrical contacts for electrical connection to a power distribution device (e.g., a busbar) can be provided on the outside, preferably on a rear surface of the housing facing the power distribution device. If the heat exchanger is a liquid-liquid heat exchanger, it is preferable to provide a second forward flow path and a second return flow path for connecting the outer circuit to the recooler. All supply pipes, return pipes and electrical contacts are preferably designed as blind-mate connectors.

[0030] At least one additional slide-in device can be housed, or can be housed in at least one additional slide-in unit. In this case, the at least one additional slide-in device can be a server or an uninterruptible power supply (backup battery unit: BBU).

[0031] The direct liquid cooling device can be provided with at least one additional slide-in device, preferably a coolant conduction subunit of a coolant distribution unit of the direct liquid cooling device. The slide-in device can be a heat exchanger or can include a heat exchanger. Furthermore, the slide-in device can be an expansion tank or can include an expansion tank. In this case, the additional slide-in device is intended to be housed in any of the slide-in units without coming into contact with the busbar.

[0032] The slide-in device and any additional slide-in devices may have standardized housings that are identical in dimensions, particularly in the depth direction (i.e., the direction in which the slide-in device is inserted into the slide-in unit). Furthermore, it is preferable that the first blind mating connector formed on the rear side facing the busbar be of the same design regardless of the type of slide-in device.

[0033] The slide-in unit of the IT rack can accommodate slide-in devices with a direct liquid cooling system. This allows the IT rack to be placed in a row of switch cabinets containing components that require cooling. For this purpose, the IT rack housing the liquid-cooled slide-in device can have a fluid transfer path between the IT rack with the liquid-cooled slide-in device and the adjacent IT rack in the row of switch cabinets that can accommodate servers and other components that require cooling, via an appropriate interface (e.g., a row connection connector to an adjacent IT rack in the row of switch cabinets).

[0034] At least one slide-in device is or may include a heat exchanger (preferably a liquid-liquid heat exchanger), an expansion tank, a pump unit, a control device, or a DC voltage supply device. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0035] Details of the invention will be described with reference to the following drawings. In the drawings: Figure 1 shows a schematic diagram of a direct liquid cooling system; Figure 2 shows an embodiment of a slide-in device designed as a pump unit; Figure 3 shows an exemplary embodiment of a direct liquid cooling system with additional rear door air cooling; Figure 4 is a schematic diagram showing one embodiment of a slide-in device; Figure 5 shows another embodiment of the slide-in device; Figure 6 shows yet another embodiment of the slide-in device; Figure 7 shows an embodiment of the configuration according to the present invention in a front view (a) and a side view (b); and Figure 8 shows another embodiment, a side view of an IT rack, illustrating the configuration according to the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0036] Figure 1 shows a schematic diagram of a direct liquid cooling system (DLC). The coolant is supplied by a recooler 16, which can be configured, for example, as a chiller with or without a refrigerator. For this purpose, the recooler 16 comprises, in particular, an air-liquid heat exchanger and at least one fan for transporting ambient air to the air-liquid heat exchanger. The coolant supplied from the recooler is delivered to the coolant distribution unit (CDU), in particular via the forward flow path of the CDU's external circuit. Through the return flow path of the external circuit, the liquid supplied from the recooler leaves the CDU as heated liquid, and the CDU's external circuit (which simultaneously forms the liquid circuit of the recooler 16) is shown by reference numeral 17.

[0037] The coolant distribution unit (CDU) comprises, in particular, a liquid-liquid heat exchanger and at least one pump for transporting the liquid through the internal circuitry 15 of the CDU. The forward flow path of the internal circuitry of the CDU is connected to the return flow path of the coolant distribution manifold, and the return flow path of the internal circuitry 15 of the CDU is connected to the forward flow path of the coolant distribution manifold 7. The coolant distribution manifold 7 has a plurality of connections spaced apart from each other in the longitudinal, i.e., vertical direction, on one hand connected to the forward flow path of the coolant distribution manifold 7 that supplies cooled coolant, and on the other hand connected to the return flow path of the coolant distribution manifold 7 that discharges heated coolant. The slide-in device 2 may be a server slide-in unit for IT infrastructure, connected to the distribution manifold 7 in the manner described in, for example, U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2007 / 0274043A1. Within the slide-in device, a coolant, preferably an electrically non-conductive refrigerant, flows over components that require cooling (e.g., CPUs, GPUs, or other components that are high-power-loss and temperature-sensitive). As a result, air cooling is unsuitable because the thermal conductivity of air is lower than that of liquids.

