Device for using waste heat in server computers

Abstract

The invention relates to a device (10) for using waste heat in server computers, in particular decentralised modular edge cloud computing systems, in a heat consumer (30) or pipe network supplied with hot process fluid (5) such as hot water, in particular hot service water, heating water or hot process fluid in industry; having: at least one computing core (1) or server blade which generates heat during operation of the server computer and which is accommodated in a sleeve (3); a housing (2) for receiving supply, control and / or connection units of the server computer, wherein the housing (2) and the sleeve (3) are connected to one another at least via lines for power supply and data transmission to and from the computing core (1), and wherein the sleeve (3) is a pressure-resistant heating cartridge sleeve which can be immersed in the process fluid (5) in a sealed manner for direct heat dissipation on the part of the computing core (1) and which has a dielectric (4) in the interior for electrically insulating the computing core (1).

Description

[0001] Device for utilizing waste heat in server computers

[0002] The present invention relates to a device for utilizing waste heat in server computers for heat consumers in which a warm process fluid is required, such as in domestic water supply systems with hot water, heating systems or in industrial plants in which a warm process fluid from water or other liquids must be heated.

[0003] The invention particularly relates to such devices for the utilization of waste heat from server computers, which can be used for the simultaneous cooling and dissipation of waste heat from the operation of electronic components such as the processing cores of the server computers. Many server computers, by design, generate a relatively high level of waste heat during the operation of the processing cores and therefore conventionally must be provided with cooling systems using air or cooling liquids in pipes. With a large number of such processing cores in a server computer system, larger cooling systems with a cooling capacity must also be present. A primary focus here is on the cooling required for the operation of the server computers, whereby a large proportion of the waste heat generated by the operation of the electronic components is simply released into the environment without any energy recovery.Various solutions have been proposed in the state of the art for utilizing the waste heat from such server computers or server systems. One type is so-called liquid cooling systems with an additional cooling circuit.

[0004] For example, liquid cooling systems fed with coolant via pipes were coupled via heat exchangers to corresponding heating devices such as hot water generators, building heating systems, etc. The coolant, as the heat transfer medium in the computer server cooling circuit, is thermally coupled via heat exchangers in the area of ​​the heated processor cores and via heat exchangers in the water to be heated from a hot water consumer or similar, in order to transfer the waste heat to the heat consumer via the intermediate system. Such a solution is technically relatively complex and, due to the intermediate heat exchangers and various heat transfer circuits, not very efficient in energy terms. There are significant energy losses when using the generated waste heat.

[0005] It has also been proposed in the prior art to provide special housings for the processing cores for such server computers or server computer systems in so-called "server farms." A solution has been proposed in the prior art in which the outer housings of the respective racks or server blades are equipped with a system of lines for a cooling medium, through which the coolant is then passed directly within the housing. In this way, the waste heat can be utilized and transferred to the secondary heat transfer system relatively close to the heat source, namely the processing cores. However, this solution for utilizing waste heat from server computers has the disadvantage that special housings or server cabinets are required for such a connection to heat consumers such as heating systems, hot water supply networks, etc. It also results in considerable design effort due to the additional lines and the risk of leaks.Heat losses also occur here due to the respective intermediate components between the piping system in the housing walls and the processing cores of the server computers that are actually arranged inside the housing.

[0006] Against this background, the object of the present invention is to provide a device for utilizing waste heat in electronic devices such as server computers, which ensures improved heat transfer efficiency and which, even in locally distributed parts of such electronic devices or server computers, allows efficient utilization of waste heat from the operation of electronic components such as processor cores with the lowest possible additional costs and structural complexity. This object is achieved with a device having the features of claim 1. Advantageous embodiments and further developments of the invention are the subject of the dependent claims.

[0007] According to the invention and as defined in claim 1, a device for utilizing waste heat in server computers, in particular decentrally arranged modular edge cloud computing systems, is provided in a heat consumer or pipeline network fed with warm or heated process fluid such as hot water, with at least one computing core or server blade, which generates heat during operation of the server computer and which is accommodated in a sleeve or a housing part, with a housing for accommodating supply, control and / or connection units of the server computer or a part of the server computer, wherein the housing and the sleeve are connected to one another at least via lines for power supply and data transmission to and from the computing core, wherein the device is characterized in thatthat the sleeve is a pressure-resistant and sealed submersible heating cartridge sleeve in the process fluid for direct heat dissipation from the calculation core with a dielectric inside for electrical insulation of the calculation core.

