Immersion-cooling tank server guide system and multi-purpose sleeve

Abstract

A guide system for allowing the vertical insertion of servers into an immersion cooling tank is provided. The guide system includes an immersion cooling tank configured to hold one or more servers. The guide system further includes a guide rail system and a guide pin system. The guide rail system includes a guide rail structure including a plurality of tabs that couple the guide rail structure to the immersion cooling tank, and a plurality of rails that help align the vertical insertion of the servers. The guide pin system allows for an unconstrained continuation of the vertical insertion of the servers. The guide pin system further includes a guide pin plate on a busbar assembly and a plurality of guide pins coupled to the server to provide proper alignment during completion of the server installation. A gasket for a server chassis is also provided.

Description

IMMERSION-COOLING TANK SERVER GUIDE SYSTEM AND MULTI-PURPOSE SLEEVECROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application claims the benefit of and priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 63 / 516,996, filed August 1, 2023, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.BACKGROUNDTechnical Field

[0002] The present disclosure relates to an immersion-cooling tank server guide system for vertical insertion of servers into two-phase immersion-cooling server tanks. A multi-purpose sleeve for immersion-cooled servers is also provided.Description of the Related Art

[0003] Two-phase immersion-cooling tanks are uniquely designed for high-efficiency liquid cooling of high-density computing systems. In two-phase immersion cooling, the servers are submerged in liquid coolant with a relatively low boiling point (e.g., at or about 50 °C). The liquid coolant absorbs heat generated by the servers; this causes the liquid coolant to evaporate. The coolant vapor rises from the surface of the liquid coolant, moving heat away from the servers immersed in the liquid coolant. The coolant vapor is cooled by a heat exchanger, such as a condenser coil, and returns to the liquid phase in the immersion tank holding the servers and the liquid coolant. However, several issues have been identified when installing and removing the servers.

[0004] Servicing a server in a two-phase immersion tank is relatively unique in comparison to servicing conventional servers. For example, the servers used in two-phase immersion cooling tanks are high-powered computing systems and weigh hundreds of pounds. For installation purposes, the servers must be hoisted over the immersion tank and dropped vertically inside the tank, rather than installed horizontally into a rack, as in conventional server racks. The added feature of having condensers require added head space above the tank with a significant volume amount above the server requiring the server to be raised and lowered by nearly 6 feet to be extracted from the tank. The servers must pass through the tank space in a controlled manner to prevent collision with the immersion tank, the tank lid, coils, cabling, andother servers in the tank to be accurately located to the power connection in the bottom of the tank within 1 mm.

[0005] Attempting to maneuver a single server that would occupy 2 or 3 rows of conventional server space in a normal data center and insert multiples servers of similar size into a single tank is a challenging task. Coupled with a large size of the tank itself results in a rather large tolerance between the top of the tank and the bottom of the tank, which is the location where the servers are expected to be dropped into. If the servers are dropped into the tank, there is no assurance that the servers would necessarily align with the power pins in the bottom of the tank. An additional challenge that arises while inserting or extracting the servers is potential metal-on-metal contact between the server chassis and other components in the tank.

[0006] Addressing the problems associated with large manufacturing tolerances for slots or openings in immersion tanks would encompass positioning and aligning the server between the top and bottom of the immersion tank while keeping the servers as close together as possible optimizing tank space, and simultaneously preventing metal-on-metal contact between the server chassis and the necessary components that guide the insertion and removal of the server and server chassis.BRIEF SUMMARY

[0007] An immersion-tank server guide system having a server guide rail and server guide pin system would control the insertion and alignment of the server from the top to the bottom of tank while ensuring the server appropriately mates with the necessary power component at the bottom of the tank, i.e., a busbar assembly. A gasket or sleeve would allow for adequate mating of the server chassis to guide rails and alignment features within the immersion tanks.

[0008] A system is summarized as including: an immersion cooling tank configured to hold one or more servers; a guide rail system including a plurality of guide rails coupled to the immersion cooling tank; and a guide pin system including a plurality of guide pins coupled to the one or more servers, wherein a guide pin plate coupled to the immersion cooling tank is configured for installation and extraction of the one or more servers via the guide rail and guide pin systems.

[0009] The immersion cooling tank includes an upper portion and a lower portion, the upper porting having the plurality of guide rails and the lower portion unconstrained by the plurality of guide rails. The plurality of guide rails extends in a first direction from the upperportion to the lower portion of the immersion cooling tank. Each respective guide rail includes at least one guide rail flange extending in a second direction from the respective guide rail into a tank cavity and forming a server guide channel. The guide rail system is coupled to the cooling tank via a plurality of tabs integrally formed with the guide rail system. The guide pin plate is positioned on a busbar assembly and comprises a plurality of chamfered holes having a first depth configured to receive the plurality of guide pins.

[0010] A system may be summarized as including: a tank; a server guide rail structure disposed in the tank; a plurality of tabs coupling the server guide rail structure to the tank; and a plurality of rails each having one or more flanges extending into the tank that define an alignment path for installation and extraction of one or more servers in the tank.