[0038] Figure 2 shows an embodiment of a slide-in device usable with a configuration according to the present invention. The slide-in device 2.1 has a housing 13 that can be standardized, for example, with respect to dimensions. Specifically, when at least the slide-in device 2.1 is inserted into the slide-in unit of the IT rack, electrical contact of the power distribution device by first and second blind mating connectors 6.1, 6.2 and fluid connection to the liquid cooling device, in particular the coolant distribution channel, can be made automatically, without the use of any tools. Inside the housing 13 are three redundant pumps 14, in particular connected in parallel with each other. Furthermore, a heat exchanger 12, in particular a liquid-liquid heat exchanger, is also located inside the housing 13. Thus, the only operating parts inside the housing 13 are the triple-configured, parallel-connected pumps 14. The pump unit shown in Figure 2 is therefore extremely fault-tolerant. The use of first and second blind mating connectors 6.1, 6.2 allows for the rapid replacement of the entire unit, i.e., the slide-in device 2.1, without any associated downtime in the event of a failure of all pumps or a decrease in pump output. By simultaneously deploying multiple slide-in devices 2.1 as shown in Figure 2 and connecting them in parallel, further redundancy of the direct liquid cooling system (DLC) can be achieved. This ensures that even if one of the multiple slide-in devices 2.1 (all three pumps 14 in this example) fails, the DLC will continue to operate, effectively eliminating downtime entirely.

[0039] Figure 3 shows an embodiment in which the arrangement according to the present invention is housed in a switch cabinet housing designed based on the design of an IT cabinet. This housing is provided with a plurality of 19-inch slide-in units arranged vertically from top to bottom. The slide-in devices 2.1 within the slide-in units 2 of the IT rack 1 are partially occupied by servers and partially by integrated devices 2.1 of direct liquid cooling systems. For example, the uppermost slide-in unit 2 of the IT rack 1 is occupied by a DC voltage supply device 3 provided as a slide-in device 2.1. The lower slide-in unit 2 is occupied by a coolant distribution unit (CDU). The coolant distribution manifold 7, along with its forward and return flow lines, is located on the rear side of the IT rack 1. The forward and return flow lines of the coolant distribution channel 7 are connected to the coolant distribution unit CDU. A rear door heat exchanger 200 is connected to the rear of the IT rack 1. The rear door heat exchanger comprises an air-liquid heat exchanger and a plurality of fans. Cooled air from the rear door heat exchanger is drawn from the front side of IT rack 1 through IT rack 1, past the server slide-in unit 2.1 that requires cooling, and into the rear door heat exchanger 200. There, the heated air passes through an air-liquid heat exchanger and is blown out around the housing as cooled air. The forward flow path of the air-liquid heat exchanger of the rear door cooling unit 200 is supplied from a recooler 16 (e.g., chiller). The return flow path of the air-liquid heat exchanger of the rear door cooling unit 200 is connected to the forward flow path of the CDU's external circuit. As a result, the heated liquid discharged from the air-liquid heat exchanger acts as a heat sink for the CDU. A liquid-liquid heat exchanger 12 is located inside the CDU and transfers heat from the internal CDU circuit, which connects the CDU to the coolant distribution channel 7, to the external CDU circuit.

[0040] All slide-in devices 2.1, excluding the DC voltage supply device 3 itself, can be designed as DC devices operating at, for example, a 48V operating voltage. This allows the entire power distribution system within the IT rack to operate at a DC voltage level that is less dangerous than commercial voltage, thereby improving the operational reliability of the IT rack.

[0041] The modular structure of the direct liquid cooling system allows for operationally advantageous placement, such as positioning the expansion tank 10 above the IT rack 1, particularly above the coolant distribution channel 7.

[0042] Figures 4 to 6 show different design stages of the slide-in device 2.1. In the embodiment shown in Figure 4, the device is designed as a pump unit (RPU). The RPU shown in Figure 4 has only two parallel-connected pumps 14, which are housed in a housing 13 along with two power supplies 19 (one for each pump 14). A first blind mating connector 6.1 is used for connection to a DC voltage supply, and a pair of second blind mating connectors 6.2 are used for connection to the internal circuitry of the DLC. This allows the pump unit (RPU) shown in Figure 4 to act on the DLC's coolant distribution manifold (not shown) using cooled coolant.

[0043] As an extension of the embodiment shown in Figure 4, the embodiment shown in Figure 5 not only includes a liquid-liquid heat exchanger 12, but also features a triple-redundant pump 14 design. Correspondingly, three power supplies 19 are also provided to independently supply the three pumps 14. The embodiment shown in Figure 5 is suitable for use in a switch cabinet according to Figure 3, for example, where the external circuitry of the CDU is connected to an air-liquid heat exchanger, such as the heat exchanger of a rear door cooling unit 200.

[0044] Further differing from the embodiment in Figure 5, the embodiment in Figure 6 features an air-liquid heat exchanger 12 and a pair of fans 20 instead of a liquid-liquid heat exchanger for recooling the coolant. Additionally, an expansion tank 10 is located within the housing. A pair of redundant pumps 14 are powered by a pair of independent power supplies 19.

