Localized Immersion Cooling Enclosure for Network Thermal Hotspots
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional cooling methods, including air cooling and indirect liquid cooling, are inadequate for efficiently managing the increasing heat dissipation from high-power or high-density electronic and optical components in network systems, leading to thermal challenges that conventional systems struggle to address effectively.
Innovation Solution
A localized immersion cooling enclosure system that utilizes a dielectric liquid to cool selected high-power components while allowing air cooling for others, providing a flexible and efficient thermal management solution by immersing components in a dielectric coolant within a sealed enclosure connected to a liquid cooling circuit, which efficiently transports heat away from the components.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If traditional air cooling is used, then device complexity is low, but cooling performance is insufficient for high-power components
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling system is segmented into multiple independent immersion cooling enclosures, each dedicated to specific high-power components that require cooling. This allows the complex immersion cooling technology to be applied only where needed rather than universally, improving cooling performance for critical components while limiting the overall system complexity increase.
Solution Approach 2:
Different cooling methods are applied to different locations within the network device. High-power components are placed in localized immersion cooling enclosures with superior cooling performance, while other components continue to use traditional air cooling. This creates a heterogeneous cooling system optimized for local thermal requirements.
2Temperature
If full immersion cooling is implemented, then cooling performance is maximized, but operational complexity increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The network device is divided into separate modular units with independent immersion cooling enclosures. Each enclosure is a self-contained module that can be independently operated, maintained, and replaced. This modular segmentation reduces operational complexity by isolating the complex dielectric liquid cooling systems from the rest of the device operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The dielectric liquid acts as an intermediary cooling medium that enables efficient heat transfer from components to the cooling system while maintaining electrical isolation. This intermediary substance allows the system to achieve superior cooling performance without requiring direct electrical connections through the cooling system, simplifying operational safety and maintenance.
3Temperature
If indirect liquid cooling is used, then operational complexity is reduced, but cooling efficiency is insufficient for high-density components
Solution Approach 1:
The dielectric liquid serves as an intermediary medium that directly contacts both the high-power components and the cooling system, enabling highly efficient heat transfer. This direct liquid-to-component contact eliminates the thermal resistance inherent in indirect cooling methods, achieving superior cooling efficiency for high-density components while the dielectric properties simplify system design by eliminating additional electrical isolation components.
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 approach enhances energy efficiency and cooling performance compared to indirect liquid cooling and simplifies operational complexity compared to full immersion cooling, effectively addressing thermal hotspots in network devices by providing a tailored cooling solution for high-power components.
Implementation Method 1
A dielectric liquid is disposed within the enclosure for immersion cooling of the electronic components in the enclosure during operation of the network device
Data Source
AI summary
In one embodiment, an apparatus is configured for insertion into a network device and includes a printed circuit board, at least one electronic component mounted on the printed circuit board and configured for direct air-cooling, and an enclosure comprising a plurality of electronic components, an electrical connector, a fluid inlet connector, and a fluid outlet connector. A dielectric liquid is disposed within the enclosure for immersion cooling of said plurality of electronic components during operation of the network device.