[0011] The plurality of rails vertically extends from an upper portion of the tank toward a lower portion of the tank, the lower portion unconstrained by the plurality of rails. The plurality of rails and flanges are integrally formed of a sheet metal material. Each respective tab is inserted into a slot formed in the tank and mates the server guide rail structure to the upper portion of the tank. The server guide rail structure is removable form the tank by at least one screw coupling the server guide rail structure to the tank. The server guide rail structure is partitioned on at least two side of the tank.

[0012] A system can be summarized as including: a tank including an upper portion and a lower portion; a busbar assembly in the lower portion of the tank; a guide pin plate on the busbar assembly; a server having a server chassis disposed in the tank; and a plurality of guide pins mounted to the server chassis configured to align with alignment holes of the guide pin plate and busbar assembly to engage the server.

[0013] The guide pins are mounted directly to the server chassis and extend from the server chassis in a first direction. The guide pin plate includes a plurality of chamfered holes configured to receive the guide pins. The chamfered holes are designed in a beveled-head shape. The system further includes bus bar pins that are configured to mate with the bus bar assembly. The chamfered holes in the guide pin plate have a first depth configured to control angular rotation of the guide pins. The guide pin plate has a first surface and a second surface, wherein a portion of the first surface mates with the server and a portion of the second surface mates with a bottom surface of the tank. The alignment holes include one or more holes placed on opposite ends of the guide pin plate.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

[0014] The skilled artisan will understand that the drawings primarily are for illustrative purposes and are not intended to limit the scope of the inventive subject matter described herein. The drawings are not necessarily to scale; in some instances, various aspects of the inventive subject matter disclosed herein may be shown exaggerated or enlarged in the drawings to facilitate an understanding of different features. In the drawings, like reference characters generally refer to like features (e.g., functionally and / or structurally similar elements).

[0015] Figure 1.1 shows a cross-sectional perspective view of a two-phase immersioncooling tank having an immersion-cooling tank server guide system.

[0016] Figure 1.2 shows a perspective view of a server guide rail system of the immersion-cooling tank server guide system of Figure 1.1.

[0017] Figure 1.3 shows a top plan view of a cross-sectional example of a server inserted into a server guide channel of the server guide rail system.

[0018] Figure 1.4 shows a perspective view of a bottom portion of the two-phase immersion-cooling tank having a server guide pin system.

[0019] Figure 1.5 shows a cross-sectional view of the server guide pin system of Figure 1.4.

[0020] Figure 2.1 shows an inventive sleeve or gasket for protecting a server when it is installed in and removed from an immersion tank.

[0021] Figure 2.2A shows a front view of the sleeve of Figure 2.1 attached to one side of a server chassis.

[0022] Figure 2.2B shows a top view of a server chassis with sleeves attached to both sides.

[0023] Figure 2.2C shows a detailed cross-section of a sleeve attached to one side of a server chassis.

[0024] Figure 2.3A shows a cross-sectional view of a server chassis with a sleeve attached to one edge installed in an immersion tank.

[0025] Figure 2.3B shows a close-up view of the server chassis and the sleeve between guide rails of the immersion tank.

[0026] Figure 2.3C shows a server chassis with sleeves on both edges installed in an alignment plate at the bottom of the immersion tank.

[0027] Figure 2.3D is a close-up view of the server and sleeves installed in the alignment plate at the bottom of the immersion tank.

[0028] Figure 2.4 shows different views of an alternative sleeve for an immersion-cooled server chassis.DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0029] Section 1: An immersion-tank server guide system is provided that allows servers to be installed consistently and without risk of interference with the immersion tank. The guide rails are tightly referenced to the tank opening, driving controlled insertion and extraction from the tank with clearance to the sides. The busbar guide pin system can compensate for up to 10mm of misalignment in X / Y plane while still making the power connection which allows for the larger tolerances in the tank assembly.

[0030] Figure 1.1 shows an immersion tank server guide system 1100 that addresses problems associated with extremely high-density server systems used in conjunction with immersion cooling tanks for cooling high-heat power components, and provides a solution for proper alignment during the vertical insertion or extraction of servers from immersion cooling tanks.

[0031] The immersion tank server guide system 1100 comprises two primary features that includes a server guide system 1103 and a server guide pin system 1145. Both the server guide rail and server guide pin systems 1103, 1145 are removably housed within a two-phase immersion-cooling server tank (immersion tank) 1101. The immersion tank 1101 makes it possible for to cool the servers 1115 by submerging the servers 1115 into a dielectric liquid coolant (not shown) within the immersion tank 1101. This strategy, known as immersion cooling, provides significant advantages over conventional cooling.

