Gravity Spray Cooling for Data Centre Server Cabinets
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional data centre cabinets rely on air cooling, which is inefficient and energy-intensive, and liquid cooling systems require high-energy pumps, leading to increased power consumption and reduced heat dissipation efficiency due to pressure losses across multiple server layers.
Innovation Solution
A gravity spray system for data centre cabinets where cooling liquid flows from top to bottom, eliminating the need for high-pressure pumps and ensuring uniform pressure and flow rate to all servers, using an oil distributor to manage the flow and distribution efficiently.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If traditional air cooling methods are used, then the cabinet structure is simple, but the heat dissipation efficiency is low and energy consumption is high
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies liquid cooling technology by introducing a cooling liquid circulation system that directly contacts server components to absorb heat. The system includes cooling liquid supply pipelines connected to server inlet ports and return pipelines connected to outlet ports, forming a closed-loop hydraulic cooling system that significantly improves heat dissipation efficiency compared to air cooling
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the cooling medium from air to liquid, utilizing the higher specific heat capacity of liquid to improve heat absorption efficiency. The system maintains consistent cooling parameters across multiple server layers by controlling liquid flow distribution, ensuring uniform cooling effect throughout the cabinet
2Productivity
If liquid cooling systems with high-pressure pumps are used, then heat dissipation efficiency is improved, but power consumption increases and PUE worsens
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies gravity-assisted flow by positioning the cooling liquid supply pipeline at a higher elevation than the servers. The cooling liquid flows downward to the servers under gravitational potential energy, eliminating the need for high-pressure pumps to overcome elevation differences, thereby significantly reducing pump power consumption while maintaining cooling efficiency
Solution Approach 2:
The system utilizes the natural gravitational field of the data centre environment to provide the driving force for cooling liquid circulation. The height difference between the supply pipeline and servers creates self-flow conditions, making the system self-sufficient in terms of fluid propulsion without requiring additional energy input from high-power pumps
3Volume of stationary object
If servers are stacked from top to bottom, then cabinet space utilization is improved, but pressure loss varies across layers reducing heat dissipation uniformity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements different pipeline configurations for different server layers based on their specific positions. The supply pipeline is positioned at the top to serve upper layers, while return pipelines are positioned at the bottom to collect heat from lower layers. This localized pipeline arrangement compensates for gravitational effects and ensures uniform cooling across all stacked server layers
Solution Approach 2:
The patent addresses the vertical stacking problem by introducing horizontal pipeline distribution at multiple elevation levels. The cooling liquid is distributed horizontally across each server layer through lateral pipeline branches, creating a two-dimensional distribution network that ensures uniform cooling across all vertically stacked servers while maintaining compact cabinet space utilization
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 design enhances heat transfer efficiency, reduces energy consumption, and lowers the overall Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) of data centres by minimizing pump work and ensuring consistent cooling across all server layers.
Implementation Method 1
A gravity spray system for data centre cabinets where cooling liquid flows from top to bottom, eliminating the need for high-pressure pumps
Implementation Method 2
a high comprehensive heat exchange coefficient of liquid cooling and very small heat transfer resistance
Implementation Method 3
a liquid cooling spray system is used, the specific heat capacity of cooling liquid oil is high, and the cooling liquid oil is in direct contact with a heating element, thus the heat transfer efficiency is high
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
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AI summary
The present invention provides a data centre cabinet, comprising a cabinet body, an oil distributor and a plurality of liquid distributors. The cabinet body is sequentially mounted with a plurality of server housings from high to low. A liquid distributor is provided above each of the server housings. The present invention also relates to a gravity spray system. On the one hand, as cooling liquid oil is concentrated in an oil distributor tank disposed above, the oil automatically flows along an oil passage under gravity, and there is no need to provide pressure in the oil passage, thus reducing the power consumption of an oil pump, improving the coefficient of performance (COP) of a heat dissipation system and reducing the overall PUE of a data centre. On the other hand, to solve the problem that the height differences between the servers in the cabinet caused by the top-down arrangement lead to inconsistent distribution quantity of the oil in a gravity oil distribution circuit, an oil quantity regulator in an oil distribution unit is used to ensure consistent flow rate distributed to each layer of server. The present invention is ingenious in design, rational in structure and innovative in method, breaks through the traditional cooling manner for large servers, has strong practicability and is convenient for popularization.