Modular Cooled Electronics Module for Datacenter Heat Dissipation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current cooling technologies for electronic devices in datacenters and similar facilities face challenges in efficiently managing heat dissipation, particularly in terms of weight, cost, and ease of deployment and replacement, with existing liquid cooling methods often requiring complex infrastructure and being prone to leakage and weight issues.
Innovation Solution
The development of cooled electronics modules (CEMs) that utilize a lightweight, low-cost cooling device with a coolant container and connection block, allowing for fluid submersion of electronics, enabling easy electrical and network connectivity while minimizing weight and facilitating rapid deployment and replacement, using a flexible coolant container with valved inlets and outlets for efficient coolant flow.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If traditional liquid cooling infrastructure is used, then heat dissipation effectiveness is improved, but device weight and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling system is divided into modular cooled electronics modules (CEMs) that can be independently deployed and replaced. Each CEM contains its own coolant container and electronics assembly, eliminating the need for complex centralized cooling infrastructure and reducing overall system weight while maintaining effective heat dissipation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs flexible coolant containers with thin-walled constructions that provide sufficient coolant containment while minimizing the weight of the cooling system. The flexible container design allows for efficient heat transfer surfaces without adding excessive structural weight.
2Reliability
If complex cooling infrastructure is implemented, then cooling reliability is improved, but ease of deployment and replacement deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the cooling system into self-contained CEM units with integrated coolant containers and electronics, the system achieves high cooling reliability through proper thermal management while enabling simple plug-and-play deployment and replacement operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The CEM design incorporates self-contained coolant containers with integrated inlet/outlet ports and sealing mechanisms that automatically maintain coolant containment and thermal contact when properly installed, reducing the need for complex installation procedures while ensuring reliable operation.
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple separate components are used for coolant containment and electronics, then adaptability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the coolant container, electronics housing, connection block, and sealing elements into an integrated CEM assembly. This merging reduces the number of separate components and assembly steps while maintaining the adaptability to support various electronics configurations through the modular design.
Solution Approach 2:
The CEM design incorporates universal interfaces including standardized electrical connectors and coolant ports that can accommodate different electronics configurations. The single-opening unitary container design provides universal adaptability while simplifying the overall structure and reducing component count.
4Ease of manufacture
If traditional cooling devices are used, then manufacturing capability is maintained, but manufacturing efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The coolant containers are manufactured as single-opening unitary structures with pre-formed inlet/outlet ports and integrated sealing surfaces. This preliminary formation of all necessary features during container manufacturing eliminates subsequent assembly steps and improves overall manufacturing efficiency while maintaining production capability.
Solution Approach 2:
By combining multiple functions (coolant containment, electrical connection, sealing, and structural support) into integrated CEM assemblies, the manufacturing process is simplified from assembling multiple separate components to producing fewer integrated units, thereby improving manufacturing efficiency.
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 solution provides a lightweight, cost-effective, and reliable cooling method that reduces the weight of coolant modules, allows for rapid supplementation or replacement, and increases manufacturing efficiency by using single-opening unitary coolant containers, thereby enhancing the reliability and ease of installation in datacenter environments.
Implementation Method 1
coolant fluid flow that carries heat away from electronic devices that are submerged in the coolant fluid
Data Source
AI summary
A cooled electronics module (CEM) includes a cooling device and a server blade or other electronic device that is operationally enclosed in a container of the cooling device by a closure secured to a connection block. Each CEM is pluggable for electronic communication and coolant fluid flow. The connection block has electronics connectors to connect the contained electronic device, which is submerged in coolant, with external networks, power, and other infrastructure. CEMs may be installed in an initial deployment of electronic devices, or later to rapidly replace or supplement an operating electronic device. Installation may include placing the CEM on a rail which has coolant lines and electrical lines and connectors, putting coolant in the CEM before or after placement, and making connections for power, data signal, and coolant flow. CEMs may be constrained as to the number of motherboards or volume or thermal energy per CEM pool of coolant.