Modular Liquid-Cooled Server Chassis for High-Density Heat Dissipation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional cooling technologies in data centers, such as air conditioning, struggle to efficiently manage the high heat density generated by advanced computing systems like GPUs and ASICs, leading to high energy consumption and geographical limitations, while existing liquid-cooled solutions face challenges like high initial investment, maintenance difficulties, and scalability issues.
Innovation Solution
A modular liquid-cooled server chassis with a circulation section that includes a gas outlet pipe, liquid return pipe, steam treatment zone, and liquid collection zone, allowing for efficient coolant circulation and separate maintenance of individual servers without affecting others, using a condenser outside the module to prevent coolant contamination and facilitate quick maintenance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If traditional air cooling is used for high-density computing systems, then the system can operate with simple infrastructure, but the heat dissipation efficiency is insufficient and energy consumption is high
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical air cooling system with a liquid cooling system that uses coolant circulation through heat exchangers. The liquid cooling system substitutes the air-based convection mechanism with liquid-based heat transfer, achieving superior heat dissipation efficiency for high-density computing systems while reducing energy consumption
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a hydraulic cooling system where coolant is pumped through channels in the server chassis and heat exchangers. The hydraulic system uses liquid pressure and flow to efficiently transport heat away from computing components, resolving the contradiction between energy consumption and heat dissipation efficiency
2Productivity
If immersed liquid-cooled solution is used to achieve high heat exchange efficiency, then the server chip can be cooled completely without refrigeration unit, but the initial investment is high and maintenance is difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the server system into modular units with integrated heat exchangers and coolant circulation systems. Each server or rack becomes an independent cooling module that can be maintained separately, reducing maintenance difficulty while preserving high heat exchange efficiency through direct liquid-to-component cooling
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces heat exchangers as intermediary components between the computing hardware and the coolant system. These heat exchangers facilitate efficient heat transfer while allowing the coolant system to be accessed and maintained independently from the sensitive electronic components, thus improving ease of repair
3Loss of energy
If a large case is used to immerse multiple IT servers in liquid, then high heat exchange efficiency is achieved, but the initial investment increases significantly and maintenance requires shutting down all servers
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the cooling system into independent modular units, each capable of cooling individual servers or racks. This segmentation allows maintenance to be performed on one module without affecting others, eliminating the need to shut down all servers while maintaining high heat exchange efficiency through dedicated liquid cooling circuits for each module
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies localized cooling solutions where heat exchangers and coolant circulation are configured specifically for each server or rack position. This local quality approach allows different regions to be maintained independently, improving ease of operation while achieving efficient heat exchange where needed
4Device complexity
If single-phase immersed cooling is used, then the system structure is simple, but the heat exchange efficiency is low and maintenance causes towing loss
Solution Approach 1:
The patent utilizes two-phase cooling where the coolant undergoes phase transition (evaporation and condensation) to achieve high heat exchange efficiency. The phase change process absorbs and releases large amounts of latent heat, dramatically improving cooling effectiveness compared to single-phase systems while managing system complexity through controlled thermal cycles
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
Enables efficient heat dissipation with reduced energy consumption and maintenance costs, allowing for scalable and reliable operation of high-density computing systems without affecting other servers during maintenance, and improves coolant usage efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
the steam treatment zone is provided with a condenser for cooling the gas in the steam treatment zone
Implementation Method 2
The single-phase immersed cooling uses convection for its heat transfer
Implementation Method 3
The two-phase immersed liquid-cooled system is cooled by its efficient and uniform phase change
Data Source
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AI summary
The present application relates to a liquid-cooled server chassis including: a case; one or more liquid-cooling modules, each liquid-cooling module including a housing, a gas outlet valve, and a liquid return valve, wherein the gas outlet valve and the liquid return valve are opened in an operation of the liquid-cooling module, and the liquid-cooling module accommodates a single server and is filled with coolant during operation; a connector configured to connect the liquid-cooling module to a power source; and a circulation portion including an gas outlet pipe, a liquid return pipe, a vapour processing part, and a liquid collecting part. The server can be taken out separately for maintenance or replacement without affecting the operation of other servers. In addition, a condenser is disposed outside the liquid-cooling module so that the coolant cannot contaminate the server and the reliability of the chassis is improved.