[0008] The device according to the invention is thus specifically adapted to provide direct heat removal for heating a process fluid in a heat consumer by the server computers. For this purpose, the processing cores are housed in a specially formed sleeve within a dielectric and are thus brought into direct contact with the process fluid of the heat consumer without the need for additional heat transfer lines, a separate cooling circuit, etc. Heat transfer occurs via the outer walls of the sleeve itself, in which the heat-generating element, namely the processing core or the plurality of processing cores of the edge cloud computing system, is housed.A separate piping system with a heat transfer fluid or coolant is thus unnecessary, as are additional heat exchangers, which are normally required between such a secondary heat dissipation circuit and its piping system in the prior art for such waste heat utilization. Higher heat dissipation efficiency values ​​can thus be achieved with the inventive system for dissipating waste heat from server computers. The inventive design, with, on the one hand, a sleeve in which the computing cores can be directly immersed in the process fluid for heat dissipation, and, on the other hand, a further housing, preferably located outside the process fluid, in which the connection parts and control parts for the computing cores of the server computer are provided, allows heat utilization to occur in a simple manner and close to the process fluid. The control elements, sensor devices for temperature, heat requirement, etc.and other elements are provided in the outer housing part and can advantageously also be provided outside of a container for the process fluid, for example for maintenance, etc.

[0009] With the device according to the invention, significantly improved efficiency in heat dissipation can be achieved in the electrical systems of server computers. The device is also suitable for decentralized use in individual modular elements of an edge cloud server system. For example, the device according to the invention can be installed as an edge cloud computing element in standard, existing openings in containers for process fluid to be heated in heat consumers, for example, with standard connection elements for the openings on such storage tanks or containers for hot water or warm process fluid. For example, the device according to the invention can be installed in conventional circular openings with the option of connecting hot water storage tanks or directly in water heaters, using conventional connection options via screw connections, flange screw connections, or the like.

[0010] The inventive division of the attachment of the connection parts and control units in the external housing and the device's sleeve, which is immersible in the process fluid and contains the heat-relevant electronic device, namely the heat-generating computing core, further allows for relatively simple installation of the device even on existing heat consumers. The device can be easily retrofitted into existing hot water tanks, buffer tanks for warm process fluid in industrial plants, etc., since it only needs to be screwed and installed into existing connection holes for such components or other pipes or connection components based on the existing design.

[0011] With the device according to the invention, the waste heat from such server computers or edge cloud computer systems can be used efficiently and with greater effectiveness overall in a decentralized and modular design, i.e. with individual modules, even with individual devices provided at different locations. The individual devices with the housing, the sleeve, in which the computing cores are individually accommodated in a dielectric, can be easily screwed or attached in a modular manner in commercially available hot water tanks or industrial process baths. No complex adaptations to the existing infrastructure or network systems are required. The device can be screwed or attached via the interface according to the invention between the housing and the sleeve, in which the element directly used for heat transfer, namely the electronic computing core with increased heat generation, is located.Existing mechanical and standardized interfaces on such storage devices or housings for process fluids to be heated can be advantageously used for this purpose. Thus, the invention enables fully integrated and decentralized, modular heat utilization. So-called edge cloud systems can also be cooled directly with such waste heat utilization devices without the need for intermediary water cooling circuits. The waste heat from the generated heat, which can also be computer-controlled via appropriate control modules and sensors for recording the current temperature and heat, allows cooling to be achieved at the required time. This can also be effectively achieved in conjunction with the control of a higher-level central control system for the heating system (hot water consumption, heating hot water) or an industrial heat utilization point (process hot water, hot water storage, etc.).

[0012] According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, an interface with connection elements for mounting on an opening in a container or tank for process fluid is provided between the housing and sleeve of the device for utilizing waste heat in server computers. The opening of the container on the process fluid to be heated is preferably a standard opening, e.g. a cylindrical hole with a corresponding conventional diameter and with the necessary connection areas for attaching other standard devices, such as sensors, pumps, connection pipes, flanges or the like. Such an interface according to the invention for providing connection elements can, for example, be provided in the form of a connection part between the sleeve and the housing of the device according to the invention.The interface can also be provided on the sleeve itself or on the housing in the one-piece form of a connecting part, which is usually arranged on the outside of the container for the process fluid. Alternatively, a separate part or section of the housing or sleeve can also be present as the interface. The interface can have various shapes, but preferably it has a standard design, i.e. the diameters, screw-on elements such as external threads, flange parts, etc., are adapted accordingly to standard connecting elements for such containers or tanks for process fluid in a heat consumer, for example a hot water storage tank for domestic water, heating or process fluid in an industrial process.

[0013] According to a further advantageous embodiment of the invention, the sleeve for accommodating the computing core according to the device according to the invention has an outer structured surface to improve heat dissipation, in particular in the form of axial or radial fins on the outer surface of the sleeve. This measure further increases the effective surface area for quasi-direct heat transfer from the device to the process fluid. The radial or axial fins offer a larger overall surface area for direct heat dissipation from the waste heat from the computing core of the server computer to the process fluid in the container into which the device according to the invention is inserted or screwed.Radial lamellae are a shape on the surface of the sleeve, in which the computing core is provided in an insulating dielectric, in which the lamellae protrude laterally in the axial direction approximately perpendicular to the longitudinal direction X of the device. The radial lamellae can be provided as individual annular lamellas or, alternatively, as radial lamellas spiraling along the outer circumference in a spiral shape, similar to a screw thread. Alternatively, the lamellae can also be provided as axial lamellas or webs on the outer circumference of the sleeve of the device.According to the invention, an axial alignment of fins means that the fins extend on the outer circumference of the sleeve in an axial direction parallel to a longitudinal axis X of the device and, towards the outside, provide an increase in the heat transfer surface on the outside of the sleeve and thus of the device as a whole for better heat transfer to the process fluid. Alternative, related configurations of structured surfaces of the sleeve in the region in which they are accommodated inside the process fluid, for example, in a container of a hot water tank or the like, can also be provided here within the scope of the invention.