[0045] Figure 7 shows an embodiment of a device for supplying electrical energy directly to a liquid cooler, in front view (a) and side view (b). This arrangement includes an IT rack 1 having multiple slide-in units 2 arranged vertically in the height direction z to accommodate slide-in devices 2.1 for direct liquid coolers. In addition to the slide-in devices 2.1 for direct liquid coolers, other slide-in devices 2.1 are also provided, which in this embodiment are designed as servers. A rectifier PSU is also designed as a slide-in device 2.1. The busbars of the DC voltage supply devices 3 for the slide-in units 2 or the slide-in devices 2.1 housed therein extend along the rear R of the IT rack 1 as a power distribution device 5. These busbars are powered by the rectifier PSU, and in particular, DC voltage is supplied. The slide-in devices 2.1 for direct liquid coolers (DLCs) are each housed in one of the slide-in units 2 and electrically connected to the busbars insofar as power supply is required. The expansion tank 10, which does not require an electrical supply, is located on the top side, i.e., outside the IT rack 1, which is a physically advantageous position. The control unit 9 is an independent slide-in device designed independently of the other DLC subunits and is directly contact-connected to the busbars of the DC voltage supply device 3, in particular the power distribution device 5. The slide-in device 2.1 is provided with a first blind mating connector 6.1 for tool-free connection to the busbars. A corresponding blind mating connector can be provided on the rear side (busbar side) of the housing of the slide-in device 2.1. Similarly, a second liquid-conductive blind mating connector can be located on the rear side for connection to the forward and return passages of the coolant distribution manifold 7.

[0046] In the embodiment shown in Figure 7, both server components requiring cooling and different subunits of the direct liquid cooler (DLC) for server cooling are present. On the other hand, in the embodiment shown in Figure 8, the IT rack 1 consists only of the components of the direct liquid cooler (DLC). In particular, the multiple slide-in devices 2.1 are designed as redundant pump units (RPUs). These can be designed as either of the embodiments shown in Figures 2 and 4, for example. Two slide-in devices 2.1 form a heat exchanger 12 and an expansion tank 10. The DC voltage supply device 3 is also designed as a slide-in device, as is the control device 9. In the configuration shown in Figure 8, the DC voltage supply device 3 is the only component to which commercial voltage is supplied. Otherwise, this configuration ensures that all components and devices for the power distribution device, especially the busbar 5, are kept at a low DC voltage (e.g., 48V).

[0047] The features described above may be relevant in any combination to realize embodiments of the present invention, and the scope of protection is determined solely by the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0048] 1 IT rack 2 Slide-in Units 2.1 Slide-in device 3. DC voltage supply device 5 Bus Bar 6.1 First Blind Mating Connector 6.2 Second Blind Mating Connector 7 Coolant distribution path 8 Linear Guides 9 Control device 10 Expansion Tank 11. Additional slide-in device 12 Heat exchanger 13 Housing 14 pumps 15 inner circuit 16 Recooler 17 Outer circuit 19 Power supply 20 Fans 200 Rear Door Cooling System BBU uninterruptible power supply CDU Coolant Distribution Unit DLC Direct Liquid Cooler PSU rectifier RPU Pump Unit R Back X insertion direction Z (height direction)

Claims

1. An arrangement for supplying electrical energy to a direct liquid coolant (DLC), the arrangement comprising at least one IT rack (1) having a plurality of slide-in units (2) arranged vertically in the height direction (z) of the IT rack (1) for a direct liquid coolant (DLC) and / or a slide-in device (2.1) of the IT infrastructure, wherein the IT rack (1) has a DC voltage supply unit (3) for the slide-in devices (2.1) housed in the slide-in units (2), the power supply unit (5) extending along the height direction (z) of the IT rack (1) and along the rear (R) of the IT rack (1), and being supplied with a DC voltage from the rectifier (PSU), wherein at least one slide-in device (2.1) of the direct liquid coolant (DLC) is housed in one of the slide-in units (2) and electrically connected to the power supply unit (5).

2. The arrangement according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of first blind mating connectors (6.1) for toolless connection of a direct liquid cooling device (DLC) and / or a subunit of the IT infrastructure to the power distribution device (5) are arranged along the power distribution device (5) at intervals from one another in the height direction (z).

3. The arrangement according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the direct liquid cooling system (DLC) has at least one coolant distribution manifold (7) extending in the height direction (z) of the IT rack (1) along the rear (R) of the IT rack (1), and a plurality of second blind mating connectors (6.2) for toolless connection of the direct liquid cooling system (DLC) and / or subunits of the IT infrastructure to the coolant distribution channel (7) are arranged at intervals from one another in the height direction (z) along the coolant distribution manifold (7).

