Magnet Pump Sealing for Immersion Cooling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional cooling systems using fluorocarbon-based coolants face issues with refrigerant leakage due to material erosion and low drive force in sealed pumps, leading to inadequate refrigerant flow rates and cooling efficiency.
Innovation Solution
An immersion cooling apparatus employing a magnet pump with a sealed rotor shaft and bearing immersed in fluorine-based insulating refrigerant, which circulates the refrigerant between a refrigerant tank and a refrigerant cooling device, utilizing a refrigerant with a boiling point of 60° C. or greater and kinetic viscosity of 1 cSt or less to enhance flow rate and prevent boiling.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a conventional sealed pump is used with fluorocarbon-based coolant, then refrigerant leakage is prevented, but drive force is insufficient leading to low flow rate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the physical parameters of the refrigerant by selecting a fluorine-based insulating refrigerant with specific kinetic viscosity (1 cSt or less) and boiling point (60°C or greater). This parameter optimization enables the refrigerant to flow adequately through the sealed pump while maintaining sealing effectiveness, resolving the contradiction between leakage prevention and flow rate.
2Reliability
If material contact is used for sealing, then sealing is achieved, but material erosion occurs leading to refrigerant leakage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces mechanical contact-based sealing with magnetic field-based sealing in the sealed pump. The magnetic coupling mechanism transmits rotational force without physical contact between the drive side and sealed side, eliminating material erosion while maintaining sealing effectiveness. This substitution resolves the contradiction between sealing reliability and erosion prevention.
3Productivity
If refrigerant flow rate is increased to improve cooling efficiency, then cooling performance improves, but pump drive force must be increased leading to higher power consumption
Solution Approach 1:
The patent optimizes the refrigerant's kinetic viscosity to 1 cSt or less, which reduces flow resistance and allows adequate refrigerant circulation at lower pump drive forces. This parameter change enables improved cooling efficiency without proportionally increasing power consumption, resolving the contradiction between productivity and energy use.
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 system achieves efficient cooling with reduced electrical power consumption by maintaining a non-boiling state and ensuring adequate refrigerant flow, preventing refrigerant leakage and erosion, and maintaining the refrigerant in a non-boiling state to ensure effective heat transfer.
Implementation Method 1
a magnet pump that rotates an impeller with a rotor shaft using a magnetic field
Implementation Method 2
a circulation passage of the fluorine-based insulating refrigerant that is located between the refrigerant tank and a refrigerant cooling device
Data Source
AI summary
An immersion cooling apparatus includes: a refrigerant tank configured to store a non-boiling fluorine-based insulating refrigerant in which an electronic device is to be immersed; a circulation passage of the fluorine-based insulating refrigerant that is located between the refrigerant tank and a refrigerant cooling device; and a sealed pump that is arranged in the circulation passage, is configured to seal a rotor shaft with an impeller and a bearing portion for the rotor shaft in a sealed case while the rotor shaft and the bearing portion are immersed in the fluorine-based insulating refrigerant, and is configured to circulate the fluorine-based insulating refrigerant between the refrigerant tank and the refrigerant cooling device.