Immersion Cooling Subcooled Spray Nozzle Reliability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional immersion cooling systems face challenges with reliability and maintenance due to integrated liquid-cooled condensers, which can introduce failure points and affect cooling efficiency, especially in smaller distributed data centers.
Innovation Solution
An immersion cooling system that uses an air-cooled condenser and a subcooled liquid working fluid, where the vapor is condensed in the headspace and the subcooled liquid is reintroduced to cool and condense the vapor, eliminating the need for a conventional condenser and enhancing reliability and efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If liquid-cooled condensers are used in immersion cooling systems, then cooling efficiency is improved, but system reliability deteriorates due to additional failure points
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the condenser from the liquid cooling loop and relocates it to operate with vapor directly in the headspace. This eliminates the liquid-cooled condenser component that introduced failure points, while maintaining condensation functionality through direct vapor-liquid interaction in the immersion tank.
Solution Approach 2:
The working fluid vapor acts as an intermediary between the heat source and the condensation process. Instead of using a separate liquid-cooled condenser, the vapor itself mediates the heat transfer by condensing directly onto the cooler liquid surface, eliminating the need for additional cooling loops and components.
2Temperature
If integrated liquid-cooled condensers are used, then heat management is improved, but maintenance complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The condenser function is extracted from the complex liquid cooling system and simplified to a passive thermal process occurring in the headspace. This reduces maintenance complexity by eliminating pumps, tubes, and associated components that require servicing.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses its own working fluid in a self-regulating manner: vapor rises and condenses on cooler liquid surfaces automatically based on temperature gradients, without requiring active control systems or maintenance intervention. The working fluid serves and maintains itself through natural thermodynamic processes.
3Reliability
If conventional condensers are eliminated, then system reliability is improved, but vapor condensation efficiency may worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The system leverages the phase transition of the working fluid from vapor to liquid directly in the headspace. This natural phase change process provides efficient condensation without mechanical condensers, as the latent heat release during condensation directly pre-cools the returning liquid, maintaining high thermal efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the operational parameters by allowing the liquid temperature to be maintained below the vapor condensation temperature through the subcooling process. This temperature differential parameter enables efficient spontaneous condensation without requiring active cooling systems.
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 solution improves the reliability and maintenance efficiency of the cooling system by removing potential failure points and allowing for effective heat management without the risks associated with liquid-cooled condensers, while maintaining high cooling efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
The heat exchanger is configured to transfer thermal energy from the working fluid to ambient air to cool the working fluid
Implementation Method 2
the second fluid conduit provides fluid communication from the heat exchanger to a spray nozzle to spray working fluid into the immersion tank
Implementation Method 3
The vapor in the cooling liquid can be condensed and returned to the immersion tank
Data Source
AI summary
A thermal management system for cooling electronics includes an immersion tank, a working fluid in the immersion tank, a heat exchanger, a first fluid conduit, and a second fluid conduit. The heat exchanger is configured to transfer thermal energy from the working fluid to ambient air to cool the working fluid. The first fluid conduit provides fluid communication from the immersion tank to the heat exchanger, and the second fluid conduit provides fluid communication from the heat exchanger to a spray nozzle to spray working fluid into the immersion tank.