Liquid immersion cooling device

The immersion cooling apparatus addresses the challenges of large cooling systems by using horizontally extending casings and efficient refrigerant circulation to minimize size and cost, while improving refrigerant management and cooling efficiency.

JP7822268B2Active Publication Date: 2026-03-02MITSUBISHI HEAVY IND LTD
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Patent Information

Application Number
JP2022117545
Authority / Receiving Office
JP · JP
Patent Type
Patents
Current Assignee / Owner
Filing Date
2022-07-22
Publication Date
2026-03-02
Estimated Expiration
2042-07-22

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

Existing cooling systems for electronic devices require large cooling tanks filled with refrigerant, leading to increased size, refrigerant management difficulties, and high costs.

Method used

An immersion cooling apparatus with horizontally extending casings, a jet supply unit, and heat transfer tubes that facilitate efficient refrigerant circulation and heat exchange, reducing the need for external cooling equipment and minimizing refrigerant use.

Benefits of technology

The apparatus achieves miniaturization, improves refrigerant manageability, and enhances cooling efficiency while reducing costs and space requirements.

✦ Generated by Eureka AI based on patent content.

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Abstract

To provide an immersion cooling device that can improve coolant management performance while achieving miniaturization.SOLUTION: An immersion cooling device cools a heating element provided on a substrate, and the immersion cooling device comprises: a casing group that has a plurality of casings each formed in a box shape extending in the horizontal direction, and having a substrate arranged therein to extend in the horizontal direction, wherein the casings are arranged in the vertical direction; a supply-side header that extends in the vertical direction to be adjacent to the casings and can introduce first coolant into the plurality of casings; a discharge-side header that extends in the vertical direction to be adjacent to the casings and to which the first coolant is introduced from each of the plurality of casings; a coolant press-feed unit that press-feeds the first coolant from the discharge-side header to the supply-side header; and a heat exchanger tube that extends inside at least one of the discharge-side header and the supply-side header, and performs heat exchange between second coolant circulating therein and the first coolant to cool the first coolant.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2
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Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an immersion cooling device. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a cooling system for cooling electronic devices having heat-generating elements. The cooling system includes a cooling tank filled with a refrigerant. The electronic devices are immersed in the refrigerant in the cooling tank. Multiple electronic devices are arranged upright in the cooling tank. The refrigerant in the cooling tank cools the heat-generating elements, and then circulates to be cooled outside the cooling tank and supplied back to the cooling tank. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] International Publication No. 2016 / 075838 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in the cooling system described in Patent Document 1, multiple electronic devices are arranged vertically in one cooling tank, which results in the cooling system becoming large in size. In addition, since a large cooling tank needs to be filled with refrigerant, a large amount of refrigerant is used. Furthermore, separate equipment is required to cool the refrigerant in the cooling tank externally. This makes refrigerant management difficult, requiring a lot of effort and cost.

[0005] The present disclosure has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide an immersion cooling device that can improve the manageability of a refrigerant while achieving miniaturization. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above problems, the immersion cooling apparatus according to the present disclosure is an immersion cooling apparatus that cools a heat-generating element provided on a substrate, and includes: a casing group having a horizontally extending box shape and a plurality of casings arranged so that the substrate extends horizontally inside the casings, the casings being arranged in a vertical direction; a supply-side header extending in the vertical direction adjacent to the casings and capable of introducing a first refrigerant into each of the plurality of casings; a discharge-side header extending in the vertical direction adjacent to the casings and into which the first refrigerant is introduced from each of the plurality of casings; a refrigerant compression unit that compresses the first refrigerant from the discharge-side header to the supply-side header; and a heat transfer tube that extends inside at least one of the discharge-side header and the supply-side header and cools the first refrigerant by heat exchange between the first refrigerant and a second refrigerant circulating therethrough.

[0007] The immersion cooling apparatus according to the present disclosure is an immersion cooling apparatus that cools a heat generating element provided on a substrate, and includes a casing that stores a first refrigerant and has the substrate arranged inside so that the substrate extends horizontally, a jet supply unit that supplies a jet of the first refrigerant to the heat generating element, and a heat transfer tube that passes through the casing and performs heat exchange between the first refrigerant and a second refrigerant circulating inside the casing, thereby cooling the first refrigerant. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] The immersion cooling apparatus of the present disclosure can achieve miniaturization while improving the manageability of the refrigerant. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is an overall view showing a schematic configuration of an immersion cooling apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an immersion cooling apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure, viewed obliquely. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a schematic side view of the heat sink mechanism according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a heat transfer tube according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 5] FIG. 1 is a schematic side view of an immersion cooling apparatus according to a first modified example of the first embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of a heat transfer tube according to a second modified example of the first embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is an overall view showing a schematic configuration of an immersion cooling apparatus according to a third modified example of the first embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a schematic side view of an immersion cooling apparatus according to a fourth modified example of the first embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is an overall view showing a schematic configuration of an immersion cooling apparatus according to a fifth modified example of the first embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a schematic oblique view of an immersion cooling apparatus according to a fifth modified example of the first embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is an overall view showing a schematic configuration of an immersion cooling apparatus according to a sixth modified example of the first embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is a schematic side view of an immersion cooling apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 13] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing a schematic configuration of an entire immersion cooling apparatus according to a third embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 14] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing a schematic configuration inside a casing according to a third embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] First Embodiment An immersion cooling apparatus 10 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will now be described with reference to FIGS. As shown in FIG. 1, an immersion cooling apparatus 10 is used to cool electronic devices that perform high-speed calculations. In this embodiment, the immersion cooling apparatus 10 is used in a server 1 installed in a data center. A plurality of servers 1 are provided. The plurality of servers 1 are installed on respective levels of an air-cooled rack 8. This rack 8 is a general type formed in a size of, for example, about 19 inches.

[0011] 2, the server 1 has a printed circuit board and elements such as CPU and GPU chips mounted on the printed circuit board. The CPU and GPU are components that handle high-speed calculations, so they are subjected to high loads and generate heat at higher temperatures than other parts of the server 1.

[0012] A data center is equipped with a heat exchanger 7 that uses water as a refrigerant. Examples of the heat exchanger 7 include a dry cooler and a chiller. The immersion cooling apparatus 10 of this embodiment is provided separately from the heat exchanger 7 and is used to cool elements that generate heat at high temperatures, such as a CPU or GPU.

[0013] Hereinafter, the printed circuit board of the server 1 may be simply referred to as the "board 2," and elements such as the CPU and GPU that generate particularly high temperatures within the board 2 may be referred to as the "heat generating element 3."

[0014] 3, the substrate 2 is formed in a rectangular plate shape. A heating element 3 is provided on the surface of the substrate 2.

[0015] The heating element 3 has a base 4 and a heating element main body 6. The base 4 is a rectangular plate-shaped member. The base 4 is attached to the surface of the substrate 2. A recess 5 is provided on the surface of the base 4 opposite the substrate 2. The recess 5 is provided in the center of the base 4. The heating element main body 6 is attached to the recess 5. The heating element main body 6 is the part of the heating element 3 that mainly generates heat. In this embodiment, the heating element main body 6 is a semiconductor that constitutes a CPU or GPU. The surface of the heating element main body 6 opposite the substrate 2 is flush with the surface of the base 4.

[0016] (Configuration of the immersion cooling device) Next, the configuration of the immersion cooling apparatus 10 will be described. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the immersion cooling apparatus 10 includes a casing 11, a heat sink mechanism 20, a jet supply unit 30, a header pipe 40, and a heat transfer pipe 50.

