Integrated Liquid Cooling Manifold for Data Center Racks
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Liquid cooling systems for data center equipment face reliability issues due to high failure rates of connectors and the complexity of fluid connections, which can lead to leaks, especially between room and rack manifolds, making it difficult to maintain and scale effectively.
Innovation Solution
A modular, integrally connected liquid cooling manifold system that includes a room manifold and a rack manifold, designed with blind-mating fluid connectors and a ring-structure for redundancy, allowing for simultaneous support of multiple cooling modules and reducing the risk of connector failure and leakage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If multiple fluid connections are used to connect room manifolds and rack manifolds, then the liquid cooling system can support multiple cooling modules, but the reliability decreases due to high failure rates of connectors and potential fluid leaks
Solution Approach 1:
The patent integrates the room manifold and rack manifold into a single integrated manifold unit, eliminating the need for external fluid connections between separate manifolds. This merging of previously separate components removes the connectors that had high failure rates, while the integrated design maintains the capability to support multiple cooling modules through internal fluid distribution channels
Solution Approach 2:
The patent removes the problematic external fluid connectors from the system by integrating the manifolds. The extraction of these high-failure-rate connectors eliminates the primary source of reliability issues while the integrated manifold provides alternative internal connection paths for fluid distribution
2Ease of manufacture
If manual connection of fluid connectors is required, then the system can be assembled, but the complexity increases and leakage risk increases due to difficult-to-reach locations
Solution Approach 1:
By merging the room manifold and rack manifold into one integrated unit, the patent eliminates the need for manual connection of multiple external fluid connectors. The integrated design simplifies assembly to a single unit installation while internally providing the necessary fluid distribution pathways, thereby reducing both connection complexity and leakage risk
3Reliability
If integrally connected manifolds are used, then the reliability improves by eliminating connector failures, but the difficulty of shipping and handling increases due to larger size
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by dividing the integrated manifold system into modular sections that can be separately manufactured and then easily assembled. This segmentation allows each module to be compact enough for convenient shipping and handling, while the modular assembly process maintains the reliability benefits of the integrated design by eliminating external connectors between modules
Data Source
AI summary
Embodiments are disclosed of an apparatus including a room manifold comprising at least one fluid loop. A plurality of rack manifolds is fluidly coupled to, and projects from, the room manifold. Each rack manifold includes one or more connectors to couple the rack manifold to one or more components within an electronics rack. A plurality of valves is fluidly coupled in the room manifold, and each rack manifold is fluidly coupled to the room manifold between a pair of valves. The pair of valves can be used to terminate flow between the room manifold and each rack manifold.