Hybrid Rack Cooling Unit Using Parallel Air and Liquid Heat Exchange
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Solution Overview
Problem
The increasing power dissipation of integrated circuit chips poses a cooling challenge in data centers, where traditional air cooling methods are inadequate, leading to recirculation of hot air and inefficient temperature management, especially in large server farms.
Innovation Solution
A hybrid air and liquid coolant conditioning unit is introduced, comprising a liquid-to-liquid heat exchanger and an air-to-liquid heat exchanger, with a shared facility coolant loop that receives chilled coolant and expels heat, allowing for efficient cooling of electronics racks by leveraging both air and liquid cooling methods.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If air cooling methods are used to cool electronics racks, then the cooling system is simple to implement, but the cooling efficiency is insufficient for high power dissipation
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling system is segmented into two independent loops: a facility coolant loop for general cooling and a system coolant loop for direct rack cooling. This segmentation allows each loop to be optimized for its specific function, with the system coolant loop providing high-efficiency cooling for high power dissipation racks while the facility loop handles overall environmental control.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from air cooling to liquid cooling by introducing hydraulic systems (coolant loops with pumps and heat exchangers). The system coolant loop uses liquid coolant to directly cool electronics racks, providing superior heat transfer efficiency compared to air cooling methods.
2Productivity
If air flow rate is increased to cool high power modules, then cooling effectiveness improves, but the temperature of exhaust air increases and stresses room air conditioning
Solution Approach 1:
The system replaces air cooling with liquid cooling for high power modules. The system coolant loop circulates liquid coolant through racks with high power dissipation, absorbing heat more efficiently and maintaining lower exhaust temperatures that don't overwhelm the room air conditioning system.
Solution Approach 2:
Different cooling methods are applied to different locations based on heat load requirements. Racks with high power dissipation receive intensive liquid cooling from the system coolant loop, while other areas are served by the facility coolant loop and room air conditioning, creating a localized quality approach to temperature management.
3Productivity
If liquid cooling is implemented to manage high heat fluxes, then cooling efficiency improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling system is divided into two separate loops with distinct functions. The facility coolant loop handles general environmental cooling, while the system coolant loop is dedicated to cooling high power electronics racks. This segmentation isolates the complexity of the liquid cooling system to only where it is most needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The facility coolant loop serves multiple functions: it cools the overall facility environment and also provides cooling support to the system coolant loop through the liquid-to-liquid heat exchanger. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate dedicated cooling systems.
4Ease of operation
If room air conditioning is used to handle heat load from air cooling, then the system is simple to operate, but it becomes ineffective for large server farms with recirculation problems
Solution Approach 1:
The system replaces reliance on room air conditioning with a dedicated liquid cooling system. The system coolant loop directly removes heat at the source (electronics racks) before it can contribute to recirculation problems, ensuring reliable cooling performance in large server farms regardless of room air conditioning capacity.
Solution Approach 2:
The heat removal function is extracted from the room air conditioning system and placed into a dedicated system coolant loop. This separation allows the liquid cooling system to handle high heat fluxes independently, preventing hot air recirculation issues that plague large server farms relying solely on air conditioning.
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 effectively manages heat fluxes by recirculating chilled coolant through both heat exchangers, reducing inlet temperatures and minimizing recirculation, thus enhancing cooling efficiency and reducing the load on room air conditioning systems.
Implementation Method 1
a liquid-to-liquid heat exchanger, a system coolant loop and a facility coolant loop. When the hybrid air and liquid coolant conditioning unit is operational within the data center, the facility coolant loop receives chilled facility coolant from a source and passes at least a portion thereof through the liquid-to-liquid heat exchanger, and the system coolant loop provides cooled system coolant to the at least one electronics rack, and expels heat via the liquid-to-liquid heat exchanger from the at least one electronics rack to the chilled facility coolant in the facility coolant loop
Implementation Method 2
an air-to-liquid heat exchanger, an air-moving device (for moving air across the air-to-liquid heat exchanger), and the facility coolant loop. When the hybrid air and liquid coolant conditioning unit is operational within the data center, the facility coolant loop receives chilled facility coolant from the source and passes at least a portion thereof through the air-to-liquid heat exchanger. The air-to-liquid heat exchanger extracts heat from air of the data center moving across the air-to-liquid heat exchanger and expels the heat to the chilled facility coolant in the facility coolant loop
Data Source
AI summary
A hybrid air and liquid coolant conditioning unit is provided for facilitating cooling of electronics rack(s) of a data center. The unit includes a first heat exchange assembly, including a liquid-to-liquid heat exchanger, a system coolant loop and a facility coolant loop, and a second heat exchange assembly, including an air-to-liquid heat exchanger, an air-moving device, and the facility coolant loop. The system coolant loop provides cooled system coolant to the electronics rack(s), and expels heat in the liquid-to-liquid heat exchanger from the electronics rack(s) to the facility coolant. The air-to-liquid heat exchanger extracts heat from the air of the data center and expels the heat to the facility coolant of the facility coolant loop. The facility coolant loop provides chilled facility coolant in parallel to the liquid-to-liquid heat exchanger and the air-to-liquid heat exchanger. In one implementation, the hybrid coolant conditioning unit includes a vapor-compression heat exchange assembly.