[0017] (Casing) A casing 11 is disposed on each tier of the rack 8. The casing 11 is formed in the shape of a rectangular box extending horizontally. A first refrigerant R1 is stored within the casing 11. In this embodiment, the casing 11 is filled with the first refrigerant R1. That is, the entire storage space within the casing 11 is filled with the first refrigerant R1. The first refrigerant R1 is an insulating refrigerant. The first refrigerant R1 cools the heating element 3 in a liquid phase. For this reason, it is desirable that the boiling point of the first refrigerant R1 be 70°C or higher. Examples of the first refrigerant R1 include fluorocarbon-based liquids.

[0018] Inside the casing 11, the circuit boards 2 of each server 1 are arranged to extend horizontally. In this embodiment, the circuit boards 2 are arranged so that the surface on which the heating elements 3 are provided faces upward. The heating elements 3 provided on the circuit boards 2 are provided with a heat sink mechanism 20.

[0019] (heat sink mechanism) The heat sink mechanism 20 is attached to the surface of the heat generating element 3 opposite to the substrate 2. As shown in FIG. 3 , the heat sink mechanism 20 has a first heat transfer plate 21, grease 22, a second heat transfer plate 23, and heat sink fins 24.

[0020] (First heat transfer plate) The first heat transfer plate 21 is attached to and overlaps the surface of the heating element 3 on the side opposite the substrate 2. When viewed from the top and bottom, the outer edge of the first heat transfer plate 21 coincides with the outer edge of the heating element 3. The first heat transfer plate 21 is made of, for example, stainless steel. The first heat transfer plate 21 is provided to increase the surface area of ​​the heating element main body 6 and diffuse the heat generated by the heating element main body 6.

[0021] (grease) The grease 22 is provided on the surface of the first heat transfer plate 21 opposite to the heating element 3. The grease 22 bonds the first heat transfer plate 21 and the second heat transfer plate 23. The first heat transfer plate 21 and the second heat transfer plate 23 are in close contact with each other by the grease 22.

[0022] (Second heat transfer plate 23) The second heat transfer plate 23 is provided on the surface of the first heat transfer plate 21 opposite to the heating element 3, with grease 22 interposed therebetween. The second heat transfer plate 23 is made of a metal such as copper.

[0023] (heat sink fins) The heat sink fins 24 are provided on the surface of the second heat transfer plate 23 opposite to the first heat transfer plate 21. A plurality of heat sink fins 24 are provided on the second heat transfer plate 23. The heat sink fins 24 are formed in the shape of rods extending perpendicular to the second heat transfer plate 23. The heat sink fins 24 are made of the same metal as the second heat transfer plate 23, such as copper. The heat sink fins 24 are provided to further increase the surface area of ​​the heat generating body 6 and further diffuse the heat generated by the heat generating body 6.

[0024] (Jet supply section) 2, the jet flow supply unit 30 supplies a jet of the first refrigerant R1 to the heating element 3. The jet flow supply unit 30 includes a circulation pipe 31, a pump 32, and a filter 33.

[0025] (circulation piping) The circulation pipe 31 is provided outside the casing 11. Both ends of the circulation pipe 31 are in communication with the inside of the casing 11. The first refrigerant R1 can flow through the circulation pipe 31. In this embodiment, one end 31a of the circulation pipe 31 is connected to the bottom surface of the casing 11. One end 31a of the circulation pipe 31 is provided at a position overlapping the heating element 3 in the vertical direction. The other end 31b of the circulation pipe 31 is connected to the top surface of the casing 11. The other end 31b of the circulation pipe 31 is provided at a position overlapping the heating element 3 in the vertical direction. Therefore, the other end 31b of the circulation pipe 31 is positioned to face the heating element 3 and the heat sink mechanism 20.

[0026] (pump) The pump 32 is provided in the circulation pipe 31. The pump 32 circulates the first refrigerant R1 from one end 31a of the circulation pipe 31 to the other end 31b.

[0027] (filter) The filter 33 is provided in the circulation pipe 31. The filter 33 is provided downstream in the flow direction of the first refrigerant R1 from the pump 32. The filter 33 is, for example, an activated carbon filter.

[0028] The jet flow supply unit 30 causes the first refrigerant R1 to circulate inside the casing 11 and the circulation pipe 31. As a result, inside the casing 11, the first refrigerant R1 is jetted out from the other end 31b of the circulation pipe 31, bypasses the substrate 2, and flows into the one end 31a of the circulation pipe 31.

[0029] Hereinafter, within the casing 11, the flow direction of the first refrigerant R1 will be simply referred to as the "flow direction", and the other end 31b side of the circulation pipe 31 in the flow direction of the first refrigerant R1 may be referred to as the "upstream side", and the one end 31a side of the circulation pipe 31 may be referred to as the "downstream side".

[0030] (Header pipe) As shown in Fig. 1, the header pipe 40 communicates with the heat exchanger 7. The refrigerant of the heat exchanger 7 flows through the header pipe 40. Hereinafter, the refrigerant of the heat exchanger 7 will be simply referred to as "second refrigerant R2." The header pipes 40 include a main pipe 43 and sub-headers 44. One main pipe 43 is provided for each header pipe 40. The main pipe 43 extends in the vertical direction. A plurality of sub-headers 44 extend from one main pipe 43. All of the sub-headers 44 extend horizontally. The sub-headers 44 extend parallel to one another and are equally spaced apart in the vertical direction. Two header pipes 40 are provided. In this embodiment, the two header pipes 40 are provided on opposite sides of the casing 11. The second refrigerant R2 is supplied from the heat exchanger 7 to one of the header pipes 40. The second refrigerant R2 supplied to this one header pipe 40 passes through the casing 11 and is returned to the other header pipe 40. The other header pipe 40 returns the second refrigerant R2 that has passed through the casing 11 to the heat exchanger 7.

[0031] Hereinafter, one of the header pipes 40 through which the second refrigerant R2 is supplied from the heat exchanger 7 will be referred to as the "supply header pipe 41," and the other header pipe 40 through which the second refrigerant R2 is returned to the heat exchanger 7 will be referred to as the "return header pipe 42."

[0032] The sub-header 44 of the supply header pipe 41 and the sub-header 44 of the return header pipe 42 are connected by a plurality of heat transfer pipes 50 .

[0033] (heat transfer tube) A plurality of heat transfer tubes 50 are provided in each casing 11. The heat transfer tubes 50 are in communication with the heat exchanger 7. The second refrigerant R2 of the heat exchanger 7 flows through the heat transfer tubes 50. The heat transfer tubes 50 penetrate the casing 11 in the horizontal direction. The plurality of heat transfer tubes 50 extend parallel to one another and are arranged at equal intervals. The plurality of heat transfer tubes 50 are arranged at the same position in the vertical direction. The flow of the second refrigerant R2 in each heat transfer tube 50 is a laminar flow directed from the supply header pipe 41 to the return header pipe 42. The heat transfer tubes 50 exchange heat between the second refrigerant R2 and the first refrigerant R1, cooling the first refrigerant R1.

[0034] The heat transfer tube 50 is disposed within the casing 11 downstream of the heating element 3 in the flow direction of the first refrigerant R1.

[0035] 4, the heat transfer tube 50 is formed in a rectangular cylindrical shape. A plurality of fins 51 are provided on the inner peripheral surface of the heat transfer tube 50. The fins 51 are provided at the corners of the inner peripheral surface of the heat transfer tube 50. The heat transfer tube 50 is a so-called extruded tube manufactured by extrusion processing.