[0014] According to one aspect of the invention, the sleeve is made of a metallic material, in particular a non-oxidizing one, in order to ensure resistance to corrosion in a process fluid as well as good heat transfer. Possible materials include copper, stainless steel, nickel or aluminum, as well as alloys thereof. The sleeve or heating cartridge for accommodating the computing core in an insulated dielectric has a structured shape on its outer surface in such a way that the largest possible surface area is enabled for the heat dissipation of heat generated by the server computer to the process fluid, even with a smaller design. For this purpose, the outer surfaces can be provided wholly or partially with fins or other structured shapes, whereby the thickness or spacing of fins can be adapted accordingly for the respective application as required.

[0015] According to a further advantageous embodiment of the invention, a thermal sensor device is provided for detecting and evaluating the temperature of the computing core and / or the process fluid surrounding the device. Such a thermal sensor device can be implemented, for example, in the form of a thermocouple or temperature sensor integrated into the sleeve on the computing core. Other thermal sensors can also be used, with which the respective temperatures and, in particular, the temperature difference between the temperature of the computing core and the surrounding process fluid in the container or tank can be determined.In this way, special control systems can also be implemented, for example, by operating different parts of a server computer system with the various processing cores in the pods in such a way that they are aligned with the heat generation requirements in the process fluid at the corresponding location. In a distributed, decentralized form of several such modular devices at different locations in a building, for example, the different process parameters can be optimally coordinated to enable the best possible utilization of the waste heat of such an edge cloud computing system in a modular design while simultaneously ensuring optimal cooling of the units.The thermal sensor device preferably has a corresponding control and regulation unit in the housing located outside the process fluid, which, as a thermal sensor device, forms a thermal sensor device according to the invention together with the actual temperature sensors in the region of the computing core or in the process fluid itself.

[0016] According to a further advantageous embodiment of the invention, the device in the housing has a local control unit for the modular, decentralized server computer and its processing core or its plurality of processing cores or server blades. The control unit of the modular device is thus specifically designed and located close to the individual processing core in the area of ​​waste heat utilization. The control unit allows the connection of the respective processing core in a decentralized server computer system to be carried out in a modular manner. The control unit also serves to monitor and regulate the respective temperatures in the process fluid, which can also be additionally heated as needed, for example, using conventional heating elements such as heating rods.With such a modular control unit directly in the housing of the device itself, additional control options can be easily implemented via appropriate wired or wireless data lines in conjunction with a central control system or even a building control system for a heating system, a hot water system, or a heated process fluid. The connection can also be established via an intranet or the internet, as long as the data is securely consolidated to the respective interconnected devices according to the invention in a modular design. The device for utilizing waste heat implemented in this way offers advantages over previous waste heat utilization systems, which only provide central control of individual heat exchangers or pumps in a separate heat transfer fluid system with separate lines.

[0017] According to a further advantageous embodiment of the invention, one or more connections for the power supply, on the one hand, and the sensors, on the other, and furthermore for data transmission between the device and other modular units coupled to it or a central control system of such a waste heat recovery system are provided on the housing of the device. The connections are preferably located on the housing, i.e., directly accessible outside of the process fluid. Using the external connections on the housing, various additional elements can be easily connected to the devices as required. Coupling power lines, data lines, or sensor cables is thus easy to implement even with existing heat storage units or process fluid tanks as a retrofit, without the need for adaptation to existing structures.

[0018] According to a further advantageous embodiment of the invention, a data transmission module is provided in the housing of the device for communication with a central control unit, in particular for the edge cloud computing system and a hot water consumer system. The data transmission module can be used to transmit data between different parts or modules of such devices of an edge cloud computing system of a server to an energy management system remote from the device, a central heating control system, or industrial control of the process fluid in external devices. Corresponding data from the waste heat recovery and the device's sensors can also be easily transmitted and further processed via intranets or the internet, i.e., networks for data transmission.A data transmission module can feature both wireless and wired communication, for example, via a WLAN network, Bluetooth, or Wi-Fi, to transmit or receive corresponding data from the device and, in particular, the sensor devices. This also allows the corresponding data processed in the computing core to be easily and securely forwarded and coupled with other such modular devices. Thus, multiple server blades or computing cores can be operated directly coupled to one another, both to achieve the best computing performance of the server with sufficient cooling and to generate optimal utilization of waste heat generated in the process fluid flowing around the device.

