Parallel refrigerant cooling in datacenter cooling systems

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing datacenter cooling systems face challenges in efficiently addressing varying cooling requirements across multiple computing devices, particularly in ensuring uniform cooling and managing competing demands for refrigerant distribution.

Innovation Solution

The implementation of parallel refrigerant cooling systems, which utilize flow controllers to distribute equal measures of liquid phase refrigerant relative to vapor phase across multiple parallel refrigerant paths, ensuring uniform cooling and addressing the highest cooling requirements.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Device complexity

If a single refrigerant path is used to cool multiple computing devices, then the system complexity is reduced, but the cooling uniformity and ability to address varying cooling requirements deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesystem complexityVSAvoidcooling uniformity

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The system divides the refrigerant distribution into multiple parallel paths, each serving specific computing devices. This segmentation allows independent control of refrigerant flow to different devices, enabling uniform cooling across diverse thermal requirements while maintaining manageable system complexity through modular architecture

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Each parallel refrigerant path is equipped with independent flow controllers that adjust refrigerant distribution based on the specific cooling requirements of connected computing devices. This local control ensures optimal cooling uniformity for each device while the overall system remains relatively simple

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

2Speed

If refrigerant is distributed to multiple computing devices simultaneously, then the cooling responsiveness to highest demands is improved, but the difficulty of managing competing cooling demands increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecooling responsivenessVSAvoiddifficulty of managing competing demands

Core Design Contradiction:

SpeedVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The system employs dynamic flow controllers in each parallel refrigerant path that automatically adjust refrigerant distribution in real-time based on the cooling demands of connected computing devices. This dynamic allocation enables rapid response to highest cooling demands while the automated control mechanisms simplify management of competing demands

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The system incorporates feedback mechanisms where flow controllers monitor cooling requirements and adjust refrigerant distribution accordingly. This feedback loop enables responsive cooling to highest demands while automatically managing competing cooling demands without requiring complex manual intervention

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

3Manufacturing precision

If equal measures of liquid phase refrigerant are distributed across parallel paths, then the cooling uniformity is improved, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecooling uniformityVSAvoiddevice complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system segments refrigerant distribution into parallel paths with independent flow controllers, where each controller ensures equal measures of liquid phase refrigerant are distributed to its designated devices. This segmentation achieves cooling uniformity while keeping individual path complexity low

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The flow controllers are designed with universal functionality to regulate refrigerant flow across multiple parallel paths, ensuring equal distribution of liquid phase refrigerant. This multi-functional design achieves cooling uniformity without proportionally increasing overall device complexity

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

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 approach enables efficient and uniform cooling of multiple computing devices, optimizes refrigerant distribution, and effectively manages competing cooling demands, thereby enhancing the overall cooling performance in datacenters.

Implementation Method 1

distribute equal measures of a liquid phase, relative to a vapor phase, of a refrigerant to multiple parallel refrigerant paths

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectPhase change: Phase Change

Implementation Method 2

cool a plurality of computing devices

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectHeat transfer: Conduction (thermal)

Data Source

PatentUS12279401B2Parallel refrigerant cooling in datacenter cooling systems

Publication Date: 2025.04.15 NVIDIA CORP

AI summary

Systems and methods for cooling a datacenter are disclosed. In at least one embodiment, multiple parallel refrigerant paths are associated with one or more flow controllers to cool multiple computing devices associated therewith, so that one or more flow controllers can distribute equal measures of a liquid phase of refrigerant, relative to a vapor phase of a refrigerant, to such parallel refrigerant paths based in part on a cooling requirement from at least one of such multiple computing devices.