[0036] (First refrigerant circulation) Next, the circulation of the first refrigerant R1 within the immersion cooling apparatus 10 will be described. First, the first refrigerant R1 in the casing 11 flows into the circulation pipe 31 from one end 31a of the circulation pipe 31. The first refrigerant R1 is pressure-fed from one end 31a of the circulation pipe 31 to the other end 31b by the pump 32. The first refrigerant R1 is then ejected as a jet from the other end 31b of the circulation pipe 31. The jet of the first refrigerant R1 is supplied to the heat sink mechanism 20. Heat from the heating element 3 is transferred to the first refrigerant R1 via the heat sink mechanism 20. In this way, the heating element 3 is cooled. The first refrigerant R1 is also supplied so as to collide with the heat sink mechanism 20. As a result, the heating element 3 is subjected to so-called impingement cooling.

[0037] The first refrigerant R1 then passes through the heat sink fins 24 of the heat sink mechanism 20 and flows radially along the upper surface of the substrate 2. When the first refrigerant R1 reaches the outer edge of the substrate 2, it wraps around to the underside of the substrate 2. The first refrigerant R1 then flows along the underside of the substrate 2. During this flow, the first refrigerant R1 passes through a plurality of heat transfer tubes 50. As the first refrigerant R1 passes through the plurality of heat transfer tubes 50, it exchanges heat with the second refrigerant R2 and is cooled. The first refrigerant R1 cooled by the heat transfer tubes 50 flows into one end 31a of the circulation pipe 31. The first refrigerant R1 that has flowed into one end 31a of the circulation pipe 31 is pressure-fed again by the pump 32. In this manner, the first refrigerant R1 circulates within the immersion cooling apparatus 10.

[0038] (Action and effect) The immersion cooling apparatus 10 of this embodiment provides the following advantageous effects. In this embodiment, the immersion cooling apparatus 10 includes a casing 11 in which a first refrigerant R1 is stored and in which a substrate 2 is arranged so as to extend horizontally, a jet supply unit 30 that supplies a jet of the first refrigerant R1 to the heating element 3, and a heat transfer tube 50 that passes through the casing 11 and performs heat exchange between the first refrigerant R1 and the second refrigerant R2 circulating therein, thereby cooling the first refrigerant R1.

[0039] As a result, the immersion cooling apparatus 10 can impinge cool the heating element 3 by spraying a jet of the first refrigerant R1 onto the heating element 3. The first refrigerant R1 sprayed onto the heating element 3 is cooled by the heat transfer tube 50 and is used again to cool the heating element 3. As such, according to this embodiment, a large-scale cycle for circulating the first refrigerant R1 is not required. This makes it possible to reduce the size of the entire facility.

[0040] Furthermore, each casing 11 only needs to be large enough to accommodate one substrate 2, making it easy to freely utilize the space above the casing 11. This allows the casing 11 to be installed horizontally so that it extends horizontally on each shelf of an existing air-cooling rack 8, as in this embodiment. Although the casing 11 is installed horizontally in this embodiment, the casing 11 can also be installed in either a vertical or horizontal orientation. Furthermore, by designing the casing 11 to be small enough to accommodate one substrate 2, the immersion cooling apparatus 10 can be made portable. This makes it easy to transport the immersion cooling apparatus to other facilities that perform high-speed calculations. Furthermore, the amount of first refrigerant R1 required is sufficient to fill the casing 11, making it possible to reduce the amount of first refrigerant R1 used, which is expensive due to its insulating properties.

[0041] Furthermore, the immersion cooling apparatus 10 can cool the first refrigerant R1 stored in the casing 11 within the casing 11 using the heat transfer tube 50. This eliminates the need to provide a separate external heat exchanger to cool the first refrigerant R1, allowing the number of heat exchangers in the entire facility to be reduced. Furthermore, the circulation of the first refrigerant R1 can be completed within the immersion cooling apparatus 10. As described above, the circulation of the first refrigerant R1 can be completed within the immersion cooling apparatus 10 while reducing the amount of first refrigerant R1 used, which also improves the manageability of the first refrigerant R1.

[0042] In this embodiment, the jet flow supply unit 30 includes a circulation pipe 31 that is provided outside the casing 11 and has both ends communicating with the inside of the casing 11, through which the first refrigerant R1 can flow, and a pump 32 that is provided in the circulation pipe 31 and that circulates the first refrigerant R1 from one end 31a to the other end 31b of the circulation pipe 31. The other end 31b of the circulation pipe 31 is positioned opposite the heating element 3.

[0043] As a result, the flow direction of the first refrigerant R1 inside the casing 11 is set by the locations of the one end 31a and the other end 31b of the circulation pipe 31. Therefore, the flow path of the first refrigerant R1 inside the casing 11 can be set as desired, thereby improving the cooling efficiency of the immersion cooling apparatus 10. Furthermore, by adjusting the pressure of the pump 32, the strength of the jet flow can be controlled according to the amount of heat generated by the heating element 3. This makes it possible to cool the heating element 3 with a minimum amount of jet flow that is commensurate with the amount of heat removal required for the heating element 3. Therefore, the cooling efficiency of the immersion cooling apparatus 10 can be improved.

[0044] In this embodiment, within the casing 11, the heat transfer tube 50 is disposed downstream of the heating element 3 in the flow direction of the first refrigerant R1.

[0045] This allows the second refrigerant R2 circulating inside the heat transfer tube 50 to exchange heat with the first refrigerant R1 after cooling the heat-generating element 3. This further improves the cooling efficiency of the immersion cooling apparatus 10.

[0046] In this embodiment, fins 51 are provided on the inner circumferential surface of the heat transfer tube 50 .

[0047] This increases the surface area of ​​the inner circumferential surface of the heat transfer tube 50 that comes into contact with the second refrigerant R2, thereby improving the efficiency of heat exchange between the second refrigerant R2 and the first refrigerant R1.

[0048] (First Modification of the First Embodiment) Next, a first modification of the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 5, in this modification, the heating element 3 and the heat transfer tube 50 are arranged on the same side of the substrate 2 (for example, below the substrate 2). The other end 31b of the circulation pipe 31, which supplies the jet of the first refrigerant R1 from the jet supply unit 30, is provided directly below the heating element 3. One end 31a of the circulation pipe 31 is provided in a position close to the side wall of the casing 11. In this modification, the one end 31a of the circulation pipe 31 is bifurcated. The one end 31a and the other end 31b of the circulation pipe 31 are both provided on the underside of the casing 11. Furthermore, the heat transfer tubes 50 are arranged at different positions in the vertical direction.

[0049] The jet of first refrigerant R1 is supplied to the heating element 3 from below. After cooling the heating element 3, the first refrigerant R1 flows along the underside of the substrate 2. At this time, the first refrigerant R1 passes through the heat transfer tube 50 and is cooled by exchanging heat with the second refrigerant R2 inside the heat transfer tube 50 while passing through the heat transfer tube 50. The first refrigerant R1 then returns to the circulation pipe 31 and is again pumped by the pump 32 and sprayed onto the heating element 3.

[0050] In this modification, the plurality of heat transfer tubes 50 are arranged at different positions in the vertical direction. As a result, the first refrigerant R1 passes through the heat transfer tubes 50 in a serpentine manner. This allows the first refrigerant R1 to exchange heat effectively with the second refrigerant R2. Therefore, the immersion cooling apparatus 10 of this modified example can further improve cooling efficiency.

