Immersion Cooling Flow Sensing for Interoperable Liquid Management
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing immersion cooling systems lack interoperability between different phase cooling solutions, making it difficult to efficiently manage the thermal environment for high-power density electronic racks.
Innovation Solution
A sensing system that manages flow rates of liquid coolant in an immersion cooling system, allowing for interchangeable single-phase and two-phase cooling solutions by using a network of flow sensors and pumps to control coolant flow based on IT load and thermal requirements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a CRAC unit is used to cool conventional racks, then the thermal environment is maintained, but it cannot effectively cool high-power density racks due to insufficient cooling capacity
Solution Approach 1:
The system changes the cooling parameter from air-based (CRAC) to liquid-based (immersion cooling), enabling effective heat removal from high-density racks while maintaining compatibility with existing rack structures through a standardized adapter assembly
Solution Approach 2:
The adapter assembly serves multiple functions: it provides thermal coupling between the rack and coolant, acts as a flow distribution manifold, and enables interchangeability between different cooling configurations (single-phase and two-phase) without modifying the underlying rack structure
2Ease of manufacture
If air cooling is used for high-density racks, then the existing cooling infrastructure can be utilized, but significant cost is needed for upgrading the CRAC system to satisfy cooling requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling system is segmented into modular components: the existing rack structure, the adapter assembly that couples to the rack, and the external liquid cooling infrastructure. This allows incremental deployment and utilization of existing assets while adding only the necessary liquid cooling components
3Ease of operation
If air cooling is used for high-density racks, then the existing system can be maintained, but moving a large amount of airflow sufficient to cool the racks becomes a challenge
Solution Approach 1:
The system transitions from pneumatic cooling (air flow through CRAC units) to hydraulic cooling (liquid flow through immersion tanks), leveraging the superior heat capacity and heat transfer coefficients of liquids to achieve more efficient cooling with reduced infrastructure complexity
4Reliability
If existing immersion cooling systems are used, then cooling for high-density electronics is achieved, but interoperability between different phase cooling solutions (single-phase and two-phase) is lacking
Solution Approach 1:
The adapter assembly is designed as a universal interface that works with both single-phase and two-phase cooling configurations. The same adapter can couple to racks in either cooling mode, and the system can dynamically switch between phases based on thermal requirements, achieving full interoperability
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 sensing system enables efficient thermal management for high-density electronics by ensuring optimal coolant flow rates, accommodating different coolant types, and providing expandability and compatibility with existing data center fluid systems.
Implementation Method 1
a first flow sensor that is coupled to a first line, a second flow sensor that is coupled to a second line, and a third flow sensor that is coupled to a third line, the flow sensors are arranged to sense flow rates of liquid coolant flowing through their respective lines
Implementation Method 2
the first line is arranged to couple to a first pump for pushing liquid coolant drawn from the first line into an information technology (IT) enclosure
Implementation Method 3
heat from the high-density electronics is transferred into cooling fluid in which it is submerged
Implementation Method 4
Heat generated by the IT equipment is captured by the cooling air and is extracted by the cooling unit
Data Source
AI summary
According to one embodiment, a sensing system for an immersion cooling system that includes several flow sensors that are coupled to several lines that are coupled together and are arranged to sense flow rates of coolant flowing through their respective lines. The sensing system also includes a controller that is communicatively coupled to the flow sensors and is configured to receive sensor data from the sensors. The first line couples to a first pump that moves liquid coolant into an information technology (IT) enclosure, a second line couples to a second pump that moves coolant drawn from the enclosure into the second line, and the third line couples to a third pump that moves coolant drawn from a coolant source into the third line, the coolant drawn from the first lime is a combination of coolant from at least one of the second and third lines.