Hybrid Oil Immersion Server Segmentation for Cooling and Maintenance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current cooling systems for high heat generating components in computing systems face challenges such as high system design costs, maintenance difficulties, and inefficient heat dissipation, particularly with traditional oil immersion and direct contact liquid cooling methods, which often require shutting down the system for maintenance and are not compatible with horizontal computing rack configurations.
Innovation Solution
A hybrid oil immersion server with a liquid cooled segment for high heat generating components and an air cooled segment for reduced heat generating components, where the segments are removably secured in a chassis with a leak-proof connector, allowing for enhanced cooling and independent maintenance of components without shutting down the system.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If traditional oil immersion cooling is used for high heat generating components, then heat dissipation efficiency is improved, but system maintenance difficulty increases and system shutdown is required
Solution Approach 1:
The server system is divided into two independent segments: a liquid-cooled segment for high heat generating components and an air-cooled segment for reduced heat generating components. This segmentation allows the liquid-cooled segment to be maintained or replaced without affecting the air-cooled segment, enabling maintenance without full system shutdown and reducing overall maintenance difficulty while preserving efficient heat dissipation for critical components.
Solution Approach 2:
The liquid-cooled segment is extracted as a separate, removable module from the server system. This extracted segment can be independently removed, maintained, or replaced without taking down the entire system, thus solving the maintenance difficulty problem while keeping the efficient cooling capability for high heat components.
2Temperature
If direct contact liquid cooling is implemented, then cooling performance is improved, but compatibility with horizontal rack configurations deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The liquid-cooled segment is designed as a dynamic, removable module that can be easily installed and removed from horizontal rack configurations. This modular design allows the system to adapt to different rack orientations and configurations while maintaining superior cooling performance for high heat generating components.
Solution Approach 2:
The liquid-cooled segment is designed to be universally compatible with standard horizontal rack configurations while providing specialized cooling performance. The modular design allows it to function in various rack orientations and configurations, making the system versatile without compromising cooling efficiency.
3Ease of operation
If full system shutdown is performed for maintenance, then component access is improved, but system downtime increases
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the server into liquid-cooled and air-cooled portions, maintenance can be performed on the liquid-cooled segment independently while the air-cooled segment remains operational. This provides component access without requiring full system shutdown, thereby reducing system downtime while maintaining ease of access to critical components.
Solution Approach 2:
The air-cooled segment continues to operate during maintenance of the liquid-cooled segment, ensuring continuity of useful action. This allows the system to maintain partial functionality during maintenance, reducing overall downtime while still providing adequate access to high heat generating components for maintenance.
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 solution provides efficient heat dissipation and maintenance flexibility by utilizing liquid cooling for high heat components while maintaining reduced heat components with air cooling, reducing downtime and aligning with standard computing rack configurations.
Implementation Method 1
a chilled liquid is passed through conduits internal to the cold plate to remove heat from those components
Implementation Method 2
one approach has been to implement a 'passive' cooling system that serves to reject heat of a component by an airflow driven by one or more system-level air movers
Implementation Method 3
a 'passive' cooling system that serves to reject heat of a component by an airflow driven by one or more system-level air movers (e.g., fans, blowers, etc.)
Data Source
AI summary
A computing system includes a liquid cooled segment and an air cooled segment that are both removably received and secured inside a chassis with a fixed physical arrangement relative to one another. The fluid cooled segment includes an enclosure forming an enclosed space for placement of one or more high heat generating components. The enclosed space being in fluid communication with an inlet tube for receiving a cooling fluid and an outlet tube for expelling the cooling fluid that has been used to cool the high heat generating components. The enclosure includes a leak proof connector configured on the enclosure. The air cooled segment includes one or more reduced heat generating components. The reduced heat generating components are electrically coupled to the high heat generating components through the leak proof connector.