[0019] According to a further advantageous embodiment of the invention, the sleeve of the device for accommodating the computing core has a rod-like, essentially circular-cylindrical shape in a longitudinal direction X with a closed front end. The device thus has the overall shape of a type of heating cartridge, which can be easily screwed or fastened from the outside into standard openings of a storage tank or container for process fluid or hot water. The sleeve, which thus projects far into the interior of the process fluid and in which the heat-generating electronic component, namely the computing core, is accommodated, has an elongated, essentially circular-cylindrical shape, so that optimal dissipation of the heat generated can occur even with a relatively small overall volume of the sleeve.Alternatively, a flat, rectangular sleeve can be provided on the device if wider computing core shapes are to be accommodated. A key aspect of the sleeve design is ensuring that the gaps between the inner computing core and the outer surface of the sleeve are as small as possible, so that only a thin layer of insulating dielectric exists between the heat-generating computing core and the output on the outer surface of the sleeve.

[0020] According to a further advantageous embodiment of the invention, the interface for assembly and as an intermediate part between the sleeve for the computing core and the external housing of the device has an external thread, in particular for a standard thread or internal thread of an opening in a container, tank or similar for the process fluid. At the interface between the sleeve arranged inside the process fluid with the computing core and the external housing, there is therefore an external thread with corresponding screw options, such as an external hexagon. The dimensions and thread shape of the external thread are adapted to an internal thread of a corresponding standard opening in such tanks or containers. This means that the device can also be retrofitted simply by screwing it into an existing opening in such tanks or process fluid containers.The external parts are then used for the control, monitoring, and storage of data, whereby the external connections for the necessary lines for supply power, data transmission, or sensor lines, etc. are also present. With such a measure, the device can be easily mounted on various existing tanks or containers in a decentralized manner, so that the then connected modular individual devices represent a combined form of an edge cloud computing system with higher or lower computing power, cooling, and waste heat utilization as required, and thus a varying number of individual devices. Alternatively, several devices can be located close to one another in a building. In both cases, the computing requirements of an application can be distributed across the several individual devices if the capacity of one module is insufficient, for example, or if the operation of the system is disrupted, for example.at another location, for example, due to PV generation, appears more economical. The higher-level control plane is responsible for orchestrating the entire edge cloud computing system thus created. The heat yield is then also generated at different locations.

[0021] According to an alternative embodiment, the interface has a radial screw flange with holes for mounting using fastening screws. Such a screw flange, radial to the longitudinal axis X of the device, can also be easily inserted and tightly mounted into existing corresponding connection areas and openings of tanks or containers for hot water, process fluid, or similar. The flange solution has the advantage that a secure seal can be achieved at the interface area, for example, using sealing rings. This also enables an even more stable form of attachment of the device to the container or tank filled with process fluid.

[0022] According to a further advantageous embodiment of the invention, the interface for mounting the device is provided with a quick-release fastener or a plug-in connection. This also allows, for example, preliminary assembly and adjustment before the final screwing and fastening to the tank or container. Such a quick-release fastener or plug-in connection can also improve the secured alignment and positional accuracy. A plug-in connection or quick-release fastener could also be used in simple, smaller-scale applications of this kind for mounting the entire device with the interface to the tank without additional fastening elements.

[0023] Further advantages, features, and aspects of the present invention will become apparent in more detail below based on the description of several exemplary embodiments, which are described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and the figures shown therein. In the drawings: Fig. 1 shows a cross-sectional view of a first exemplary embodiment of an inventive device for utilizing waste heat in server computers; and

[0024] Fig. 1a is an enlarged detail illustrating the structure of the sleeve for the calculation core in the process fluid;

[0025] Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the first embodiment of an apparatus according to the invention for utilizing waste heat in server computers;

[0026] Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a second embodiment of a waste heat utilization device according to the invention in server computers with an alternative design of the sleeve and fins for heat transfer;

[0027] Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the second embodiment of the device according to the invention for waste heat utilization in server computers;

[0028] Fig. 5 is a schematic representation of an application of the device according to the invention for waste heat utilization when used in a thermal storage system with hot water as a process fluid such as a heating circuit or domestic water circuit; and

[0029] Fig. 6 is a schematic representation of a further application of the device according to the invention for waste heat utilization in server computers when used in a thermal process bath with heated process fluid, for example for industrial processes, in the form of a tub or a tank as a thermal process fluid storage device.

[0030] A first embodiment of the device 10 according to the invention for waste heat utilization in server computers, in particular decentralized modular edge cloud computing systems (server blades), is shown in various views in Fig.

[0031] 1, Fig. 1a and Fig. 2. As a waste heat utilization device 10 according to the invention, decentralized parts of a server computer in an edge cloud computing system are implemented in a modular manner in the form of server blades or server components, for example in the form of a type of screw-in heater, as shown and explained in the first exemplary embodiment according to Fig. 1 to Fig. 2, or a flange heater, as shown and explained in the second exemplary embodiment according to Fig. 3 and Fig. 4 described further below. For this purpose, the device 10 of the invention has a sleeve 3 which can be immersed in a process fluid 5 or heat transfer medium to be heated and in which a heat-generating electronic component, namely in particular one or more computing cores 1, is / are accommodated in a dielectric 4 for insulation purposes.Furthermore, the devices 10 according to the invention are provided with an outer housing 2 arranged outside the process fluid 5, which is constructed with an interface 6 separated from the connection section of the device 10 and the sleeve 3.

