Immersion-Cooled Datacenter Shell With Heat-Dispersing Elements
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional immersion cooling systems face inefficiencies due to vaporization of the working fluid, which can impair cooling performance and require additional components like condensers for heat extraction, whereas the proposed system enhances thermal management by utilizing a liquid-submersible thermal management system with a shell, heat-generating components, and heat-dispersing elements to efficiently conduct heat from components to the ambient fluid without the need for active cooling mechanisms.
Innovation Solution
The system incorporates a shell with an immersion chamber containing a working fluid that surrounds heat-generating components, allowing heat transfer through vaporization and condensation within the chamber, with heat-dispersing elements on the shell's exterior to further dissipate heat into the ambient fluid, leveraging the thermal capacity of the working fluid and ambient liquid for efficient cooling.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If liquid cooling is used to effectively cool components, then cooling performance is improved, but vaporization of the working fluid occurs which adversely affects cooling performance
Solution Approach 1:
The harmful vapor phase is extracted and separated from the liquid working fluid through a phase separator. The separator allows vapor to rise and be removed from the liquid pool, preventing vapor from interfering with the cooling process while maintaining the liquid's cooling effectiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the physical state parameters of the working fluid by allowing phase transition between liquid and vapor. The liquid absorbs heat from components, vaporizes, then condenses in the heat exchanger, utilizing latent heat of vaporization and condensation to enhance cooling efficiency.
2Temperature
If vaporized fluid is allowed to rise out of the liquid, then the liquid can be maintained at lower temperature, but additional components like condensers are required which increase system complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The phase separator and heat exchanger are integrated into a unified structure where the heat exchanger serves dual purposes: condensing vapor and transferring heat to the ambient fluid. This merging reduces the number of separate components needed while maintaining effective temperature control.
Solution Approach 2:
The heat exchanger performs multiple functions: it acts as a condenser for vapor, a heat transfer medium interface, and potentially a structural support element. This multi-functionality reduces overall system complexity by eliminating the need for dedicated separate components for each function.
3Loss of energy
If heat-dispersing elements are added to the shell exterior, then heat dissipation efficiency is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The heat-dispersing elements utilize natural convection and radiation to transfer heat from the shell to the ambient fluid without requiring active cooling mechanisms. The system serves itself by leveraging ambient thermal conditions, eliminating the need for powered cooling systems while maintaining effective heat dissipation.
Solution Approach 2:
Active mechanical cooling systems (pumps, fans, controlled circulation) are replaced with passive thermal management through heat-dispersing elements. The system uses natural physical processes like convection and radiation instead of mechanically-driven cooling, reducing complexity while maintaining heat dissipation effectiveness.
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 enables effective thermal management of heat-generating components by maintaining low working fluid temperatures, preventing thermal damage, and efficiently exhausting heat without the need for active cooling systems, utilizing the thermal mass of the ambient fluid for enhanced cooling performance.
Implementation Method 1
The working fluid is positioned in the immersion chamber and at least partially surrounds the heat-generating component, so the working fluid receives heat from the heat-generating component
Implementation Method 2
The at least one heat-dispersing element is positioned on exterior surface of the shell to conduct heat from the shell into the heat-dispersing element
Implementation Method 3
The liquid working fluid can be maintained at a lower temperature by allowing vaporized fluid to rise out of the liquid
Implementation Method 4
The vapor in the cooling liquid can be condensed and returned to the immersion tank
Data Source
AI summary
A liquid-submersible thermal management system includes a shell, a heat-generating component, a working fluid, and at least one heat-dispersing element. The shell defines an immersion chamber where the heat-generating component is located in the immersion chamber. The working fluid is positioned in the immersion chamber and at least partially surrounds the heat-generating component so the working fluid receives heat from the heat-generating component. The at least one heat-dispersing element is positioned on exterior surface of the shell to conduct heat from the shell into the heat-dispersing element.