Immersion Cooling Tank With Capillary Foam for Faster Two-Phase Heat Exchange
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing two-phase immersion cooling methods suffer from slow flow of hot and cold layers, small contact area between liquid and vapor layers, uneven temperature distribution, and high costs due to excessive use of cooling liquid, leading to poor heat exchange efficiency.
Innovation Solution
An immersion cooling system with a polyvinyl alcohol foam suction unit that increases the contact area between liquefied heat dissipation medium and vapor space by guiding liquefied medium from the liquid storage space to the vapor space, using a porosity of 89-95% and pore size of 380-1100 μm, with 50% of the unit located in each space, and strategically placed to enhance heat exchange efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the existing two-phase immersion cooling method is used, then the system structure is simple, but the contact area between liquid layer and vapor layer is small resulting in poor heat exchange efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a porous foam board material with specific porosity (89%-95%) and pore size (380μm-1100μm) as the suction unit. This porous structure allows the liquid heat dissipation medium to be drawn into the foam board's internal pores, dramatically increasing the liquid-vapor contact area from a simple surface interface to a three-dimensional network of pores, thereby resolving the contradiction between maintaining simple structure and increasing heat exchange efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The foam board acts as an intermediary substance between the liquid storage space and vapor space. It mediates the heat transfer process by absorbing liquid through capillary action and providing a large internal surface area for vapor-liquid heat exchange, thus improving heat exchange efficiency without requiring complex mechanical structures.
2Reliability
If more water-cooling liquid is used to fill the space for components with low heating power, then the cooling coverage is improved, but the cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The porous foam board structure provides a large surface area within a compact volume, allowing efficient heat exchange with a reduced amount of liquid. The capillary network within the foam enables effective heat dissipation without requiring excessive liquid to fill low-heating-power component spaces, thus reducing both liquid quantity and cost while maintaining cooling coverage.
3Productivity
If the liquid and vapor layers are allowed to flow naturally, then the system requires no additional power consumption, but the flow speed is slow and temperature distribution is uneven
Solution Approach 1:
The foam board utilizes capillary action, a self-service mechanism that does not require external power. The porous structure automatically draws liquid upward through capillary forces, creating natural circulation and enhancing heat exchange speed without adding mechanical pumps or power-consuming components. This resolves the contradiction by achieving faster heat exchange through the inherent physical properties of the porous material.
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 system improves heat exchange efficiency and speed, reduces cooling medium usage, and achieves uniform temperature distribution without additional power consumption, enhancing overall cooling performance.
Implementation Method 1
at least one suction unit disposed on at least one inner sidewall of each of the tank bodies between the vapor space and the liquid storage space, and configured for attracting the liquefied heat dissipation medium in the liquid storage space and guiding the liquefied heat dissipation medium to the vapor space
Implementation Method 2
The two-phase immersion cooling method utilizes the phase conversion between the gas state and the liquid state of the water-cooling liquid to take away heat. Specifically, the water-cooling liquid in the sealed tank absorbs the heat energy generated by the heating element and gasifies
Implementation Method 3
the gasified water-cooling liquid condenses on a condenser after contacting the condenser, and droplets of the water-cooling liquid condensed on the condenser fall back into the water-cooling liquid by gravity
Data Source
AI summary
An immersion cooling system is provided and includes a box body, a plurality of tank bodies and at least one suction unit. The box body has a first accommodating space. The plurality of tank bodies are arranged in the first accommodating space, and each of the plurality of tank bodies is defined with a vapor space and a liquid storage space. The at least one suction unit is disposed on at least one inner sidewall of each of the tank bodies between the vapor space and the liquid storage space.