Hybrid Server Liquid Cooling for Mixed Heat-Flux Components
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing liquid-cooling systems for servers struggle to match cooling efficiency with the varying heat-flux densities of different power consuming components, such as interfaces, central processing units, and hard disks, leading to inadequate cooling and maintenance challenges.
Innovation Solution
A server design that partitions the interior into a two-phase cold-plate liquid-cooling region for high-power components and a single-phase submersion region for low-power components, using a first heat exchanger to manage refrigerant phase transformation and direct contact cooling, respectively, with optimized refrigerant pathways and independent circulation to enhance cooling efficiency and maintainability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a single liquid-cooling system is used for all power consuming components, then the system structure is simple, but the cooling efficiency does not match with the heat-flux densities of different components
Solution Approach 1:
The server interior is divided into two distinct regions: a two-phase cold-plate liquid-cooling region for high-power components and a single-phase submersion region for low-power components. This segmentation allows each region to use the most suitable cooling method for its specific thermal characteristics, resolving the contradiction between system simplicity and cooling efficiency matching.
Solution Approach 2:
Different cooling methods are applied to different regions based on their specific requirements. The high-power component region uses two-phase cold-plate cooling with phase transformation for high cooling efficiency, while the low-power component region uses single-phase submersion cooling for simplicity and cost-effectiveness. This local differentiation resolves the contradiction by tailoring the cooling solution to local needs.
2Reliability
If two-phase cold-plate liquid-cooling is used for all components, then high cooling efficiency is achieved, but maintenance difficulty increases due to system complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the cooling approach by component type: two-phase cold-plate cooling for high-power components where high cooling efficiency is critical, and single-phase submersion cooling for low-power components where maintenance simplicity is more important. This segmentation resolves the contradiction by applying complex cooling only where necessary.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the cooling parameter (phase transformation capability) based on component requirements. High-power components receive two-phase cooling with phase transformation for maximum heat dissipation efficiency, while low-power components receive single-phase cooling without phase transformation, simplifying maintenance requirements. This parameter differentiation resolves the contradiction between cooling efficiency and maintenance ease.
3Ease of repair
If single-phase submersion cooling is used for all components, then maintenance is easier, but cooling efficiency is insufficient for high-power components
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the cooling approach by component power level: single-phase submersion cooling for low-power components where maintenance ease is the primary concern, and two-phase cold-plate cooling for high-power components where cooling efficiency is critical. This segmentation resolves the contradiction by matching the cooling method to the component's thermal requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the cooling parameter (introduction of phase transformation) for high-power components to achieve sufficient cooling efficiency, while maintaining single-phase cooling for low-power components to preserve maintenance ease. This parameter differentiation resolves the contradiction by applying advanced cooling only where thermally necessary.
4Adaptability or versatility
If the single-phase submersion region is enlarged to include more components, then more components are cooled, but the volume and maintenance complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies single-phase submersion cooling specifically to low-power components where this cooling method is most appropriate, rather than attempting to cool all components with a single method. This local differentiation maximizes the number of components that can be effectively cooled while minimizing the volume required for the cooling system.
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
The solution ensures high cooling efficiency for both high and low-power components, reduces system complexity and maintenance effort, and prevents dry heating issues, while minimizing energy consumption and system volume.
Implementation Method 1
the refrigerant inside the first heat exchanger can have phase transformation and take away a large amount of heat
Implementation Method 2
the refrigerant within the single-phase submersion region can directly contact the second power consuming component and cool it
Data Source
AI summary
The present application relates to the technical field of computers, and discloses a server and a liquid-cooling system for a server. The server according to the present application includes a crate; a partitioning component provided inside the crate, and adapted for partitioning the interior of the crate into a two-phase cold-plate liquid-cooling region and a single-phase submersion region; a first power consuming component provided within the two-phase cold-plate liquid-cooling region; a second power consuming component provided within the single-phase submersion region, wherein the single-phase submersion region is adapted for performing heat dissipation to the second power consuming component, and the power consumption of the first power consuming component is greater than the power consumption of the second power consuming component; and a first heat exchanger provided on one side of the two-phase cold-plate liquid-cooling region, wherein the first heat exchanger is adapted for cooling the two-phase cold-plate liquid-cooling region. The server according to the embodiments of the present application may overcome the defect of the liquid-cooling systems in the prior art that the cooling efficiency does not match with the heat-flux densities of some of the power consuming components inside the crate and it is difficult to satisfy the demand on cooling of the some of the power consuming components, and has a good maintainability.