[0032] The immersion tank 1101 includes an upper portion 1111 and a lower portion 1113. The upper portion 1111 comprises a lid 1107 which provides access into the immersion tank 1101 from a top-down approach. In the present embodiment, the lid 1107 is attached to a side panel in the upper portion 1111 of the immersion tank 1101 but may be positioned and operable in various locations on the immersion tank 1101 as deemed necessary. Inside of the immersion tank 1101 includes a tank cavity or space 1153 that is centralized within the immersion tank 1101 and interposed between opposite sidewalls of the immersion tank 1101. The upper portion 1111 further includes the server guide system 1103 having a server guide rail system 1105.

[0033] The server guide system 1103 comprises a plurality of rails 1105 that are internally placed on both sides of the immersion tank 1101. The plurality of rails 1105 extend ina vertical direction from the upper portion 1111 of the immersion tank 1101 towards the lower portion 1113 of the immersion tank 1101. The plurality of rails 1105 provide coarse alignment of the server 1115 as it is lowered into the immersion tank 1101 as well as providing protection for the coils and cabling associated with two-phase immersion cooling.

[0034] The plurality of rails 1105 are accurately aligned to a top portion of the tank providing alignment during the entire server installation and extraction process to prevent collision with any immersion tank 1101 features. Accurate alignment is necessary due to tight spacing toward the top of the immersion tank, which is further impaired by a lid 1107 that is attached to the top of the tank, the lid 1107 opening in a swinging motion which increases the tolerance needed to hoist the server over and into the immersion tank 1101 while the lid 1107 is opened.

[0035] The server guide rail system 1103 encompasses a rib-like structure that helps aid in the protection of the server 1115 crashing or hitting a plurality of condensers 1109 that are housed in the immersion tank 1101. The plurality of condensers 1109 are considered an essential component in the two-phase immersion-cooling process, and as such, must require particular care not to hit, crack, destruct, or otherwise fracture the condensing tubes. If a condenser is ruptured or damaged, the entire two-phase immersion cooling tank 1101 would need be discarded.

[0036] The server guide rail system 1103 enables the installation of the server(s) 1115 into a tank cavity void 1153, located in a central portion within the immersion tank 1101. As mentioned above, the server guide rail system 1103 includes plurality of rails 1105 on opposite, or both, sides of the immersion tank 1101. Installation of the server 1115 using the server guide rail system 1103 guides the server from the upper portion 1111 of the tank 1101, wherein the server 1115 is controlled by the plurality of rails 1105 to the lower portion 1113 of the tank wherein the server 1115 is unconstrained by rails, allowing the server 1115 to “float” to an suitable mating position with a bus bar assembly 1117 on the bottom of the immersion tank 1101.

[0037] Figure 1.2 shows a perspective view of the server guide rail system 1103 including the plurality of rails 1105. As demonstrated in Figure 1.2, the plurality of rails 1105 are assembled in a rib-like structure with the plurality of rails 1105. The plurality of rails 1105 within the server guide rail system 1103 strike a proper balance of providing protection for the condenser 1109 without significantly obstructing the fluid flow, which would impact performance of the two-phase immersion-cooling process. The plurality of rails 1105 arestrategically placed to interface with servers 1115 while leaving large open areas for adequate fluid flow. The plurality of rails 1105 are designed to be easily removable using screws 1141 that attach the guide rail structure to a portion of the immersion tank 1101, allowing the rails to be easily removed in case they are damaged or upgraded to support next generation server designs.

[0038] Near the lid 1107 of the immersion tank 1101, the server guide rail system 1103 comprises a plurality of tabs 1123 that tightly mates the server guide rail system 1103 to upper portion 1111 of the tank. The plurality of tabs 1123 allows precise and close positioning of the rails 1105 in relationship to the lid 1107. The tabs 1123 are inserted into the slot in a flush or seamless manner because very little clearance is available between a top edge of the tank 1101 and the server 1115.

[0039] Figure 1.3 shows a top plan detailed view of the server guide rail system 1103 with the server 1115 installed into the immersion tank 1101. Each respective rail 1105 comprises one or more protrusions or flanges 1127 that extend outward from the server guide rail system 1103. The plurality of rails 1105 consist of a sheet metal wall in which the flanges 1127 are bent outward to provide controlled channels 1131 for the servers 1115 to be lowered into the tank 1101. Each respective server 1115 can include a server chassis 1131. The server 1115 and server chassis 1129 consists of a form in the comers that creates clearance for the guide rail flange 1127, allowing for maximal space for other related information technology (IT) equipment. Multi-purpose sleeves can also be installed on the servers 1115 to help create ease of insertion or extraction of the servers 1115, which will be discussed in greater detail below.

[0040] The fairly narrow size of the flanges 1127 nests between each individual server 1115 and functions as type of a barrier or guardrail to protect the servers from installation and extraction damage. Furthermore, the flanges 1127 also help adequately define the channels 1131 that position the individual servers 1115 as they are installed. An additional feature of the server guide rail system 1103 includes the server guide rail system 1103 retaining a precise clearance necessary for the server and server chassis to pass through the defined channels 1131, for example, the server and server chassis having a dimension 1143 that is an approximate dimension of the server guide channel 1131. A stiffening beam 1125 that runs through the center space 1153 of the immersion tank 1101 is also shown to demonstrate the space occupied within the tank 1101. The stiffening beam 1125 contributes to the need of the server guide rail system 1103 as servers 1115 may damage, or become damaged, by striking the stiffening beam 1125.