[0032] The housing 2, which is arranged outside a heat accumulator 20 or process fluid reservoir of a heat consumer 30 for process fluid 5 in the assembled state (see Fig. 5 and Fig. 6), contains, for example, the control unit 12, a data transmission module 14, various connections 13 for the power supply, data transmission lines or sensor cables, a safety device 15, and the like. The housing 2 can be made of an injection-molded material, for example of plastic, in one or more parts and has corresponding openings for the connections 13. In an advantageous embodiment, the housing 2 can also optionally be provided with a display 17 for displaying the essential parameters of the server computer or the computing core 1 or the thermal situation for the waste heat utilization or on the part of the process fluid 5.The device 10 is specifically designed for easy installation, even in existing standard openings of tanks, reservoirs 20, or industrial basins containing a heated or heated process fluid 5, to allow for the simplest possible installation in the heat consumers 30. For this purpose, the interface 6 between the outer housing 2 and an inner sleeve 3 is provided for receiving the calculation core 1 when the device 10 is immersed in the process fluid 5.

[0033] As an interface 6, for example, as in the first embodiment of Fig. 1, a connection element 7 in the form of an external thread can be provided, which serves to screw into a corresponding opening with an internal thread on a tank, container 20 or the like for the process fluid 5 of the heat consumer 30. Such a tank or reservoir 20 for process fluid 5 to be heated is also shown as an example in Figs. 5 and 6, which will be discussed later. The attachment of the modular waste heat utilization device 10 to such a tank 20 is thus carried out by simply screwing it in using the external thread 7 and a hexagon 16. Other forms of attachment and assembly, for example in the form of a quick-clip or quick-clamping device, can also be provided according to the invention.The second component of the device 10 is a sleeve 3 which is immersible in the process fluid 5 and, when assembled, is immersed in the process fluid 5, in which sleeve 3 essentially only one (or more) computing cores 1 are accommodated in an insulating dielectric 4. Several computing cores 1 can also be arranged in a sleeve 3 if the corresponding dimensions are adapted for this. As can be seen in particular from the cross-sectional view of Fig. 1 and its detailed view Fig. 1a, the sleeve 3 in the first embodiment is a substantially circular-cylindrical, rod-like sleeve 3 with a closed front end and with fins 11 on the outer surface to improve heat transfer to the process fluid 5 in the reservoir 20 by means of convection.With the device 10, a kind of direct transfer of waste heat from the calculation core 1 to the sleeve 3 and thus to the process fluid 5 flowing past the outside, into which the sleeve is immersed in the installed state, takes place.

[0034] Thus, no separate cooling circuits with a separate heat transfer medium or cooling water or the like are required for cooling the computing core 1, nor are additional devices such as heat exchangers for transferring the waste heat from the computing core 1 of the server computer to the process fluid 5. For electrical insulation, the computing core 1 in this embodiment is accommodated in a dielectric 4, which can be any element with an electrically weak or non-conductive substance, for example a gas, a liquid, a solid, or an intermediate form of phase transition, such as a gel. As a result, the computing core 1 is electrically insulated inside the sleeve 3 and yet is arranged close to its outer wall and the fins 11 used for heat dissipation, so that effective heat dissipation by convection from the computing core 1 to the process fluid can take place.Such a sleeve 3 for the conformal reception of the computing core 1 as an immersion part can also be referred to as a type of heating cartridge. The device 10, with the immersion part of the sleeve 3, can be fully inserted into the interior of the process fluid 5 in a reservoir 20 or container for process fluid 5 of a heat consumer 30 without problems or disruptions. With the outer structured surface of the sleeve 3, for example, with fins 11 wound spirally on the outer circumference or other forms of fins 11, the efficiency of heat transfer for utilizing the waste heat from the computing core 1 or server blades is correspondingly increased.

[0035] A temperature sensor or thermocouple can also be installed inside the sleeve 3, which is coupled to a thermal sensor device 9 in the housing. This allows the respective thermal data, temperatures, and possibilities for waste heat utilization of a specific individual, modular part of the server computer in the form of a device 10 with a server blade or computing core 1 to be monitored accordingly and switched on or off as needed. The operating mode of the computing cores 1 can thus be adapted to the heat utilization in the process fluid 5 in a plurality of such distributed devices 10. As a type of heating cartridge, the sleeve 3 of the device 10 can be completely immersed in the interior of the process fluid 5, as shown in Figs. 5 and 6 described below.For this purpose, the sleeve 3 is made of a suitable, usually metallic, non-oxidizing material so that, on the one hand, it is pressure-resistant against external influences and, on the other hand, cannot experience corrosion or other damage in the process fluid over an extended period of time. Suitable materials for the sleeve 3 to accommodate the dielectric 4 and the calculation core 1 can be, for example, stainless steel, aluminum, brass, and the like. Galvanized steel sheets are also conceivable for the construction of such sleeves 3 in the manner of heating cartridges for the device 10 according to the invention within the scope of the invention. The fins 11 on the outer surface of the immersion sleeve 3 can be varied accordingly - both in terms of their shape, extension, and the distance between individual fins 11. Thus, a different design of the sleeve 3 can be selected depending on the desired degree of waste heat utilization.With the shape of a submersible sleeve 3 thus selected, the device 10 according to the invention can also be integrated into a tank or storage container 20 for the process fluid 5 in a minimally disruptive manner, since it does not require any complex lines, heat exchangers or pumps inside the process fluid 5 for the utilization of the waste heat by the computing core 1.

