Immersion-Cooled Electronic Subsystem With Sealed Connector Interface
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Solution Overview
Problem
The increasing power dissipation in integrated circuit chips poses a cooling challenge, as traditional air-cooling methods become inadequate for high-power modules and large server installations, stressing room air-conditioning systems and requiring more efficient heat management solutions.
Innovation Solution
A hermetically sealed container with coolant inlet and outlet ports and a hermetically sealed electrical connector is used to facilitate immersion-cooling of electronic subsystems, allowing coolant to flow through the container and cool the subsystems effectively, while maintaining electrical and network connectivity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If air-cooling methods are used with increased air flow rates to cool high power modules, then cooling effectiveness is improved, but the load on room air-conditioning systems increases and acoustic noise increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from air-cooling to liquid-cooling systems. Immersion cooling containers filled with liquid coolant directly contact electronic components, transferring heat more efficiently than air. The liquid coolant circulates through the system, absorbing heat from high-power modules and transferring it to external heat exchangers, thereby reducing the load on room air-conditioning systems while maintaining effective cooling.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent eliminates air-moving devices such as fans and blowers by replacing the air-based cooling mechanism with a liquid-based immersion cooling system. The liquid coolant naturally circulates through the container and heat exchangers, removing the need for mechanical air movement components that generate acoustic noise, thus reducing noise levels in the data center environment.
2Temperature
If more powerful air-moving devices are used to increase air flow through drawer or blade chassis, then cooling of high power modules is improved, but device complexity and acoustic noise increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces complex air-moving devices with a simpler liquid coolant circulation system. The immersion cooling container with coolant inlet and outlet ports creates a straightforward liquid flow path that contacts electronic components directly, eliminating the need for fans, blowers, and associated control mechanisms, thereby reducing device complexity while maintaining cooling effectiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent substitutes mechanical air-moving devices with a liquid-based thermal management system. The liquid coolant circulates through the immersion cooling container and external heat exchangers, providing cooling without requiring fans or blowers, thus eliminating the acoustic noise and mechanical complexity associated with air-moving devices.
3Loss of energy
If liquid cooling is implemented for selected components, then heat dissipation management is improved, but device complexity increases due to coolant circulation systems
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the cooling function with the existing electronic component housing by integrating immersion cooling containers into drawer or blade chassis. The coolant circulation system is merged with the structural framework of the data center rack, where heat exchangers are mounted on rack surfaces, thereby managing heat dissipation efficiently while minimizing additional device complexity through integrated design.
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 provides efficient cooling for electronic subsystems, reducing the load on data center air-conditioning units, eliminating the need for air-moving devices, and enabling higher performance systems with reduced acoustic noise and a smaller thermal solution form factor.
Implementation Method 1
The liquid coolant absorbs the heat dissipated by selected components/modules in an efficient manner
Implementation Method 2
coolant flows therethrough, the electronic subsystem is immersion-cooled by the coolant
Data Source
AI summary
Apparatus and method are provided for facilitating immersion-cooling of an electronic subsystem having multiple different types of components to be immersion-cooled. The apparatus includes a container sized to receive the electronic subsystem, and a hermetically sealed electrical connector disposed on a wall of the container. The electrical connector is sized and configured to receive an electrical and network connector of the electronic subsystem when the electronic subsystem is operatively inserted into the container, and to facilitate external electrical and network coupling to the subsystem. The apparatus further includes coolant inlet and outlet ports coupled to the container for facilitating ingress and egress of coolant through the container. When the electronic subsystem is operatively inserted into the container and coolant flows through the container, the electronic subsystem is immersion-cooled by the coolant.