Immersion Server Slide and Support Leg for In-Tank Maintenance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing server cooling systems face challenges with overheating due to increased data consumption and computational demands, and liquid-cooled servers complicate maintenance operations due to the need to drain cooling fluid before servicing.
Innovation Solution
A server system with a support system that includes pivotable support legs to angle the server chassis relative to a horizontal plane, allowing for fluid drainage without removing the server from the cooling fluid, facilitating local maintenance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If the server chassis is kept submerged in cooling fluid for continuous cooling, then cooling efficiency is improved, but maintenance complexity increases due to the need to drain fluid before servicing
Solution Approach 1:
The support leg is designed to be pivotable between a first position (for normal operation) and a second position (for maintenance), allowing the server chassis orientation to dynamically change. This enables the system to switch between cooling mode and maintenance mode, resolving the contradiction between continuous cooling and ease of maintenance.
Solution Approach 2:
The server chassis is pre-positioned on the pivotable support leg during assembly, so that when maintenance is needed, the chassis can be quickly tilted to drain fluid without requiring complex disassembly or external draining equipment. The capability is prepared in advance.
2Ease of operation
If the server chassis is raised out of the cooling fluid for maintenance, then accessibility for servicing is improved, but cooling effectiveness decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The pivotable support leg enables selective positioning: the server chassis can be tilted locally to drain fluid from specific areas needing maintenance, while remaining partially or fully supported in the cooling fluid. This allows maintenance accessibility to be improved without completely removing the chassis from the cooling environment.
Solution Approach 2:
The dynamic pivoting capability allows the system to transition between fully submerged (optimal cooling) and partially raised (improved accessibility) states, enabling operators to choose the appropriate configuration based on whether cooling or maintenance is the priority at any given moment.
3Loss of substance
If the server chassis is tilted at an angle for fluid drainage, then fluid removal is improved, but structural stability may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The pivotable support leg provides a controlled, dynamic tilting mechanism that allows the server chassis to be safely angled for drainage and then returned to a stable horizontal position. The pivot mechanism itself provides structural support during the tilted state, preventing instability.
Solution Approach 2:
The pivotable support leg extracts the function of fluid drainage from the main server chassis structure, providing a dedicated mechanism for tilting and drainage that doesn't compromise the chassis's inherent structural stability during normal operation.
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
Enables efficient cooling and simplifies maintenance by allowing fluid drainage and servicing directly within the cooling fluid, reducing operational complexity and downtime.
Implementation Method 1
Servers may include hardware and software that provide resources, data, services, or programs to other computing devices. Due to the increase in data consumption and computational demands, some server components (e.g., various electronic components supported by a server chassis) may be at risk of overheating during use.
Implementation Method 2
A server system for use with a tank that contains cooling fluid... in which the server slide supports the server chassis with the server chassis submerged within the cooling fluid
Implementation Method 3
a first support leg that is pivotable relative to the server chassis to extend at a first-leg non-zero angle relative to an elongate direction of the server chassis to support the server chassis at a chassis non-zero angle relative to a horizontal plane, to drain the cooling fluid from the server chassis
Data Source
AI summary
A server system for use with a tank that contains cooling fluid can include a server slide that is immersible within the cooling fluid to movably support a server chassis relative to the tank and the cooling fluid. The server slide can be extendable along a vertical direction between a contracted orientation and an extended orientation. The server system can further include a support leg secured to the server chassis in a first position, the support leg being moveable from the first position to a second position in which the support leg supports the server chassis at an angle relative to a horizontal plane.