[0051] (Second Modification of the First Embodiment) Next, a second modified example of the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. As shown in FIG. 6, in this modification, the heat transfer tube 50 is formed in a hexagonal cylindrical shape.

[0052] This allows a larger amount of the second refrigerant R2 to circulate inside the heat transfer tube 50. Therefore, according to the immersion cooling apparatus 10 of this modified example, the cooling efficiency can be further improved.

[0053] Even when the heat transfer tube 50 is formed in a polygonal cylindrical shape with five sides or seven or more sides, it is possible to achieve the same effects as those described above.

[0054] (Third Modification of the First Embodiment) Next, a third modified example of the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 7, in this modification, the supply header pipe 41 and the return header pipe 42 are provided on the same side of the casing 11. The heat transfer pipe 50 is bent so as to be folded back on the side opposite to the header pipe 40 inside the casing 11.

[0055] (Fourth Modification of the First Embodiment) Next, a fourth modified example of the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 8, in this modification, the immersion cooling apparatus 10 further includes an auxiliary propeller 15. The auxiliary propeller 15 is provided inside the casing 11. The auxiliary propeller 15 agitates the first refrigerant R1 flowing inside the casing 11. The agitation speed of the auxiliary propeller 15 is slower than the jet speed of the jet supply unit 30.

[0056] According to this modification, the immersion cooling apparatus 10 can uniformly circulate the first refrigerant R1 inside the casing 11 by the auxiliary propeller 15. This allows the immersion cooling apparatus 10 to effectively cool, for example, elements other than the heat-generating element 3 of the substrate 2. Therefore, the immersion cooling apparatus 10 of this modification can further improve cooling efficiency.

[0057] (Fifth Modification of the First Embodiment) Next, a fifth modified example of the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 9 and 10, in this modified example, the circulation pipe 31 is provided along the side surface of the casing 11. The circulation pipe 31 is arranged so as to surround the casing 11 from the side. One end 31a and the other end 31b of the circulation pipe 31 are provided on a pair of opposing side surfaces of the casing 11, respectively. The one end 31a and the other end 31b of the circulation pipe 31 are provided at positions that overlap the heat sink mechanism 20 in the horizontal direction.

[0058] The circulation pipe 31, the pump 32, and the filter 33 are not provided above or below the casing 11, but are provided at positions overlapping the casing 11 in the horizontal direction.

[0059] The sub-header 44 of the header pipe 40 is formed in an L-shape. An end 44a of the sub-header 44 opposite the main pipe 43 extends upward. A plurality of heat transfer tubes 50 are provided on the end 44a of the sub-header 44 extending upward.

[0060] The heat transfer tubes 50 are provided in the casing 11 on the same side as the heating element 3 in the up-down direction, with the substrate 2 sandwiched between them. A plurality of heat transfer tubes 50 are provided along the side surface of the casing 11 on one end 31a side of the circulation pipe 31. In other words, the plurality of heat transfer tubes 50 are provided on the downstream side within the casing 11. The plurality of heat transfer tubes 50 are arranged at equal intervals in the up-down direction.

[0061] The jet of first refrigerant R1 is supplied horizontally directly toward heat sink mechanism 20. The first refrigerant R1 exchanges heat with heat-generating element 3 via heat sink mechanism 20, thereby cooling the heat-generating element 3. After cooling the heat-generating element 3, the first refrigerant R1 flows along the upper surface of substrate 2. Thereafter, first refrigerant R1 passes through heat transfer tube 50, and while passing through heat transfer tube 50, it exchanges heat with second refrigerant R2 inside heat transfer tube 50, thereby being cooled. Then, first refrigerant R1 returns to circulation pipe 31, where it is again pumped by pump 32 and sprayed onto heat sink mechanism 20.

[0062] In this modification, the circulation pipe 31, the pump 32, and the filter 33 are provided at positions overlapping with the casing 11 in the horizontal direction.

[0063] According to this modification, it is possible to reduce the size of the immersion cooling apparatus 10 in the vertical direction. As a result, for example, when the immersion cooling apparatuses 10 are arranged in multiple tiers in the vertical direction using racks 8 or the like, it is possible to arrange more immersion cooling apparatuses 10 in a small space.

[0064] In this modification, one end 31a and the other end 31b of the circulation pipe 31 are provided at positions overlapping the heat sink mechanism 20 in the horizontal direction.

[0065] According to this modification, the immersion cooling apparatus 10 can smoothly circulate the first refrigerant R1 within the casing 11. This allows the immersion cooling apparatus 10 to reduce pressure loss of the first refrigerant R1 within the casing 11. This allows the cooling efficiency of the immersion cooling apparatus 10 to be improved.

[0066] (Sixth Modification of the First Embodiment) Next, a sixth modified example of the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. As shown in FIG. 11 , in this modification, one heat transfer tube 50 is provided for each immersion cooling apparatus 10. The heat transfer tube 50 extends horizontally within the casing 11. The heat transfer tube 50 is provided in a wavy shape so as to fold back multiple times between a pair of opposing side walls within the casing 11. Both ends of the heat transfer tube 50 protrude from the same side wall of the casing 11 to the outside of the casing 11. Each end of the heat transfer tube 50 is directly connected to the heat exchanger 7. Both ends of the heat transfer tube 50 may be connected to the heat exchanger 7 via a supply header pipe 41 and a return header pipe 42, respectively.

[0067] In the first embodiment and each of the modified examples described above, the jet flow supply unit 30 includes one circulation pipe 31, and one end 31a of the circulation pipe 31 is an inlet for the first refrigerant R1, and one other end 31b of the circulation pipe 31 is an outlet for the second refrigerant R2. However, this is not limiting. For example, multiple circulation pipes 31 may be provided, each having one end 31a as an inlet and the other end 31b as an outlet. Furthermore, for example, both ends of a single circulation pipe 31 may branch into multiple parts, and this single circulation pipe 31 may have multiple one ends 31a as inlet and multiple other ends 31b as outlets.

[0068] In the first embodiment and each of the modifications described above, the filter 33 is provided in the circulation pipe 31, but this is not limitative. The filter 33 does not have to be provided in the circulation pipe 31.

[0069] Second Embodiment An immersion cooling apparatus 210 according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to Fig. 12. Configurations similar to those in the first embodiment described above will be given the same names and reference numerals, and descriptions thereof will be omitted as appropriate.

[0070] 12, in this embodiment, the jet flow supply unit 230 is a propeller 234 arranged in a position facing the heating element 3 inside the casing 11. The propeller 234 is installed above the substrate 2. A rotation axis 235 of the propeller 234 extends toward the heating element 3. In this embodiment, the heating element 3 and the heat transfer tube 50 are arranged on the same side of the substrate 2 (for example, below the substrate 2).

[0071] Furthermore, the immersion cooling apparatus 10 is provided with a guide 260 within the casing 11 that determines the flow of the first refrigerant R1. The guide 260 is provided closer to the side wall of the casing 11 than the heating element 3 and the propeller 234. The guide 260 has an inclined guide 261 and a horizontal guide 262. The inclined guide 261 is provided below the heating element 3. The inclined guide 261 extends horizontally while inclining downward. The horizontal guide 262 extends horizontally from the lower end of the inclined guide 261 in a direction away from the heating element 3.