[0041] As mentioned above, the server guide rail system 1103 leaves a bottom portion of the server installation unconstrained allowing a server guide pin system 1145 to take overoperation (i.e., installation of the server 1115) and complete precise alignment in the immersion tank 1101. As demonstrated in detail with regard to Figures 1.1-1.3, the server guide rail system 1103 constrains the server 1115 installation from the top of the tank into the bath or tank cavity 1153. Figure 1.4 shows that as the server 1115 is lowered, the server rail guide system 1103 allows the bottom of the server 1115 to "float" in order for a plurality of server guide pins 1133 to take over the installation process and perform the proper fitted alignment with the busbar assembly 1117. This additional feature can further remove concerns regarding tolerances within the tank for installation.

[0042] The server guide pin system 1145 comprises the plurality of server guide pins 1133 and a guide pin plate 1137. The server guide pins 1133 are mounted directly to the server chassis 1129 and the guide pin plate 1137 that includes alignment holes that mounts to the top of the busbar. A person ordinarily skilled in the art could appreciate that this is not the only arrangement possible. For example, the guide features could be reversed such that the server guide pins 1133 could be attached to the busbar assembly 1177 and the alignment holes positioned in the server chassis 1129. Both the server guide pins 1133 and the guide pin plate 1137 are precisely located to bus bar pins 1149, or power connections, using tightly tolerance guide pins. The power connections 1149 allow for a small amount of float which both compensates for small misalignment and allows the server guide pin system 1145 to take any loads preventing damage to the power components. In addition to providing alignment, the guide pin plate 1137 serves as a protective barrier for the busbar to prevent damage or shorting.

[0043] The guide pin plate 1137 includes a plurality of chamfered holes 1139 that are configured to receive the server guide pins 1133. The chamfered holes 1139 are specifically designed in a manner that allows the server guide pins 1133 to come in off-center of the holes and the guide pin plate 1137, but regardless the chamfered holes 1139 configured in a beveled- head shape and can lead the pins into the holes.

[0044] The chamfered holes 1139 also have a depth that helps control or constrain any angular rotation with regard to the server guide pins 1133. The chamfered holes 1139 are spaced throughout the guide pin plate 1139, and in particular, one or more holes are placed on at least opposite ends or sides of the guide pin plate 1137, allowing either side of the guide pin plate 1137 to control rotation as well as the X / Y position of the server 1115 being installed.

[0045] Figure 1.5 shows a cross-sectional front view of the server 1115 mating with the guide pin plate 1137 and the bus bar assembly 1117. The server having a server bottom side 1121 makes direct contact with the guide pin plate 1137, wherein the guide pin plate 1137 ispositioned between the bus bar assembly 1117 and the server 1115. A tank bottom side 1151 is positioned below the bus bar assembly 1117.

[0046] The guide pin plate 1137 is positioned on the bus bar assembly 1117 and helps facilitate and further guidance of the server 1115 to the bus bar assembly 1117. The guide pin plate 1137 has a top surface that mates with the server 1115, and a bottom surface that mates with and is coupled to a bottom surface 1151 of the tank 1101. The guide pin plate 1137 helps ensure that the server 1115 and server guide pins 1133 make the proper power connection mating at the bottom of the tank 1101. The server guide pins 1133 are designed as large pins that mate into the chamfered holes 1139 of the guide pin plate 1137. The server guide pins 1133 may be designed with a beveled head to further assist in inserting the pins into the guide pin plate and bus bar assembly. The chamfers on the pins and holes provide a significant amount of gatherability to pull the server 1115 into place and compensate for any large misalignment between the top and bottom of the tank. Once the guide pin system 1145 is fully engaged, the server 1115 is in an accurate position for the power connections 1149 to busbar to engage and power the server.

[0047] As the server guide pins 1133 are being inserted into the chamfered holes 1139, the server guide pins 1133 hit or make direct contact with the guide pin plate 1139 first. After contact is made with the guide pin plate 1139, the server guide pins 1133 then helps pull the server into a proper alignment position (due to the chamfered design of the holes) so that the power connections 1149 can be installed into bus bar alignment holes 1147. This is necessary as the power connections 1149 must be within an at least 1 mm positioning accuracy to mate with the bus bar assembly 1117 and engage the server 1115.

[0048] Section 2: Multi-Purpose Sleeve for Immersion-Cooled Servers A typical immersion tank for immersion cooling of servers and other electronic components is a bulky, welded mechanical assembly with large dimensional tolerances. For instance, the slots in the immersion tank for servers may be from 8 mm larger to 5 mm smaller than intended due to manufacturing imperfections. When the immersion tank is filled with immersion fluid and pressurized, the immersion tank’s walls may expand and / or contract, causing the slots for the servers to expand and / or contract as well, e.g., by up to about ± 8 mm.

