Micropump Immersion Cooling Manifold for Dense Server Heat Removal
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional convective air cooling methods in data centers are inadequate for managing high thermal design power (TDP) heat dissipation in densely stacked computing devices, leading to inefficient heat removal and potential component damage.
Innovation Solution
A fluid immersion cooling system using a dielectric oil circulation assembly with micropumps, shrouds, and radiators to manage heat dissipation, where dielectric oil is circulated through servers and water-based heat exchange loops to enhance cooling efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If convective air cooling is used in densely stacked computing devices, then the cooling system is simple to implement, but heat dissipation efficiency is insufficient for high TDP devices
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from air-based convective cooling to liquid-based immersion cooling. The cooling assembly circulates dielectric fluid through channels in contact with computing device components, enabling efficient heat transfer via liquid convection and conduction, which resolves the insufficient heat dissipation of air cooling for high TDP devices.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces dielectric fluid as an intermediary substance between the heat-generating computing device components and the cooling system. This fluid acts as a heat transfer medium that absorbs heat from components and transports it to cooling channels, enabling effective thermal management while maintaining electrical isolation.
2Volume of moving object
If computing devices are stacked vertically to increase density, then space utilization improves, but convective air current effectiveness decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The immersion cooling system uses liquid dielectric fluid that can be circulated through compact channels in close proximity to heat-generating components. This hydraulic cooling approach is not constrained by the vertical stacking geometry that limits air convection, enabling effective heat removal while maintaining high device density and space utilization.
3Use of energy by moving object
If natural convective currents are used for cooling, then energy consumption is low, but cooling capacity is insufficient for high heat density
Solution Approach 1:
The system employs forced liquid convection through pumped circulation of dielectric fluid, providing sufficient cooling capacity for high heat density devices. The liquid medium's higher heat capacity and thermal conductivity, combined with active circulation, deliver the required cooling power while maintaining reasonable energy efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the thermal management parameters by transitioning from air to liquid cooling medium, and from natural to forced convection. This parameter change enables the system to handle high heat fluxes from high TDP devices while maintaining controllable energy consumption through regulated fluid circulation.
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 effectively dissipates heat from computing devices, preventing component damage and performance throttling by increasing cooling capacity and reliability.
Implementation Method 1
as Thermal Design Power (TDP) increases, or an expected maximum amount of heat generated increases, the convective air currents may provide insufficient cooling. That is, the density of heat produced by a computing device may be too large to be removed by natural convective currents alone, such that forced convection is necessary to cool the computing device.
Implementation Method 2
Each shroud houses a radiator that is connected to a conduit of a heat exchange loop. The ducts fluidly connect to the shrouds... The channels fluidly connect the micropumps and the ducts such that the dielectric oil is transferred from the ducts to the micropumps through the channels.
Implementation Method 3
Each shroud houses a radiator that is connected to a conduit of a heat exchange loop.
Data Source
AI summary
An assembly for directing a fluid flow of a dielectric oil through a server includes shrouds and a manifold including ducts, a recess, cavities, and channels. Each shroud houses a radiator that is connected to a conduit of a heat exchange loop. The manifold is removably coupled to the shrouds. The ducts fluidly connect to the shrouds and are formed along an upper surface of the manifold. The recess receives a lower end of a server. The cavities are formed within the recess, and each cavity houses one or more micropumps that circulate the dielectric oil through the server. The channels fluidly connect the micropumps and the ducts such that the dielectric oil is transferred from the ducts to the micropumps through the channels.