Liquid Manifold Mounting Interface for Precise Rack Fluid Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional liquid cooling systems for electronics face challenges in ensuring precise alignment and secure connection of fluid couplings due to manufacturing variances, leading to potential leaks and poor cooling performance, especially under fluid pressure and spring-loaded coupling forces.
Innovation Solution
A mounting and alignment interface is used to couple the electronics tray with the manifold, ensuring alignment along three axes and distributing connection forces across multiple locations, reducing manifold deflection and allowing for lighter gauge materials.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional liquid cooling systems are used without a mounting and alignment interface, then the system structure is simpler, but manufacturing variances cause misalignment of fluid ports leading to leaks and poor cooling performance
Solution Approach 1:
A mounting and alignment interface is introduced as an intermediary component between the manifold and the rack support. This interface includes alignment holes that receive fluid ports and features that align the electronics tray with the manifold, ensuring precise fluid coupling connection while distributing mechanical forces.
2Reliability
If precise alignment of fluid ports is required to prevent leaks, then connection reliability improves, but manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The mounting and alignment interface is pre-configured with alignment holes and alignment features at precise locations during manufacturing. These pre-established geometric references guide the assembly process, ensuring that fluid ports from both the manifold and electronics tray align correctly without requiring high-precision manufacturing of all components.
3Strength
If connection forces are concentrated at single points, then the coupling connection is stronger, but manifold deflection increases
Solution Approach 1:
The mounting and alignment interface distributes the connection forces from the spring-loaded fluid couplings across multiple locations including alignment holes, attachment points to the rack support, and contact surfaces with the manifold. This segmentation of force application points reduces localized stress and prevents excessive manifold deflection while maintaining secure connections.
Data Source
AI summary
A server rack assembly is provided for an electronics tray and a manifold for delivery of cooling flow to the electronics tray. Mounting and alignment features on the server rack assembly, such as alignment holes and planar support surfaces, can help to provide predictable alignment between fluid ports on the manifold and fluid ports on the electronics tray. The server rack assembly can include a mounting and alignment interface coupled to the manifold and a rack support that can be coupled to the mounting and alignment interface. An equipment stop can be coupled to the rack support and can extend perpendicular to a side portion of the rack support. The equipment stop can be configured to prevent the electronics tray from being installed beyond a predetermined distance.