Liquid-Cooling Heat Exchangers for Data Center Chip-Level Thermal Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional air-cooling systems for data centers are inadequate for efficiently dissipating the increasing heat generated by densely packed high-performance computing chips, as they consume excessive energy and fail to achieve effective chip-level cooling.
Innovation Solution
A liquid-cooling system is implemented, featuring liquid-cooling heat exchangers on integrated circuit boards with internal coolant circulation and a distributing device connected to a cooling tower for natural cooling, along with an active chilled beam that uses fresh air and surface cooling units to further reduce energy consumption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If traditional air-cooling terminal equipment is used to cool the data center, then the cooling system can operate with simple structure, but the energy consumption is high due to the need for fans and the cooling efficiency is insufficient for densely packed chips
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces air-cooling with liquid-cooling technology. Liquid cooling systems use coolant flowing through channels to directly remove heat from chip surfaces, providing much higher heat transfer coefficients compared to air cooling. This hydraulic approach enables efficient heat dissipation for densely packed high-performance chips while reducing the need for high-power fans and blowers.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical air-movement system (fans, blowers, ducts) with a liquid circulation system. The liquid cooling system uses pumped fluid flow through heat exchangers positioned close to heat sources, eliminating the need for large-volume air movement and associated mechanical components, thereby reducing energy consumption.
2Temperature
If air-cooling technology is used to meet increasing heat dissipation demands, then the system can maintain simple operation, but it fails to achieve desired chip-level cooling
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the cooling system into multiple independent liquid-cooling heat exchangers, each positioned to cool specific chip modules or integrated circuit boards. This segmented approach enables precise chip-level cooling control, allowing different thermal zones to be managed independently while maintaining overall system manageability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from three-dimensional air flow cooling to a more direct cooling geometry by placing liquid cooling channels in close proximity to chip surfaces. This dimensional change in heat transfer approach (from volumetric air cooling to surface-contact liquid cooling) enables effective chip-level thermal management.
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 liquid-cooling system effectively dissipates heat from chips at the chip level, reducing energy consumption and enhancing cooling efficiency, while the active chilled beam eliminates the need for fans, improving overall energy usage efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
dissipate heat from a first heat source disposed on the integrated circuit board through an internal circulation coolant in the liquid-cooling heat exchanger
Implementation Method 2
through an internal circulation coolant in the liquid-cooling heat exchanger
Implementation Method 3
a heat exchanger configured to cool the internal circulation coolant from the liquid-cooling heat exchanger to a first temperature through an external circulation coolant from the first cooling tower
Implementation Method 4
the first cooling tower configured to cool the external circulation coolant supplied via the second pipeline to a second temperature
Data Source
AI summary
A cooling system for a data center includes: at least one liquid-cooling heat exchanger disposed above each of the integrated circuit boards to dissipate heat from a first heat source disposed on the integrated circuit board through an internal circulation coolant in the liquid-cooling heat exchanger; a liquid-cooling distributing device comprising a first pipeline in communication with the liquid-cooling heat exchanger, a second pipeline in communication with a first cooling tower, and a heat exchanger configured to cool the internal circulation coolant from the liquid-cooling heat exchanger to a first temperature through an external circulation coolant from the first cooling tower; and the first cooling tower configured to cool the external circulation coolant supplied via the second pipeline to the second temperature, wherein the first temperature is higher than the second temperature. As a result, energy consumption can be reduced and chip-level cooling can be achieved.