Immersion Cooling System with Rotating Lids for Server Blade Maintenance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing two-phase immersion cooling systems lack design considerations for electronics reliability and fluid loss, as well as system resilience for varying power density requirements, particularly during maintenance of high-density electronic racks.
Innovation Solution
An integrated immersion cooling system with a two-phase cooling container that includes a condensing set with a main condensing unit and rotating lids, allowing for separate vapor and liquid regions, and a fluid level sensor to maintain coolant levels, enabling efficient heat transfer and modular design for different power densities.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If immersion cooling is implemented in existing data centers, then cooling effectiveness for high-density racks is improved, but system complexity and risk of fluid loss increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system is divided into modular rack units, each with its own sealed cooling container. This segmentation isolates the immersion cooling fluid to specific rack modules, reducing overall system complexity while maintaining effective cooling for high-density electronics.
Solution Approach 2:
A vapor barrier film is introduced as an intermediary component between the liquid coolant and the atmosphere. This film prevents fluid loss through evaporation and spills during maintenance operations, addressing the complexity and risk issues while preserving cooling effectiveness.
2Use of energy by moving object
If servers are submerged in coolant for cooling, then heat transfer efficiency is improved, but electronics reliability during maintenance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system employs dynamic lids that can rotate open and closed on each rack module. During normal operation, lids are closed to maintain immersion cooling and high heat transfer efficiency. During maintenance, lids can be opened to allow server removal without exposing electronics to fluid loss risks, thus maintaining reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The vapor barrier film is pre-installed on the inner surface of each lid to prevent fluid loss before any maintenance operation occurs. This preliminary protective measure ensures that even if lids are opened during maintenance, the coolant cannot spill or evaporate, protecting electronics reliability.
3Temperature
If CRAC units are upgraded to cool high-density racks, then thermal management capability is improved, but cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the cooling function from traditional CRAC units and implements it directly at the rack level through integrated immersion cooling containers. This eliminates the need for expensive CRAC upgrades while providing superior thermal management for high-density electronics.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the cooling parameter from air-based convection (CRAC) to liquid immersion conduction, which provides significantly higher heat transfer coefficients. This parameter change delivers superior thermal management capability at lower cost by eliminating the need for high-capacity CRAC infrastructure.
4Temperature
If airflow is increased to cool high-density racks, then cooling capacity is improved, but energy consumption and system complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical air moving system (fans, blowers, high-velocity airflow) with a passive liquid immersion system. Heat is transferred directly from electronics to coolant through conduction and natural convection, eliminating the need for high-energy airflow generation while providing superior cooling capacity.
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 provides high-efficient fluid operation, ease of deployment, and modular expandability, accommodating various server configurations and data center environments while maintaining thermal control and preventing fluid loss.
Implementation Method 1
While the electronics operate, the electronics generate heat that is transferred into the two-phase coolant thereby causing at least some of the two-phase coolant to turn into a vapor
Implementation Method 2
The condensing unit is positioned and integrated below the cover panel and within the vapor region, the condensing unit being configured to condense the vapor back into the two-phase coolant
Data Source
AI summary
According to one embodiment, an immersion cooling system may include a container to receive one or more server blades, each having electronics, at least partially submerged within a two-phase coolant contained within the container. The immersion cooling system may also include a cover panel to cover the phase change area. This area may include a liquid region defined to contain the two-phase coolant therein, and a vapor region defined between the cover panel and a surface of the two-phase coolant. The cover panel includes a plurality of slots, covered with rotatable panels. At least one of the slots is configured to allow a server blade to be inserted into the liquid region and at least partially submerged into the two-phase coolant. The slots may be configured to allow a condensing unit to be inserted into the vapor region.