Localized Fluid Acceleration in Immersion Cooling Systems
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current immersion cooling systems for data centers face inefficiencies in fluid management and thermal management for high power density electronics, leading to suboptimal cooling performance and limited scalability.
Innovation Solution
The proposed cooling system incorporates an IT container with fluid supply and return channels, a fluid acceleration channel, and pumps to enhance fluid flowrate and localized heat exchange, allowing for adjustable and flexible fluid management tailored to specific IT equipment needs, including a heat sink in the acceleration section for high power density components.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If existing cooling infrastructure is used with immersion cooling, then compatibility with current data center systems is improved, but cooling performance is insufficient for high power density electronics
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the cooling approach into two segments: (1) utilization of existing cooling infrastructure for baseline cooling, and (2) addition of immersion cooling tanks with high-performance coolant for enhanced cooling of high power density electronics. This segmentation allows the system to maintain compatibility with existing infrastructure while achieving superior cooling performance through the immersion cooling segment.
2Productivity
If fluid flowrate is increased to improve heat removal, then cooling efficiency is improved, but system complexity increases due to additional pumps and control mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies different fluid flow rates to different regions based on local heat generation requirements. High power density electronics receive accelerated fluid flow through dedicated channels with higher velocity, while lower power components receive standard flow. This localized quality approach optimizes heat removal efficiency without requiring uniform high flow rates throughout the entire system, thereby limiting the increase in system complexity.
3Device complexity
If uniform cooling is applied across all IT equipment, then system simplicity is maintained, but cooling effectiveness for high power density components is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The immersion cooling system implements local quality by providing enhanced cooling specifically to high power density electronics through targeted fluid acceleration channels. The system recognizes different thermal requirements of various components and delivers appropriate cooling intensity to each region, ensuring high cooling effectiveness for critical components while maintaining overall system manageability.
Solution Approach 2:
The cooling system is segmented into standard cooling zones for general IT equipment and accelerated cooling zones for high power density components. This segmentation allows the system to maintain simplicity for the majority of equipment while providing specialized enhanced cooling where needed, resolving the contradiction between system simplicity and cooling effectiveness.
4Temperature
If fluid acceleration channels are added to improve localized heat exchange, then heat transfer efficiency is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Fluid acceleration channels are implemented only in regions where high heat transfer efficiency is critically needed, specifically for high power density electronics. The majority of the system continues to use standard cooling channels, thereby limiting the increase in device complexity to only the necessary localized areas rather than throughout the entire system.
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 design improves thermal management by increasing fluid flowrate and heat transfer efficiency, particularly in high power density regions, enhancing system resilience and versatility for various IT equipment configurations.
Implementation Method 1
one or more pumps disposed between at least some of the IT chambers and the fluid acceleration channel to increase a flowrate of the fluid from the corresponding IT chambers to the cooling unit via the fluid acceleration channel
Implementation Method 2
each IT chamber to store fluid and to receive IT equipment submerged in the fluid for immersion cooling
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3
Figure 4
AI summary
A cooling system comprises IT container including a plurality of IT chambers (103, 209a, 209b, 411, 703), a fluid supply channel (111, 213, 409) disposed at a bottom of the IT container to receive the fluid from a cooling unit and to supply the fluid to the IT chambers, a fluid return channel (112, 207, 313, 415) disposed on a top of the IT chambers to return the fluid received from the IT chambers to the cooling unit, a fluid acceleration channel (203, 311, 403, 711, 719, 1011, 1005) disposed separately from the fluid return channel to return at least some of the fluid to the cooling unit, and one or more pumps (215a, 215b, 307, 419, 505, 601, 603, 605, 713, 715) disposed between at least some of the IT chambers (209a, 209b, 411, 703) and the fluid acceleration channel to increase a flowrate of the fluid.