[0036] In this first embodiment of Figs. 1, 1a, and 2, a connecting element 7 in the form of an external thread and an external hexagon 16 for engaging an assembly tool such as a wrench or combination pliers are provided as an interface 6. The device 10 can thus be easily screwed into an existing threaded hole of such a storage tank 20 of a heat consumer 30, without requiring any modifications to the existing design of the heat consumer 30.As a result, a relatively large number of these devices 10 with server blades can be arranged as parts of an entire server computer in a modular, decentralized manner and can be coupled to one another via corresponding data connections and control elements in order to be able to realize efficient cooling of the computing cores 1 and, at the same time, waste heat utilization for heating the process fluid 5 as a whole, even in simple and smaller process plants of this type from heat consumers 30 with process fluid 5.

[0037] Various elements known in the field of server computers, which generate relevant waste heat during operation, can be used as a computing core 1 or server blade of such an edge cloud computing system: For example, these can be so-called server blades, computing processors (CPUs), graphics processors (GPUs) or random access memory (RAM) as components of the computing core. In the first exemplary embodiment shown in cross-section in Fig. 1, several such exemplary processors and heat-generating components of a server blade are shown on a circuit board of the computing core 1. The power supply and data transmission to the outside from the heat consumer 30 takes place via data lines and cables that are not shown in detail in the figures. Thus, for the power supply and for the data transmission orSensor data from a temperature sensor or the like connect the computing core 1 to the modules and devices located in the housing 2, wherein the housing 2 is in turn coupled wirelessly or by cable via the connections 13 to control units or power supply lines, etc. located outside the device 10.

[0038] The housing 2 accommodates the various devices necessary for operating the device 10, and in particular the computing core 1 and the edge cloud computing system, such as a control unit 12, a data transmission module 14, a security device 15, and a thermal sensor device 9. A display 17 (not shown separately) can also be integrated into the side wall of the housing 2. The above list of units, modules, connections, and devices present in the housing 2 is only exemplary and can vary depending on the respective design of exemplary embodiments. In the exemplary embodiment shown in Fig. 1, the following components are accommodated in the housing 2 by way of example: A control unit 12, which serves as an essential component for controlling the modularly arranged, decentralized part of the server computer in the form of the device 10 with the computing core 1 or server blade.The control unit 12 controls and coordinates the interconnection and interaction with other similar modular devices 10. Furthermore, the server computer as a whole is at least partially managed by the control unit 12, and the control unit 12 also serves to coordinate the heat demand in the heat consumer 30 with the process fluid 5 and the operation of the individual computing cores 1 with sufficient cooling and based on the information from the overall system and a thermal sensor device 9 regarding temperature information.

[0039] For this purpose, a corresponding algorithm or program module is preferably stored in the control unit 12, as well as memory elements, databases, and the like required for such data processing and control functions of such edge cloud server computing systems. The data transmission module 14, which is also accommodated in the outer housing 2 here, is a data transmission unit with corresponding connections to data lines at the ports 13 and to the processing core 1 of the server computer. Data transmission to the processing core 1 and to units located outside the housing 2, such as central controllers or monitoring devices, can be carried out both wired and wirelessly. For this purpose, the data transmission module 14 has corresponding data transmission devices, such as network bus lines, Bluetooth, WIFI, WL.AN or similar, in order to enable both sending and receiving of data and information of the device 10 from the computing core 1, in particular with regard to the temperature of the process fluid 5 and the like.

[0040] As a thermal sensor device 9, for example, a monitoring device can be installed in the housing 2 of the device 10. This monitoring device protects against overheating of the computing core 1 and is configured to generate necessary information and signals for the control unit 12 and external controls, for example, of a heating system or hot water consumer 30 in an industrial plant. For this purpose, the thermal sensor device is connected either via data cables or wirelessly to various temperature sensors such as thermocouples or the like in the sleeve 3, in the process fluid 5, on the outer periphery of the device 10, or externally therefrom. Furthermore, a safety device 15 is accommodated in the housing 2.The control unit 12 can, for example, consist of hardware components and / or software solutions that serve to ensure data security during data processing by the computing core 1 of the server computer, as well as to prevent unwanted access to the system, which affects both the control of waste heat utilization by the device 10 and the operation of the edge cloud server computing system as such.

