Liquid Immersion Cooling for Data Center Hard Disk Reliability
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Solution Overview
Problem
In data centers, densely packed electronic devices generate excessive heat, leading to operational failures due to temperature exceedance, and existing cooling methods are inadequate for components with low liquid immersion resistance, such as general hard disks, which are costly to replace with helium-filled or SSD solutions.
Innovation Solution
An information processing system utilizing a chiller, liquid immersion tank, air-cooling tank, heat exchanger, pump, and blower to circulate refrigerants and air, effectively cooling both high and low liquid immersion resistance components without immersing hard disks in refrigerants, thereby reducing construction and operational costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If electronic devices are densely implemented in a data center, then productivity increases, but temperature exceeds allowable limits causing operational failures
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling system is segmented into multiple independent tanks (first tank for liquid immersion cooling, second tank for air cooling) that can handle different cooling requirements separately. This allows high-heat-generation devices to be cooled by liquid immersion while low-heat-generation devices are cooled by air circulation, enabling dense implementation without temperature exceedance
Solution Approach 2:
Different cooling methods are applied to different locations based on heat generation characteristics. The first tank with liquid refrigerant is used for devices requiring intensive cooling, while the second tank with air circulation is used for devices with lower cooling requirements. This localized approach allows dense packing while maintaining temperature within allowable limits
2Temperature
If general hard disks are immersed in liquid refrigerant, then cooling effectiveness improves, but liquid enters vent holes causing read/write failures
Solution Approach 1:
Storage devices are segmented into two categories: hermetically sealed devices (SSDs, He-filled HDDs) that can be immersed in liquid refrigerant, and general hard disks with vent holes that are cooled by air circulation in the second tank. This segmentation allows general hard disks to be cooled effectively without immersion, preserving their read/write capability while still achieving cooling goals
Solution Approach 2:
Air is introduced as an intermediary cooling medium for general hard disks instead of using liquid refrigerant directly. The air circulation system cools the hard disks through convection without requiring immersion, thus avoiding liquid entry into vent holes while maintaining cooling effectiveness
3Reliability
If SSDs or He-filled HDDs are used instead of general hard disks, then liquid immersion resistance improves, but construction cost increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
Storage devices are segmented into two cooling zones: hermetically sealed devices (SSDs, He-filled HDDs) placed in the liquid immersion tank for maximum cooling efficiency, and general hard disks with vent holes placed in the air cooling tank for cost-effectiveness. This segmentation allows the system to use inexpensive general hard disks for applications where liquid immersion is not necessary, significantly reducing construction costs while maintaining adequate cooling
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses inexpensive general hard disks with vent holes in the air cooling zone instead of expensive hermetically sealed storage devices. This approach accepts the limitation of using cheaper components that cannot be immersed in liquid, thereby reducing construction costs while still achieving the overall cooling objective through the dual-tank architecture
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 maintains component temperatures within safe limits, reduces construction costs by using general hard disks, and decreases energy consumption by efficiently recovering heat, while allowing for easier maintenance and reduced refrigerant usage.
Implementation Method 1
a chiller configured to cool a primary refrigerant
Implementation Method 2
a heat exchanger configured to exchange heat between the primary refrigerant and the secondary refrigerant
Implementation Method 3
a pump configured to circulate the secondary refrigerant from the liquid immersion tank to the heat exchanger
Implementation Method 4
a blower configured to blow or inhale air for the second electronic component
Implementation Method 5
a coil in which the secondary refrigerant is cooled by the air
Data Source
AI summary
An information processing system includes a chiller configured to cool a primary refrigerant; a liquid immersion tank in which a processing device including a first electronic component is immersed in a secondary refrigerant; a second electronic component coupled to the processing device; a blower configured to blow or inhale air for the second electronic component; a coil in which the secondary refrigerant is cooled by the air; an air tank that is coupled to the coil and that includes a refrigerant pipe through which the secondary refrigerant flows; a heat exchanger configured to exchange heat between the primary refrigerant and the secondary refrigerant; and a pump configured to circulate the secondary refrigerant from the liquid immersion tank to the heat exchanger.