[0049] To account for the large manufacturing tolerances and to avoid interference with the servers, the immersion tank should be sized larger than the servers. For instance, if a server’s maximum width is 500 mm, then the slot in the immersion tank for that server should have a nominal width of at least 513 mm to account for the potential variation of the manufacturingtolerance of -5 mm, plus an extra -8 mm to account for immersion tank wall movement due to negative pressure condition, resulting in larger immersion tanks and larger slots for servers in the immersion tanks. When the immersion tank is on the larger side of the tolerance, the maximum immersion tank width could be as high as 521 mm (unpressurized) or 529 mm (pressurized). These manufacturing tolerances also result in big variations in server openings from tank to tank.

[0050] The larger sizes and size variations among openings for servers in immersion tanks create several problems. For instance, when the slot or opening in the immersion tank is larger than the server, then aligning the server to the immersion tank can be more difficult as the server can be biased on one side of the tank and may not connect or couple properly to the bus bar inside the immersion tank. When the slot or opening is smaller, on the other hand, the server chassis can rub against the guide rails instead the immersion tank as the server is being inserted into or removed from the immersion tank. The immersion tank and server chassis are typically made of steel or another metal, so this rubbing can produce metal debris. As the immersion fluid boils, it moves from bottom of the tank to top, bringing the metal debris into contact with the servers and / or other electrical components, which may cause electrical shorts. Rubbing between metal surfaces can also produce metal debris even for larger slots and openings. The larger slots for servers also lead to larger immersion tank volumes, which in turn leads to larger amounts of immersion fluid needed to fill the immersion tanks. Immersion fluid is very expensive, so the extra immersion fluid increases cost without necessarily improving cooling performance.

[0051] FIG. 2.1 shows a gasket or sleeve 2100 that addresses problems associated with large manufacturing tolerances for slots or openings in immersion tanks. The sleeve 2100 allows for “less-than-perfect” mating of the server chassis to guide rails and / or alignment features within the immersion tanks. The sleeve 2100 can be attached to the side of an immersion-cooled server chassis before the server chassis is inserted into a slot or opening in the immersion tank. The server chassis may have a height of 700 mm or 925 mm, a length of 797 mm, and a thickness of 86.9 mm, and the sleeve 100 may have a length of about 700 mm or 925 mm (to match the height of the server chassis), a width of about 85 mm (to roughly match the thickness of the server chassis), and a thickness of about 8 mm (to fill the expected maximum gap between the server rails and the immersion tank). The sleeve 2100 prevents metal-on-metal contact between the server chassis and the guide rails within the immersion tank, reducing the probability of creating metal debris when inserting or removing the server chassis. And the sleeve 2100 occupies space inside the immersion tank that would otherwise be occupied by the immersion fluid, reducing the quantity of immersion fluid needed to fill the immersion tank.

[0052] The sleeve 2100 is made of a strip of electrically insulating, elastically deformable material, such as rubber, silicone, plastic, or polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE). For instance, the sleeve 2100 can be stamped out of a single sheet or material, molded, or extruded. This material should also be inert; that is, it should not react with the immersion fluid, anything else within the immersion tank, or the immersion tank itself. In addition, the material should not degrade or decompose in the immersion tank or when it is inserted into or removed from the immersion tank because degradation could affect the immersion fluid’s cooling capacity. Degradation could also deleteriously affect the operation of the server and / or other components within the immersion tank.

[0053] The sleeve 2100 includes two or more snap-fit features 2110 or other fasteners for attaching the sleeve 2100 to a server chassis. In FIG. 2.1, for example, the snap-fit features 2110 are at the ends of the sleeve 2100 and secure the sleeve 2100 to a server chassis in a detachable fashion. The snap-fit features 2110 in FIG. 2.1 have mushroom heads the fit through holes in the server chassis and grab the inside wall of the server chassis (e.g., as shown in FIG. 2.2A, described below). Other sleeves may have different types of fasteners, such as snaps, buttons, latches, and so on, that allow compression and decompression of the sleeve. They may also have more fasteners, for example, disposed along the length of the sleeve 2100. Alternatively, or in addition, the sleeve 2100 can be shaped to conform to or stretch or wrap around the server chassis such that the sleeve 2100 stays secured to the server chassis.

[0054] There are also one or more springs or spring features 2120 disposed along the length of the sleeve 2100. These spring features 2120 protrude from the sleeve and can expand or contract to adjust to a wide variety of immersion tank slot sizes resulting from the large manufacturing tolerances for immersion tanks. When the sleeve 2100 is attached to the server chassis and the server chassis is in the immersion tank, the spring features 2110 on the sleeves 2100 push outwards, holding the sleeves 2100 and the server chassis in place with respect to the immersion tank. When the spring features 2120 are fully expanded against the immersion tank, the combined width of the server chassis and the sleeve(s) 2100 should equal the maximum width of the opening or slot in the immersion tank. This means that when the spring features 2120 are in a free or fully expanded state, the sleeve 2100 at its thickest point should be wide enough to fill the largest possible gap between the server chassis and the rails that define the opening or slot in the immersion tank for the server chassis. Because the rails take up some space, the maximum spring thickness may be about 7 or 8 mm, for example, and may compress by about 7 mm.