[0041] A second exemplary embodiment of a device 10 according to the invention for utilizing waste heat in servers, in particular in so-called edge cloud computing systems, is shown in a cross-sectional view in Fig. 3 and in a perspective view in Fig. 4. This second exemplary embodiment corresponds in many parts, elements, and configurations to those of the first embodiment, which was described above in connection with Figs. 1 to 2. A repetition of the elements and sections described there with the same reference numerals will therefore not be made here, and only the differences in the comparison of the second exemplary embodiment compared to the first exemplary embodiment will be briefly discussed below.As an interface 6 between the housing 2 located in the outer area of ​​a storage tank 20 or container for process fluid 5 and the sleeve 3 immersed in the interior of the process fluid 5, a connection element 8 in the form of a screw flange with screw holes for installation in an opening or aperture using fastening screws is provided here instead of the connection option provided with an external thread (see Fig. 4). This also allows for retrofitting or installation in standard openings of such tanks for hot water in domestic water systems, heating systems, or even storage tanks 20 for a process fluid 5 in industrial processes, such as a degreasing system or the like.Directly adjacent to the interface 6 in the form of the screw flange 8, there is also an essentially circular-cylindrical, elongated sleeve 3 inside which, on the one hand, the computing core 1 with the processors and heat-generating parts of the server computer is inserted, and on the other hand, a dielectric 4 provides electrical insulation between the outer wall of the sleeve 3 and the computing core 1.

[0042] To increase heat transfer efficiency, a form of fins 11 is provided on the outer surface of the sleeve 3 in this second embodiment according to Fig. 3, Fig. 4, extending in the longitudinal direction of the longitudinal axis X of the device 10. Such a configuration of the device 10 also provides a type of rod-shaped heating cartridge, in which waste heat generated directly by the computing core 1 is dissipated into the surrounding process fluid without the interposition of heat exchangers, fluid systems, pumps, lines, etc., as has traditionally been the case with normal cooling systems for server computers in the relevant field. Thus, even in this second embodiment, the costs for manufacture, assembly, and maintenance are comparatively low, and subsequent installation of the device 10 into existing storage tanks 20 of a heat consumer 30 is also readily possible.The design and shape of the sleeve 3 in particular can also vary in shape and size within the scope of the invention, as defined in the appended claims. For example, sleeves 3 with a rectangular cross-section can be provided instead of circular-cylindrical ones. Sleeves 3 can also be realized in which several computing cores 1 are integrated inside an insulating dielectric 4. The design of the outer surface with lamellae 11 can either be completely omitted or provided in a different type and shape that promotes heat transfer by convection. Here too, the further features and aspects described for the first exemplary embodiment are relevant, without, in order to avoid repetition, going into detail again here for each individual aspect of the components and parts provided with the same reference numerals.

[0043] Fig. 5 and Fig. 6 each show, in schematic side views, two possible applications of the devices 10 according to the invention for waste heat utilization in server computers. In both cases of Fig. 5 and Fig. 6, two different types of devices 10 according to the first and second exemplary embodiments described above are used. Alternatively, similar designs and shapes of the devices 10 could be installed multiple times in a storage unit 20 for process fluid 5 of a heat consumer 30, or only a single such device 10 could be coupled to other devices 10 from other areas in which a process fluid is absorbed or transported for the utilization of the waste heat.

[0044] In the application of Fig. 5, an upper device 10 according to the first exemplary embodiment, which was described above in connection with Fig. 1, Fig. 2, is installed in a container 20 for process fluid 5 of a heat consumer 30, and a second device 10 according to the second exemplary embodiment (Fig. 3, Fig. 4) is installed underneath it. The devices 10 for waste heat utilization, which are arranged one above the other in the storage 20 for process fluid 5, are each attached to the outside of the housing of the storage tank 20 as independent, modular elements of the server computer in the form of so-called server blades with the inventive design of the device 10 as a type of heating cartridge or heating cartridge, while the upper device 10 is screwed in via the connection element 7 with an external thread and the lower device 10 is mounted in an opening on the outer wall by means of a screw flange as a connection element 8.In this exemplary embodiment, the thermal storage unit 20 for the process fluid 5 is used for an application according to Fig. 5 for generating domestic water as warm water or for generating hot water in a heating circuit of a building heating system or the like as a heat consumer 30. The broken dashed lines show corresponding fluid lines for the process fluid 5 as domestic water or heating circuit water to the heat consumer 30 and to a conventional, conventional heat generator 40 in Fig. 5. During normal operation, ie without waste heat utilization by the devices 10, the process fluid 5 in the thermal storage unit 20 is heated via the conventional heat generators 40, such as a gas burner, an oil burner, electric heating elements, etc., and made available to the heat consumer 30 at the desired initial temperature.

