Hybrid Immersion Cooling Server Panel Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing two-phase immersion cooling systems for high-density electronic racks face challenges in maintaining coolant levels during maintenance, leading to service interruptions and fluid loss, which complicates thermal management and reliability.
Innovation Solution
A hybrid server design that incorporates both direct and indirect two-phase cooling, allowing for continuous operation by maintaining coolant levels within the system during maintenance through a remote cooler and adjustable server panel, preventing fluid loss and enabling seamless integration of different electronic components.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If conventional two-phase immersion cooling systems are used, then high-density electronics can be cooled effectively, but maintenance requires removing the condenser which breaks the cooling loop and causes service interruption
Solution Approach 1:
The system is divided into two independent cooling loops: a first cooling loop with a condenser for the server blade, and a second cooling loop with a remote cooler for the chassis. This segmentation allows maintenance on one component without affecting the other cooling loop, eliminating service interruptions.
Solution Approach 2:
A remote cooler acts as an intermediary device positioned outside the immersion container, coupled to the chassis via a heat exchanger. This intermediary enables cooling of the chassis without requiring direct access to the condenser inside the container, facilitating maintenance while maintaining continuous cooling operation.
2Device complexity
If the condenser is packaged within the immersion container with submerged electronics, then a compact design is achieved, but fluid loss during maintenance causes overheating and service interruption
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling system is segmented into two independent loops with separate fluid containment. The first loop's condenser and the second loop's remote cooler operate independently, so maintenance on one does not compromise the other's fluid integrity or cooling continuity.
Solution Approach 2:
The remote cooler is extracted from the immersion container and positioned externally, coupled to the chassis via a heat exchanger. This extraction removes the risk of fluid loss affecting the entire system during maintenance, as the remote cooler operates on a separate cooling loop.
3Productivity
If CRAC units are used for cooling, then conventional racks can be cooled, but high-power density racks generate heat too quickly for effective cooling
Solution Approach 1:
The system transitions from air cooling (CRAC units) to liquid immersion cooling, submerging electronics in dielectric fluid. This hydraulic approach provides superior heat transfer capability, enabling effective cooling of high-power density racks that exceed the capacity of conventional air cooling systems.
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 the reliability and efficiency of immersion cooling systems by preventing coolant loss, allowing for easy maintenance and integration of various electronic components, while maintaining high-density cooling capabilities without service interruptions.
Implementation Method 1
a two-phase dielectric coolant in a liquid region and a vapor region
Implementation Method 2
a heat exchanger coupled to the chassis frame to be positioned within the vapor region
Data Source
AI summary
According to one embodiment, a server chassis for immersion cooling includes a chassis frame having a chassis base and an adjustable server panel coupled to the chassis base to receive a server blade to be mounted on the adjustable server panel. The server blade includes a first portion and a second portion. The first portion has a first set of electronic components and the second portion has a second set of electronic components. The adjustable server panel is adjustably mounted along the chassis base, such that when the server chassis is deposited into a container having two-phase coolant therein, the first set of electronic components is at least partially submerged into a liquid region filled with the two-phase coolant, and the second set of electronic components is positioned within a vapor region above an immersion line defining the liquid region and the vapor region.