[0055] The sleeve 2100 also has chamfered or round ends 2130 to aid in alignment and to reduce the possibility of contact between the metal server chassis and the metal guide rails of the immersion tank. Preventing or reducing metal-to-metal contact prevents or reduces the possibility of creating metal debris that could cause electrical shorting of servers and other components in the immersion tank. FIG. 2.1 shows that both ends of the sleeve 2100 are chamfered (cut away to form a sloping edge) or rounded. Alternatively, the sleeve may have a single chamfered end — the end that fits around the corner of the server chassis that is inserted first into the immersion tank.

[0056] FIGS. 2.2A-2.2C show different views of immersion sleeves 2100 installed on both sides of a server chassis 2200 that holds a server 2202. FIG. 2.2A shows a front view of the server chassis 2200, illustrating the server 2202 and one of the guide pins 2210 that extends from the server chassis 2200 for aligning the server chassis 2200 to the immersion tank. FIG. 2.2A also shows the mushroom head of one fastener 2110 sticking through a hole in the server chassis 2200 and one of the sleeve’s chamfered ends 2130. The sleeve’s spring features 2120 extend towards the server chassis 2200 as shown in FIGS. 2.2A and 2.2C. Alternative sleeves may have spring features that extend away from the server chassis 2200 when installed on the server chassis 2200. FIGS. 2.2B and 2.2C show that the sleeves 2100 are as wide as the server chassis 2200. The sleeves 2100 can be shorter than the server chassis 2200 is long, as long as the server chassis 2200, or even longer than the server chassis 2200, with the extra length extending towards the top of immersion tank and possibly forming a handle for removing the server chassis 2200 from the immersion tank.

[0057] FIGS. 2.3A-2.3D illustrate the server chassis 2200 with sleeves 2100 along both sides installed in an immersion tank 2300. FIG. 2.3A shows a vertical cross-section of the immersion tank 2300, and FIGS. 2.3B-2.3D show top-down views of the immersion tank 2300 at different levels of detail. The immersion tank 2300 includes guide rails 2302 and an alignment plate 2310 that align the server chassis 2200 to the immersion tank 2300 and hold the server chassis 2200 in position. The alignment plate 2310 and a bus bar 2320 sit at the bottom of the immersion tank 2300 between condenser coils 2330 that cool vaporized immersion fluid.

[0058] The server chassis 2200 can come in different sizes, e.g., with heights of 700 mm or 925 mm. When fully inserted into the immersion tank 2300, the shorter server chassis 2200 may below the condenser coils 2330 and may be fully immersion in the immersion fluid (not shown). The taller server chassis 2200 may not fit completely below the condenser coils 2330 and may be partially immersed in the immersion fluid. The guide pins 2210 extending from theserver chassis 2200 fit into guide pin receptacles 2312 in the alignment plate 2310. Electrical pins 2204 electrically coupled to the server 2202 and extending from the server chassis 2200 contact bus bar connections 2314 that are electrically coupled to the bus bar 2320, which provides electrical power to the server 2202.

[0059] When the server chassis 2200 is installed in the immersion tank 2300, the chamfer 2130 on the sleeve 2100 helps to align the server chassis 2200 to the guide rails 2302 in the immersion tank 2300. In the cases where tank opening is smaller than the total width of the server chassis 2200 and sleeves 2100, as the server chassis 2200 slides down into the immersion tank 2300, the guide rails 2302 push the sleeve 2100 toward the server chassis 2200, compressing the sleeves’ spring features 2120. When the server chassis 2200 is pulled out of the immersion tank 2300, the spring features 2120 expand back to their original state. This expansion and contraction of the sleeve’s spring features 2120 account for the large tank manufacturing tolerances (e.g., +8 / -5 mm (static) and ±8 mm (pressurized)).

[0060] FIG. 2.4 shows top, side, and cross-sectional views of an alternative gasket or sleeve 2400 for an immersion-cooled server chassis. This sleeve 2400 is a tube-like structure that is made of compliant, elastically deformable, electrically insulating material, such as rubber, plastic, or PTFE. It has two or more fasteners 2410 for attaching the sleeve 2400 to the server chassis and rounded or chamfered ends 2430 for sliding the server chassis into the immersion tank. The tube-like structure is hollow and can collapse, e.g., along predefined fold lines or pleats, to accommodate narrower openings as shown in the cross-sectional views. The tube-like structure can have a square or rectangular cross section as shown in FIG. 2.4 or a curved or pleated cross section. A vent or hole 2420 in the sleeve 2400 allows fluid (e.g., air or immersion fluid) to enter and exit the sleeve 2400 as the sleeve 2400 expands or is compressed. Placing the vent 2420 is at the end of the sleeve 2400 that is not immersed in immersion fluid as shown in FIG. 2.4 allows air or vapor to enter the sleeve 2400 and reduces the amount of immersion fluid needed to fill the immersion tank. (If the server chassis is short enough to be completely immersed in the immersion fluid, the sleeve 2400 may be made long enough so that one end sticks out of the immersion fluid when the server chassis and sleeve 2400 are installed in the immersion tank.) Alternatively, the sleeve 2400 can have one or more vents or holes along its length. Or instead of being hollow and having vents or holes, the sleeve 2400 can be made of a sponge- like material that can be compressed and springs backs into shape when relaxed.