[0072] Propeller 234 generates a jet of first refrigerant R1 that flows from below toward heating element 3. After cooling heating element 3, first refrigerant R1 is guided by the upper surface of guide 260 and flows along the lower surface of substrate 2. At this time, first refrigerant R1 passes through heat transfer tube 50 and is cooled by heat exchange with second refrigerant R2 inside heat transfer tube 50 while passing through heat transfer tube 50. Thereafter, first refrigerant R1 flows along the lower surface of guide 260 and returns to propeller 234, and is again blown toward heating element 3 by propeller 234.

[0073] In this embodiment, the jet supply unit 230 is disposed in a position facing the heating element 3 inside the casing 11 and is a propeller 234 with a rotation shaft 235 extending toward the heating element 3.

[0074] As a result, the entire jet supply unit 230 is disposed inside the casing 11. This makes it even easier to move the immersion cooling apparatus 210.

[0075] In the first and second embodiments described above, the heat transfer tube 50 is formed in a rectangular cylindrical shape or a polygonal cylindrical shape having five or more sides, but the present invention is not limited to this. The heat transfer tube 50 may be formed in, for example, a triangular cylindrical shape or a cylindrical shape.

[0076] The above-described modifications of the first embodiment may be combined as appropriate, and the modifications of the first embodiment may be combined as appropriate with the second embodiment.

[0077] Third Embodiment An immersion cooling apparatus 310 according to a third embodiment of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to Figures 12 and 13. Configurations similar to those in the first embodiment described above will be given the same names and reference numerals, and descriptions thereof will be omitted as appropriate.

[0078] 12 and 13 , an immersion cooling apparatus 310 of this embodiment cools a heating element 3 provided on a substrate 2. As in the first and second embodiments, the immersion cooling apparatus 310 includes a casing group 311, a supply header 320, a discharge header 330, a refrigerant pumping unit 340, a heat transfer tube 350, an upper second header 314, a lower second header 313, a refrigerant supply unit 360, a refrigerant discharge unit 370, a first connecting pipe 315, a second connecting pipe 316, a third connecting pipe 317, and a fourth connecting pipe 318.

[0079] (Casing group) The casing group 311 is an assembly of casings 312 arranged in the vertical direction. The casings 312 have a cubic box shape that extends horizontally. A casing 312 is provided on each stage of the rack 8. In this embodiment, seven casings 312 are arranged in a vertical line.

[0080] A first refrigerant R1 is stored inside the casing 312. In this embodiment, the casing 312 is filled with the first refrigerant R1. That is, the entire storage space inside the casing 312 is filled with the first refrigerant R1. A substrate 2 is arranged to extend horizontally inside the casing 312. A heating element 3 is provided on the surface of the substrate 2.

[0081] Furthermore, a supply side header 320 is provided on one horizontal side of the casing group 311, and a discharge side header 330 is provided on the other horizontal side of the casing group 311. In other words, the supply side header 320 and the discharge side header 330 are provided so as to face each other in the horizontal direction, with the casing group 311 in between.

[0082] Hereinafter, the opposing direction Da between the supply side header 320 and the discharge side header 330 will be simply referred to as the "opposing direction Da," and the horizontal direction perpendicular to the opposing direction Da will be referred to as the "width direction Dw."

[0083] (Supplier Header) The supply side header 320 extends in the vertical direction so as to be adjacent to the casing 312. The supply side header 320 is capable of introducing the first refrigerant R1 into each of the multiple casings 312. The supply side header 320 includes a supply side header main body 321 and a supply side branch pipe 322.

[0084] The supply side header body 321 is formed in a cylindrical shape extending in the vertical direction. Both ends of the supply side header body 321 in the extending direction are closed. Inside the supply side header body 321, the first refrigerant R1 flows in the vertical direction.

[0085] A plurality of supply-side branch pipes 322 are provided in the supply-side header main body 321. The plurality of supply-side branch pipes 322 are arranged at equal intervals in the up-down direction along the casing group 311. One supply-side branch pipe 322 is provided for each casing 312. The supply-side branch pipe 322 is connected to the side wall 312a of the casing 312 on the supply-side header 320 side. The supply-side branch pipe 322 penetrates the side wall 312a of the casing 312. The supply-side branch pipe 322 is provided at one end of the side wall 312a of the casing 312 in the width direction Dw.

[0086] (Discharge side header) The discharge side header 330 extends in the vertical direction so as to be adjacent to the casing 312. The first refrigerant R1 is introduced into the discharge side header 330 from each of the multiple casings 312. The discharge side header 330 has a discharge side header main body 331 and a discharge side branch pipe 332.

[0087] The discharge side header body 331 is formed in a cylindrical shape that extends in the vertical direction. Both ends of the discharge side header body 331 in the extension direction are closed. Inside the discharge side header body 331, the first refrigerant R1 flows in the vertical direction.

[0088] A plurality of discharge-side branch pipes 332 are provided in the discharge-side header main body 331. The plurality of discharge-side branch pipes 332 are arranged at equal intervals in the up-down direction along the casing group 311. One discharge-side branch pipe 332 is provided for each casing 312. The discharge-side branch pipe 332 is connected to the side wall 312a of the casing 312 on the discharge-side header 330 side. The discharge-side branch pipe 332 penetrates the side wall 312a of the casing 312. The discharge-side branch pipe 332 is provided at one end of the side wall 312a of the casing 312 in the width direction Dw. The discharge-side branch pipe 332 is provided at a position overlapping with the supply-side branch pipe 322 in the opposing direction Da.

[0089] (Refrigerant pressure delivery section) The refrigerant pumping unit 340 is provided below the casing group 311. The refrigerant pumping unit 340 is connected to a lower part of the discharge side header 330 by a first connecting pipe 315 and to a lower part of the supply side header 320 by a second connecting pipe 316. The first connecting pipe 315 connects the discharge side header 330 to the refrigerant pumping unit 340, and the second connecting pipe 316 connects the supply side header 320 to the refrigerant pumping unit 340. The refrigerant pumping unit 340 pumps the first refrigerant R1 from the lower part of the discharge side header 330 to the lower part of the supply side header 320. In this embodiment, the refrigerant pumping unit 340 is a pump.

[0090] (heat transfer tube) The heat transfer tubes 350 are pipes extending inside at least one of the discharge header 330 and the supply header 320. In this embodiment, the heat transfer tubes 350 are provided so as to extend vertically inside the discharge header 330. A plurality of heat transfer tubes 350 are provided horizontally at intervals within the discharge header 330. A second refrigerant R2 flows from bottom to top within the heat transfer tubes 350. The heat transfer tubes 350 cool the first refrigerant R1 by heat exchange between the second refrigerant R2 flowing inside the heat transfer tubes 350 and the first refrigerant R1 flowing around the heat transfer tubes 350. In this embodiment, the heat transfer tubes 350 cool the first refrigerant R1 within the discharge header 330 by heat exchange between the second refrigerant R2 and the first refrigerant R1 within the discharge header 330.

[0091] In this embodiment, the heat transfer tube 350 is provided inside the discharge side header body 331 and penetrates through both end walls of the discharge side header body 331 in the extending direction.

[0092] (Lower second header) A lower second header 313 is provided at the upper end of the discharge header 330. The lower second header 313 is provided so as to cover the end wall of the lower end of the discharge header 330 from below. The lower second header 313 is in communication with the lower ends of the heat transfer tubes 350. The second refrigerant R2 to be supplied to the heat transfer tubes 350 is supplied into the lower second header 313. The lower second header 313 is connected to an external heat exchanger 7 by a third connecting pipe 317. The third connecting pipe 317 connects the lower second header 313 and the heat exchanger 7.

