Liquid Cooling System for High-Density Server Heat Dissipation

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Solution Overview

Problem

High-density server deployments in data centers face heat dissipation challenges due to excessive heat generation and unreasonable airflow, leading to high local heat phenomena that traditional air conditioning systems cannot effectively address, resulting in elevated junction temperatures and potential device failure.

Innovation Solution

A working substance contacted cooling system that uses a liquid working substance box with a main conduit dispenser and spraying pipes to directly spray heat-conducting liquid onto server components, allowing for efficient heat transfer without phase change, with features including partition plates, spray orifices, and a pump system for continuous circulation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of energy

If traditional air conditioning system is used for cooling data center, then ambient temperature can be maintained, but power consumption is high and cooling efficiency is insufficient for high local heat

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepower consumptionVSAvoidcooling efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of energyVSTemperature

Solution Approach 1:

The invention divides the cooling system into modular components: liquid working substance box, pump, main conduit dispenser, and multiple spraying pipes with spray orifices positioned at different heights. This segmentation allows targeted cooling of high-heat areas rather than uniform ambient cooling, reducing energy consumption while improving local cooling efficiency.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The invention uses liquid working substance (hydraulic approach) instead of traditional air-based cooling. The liquid is pumped through conduits and sprayed directly onto heat-generating components, providing superior heat transfer efficiency and lower power consumption compared to air conditioning systems.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #29Pneumatics and hydraulics

2Temperature

If air conditioning system is used, then general cooling is provided, but it cannot solve high local heat phenomena caused by excessive heat from single cabinet or unreasonable airflow

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvelocal heat dissipationVSAvoidcooling coverage
Core Design Contradiction:
TemperatureVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The invention applies cooling specifically where heat is generated most intensely. Liquid working substance is sprayed directly onto server components and cabinet surfaces experiencing high local heat, rather than providing uniform cooling throughout the data center. This localized approach solves high local heat phenomena while maintaining adaptability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The invention adds vertical dimension to cooling coverage by arranging spraying pipes and spray orifices at multiple heights. This multi-level spraying configuration enables the system to address heat dissipation needs at different elevations, improving both local heat dissipation and overall cooling coverage adaptability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

3Temperature

If forced air convection cooling is used, then cooling is provided, but thermal resistance is high and heat exchange area is limited

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveheat transfer efficiencyVSAvoidcooling system structure
Core Design Contradiction:
TemperatureVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The invention replaces air convection with liquid spraying for heat transfer. The liquid working substance directly contacts heat-generating surfaces, providing much lower thermal resistance and higher heat exchange efficiency. The spraying mechanism achieves this improved heat transfer without requiring complex cooling infrastructure.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #29Pneumatics and hydraulics

4Productivity

If liquid cooling is applied to high power density components, then heat dissipation improves, but system complexity and structural verification are increased

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveheat dissipation capabilityVSAvoidsystem structure
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The cooling system is divided into independent, modular components: liquid working substance box, pump, main conduit dispenser, and multiple spraying pipes. This segmentation allows the system to achieve high heat dissipation capability for high power density components while keeping each individual component relatively simple and easy to verify.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The liquid working substance system serves multiple functions: cooling server components, cooling cabinet surfaces, and providing targeted local heat dissipation. This multi-functionality achieves high productivity in heat dissipation without proportionally increasing system complexity, as the same basic components serve multiple cooling needs.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

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 enhances cooling efficiency by direct contact heat transfer, reduces thermal resistance, and increases the effective heat exchange area, leading to lower junction temperatures, improved reliability, and reduced power consumption compared to traditional forced air convection systems.

Implementation Method 1

the working substance contacted cooling system is configured that no phase change occurs in the process of heat transferring when the heat-conducting liquid working substance with good insulation directly contacts the server components that need heat dissipation

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectHeat transfer: Conduction (thermal)

Implementation Method 2

a liquid working substance cooling device configured to cool the heat-conducting liquid working substance with good insulation in the liquid working substance box

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectHeat exchange: Heat Exchanger

Data Source

PatentEP3457829B1Cooling system of working medium contact type for heat dissipation of computer and data centre
Publication Date: 2022.01.19 GUANGDONG HI 1 NEW MATERIALS TECH RES INST CO LTD
  • EP3457829B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3457829B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3457829B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A working substance contacted cooling system for computer and data center is disclosed. The system includes a server cabinet; a liquid working substance box arranged at a bottom of the server cabinet; a plurality of parallel and horizontally arranged partition plates with holes or grooves, on which server components are mounted; a main conduit dispenser vertically arranged, and communicated with the liquid working substance box through a main conduit; and a plurality of liquid working substance spraying pipes, a plurality of spray orifices being uniformly arranged on each said liquid working substance spraying pipe, each said liquid working substance spraying pipe being horizontally arranged above the server components for each layer and communicated with the main conduit dispenser; spraying directions of the spray orifices being corresponding to positions of server components; liquid working substance sprayed on the server components flowing back into the liquid working substance box.