[0045] In the event that the server computers of the devices 10, which are installed in the memory 20, generate sufficient waste heat through the computing cores 1, the devices 10 are switched on to utilize the waste heat for heating the process fluid 5 and / or, alternatively, the conventional heat generators 40 are switched off. By means of the control unit 12 and the thermal sensor device 9 or via a higher-level process control of a heating system, a hot water system, or the like, the devices 10 of the server blades are individually operated in such a manner. To compare the heat demand of the heat consumer 30 with the heat generation by the computing cores 1, corresponding sensor elements for the temperatures in the process fluid 5 and at the computing cores 1 are integrated into the devices 10 as described above, for example in the form of thermocouples, e.g.PTC resistance heating elements or similar heat sensors, which are provided for the acquisition and further processing of temperature data in the process fluid 5 and on the sleeves 3 of the devices 10 accommodating the computing cores 1. As can easily be seen from the schematic representation in Fig. 5, the devices 10 according to the invention can also be easily mounted on existing openings with standardized connections of the reservoirs 20 with process fluid 5, for example, openings provided with internal threads for the first embodiment (top in Fig. 5) or via a screw flange 8 with screw fastenings according to the lower device 10 in Fig. 5.

[0046] Fig. 6, in turn, shows, in a second application, a schematic representation of the use of the devices 10 for waste heat utilization in server computers in the case of a thermally heated process fluid 5 in a container or storage tank for process fluid 5. In this example, unlike the previously described example in Fig. 5, the process fluid 5 is not hot water or heating water from a heating system or a domestic water system in buildings, but rather is a heat consumer 30 in the form of an industrial process in which another warm process fluid 5 is used, for example, in a degreasing system or the like. Here, too, the thermal tank 20 for the process fluid 5 is coupled via hydraulic lines to a conventional heat generator 40 for the process fluid 5, which heat generator 40 accomplishes the actual heating and warming of the process fluid 5 during normal operation.Additionally or alternatively, in the case of significant waste heat from the processing cores 1 of the devices 10, the heating can also be carried out entirely by the server computer and its waste heat itself, or at least be supported. Otherwise, this exemplary embodiment does not differ further from the one in Fig. 5 described above, and here too, connections 13 are provided for various lines: firstly, the power supply from an external power supplier for the device 10. Secondly, for data transmission between controllers of the heat consumer 30, a central computer controller, or other elements necessary for the operation of the modular devices 10.And finally, lines which are attached to the connections 13 for data transmission with regard to the control data, sensor data, in particular thermal sensors, or other data which are required for the operation and for the use of the waste heat from the devices 10.

[0047] List of reference symbols

[0048] 1 processing core or server blade

[0049] 2 housings

[0050] 3 sleeve

[0051] 4 Dielectric

[0052] 5 Process fluid

[0053] 6 Interface

[0054] 7 Connection element in the form of external thread

[0055] 8 Connection element in the form of a screw flange

[0056] 9 Thermal sensor device

[0057] 10 Device for waste heat utilization in server computers

[0058] 11 slats

[0059] 12 Control unit

[0060] 13 connections

[0061] 14 Data transmission module

[0062] 15 Safety device

[0063] 16 external hexagon interface with thread

[0064] 17 Display

[0065] 20 storage or tanks for process fluid

[0066] 30 heat consumers

[0067] 40 Conventional heat generator

Claims

Claims 1. A device (10) for utilizing waste heat in server computers, in particular decentrally arranged modular edge cloud computing systems, in a heat consumer (30) or pipeline network fed with warm process fluid (5) such as hot water, in particular hot service water, heating water or warm process fluid in industry, with at least one computing core (1) or server blade, which generates heat during operation of the server computer and which is accommodated in a sleeve (3), with a housing (2) for accommodating supply, control and / or connection units of the server computer, wherein the housing (2) and the sleeve (3) are connected to one another at least via lines for power supply and data transmission to and from the computing core (1),characterized in that the sleeve (3) is a pressure-resistant and sealed submersible heating cartridge sleeve in the process fluid (5) for direct heat dissipation by the calculation core (1) with a dielectric (4) inside for electrically insulating the calculation core (D).

2. Device (10) according to claim 1, characterized in that an interface (6) with connecting elements (7, 8) for mounting on a particularly standard opening in a container (20) for process fluid (5) is provided between the housing (2) and the sleeve (3).

3. Device (10) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the sleeve (3) has an outer structured surface to improve heat dissipation, in particular in the form of axial or radial fins (11).

4. Device (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a thermal sensor device (9) is provided for detecting and evaluating a temperature of the computing core (1) and / or the process fluid (5).

5. Device (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it has a local control unit (12) of the modular decentralized server computer and computing core (1) in the housing (2).

6. Device (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that one or more connections (13) for the power supply, sensors and data transmission are provided on the housing (2).

7. Device (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a data transmission module (14) is provided in the housing (2) for communication with a central control unit, in particular for the edge cloud computing system and a hot water consumer system.

8. Device (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the sleeve (2) for receiving the rake core (1) has a rod-like, circular-cylindrical shape with a closed front end.

9. Device (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the interface (6) has an external thread (7) for a particularly standard thread of an opening in a container for process fluid (5).

10. Device (10) according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the interface (6) has a radial screw flange (8) with holes for mounting by means of screws.

11. Device (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the interface (6) for mounting the device (10) is provided with a quick-release fastener or a plug-in connection.

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