Liquid Cooling Blocks for High-Power Storage Heat Soak

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing air-based cooling systems struggle to effectively cool storage devices with high power requirements, particularly in servers with multiple storage devices, leading to heat soak issues that can affect other components.

Innovation Solution

Implementing a liquid cooling system with thermally conductive blocks and air bypass channels to remove heat from storage devices, using a radiator or rack-level heat exchangers to dissipate heat without exposing other components, and adjusting cooling allocations based on device needs.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Power

If air-based cooling is used for storage devices, then the cooling system is simple and cost-effective, but it cannot handle high power requirements of storage devices and causes heat soak issues

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepower handling capabilityVSAvoidcooling system complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

PowerVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The cooling system is segmented into multiple independent liquid cooling blocks, each dedicated to cooling specific storage devices. Each block contains its own cooling channels and can be independently configured, allowing the system to handle high power requirements of individual devices without overloading the entire cooling system.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Liquid cooling blocks serve as intermediary components between the storage devices and the cooling fluid circulation system. These blocks contain internal cooling channels that directly contact the storage devices, efficiently transferring heat to the cooling fluid while isolating the complex cooling infrastructure from the storage device interfaces.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Temperature

If liquid cooling is implemented for high-power storage devices, then cooling effectiveness is improved, but the system complexity and manufacturing difficulty increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecooling effectivenessVSAvoidmanufacturing ease

Core Design Contradiction:

TemperatureVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The liquid cooling blocks are designed as universal components that can be applied to various storage device configurations. The same basic block design with standardized cooling channels can serve multiple storage devices with different power requirements, simplifying manufacturing while maintaining effective cooling across diverse applications.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The cooling channels are nested within the liquid cooling blocks, with the blocks themselves nesting around the storage devices. This nested arrangement allows the cooling infrastructure to be integrated compactly within existing storage device form factors, reducing manufacturing complexity while maintaining effective heat transfer.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

3Loss of energy

If cooling capacity is increased for high-power storage devices, then heat dissipation is improved, but other components may be exposed to heat

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveheat dissipation efficiencyVSAvoidheat exposure to other components

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of energyVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The heat dissipation function is extracted from the general server cooling infrastructure and isolated into dedicated liquid cooling blocks for storage devices. This extraction allows high-power storage devices to dissipate heat through dedicated pathways using liquid cooling, preventing heat from affecting other server components while maintaining efficient heat removal.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

Liquid cooling blocks act as thermal intermediaries that decouple the heat generation from the heat dissipation processes. The cooling blocks contain internal channels that transfer heat from storage devices to cooling fluid, serving as a thermal barrier that prevents direct heat exposure to other server components while maintaining efficient heat dissipation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

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 efficiently manages heat from high-power storage devices, preventing heat soak and ensuring optimal cooling for all components within the server chassis.

Implementation Method 1

a block channel for liquid coolant to flow to remove heat from the storage device

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectThermal conduction: Conduction (thermal)

Implementation Method 2

liquid coolant to flow to remove heat from the storage device

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectConvection: Convection

Implementation Method 3

a system channel in which the liquid coolant may flow

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectFluid flow:

Data Source

PatentUS12524048B2System and method for cooling storage or accelerator devices

Publication Date: 2026.01.13 SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO LTD

AI summary

A chassis may include a member. The member may include a system channel for a liquid coolant to flow and a slot in the member for a storage device. A liquid cooling block may be associated with the slot in the member. The liquid cooling block may include a block channel for the liquid coolant to flow to remove heat from the storage device.