4. In the arrangement according to claim 2 or 3, the slide-in unit (2) has a linear guide (8) for a direct liquid cooling device (DLC) and / or subunit of the IT infrastructure, the linear guide (8) extending parallel to the insertion direction (x) of the first and / or second blind mating connectors (6.1, 6.2).

5. In the arrangement described in any one of the preceding paragraphs, the direct liquid cooling system (DLC) has a plurality of slide-in devices (2.1), each slide-in device (2.1) is housed in one of the slide-in units (2), and at least two slide-in devices (2.1) are designed as redundant slide-in devices (2.1), preferably as redundant pump units (RPU).

6. In the arrangement described in any one of the preceding paragraphs, the rectifier (PSU) is configured as a slide-in device (2.1), and the slide-in device (2.1) is housed in one of the slide-in units (2).

7. An arrangement described in any one of the preceding paragraphs, wherein at least one slide-in device (2.1) of a direct liquid coolant (DLC) is a coolant distribution unit (CDU) or at least one subunit of a coolant distribution unit (CDU).

8. The arrangement according to claim 7, wherein at least one subunit of the coolant distribution unit (CDU), preferably the control device (9) and / or expansion tank (10) of the coolant distribution unit (CDU), is located outside the housing (13) of the coolant distribution unit (CDU) and inside or outside the IT rack (1).

9. The arrangement according to claim 8, wherein at least one subunit of the coolant distribution unit (CDU) is a control device (9) of the coolant distribution unit (CDU) electrically connected to the power distribution device (5), and is preferably configured as a slide-in device housed in one of the slide-in units (2).

10. In the arrangement according to claim 8 or 9, at least one subunit of the coolant distribution unit (CDU) is an expansion tank (10) which is fluidically, preferably directly, connected to a coolant distribution channel (7) of a direct liquid coolant (DLC), and in particular preferably the expansion tank (10) is located outside the IT rack (1).

11. An arrangement according to any one of claims 7 to 10, wherein a plurality of subunits of a coolant distribution unit (CDU) are housed in their respective slide-in units as individual slide-in devices (2.1).

12. The arrangement according to claim 11, wherein the subunit (2.1) of a coolant distribution unit (CDU) designed as an individual slide-in device has at least two identical or structurally identical subunits, preferably a plurality of identical or structurally identical pump units (RPUs) of the coolant distribution unit (CDU), and more preferably, at least two identical or structurally identical pump units (RPUs) are designed as redundant pump units (RPUs).

13. The arrangement according to claim 7, wherein at least one slide-in device (2.1) is a subunit of a direct liquid cooler (DLC), and the slide-in device (2.1) has a housing (13) in which at least two redundant, preferably parallel-connected, pumps (14) are arranged, and the housing (13) is otherwise not provided with at least a compressor, expansion means, condenser, and preferably does not include all other active components of the chiller.

14. The arrangement according to claim 13, wherein at least one heat exchanger (12) is housed within the housing (13), and a coolant is supplied by a redundant pump (14) through an internal circuit (15) of the heat exchanger (12) for cooling components of the IT infrastructure, and, if the heat exchanger (12) is a liquid-liquid heat exchanger, preferably an external circuit (17) of the liquid-liquid heat exchanger is connected to or can be connected to a coolant recooler (16).

15. The arrangement according to claim 13 or 14, wherein the housing (13) externally has at least a first supply pipe and a first return pipe for directly connecting the internal circuit (15) to the coolant distribution manifold (7) of the liquid cooler (DLC), and electrical contacts for electrical connection to the power distribution device (5), and preferably, if the heat exchanger (12) is a liquid-liquid heat exchanger, a second supply pipe and a second return pipe for connecting the external circuit to a recooler, and preferably all supply pipes and return pipes and electrical contacts are designed as blind mating connectors (6).

16. An arrangement in which, in any one of the preceding paragraphs, at least one additional slide-in unit (2) houses or can house at least one additional slide-in device, and at least one additional slide-in device is a server or an uninterruptible power supply (BBU).

17. In the arrangement described in any one of the preceding paragraphs, the direct liquid cooler (DLC) has at least one additional slide-in device (11), preferably a coolant-conducting subunit of a coolant distribution unit (CDU) of the direct liquid cooler (DLC), particularly preferably a heat exchanger (12) or an expansion tank (10), wherein the additional slide-in device (11) is housed in one of the slide-in units (2) without contact with the power distribution device (5), preferably a busbar.

18. In any of the arrangements described in the preceding paragraph, the slide-in unit (2) of the IT rack (1) houses only the slide-in unit (2.1, 11) of the direct liquid cooling unit (DLC).

19. The arrangement according to claim 18, wherein at least one of the slide-in devices (2.1, 11) is a heat exchanger (12), preferably a liquid-liquid heat exchanger, an expansion tank (10), a pump unit (RPU), a control device (9), or a DC voltage supply device (3).

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