[0093] (Upper second header) An upper second header 314 is provided at the upper end of the discharge header 330. The upper second header 314 is provided so as to cover the end wall of the upper end of the discharge header 330 from above. The upper second header 314 is in communication with the upper ends of the heat transfer tubes 350. The second refrigerant R2 that has passed through the heat transfer tubes 350 is supplied into the upper second header 314. The upper second header 314 is connected to an external heat exchanger 7 by a fourth connecting pipe 318. The fourth connecting pipe 318 connects the upper second header 314 and the heat exchanger 7.

[0094] (refrigerant supply section) The refrigerant supply unit 360 is provided inside each casing 312. The refrigerant supply unit 360 is provided on the supply side header 320 side inside the casing 312. The refrigerant supply unit 360 has a supply side manifold 361 and a nozzle 362.

[0095] The supply-side manifold 361 is a tubular member extending in the width direction Dw along the sidewall 312a of the casing 312 on the supply-side header 320 side. The supply-side manifold 361 is connected to the supply-side branch pipe 322 at one end in the width direction Dw. The supply-side manifold 361 guides the first refrigerant R1 supplied from the supply-side header 320 into the casing 312 in the width direction Dw.

[0096] The nozzles 362 are provided in the supply-side manifold 361 so that a plurality of them are arranged side by side in the width direction Dw. In this embodiment, six nozzles 362 are provided and arranged side by side in the width direction Dw. The nozzles 362 are cylindrical members that communicate with the supply-side manifold 361 and extend in the opposing direction Da. The nozzles 362 open in the opposing direction Da toward the inside of the casing 312. The nozzles 362 are capable of spraying the first refrigerant R1 in the supply-side manifold 361 toward the discharge-side header 330. The diameter of the nozzles 362 gradually increases as they extend from the supply-side manifold 361 toward the discharge-side header 330 in the opposing direction Da.

[0097] (refrigerant discharge section) The refrigerant discharge section 370 is provided inside each casing 312. The refrigerant discharge section 370 is provided on the discharge header 330 side inside the casing 312. The refrigerant discharge section 370 has a discharge manifold 371.

[0098] The discharge-side manifold 371 is a tubular member extending in the width direction Dw along the side wall 312a of the casing 312 on the discharge-side header 330 side. An inlet hole 372 penetrating the side wall 312a is provided in the side wall of the discharge-side manifold 371 on the supply-side header 320 side. The first refrigerant R1 in the casing 312 is introduced into the discharge-side manifold 371 through the inlet hole 372. The discharge-side manifold 371 communicates with the discharge-side branch pipe 332 at one end in the width direction Dw. The discharge-side manifold 371 guides the first refrigerant R1 discharged from the casing 312 to the discharge-side header 330.

[0099] (First refrigerant circulation) Next, the circulation of the first refrigerant R1 within the immersion cooling apparatus 310 will be described. First, when the refrigerant pumping unit 340 is operated, the first refrigerant R1 is supplied from the supply side header 320 into the casing 312. At this time, the first refrigerant R1 is sprayed into the casing 312 by the multiple nozzles 362. The first refrigerant R1 flows as a jet inside the casing 312 in the opposing direction Da. The first refrigerant R1 inside the casing 312 passes through the heating element 3 and exchanges heat with the heating element 3. This cools the heating element 3. Meanwhile, the first refrigerant R1 is heated by the heat from the heating element 3. The first refrigerant R1 is then introduced from each casing 312 into the discharge side header 330. The first refrigerant R1 flows from top to bottom inside the discharge side header 330 due to the pressure of the refrigerant pumping unit 340 and its own weight.

[0100] On the other hand, the second refrigerant R2 flows from bottom to top within the heat transfer tubes 350. That is, the first refrigerant R1 and the second refrigerant R2 flow in opposite directions in the vertical direction. The first refrigerant R1 exchanges heat with the second refrigerant R2 while circulating within the discharge header 330. As a result, the first refrigerant R1 is cooled and the second refrigerant R2 is heated. After exchanging heat with the first refrigerant R1, the second refrigerant R2 is sent to the external heat exchanger 7. The second refrigerant R2 is cooled by the heat exchanger 7 and supplied again to each heat transfer tube 350.

[0101] After the first refrigerant R1 is cooled by heat exchange with the second refrigerant R2, it is pumped again by the refrigerant pumping unit 340 to the supply side header 320. Then, as described above, the first refrigerant R1 is supplied again into the casing 312. In this manner, the first refrigerant R1 circulates within the immersion cooling apparatus 310.

[0102] (Action and effect) The immersion cooling apparatus 310 of this embodiment provides the following advantageous effects. In this embodiment, the immersion cooling apparatus 310 is box-shaped extending horizontally and has a plurality of casings 312 arranged therein with the substrates 2 extending horizontally, and includes a casing group 311 formed by arranging these casings 312 in a vertical direction; a supply-side header 320 extending in the vertical direction adjacent to the casings 312 and capable of introducing the first refrigerant R1 into each of the plurality of casings 312; a discharge-side header 330 extending in the vertical direction adjacent to the casings 312 and into which the first refrigerant R1 is introduced from each of the plurality of casings 312; a refrigerant compression section 340 that compresses the first refrigerant R1 from the discharge-side header 330 to the supply-side header 320; and a heat transfer tube 350 extending inside at least one of the discharge-side header 330 and the supply-side header 320 and performing heat exchange between the first refrigerant R1 and the second refrigerant R2 circulating therethrough, thereby cooling the first refrigerant R1.

[0103] This allows the heat transfer tubes 350 to be provided along the casings 312 for multiple casings 312 arranged in the vertical direction. This prevents the immersion cooling apparatus 310 from expanding in the horizontal direction. This allows the immersion cooling apparatus 310 to be made smaller in size in the horizontal direction. Furthermore, because the flow paths for the first refrigerant R1 are compactly arranged in the horizontal direction, management of the first refrigerant R1 becomes easier. In other words, the manageability of the first refrigerant R1 can be improved.

[0104] In this embodiment, the heat transfer tubes 350 extend in the vertical direction.

[0105] As a result, the arrangement direction of the casings 312 and the extension direction of the heat transfer tubes 350 coincide with each other. This improves the layout efficiency of the immersion cooling apparatus 310, including the casings 312 and the heat transfer tubes 350. Furthermore, because the heat transfer tubes 350 can be provided to extend in the vertical direction inside the supply side header 320 and the discharge side header 330, which also extend in the vertical direction, the distance over which heat exchange occurs between the first refrigerant R1 and the second refrigerant R2 can be increased. Therefore, the immersion cooling apparatus 310 can effectively cool the first refrigerant R1. This improves the cooling efficiency of the immersion cooling apparatus 310.

[0106] In this embodiment, the refrigerant pumping section 340 pumps the first refrigerant R1 from the lower part of the discharge side header 330 to the supply side header 320, and the heat transfer tube 350 is arranged to extend inside the discharge side header 330, and the second refrigerant R2 flows from the bottom to the top.