[0061] While various inventive embodiments have been described and illustrated herein, those of ordinary skill in the art will readily envision a variety of other means and / or structuresfor performing the function and / or obtaining the results and / or one or more of the advantages described herein, and each of such variations and / or modifications is deemed to be within the scope of the inventive embodiments described herein. More generally, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that all parameters, dimensions, materials, and configurations described herein are meant to be exemplary and that the actual parameters, dimensions, materials, and / or configurations will depend upon the specific application or applications for which the inventive teachings is / are used. Those skilled in the art will recognize or be able to ascertain, using no more than routine experimentation, many equivalents to the specific inventive embodiments described herein. It is, therefore, to be understood that the foregoing embodiments are presented by way of example only and that, within the scope of the appended claims and equivalents thereto, inventive embodiments may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described and claimed. Inventive embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to each individual feature, system, article, material, kit, and / or method described herein. In addition, any combination of two or more such features, systems, articles, materials, kits, and / or methods, if such features, systems, articles, materials, kits, and / or methods are not mutually inconsistent, is included within the inventive scope of the present disclosure.

[0062] Also, various inventive concepts may be embodied as one or more methods, of which an example has been provided. The acts performed as part of the method may be ordered in any suitable way. Accordingly, embodiments may be constructed in which acts are performed in an order different than illustrated, which may include performing some acts simultaneously, even though shown as sequential acts in illustrative embodiments.

[0063] All definitions, as defined and used herein, should be understood to control over dictionary definitions, definitions in documents incorporated by reference, and / or ordinary meanings of the defined terms.

[0064] The indefinite articles “a” and “an,” as used herein in the specification and in the claims, unless clearly indicated to the contrary, should be understood to mean “at least one.”

[0065] The phrase “and / or,” as used herein in the specification and in the claims, should be understood to mean “either or both” of the elements so conjoined, i.e., elements that are conjunctively present in some cases and disjunctively present in other cases. Multiple elements listed with “and / or” should be construed in the same fashion, i.e., “one or more” of the elements so conjoined. Other elements may optionally be present other than the elements specifically identified by the “and / or” clause, whether related or unrelated to those elements specifically identified. Thus, as a non-limiting example, a reference to “A and / or B”, when used inconjunction with open-ended language such as “comprising” can refer, in one embodiment, to A only (optionally including elements other than B); in another embodiment, to B only (optionally including elements other than A); in yet another embodiment, to both A and B (optionally including other elements); etc.

[0066] As used herein in the specification and in the claims, “or” should be understood to have the same meaning as “and / or” as defined above. For example, when separating items in a list, “or” or “and / or” shall be interpreted as being inclusive, i.e., the inclusion of at least one, but also including more than one, of a number or list of elements, and, optionally, additional unlisted items. Only terms clearly indicated to the contrary, such as “only one of’ or “exactly one of,” or, when used in the claims, “consisting of,” will refer to the inclusion of exactly one element of a number or list of elements. In general, the term “or” as used herein shall only be interpreted as indicating exclusive alternatives (i.e., “one or the other but not both”) when preceded by terms of exclusivity, such as “either,” “one of,” “only one of,” or “exactly one of.” “Consisting essentially of,” when used in the claims, shall have its ordinary meaning as used in the field of patent law.

[0067] As used herein in the specification and in the claims, the phrase “at least one,” in reference to a list of one or more elements, should be understood to mean at least one element selected from any one or more of the elements in the list of elements, but not necessarily including at least one of each and every element specifically listed within the list of elements and not excluding any combinations of elements in the list of elements. This definition also allows that elements may optionally be present other than the elements specifically identified within the list of elements to which the phrase “at least one” refers, whether related or unrelated to those elements specifically identified. Thus, as a non-limiting example, “at least one of A and B” (or, equivalently, “at least one of A or B,” or, equivalently “at least one of A and / or B”) can refer, in one embodiment, to at least one, optionally including more than one, A, with no B present (and optionally including elements other than B); in another embodiment, to at least one, optionally including more than one, B, with no A present (and optionally including elements other than A); in yet another embodiment, to at least one, optionally including more than one, A, and at least one, optionally including more than one, B (and optionally including other elements); etc.

