Direct-to-Chip Cooling Flow Regulation with Temperature-Based Balancing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cooling systems fail to balance the challenge of maintaining a constant, or near constant, differential pressure across the system and allowing independent flow regulators to regulate flow through each direct-to-chip cold plate, resulting in over-cooling of idle chips and energy waste.
Innovation Solution
Maintaining a constant differential pressure across the system and using independent flow regulators to regulate flow through each direct-to-chip cold plate based on temperature, allowing for increased efficiencies by automatically accounting for individual processor usage without complex control systems.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If flow rate is kept constant to meet peak heat load requirements, then chip temperature is maintained, but energy is wasted by over-cooling idle chips
Solution Approach 1:
The system transitions from constant flow rate to dynamic flow rate adjustment. Flow regulators at each cold plate adjust flow rates in real-time based on local thermal conditions, allowing the system to adapt to varying heat loads and eliminate energy waste from over-cooling idle chips while maintaining adequate cooling when needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The cooling system is divided into independent zones with individual flow regulators at each cold plate. This segmentation allows each zone to be controlled independently based on its specific thermal requirements, rather than forcing the entire system to operate at peak capacity continuously.
2Device complexity
If a single CDU feeds multiple cold plates with different hydraulic characteristics, then system complexity is reduced, but flow maldistribution occurs
Solution Approach 1:
Each cold plate is equipped with its own flow regulator that locally adjusts flow rates according to its specific hydraulic characteristics and thermal load. This local control compensates for differences in hydraulic resistance among various cold plates, ensuring balanced flow distribution without requiring complex centralized control.
Solution Approach 2:
The flow regulators at each cold plate autonomously adjust their own flow rates based on local temperature sensors and thermal conditions. This self-regulating mechanism eliminates the need for complex external control systems while achieving balanced flow distribution across all cold plates.
3Use of energy by moving object
If flow regulators are added to each cold plate for independent control, then energy efficiency improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Each flow regulator is equipped with local temperature sensors and autonomously adjusts flow rates based on real-time thermal conditions at its respective cold plate. This self-regulating capability eliminates the need for complex centralized control systems, sensors, and actuators, achieving energy efficiency through simple, distributed control.
Solution Approach 2:
The system replaces complex electronic control systems with simple mechanical or electro-mechanical flow regulators that respond directly to local temperature conditions. This substitution achieves sophisticated flow control with minimal electronic complexity.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach reduces power consumption, provides self-balancing across a plurality of cold plates, improves system reactivity, and maximizes free cooling by minimizing effective flow rates and maintaining constant return temperatures.
Implementation Method 1
a flow regulator to regulate flow through the warm fluid line based at least in part on a temperature of the cooling fluid flowing through the warm fluid line
Implementation Method 2
a cold plate thermally coupled to a processor
Implementation Method 3
a pump and/or a heat exchanger
Implementation Method 4
a heat exchanger
Data Source
AI summary
A cooling system for direct-to-chip cooling can include a cold manifold for distributing a cooling fluid within an enclosure, a warm manifold for receiving the cooling fluid from within the enclosure, a cold fluid line fluidically coupled between the cold manifold and a cold plate thermally coupled to a processor, a warm fluid line fluidically coupled between the warm manifold and the cold plate, and a flow regulator to regulate flow through the warm fluid line based at least in part on a temperature of the cooling fluid flowing through the warm fluid line. The cooling system can include a cold fluid line, a cold plate, a warm fluid line, and a flow regulator for each processor. The cooling system can include a pump that maintains a differential pressure between the cold manifold and the warm manifold independently of a flow rate through individual regulators.