[0107] As a result, the first refrigerant R1 flows upward within the supply header 320 and is supplied into the casing 312. The first refrigerant R1 is then discharged from the casing 312 into the discharge header 330 and flows downward within the discharge header 330. Meanwhile, the second refrigerant R2 flows upward within the heat transfer tubes 350 provided within the discharge header 330. Therefore, within the discharge header 330, the flow of the first refrigerant R1 and the flow of the second refrigerant R2 form counterflows in opposite directions. This improves the heat exchange efficiency between the first refrigerant R1 and the second refrigerant R2. This allows the immersion cooling apparatus 310 to cool the first refrigerant R1 even more effectively. This further improves the cooling efficiency of the immersion cooling apparatus 310. Furthermore, since the heat transfer tube 350 is provided inside the discharge header 330, the immersion cooling apparatus 310 can cool the first refrigerant R1 using the heat transfer tube 350 before guiding the first refrigerant R1 to the refrigerant pumping section 340.

[0108] In this embodiment, the supply side header 320 is provided on one horizontal side of the casing group 311, and the discharge side header 330 is provided on the other horizontal side of the casing group 311, and further includes a refrigerant supply unit 360 provided within each casing 312, and the refrigerant supply unit 360 has a supply side manifold 361 that guides the first refrigerant R1 supplied from the supply side header 320 in a width direction Dw, which is a horizontal direction perpendicular to the opposing direction Da between the supply side header 320 and the discharge side header 330, and nozzles 362 that are arranged in parallel in the width direction Dw on the supply side manifold 361 and can spray the first refrigerant R1 in the supply side manifold 361 toward the discharge side header 330.

[0109] This allows the immersion cooling apparatus 310 to spray the first refrigerant R1 onto the heat generating element 3 of the substrate 2. Furthermore, because the discharge header 330 is located in the direction in which the first refrigerant R1 is sprayed, the first refrigerant R1 can be smoothly discharged after heat exchange. Therefore, the immersion cooling apparatus 310 can reduce pressure loss of the first refrigerant R1 inside the casing 312. This further improves the cooling efficiency of the immersion cooling apparatus 310.

[0110] In the third embodiment described above, seven casings 312 are arranged in a vertical line, but the number of casings 312 is not limited to this and can be changed as appropriate.

[0111] In the third embodiment described above, the refrigerant pumping unit 340 is provided below the casing group 311, but this is not limiting. The refrigerant pumping unit 340 may be provided above the casing group 311. In this case, the refrigerant pumping unit 340 pumps the first refrigerant R1 from the upper part of the discharge side header 330 to the supply side header 320.

[0112] In the third embodiment described above, the heat transfer tube 350 is provided so as to extend inside the discharge header 330, but this is not limiting. The heat transfer tube 350 may be provided so as to extend inside the supply header 320. In this case, the first refrigerant R1 is cooled by the heat transfer tube 350 immediately before being introduced into the casing 312. This allows the immersion cooling apparatus 310 to more effectively cool the heat-generating element 3 inside the casing 312. In other words, the cooling efficiency of the immersion cooling apparatus 310 can be improved. Alternatively, the heat transfer tube 350 may be provided so as to extend inside both the discharge header 330 and the supply header 320.

[0113] In the third embodiment described above, the heat transfer tubes 350 are described as extending in the vertical direction along the casing group 311 and provided in a plurality of tubes spaced apart in the horizontal direction, but the present invention is not limited to this. The heat transfer tubes 350 may also be provided in a plurality of tubes spaced apart in the vertical direction along the casing group 311 and extending in the horizontal direction.

[0114] In the third embodiment described above, six nozzles 362 are provided lined up in the width direction Dw, but the number of nozzles 362 is not limited to this and can be changed as appropriate.

[0115] (Other embodiments) The above describes in detail the embodiments of the present disclosure with reference to the drawings, but the specific configuration is not limited to this embodiment, and design changes and the like are also included within the scope that does not deviate from the gist of the present disclosure.

[0116] <Additional Notes> The immersion cooling apparatuses 10, 210, and 310 described in the respective embodiments can be understood, for example, as follows.

[0117] (1) The immersion cooling apparatus 310 according to the first aspect is an immersion cooling apparatus 310 for cooling a heating element 3 provided on a substrate 2, and includes a casing group 311 having a box shape extending horizontally and a plurality of casings 312 arranged therein so that the substrate 2 extends horizontally, the casings 312 being vertically arranged; a supply-side header 320 extending vertically adjacent to the casings 312 and capable of introducing a first refrigerant R1 into each of the plurality of casings 312; The header 330 includes a discharge side header 330 extending in the vertical direction adjacent to the casings 312 and into which the first refrigerant R1 is introduced from each of the plurality of casings 312, a refrigerant compression section 340 that compresses the first refrigerant R1 from the discharge side header 330 to the supply side header 320, and a heat transfer tube 350 that extends inside at least one of the discharge side header 330 and the supply side header 320 and cools the first refrigerant R1 by exchanging heat between the second refrigerant R2 circulating therethrough and the first refrigerant R1.

[0118] This allows the heat transfer tubes 350 to be provided along the casings 312 for the multiple casings 312 arranged in the vertical direction. This makes it possible to prevent the immersion cooling apparatus 310 from expanding in the horizontal direction.

[0119] (2) The immersion cooling apparatus 310 of the second aspect is the immersion cooling apparatus 310 of (1), wherein the heat transfer tube 350 may extend in the vertical direction.

[0120] This causes the arrangement direction of the casing 312 to coincide with the extension direction of the heat transfer tubes 350. This improves the layout efficiency of the configuration of the immersion cooling device 310, including the casing 312 and the heat transfer tubes 350. Furthermore, because the heat transfer tubes 350 can be provided to extend in the vertical direction inside the supply side header 320 and the discharge side header 330, which also extend in the vertical direction, the distance over which heat exchange occurs between the first refrigerant R1 and the second refrigerant R2 can be increased.

[0121] (3) The immersion cooling apparatus 310 of a third aspect is the immersion cooling apparatus 310 of (2), wherein the refrigerant pressure-transfer section 340 pressure-transfers the first refrigerant R1 from the lower part of the discharge side header 330 to the supply side header 320, and the heat transfer tube 350 is arranged to extend inside the discharge side header 330, and the second refrigerant R2 may flow from the bottom to the top.

[0122] As a result, the first refrigerant R1 flows upward within the supply header 320 and is supplied into the casing 312. The first refrigerant R1 is then discharged from the casing 312 into the discharge header 330, and flows downward within the discharge header 330. On the other hand, the second refrigerant R2 flows upward within the heat transfer tubes 350 provided in the discharge header 330. Therefore, within the discharge header 330, the flow of the first refrigerant R1 and the flow of the second refrigerant R2 form counter flows in opposite directions. This improves the heat exchange efficiency between the first refrigerant R1 and the second refrigerant R2.

[0123] (4) The immersion cooling apparatus 310 of a fourth aspect is the immersion cooling apparatus 310 of any one of (1) to (3), wherein the supply-side header 320 is provided on one horizontal side of the casing group 311, and the discharge-side header 330 is provided on the other horizontal side of the casing group 311, and further includes a refrigerant supply unit 360 provided in each of the casings 312, and the refrigerant supply unit 360 may include a supply-side manifold 361 that guides the first refrigerant R1 supplied from the supply-side header 320 in a width direction Dw that is a horizontal direction perpendicular to the opposing direction Da between the supply-side header 320 and the discharge-side header 330, and a plurality of nozzles 362 that are provided in the supply-side manifold 361 in parallel in the width direction Dw and can spray the first refrigerant R1 in the supply-side manifold 361 toward the discharge-side header 330.

[0124] This allows the immersion cooling apparatus 310 to spray the first refrigerant R1 onto the heat generating element 3 of the substrate 2. Furthermore, since the discharge header 330 is located in the spraying direction of the first refrigerant R1, the first refrigerant R1 can be smoothly discharged after heat exchange.