[0068] In the claims, as well as in the specification above, all transitional phrases such as “comprising,” “including,” “carrying,” “having,” “containing,” “involving,” “holding,” “composed of,” and the like are to be understood to be open-ended, i.e., to mean including but not limited to. Only the transitional phrases “consisting of’ and “consisting essentially of’ shallbe closed or semi-closed transitional phrases, respectively, as set forth in the United States Patent Office Manual of Patent Examining Procedures, Section 2111.03.

[0069] The various embodiments described above can be combined to provide further embodiments. All of the U.S. patents, U.S. patent application publications, U.S. patent applications, foreign patents, foreign patent applications and non-patent publications referred to in this specification and / or listed in the Application Data Sheet are incorporated herein by reference, in their entirety. Aspects of the embodiments can be modified, if necessary to employ concepts of the various patents, applications and publications to provide yet further embodiments.

[0070] These and other changes can be made to the embodiments in light of the abovedetailed description. In general, in the following claims, the terms used should not be construed to limit the claims to the specific embodiments disclosed in the specification and the claims, but should be construed to include all possible embodiments along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled. Accordingly, the claims are not limited by the disclosure.

Claims

CLAIMS1. A system, comprising: an immersion cooling tank configured to hold one or more servers; a guide rail system including a plurality of guide rails coupled to the immersion cooling tank; and a guide pin system including a plurality of guide pins coupled to the one or more servers, wherein a guide pin plate coupled to the immersion cooling tank is configured for installation and extraction of the one or more servers via the guide rail and guide pin systems.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the immersion cooling tank has an upper portion and a lower portion, the upper portion having the plurality of guide rails and the lower portion unconstrained by the guide rails.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of guide rails extends in a first direction from the upper portion to the lower portion of the immersion cooling tank.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein each respective guide rail includes at least one guide rail flange extending in a second direction from the respective guide rail into a tank cavity and forming a server guide channel.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the guide rail system is coupled to the cooling tank via a plurality of tabs integrally formed with the guide rail system.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the guide pin plate is positioned on a busbar assembly and comprises a plurality of chamfered holes having a first depth configured to receive the plurality of guide pins.

7. A system, comprising: a tank; a server guide rail structure disposed in the tank; a plurality of tabs coupling the server guide rail structure to the tank; and a plurality of rails each having one or more flanges extending into the tank that define an alignment path for installation and extraction of one or more servers in the tank.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the plurality of rails vertically extend from an upper portion of the tank toward a lower portion of the tank, the lower portion unconstrained by the plurality of rails.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the plurality of rails and flanges are integrally formed of a sheet metal material.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein each respective tab is inserted into a slot formed in the tank and mates the server guide rail structure to the upper portion of the tank.

11. The system of claim 7, wherein the server guide rail structure is removable from the tank by at least one screw coupling the server guide rail structure to the tank.

12. The system of claim 7, wherein the server guide rail structure is partitioned on at least two sides of the tank.

13. A system, comprising: a tank including an upper portion and a lower portion; a busbar assembly in the lower portion of the tank; a guide pin plate on the busbar assembly; a server having a server chassis disposed in the tank; and a plurality of guide pins mounted to the server chassis configured to align with alignment holes of the guide pin plate and busbar assembly to engage the server.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the guide pins are mounted directly to the server chassis and extend from the server chassis in a first direction.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the guide pin plate comprises a plurality of chamfered holes configured to receive the guide pins.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the chamfered holes are designed in a beveled- head shape.

17. The system of claim 13, further comprising bus bar pins that are configured to mate with the bus bar assembly.

18. The system of claim 13, wherein the chamfered holes in the guide pin plate have a first depth configured to control angular rotation of the guide pins.

19. The system of claim 13, wherein the guide pin plate has a first surface and a second surface, wherein a portion of the first surface mates with the server and a portion of the second surface mates with a bottom surface of the tank.

20. The system of claim 13, wherein the alignment holes include one or more holes placed on opposite ends of the guide pin plate.

21. A gasket for a server chassis, the gasket comprising: an elastically deformable material and having at least one fastener for securing the gasket to a server chassis.

22. The gasket of claim 21, wherein the gasket is configured to prevent the server chassis from rubbing against a metal surface of an immersion tank as the server chassis and the gasket are inserted into the immersion tank.

23. The gasket of claim 21, wherein the gasket is configured to be elastically compressed.

24. The gasket of claim 21, wherein the gasket is made of at least one of plastic, rubber, silicone, plastic, or polytetrafluoroethylene.

25. The gasket of claim 21, further comprising at least one compressible spring feature configured to be compressed between the server chassis and an immersion tank.

26. The gasket of claim 21, wherein the gasket comprises a sponge-like material.

27. The gasket of claim 21, wherein the gasket defines a hollow, compressible lumen having a vent or hole to allow fluid flow into and out of the hollow, compressible lumen.

28. The gasket of claim 27, wherein the vent or hole is disposed at an end of the gasket.

29. The gasket of claim 21, wherein the gasket has a chamfered corner.

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