[0125] (5) The immersion cooling apparatus 10, 210 according to the fifth aspect is an immersion cooling apparatus 10, 210 for cooling a heating element 3 provided on a substrate 2, and includes a casing 11 in which a first refrigerant R1 is stored and in which the substrate 2 is arranged so as to extend horizontally, a jet supply unit 30, 230 that supplies a jet of the first refrigerant R1 to the heating element 3, and a heat transfer tube 50 that passes through the casing 11 and performs heat exchange between the first refrigerant R1 and a second refrigerant R2 circulating therein, thereby cooling the first refrigerant R1.

[0126] As a result, the immersion cooling apparatus 10, 210 can impinge cool the heating element 3 by spraying a jet of the first refrigerant R1 onto the heating element 3. The first refrigerant R1 sprayed onto the heating element 3 is cooled by the heat transfer tube 50 and is used again to cool the heating element 3. As described above, according to this embodiment, a large-scale circulation cycle for circulating the first refrigerant R1 is not required. Furthermore, the immersion cooling apparatus 10, 210 can cool the first refrigerant R1 stored in the casing 11 within the casing 11 by the heat transfer tube 50.

[0127] (6) A sixth aspect of the immersion cooling apparatus 10 is the immersion cooling apparatus 10 of (5), wherein the jet flow supply unit 30 includes a circulation pipe 31 that is provided outside the casing 11 and has both ends connected to the inside of the casing 11 and through which the first refrigerant R1 can flow, and a pump 32 that is provided in the circulation pipe 31 and circulates the first refrigerant R1 from one end 31 a to the other end 31 b of the circulation pipe 31, and the other end 31 b of the circulation pipe 31 may be positioned opposite the heating element 3.

[0128] As a result, the flow direction of the first refrigerant R1 inside the casing 11 is determined by the locations where one end 31a and the other end 31b of the circulation pipe 31 are installed.

[0129] (7) The seventh aspect of the immersion cooling apparatus 210 is the immersion cooling apparatus 210 of (5), wherein the jet supply section 230 is arranged in a position facing the heating element 3 within the casing 11, and the propeller 234 has a rotation axis 235 extending toward the heating element 3.

[0130] As a result, the entire jet supply unit 230 is disposed inside the casing 11.

[0131] (8) The immersion cooling apparatus 10, 210 of the eighth aspect is the immersion cooling apparatus 10, 210 of any one of (5) to (7), and within the casing 11, the heat transfer tube 50 may be positioned downstream of the heating element 3 in the flow direction of the first refrigerant R1.

[0132] As a result, the second refrigerant R2 flowing through the heat transfer tube 50 can exchange heat with the first refrigerant R1 after cooling the heating element 3.

[0133] (9) The immersion cooling apparatus 10, 210 of a ninth aspect is the immersion cooling apparatus 10, 210 of any one of (5) to (8), wherein fins 51 may be provided on the inner circumferential surface of the heat transfer tube 50.

[0134] This increases the surface area of ​​the inner circumferential surface of the heat transfer tube 50 that comes into contact with the second refrigerant R2. [Explanation of symbols]

[0135] DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1...server 2...board 3...heating element 4...base 5...recess 6...heating element body 7...heat exchanger 8...rack 10...immersion cooling device 11...casing 15...auxiliary propeller 20...heat sink mechanism 21...first heat transfer plate 22...grease 23...second heat transfer plate 24...heat sink fin 30...jet supply section 31...circulation piping 31a...one end 31b...other end 32...pump 33...filter 40...header pipe 41...supply header pipe 42...return header pipe 43...main pipe 44...sub-header 44a...end 50...heat transfer pipe 51...fin 210...immersion cooling device 230...jet supply section 234...propeller 235...rotating shaft 260...guide 261...inclined guide 262...horizontal guide 310...immersion cooling device 311...Casing group 312...Casing 312a...Side wall 313...Lower second header 314...Upper second header 315...First connecting pipe 316...Second connecting pipe 317...Third connecting pipe 318...Fourth connecting pipe 320...Supply side header 321...Supply side header main body 322...Supply side branch pipe 330...Discharge side header 331...Discharge side header main body 332...Discharge side branch pipe 340...Refrigerant pressure transfer section 350...Heat transfer tube 360...Refrigerant supply section 361...Supply side manifold 362...Nozzle 370...Refrigerant discharge section 371...Discharge side manifold 372...Introducing hole R1...First refrigerant R2...Second refrigerant Da...Opposite direction Dw...Width direction

Claims

1. An immersion cooling device that cools a heat generating element provided on a substrate, a casing group having a plurality of casings arranged in a vertical direction, each casing having a box shape extending horizontally and each casing having the substrate arranged therein so as to extend horizontally; a supply header extending in the vertical direction adjacent to the casing and capable of introducing a first refrigerant into each of the plurality of casings; a discharge header extending in the vertical direction adjacent to the casings, into which the first refrigerant is introduced from each of the plurality of casings; a refrigerant pumping unit that pumps the first refrigerant from the discharge-side header to the supply-side header; a heat transfer tube extending inside at least one of the discharge side header and the supply side header, and cooling the first refrigerant by exchanging heat between the second refrigerant flowing therethrough and the first refrigerant; An immersion cooling device comprising:

2. The immersion cooling apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the heat transfer tube extends in a vertical direction.

3. the refrigerant pumping unit pumps the first refrigerant from a lower portion of the discharge-side header to the supply-side header, The immersion cooling apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the heat transfer tube is provided to extend inside the discharge header, and the second refrigerant flows from below to above.

4. the supply-side header is provided on one side of the casing group in the horizontal direction, the discharge-side header is provided on the other horizontal side of the casing group, Further, a refrigerant supply unit is provided in each of the casings, The refrigerant supply unit a supply-side manifold that guides the first refrigerant supplied from the supply-side header in a width direction that is a horizontal direction perpendicular to the opposing direction of the supply-side header and the discharge-side header; a plurality of nozzles provided in the supply-side manifold so as to be arranged side by side in the width direction, the nozzles being capable of spraying the first refrigerant in the supply-side manifold toward the discharge-side header; The immersion cooling apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:

5. An immersion cooling device that cools a heat generating element provided on a substrate, a casing in which a first coolant is stored and in which the substrate is disposed so as to extend in a horizontal direction; a jet supply unit that supplies a jet of the first refrigerant to the heating element; a heat transfer tube that passes through the casing and cools the first refrigerant by heat exchange between the second refrigerant flowing through the casing and the first refrigerant; An immersion cooling device comprising:

6. The jet supply unit is a circulation pipe provided outside the casing, both ends of which communicate with the inside of the casing, through which the first refrigerant can flow; a pump provided in the circulation pipe to circulate the first refrigerant from one end to the other end of the circulation pipe; and The immersion cooling apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the other end of the circulation pipe is disposed in a position facing the heat generating element.

7. the jet supply unit is a propeller disposed in the casing at a position facing the heating element and having a rotation axis extending toward the heating element; The immersion cooling apparatus according to claim 5 .

8. Within the casing, The heat transfer tube is disposed downstream of the heating element in the flow direction of the first refrigerant. The immersion cooling apparatus according to any one of claims 5 to 7.

9. Fins are provided on the inner circumferential surface of the heat transfer tube. The immersion cooling apparatus according to any one of claims 5 to 7.

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