Pumped refrigerant cooling system with 1+1 to N+1 and built-in redundancy

Solution Overview

Problem

Current pumped refrigerant cooling systems for data centers face challenges in achieving reliable redundancy without significantly increasing costs and complexity, as complete redundancy requires duplicating all components and infrastructure, leading to high expenses and complicated designs.

Innovation Solution

A redundant cooling system is implemented with a primary and secondary cooling module, each equipped with a pump, condenser, and liquid receiver, where the secondary module takes over if the primary module fails, sharing a common condenser and receiver to maintain fluid flow and pressure equality, allowing for seamless switching and reactivation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If complete redundancy is implemented by duplicating all components and infrastructure, then reliability is improved, but device complexity and cost increase significantly

Engineering Contradiction:

ImprovereliabilityVSAvoidcomplexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges the condenser and liquid receiver components between primary and secondary cooling modules, allowing them to be shared rather than fully duplicated. This reduces device complexity and cost while maintaining reliability, as the shared components can serve either module when needed.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The condenser and liquid receiver are designed to serve multiple functions - they can operate with either the primary or secondary cooling module. This multi-functionality allows the system to maintain reliability through redundancy while avoiding the complexity of complete duplication of all components.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Reliability

If complete redundancy is implemented by duplicating all components and infrastructure, then reliability is improved, but cost increases significantly

Engineering Contradiction:

ImprovereliabilityVSAvoidcost

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges the condenser and liquid receiver components between primary and secondary cooling modules, allowing them to be shared rather than fully duplicated. This reduces device complexity and cost while maintaining reliability, as the shared components can serve either module when needed.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

3Reliability

If complete redundancy is implemented by duplicating all components and infrastructure, then reliability is improved, but the design becomes more complicated

Engineering Contradiction:

ImprovereliabilityVSAvoiddesign complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges the condenser and liquid receiver components between primary and secondary cooling modules, allowing them to be shared rather than fully duplicated. This reduces device complexity and cost while maintaining reliability, as the shared components can serve either module when needed.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

4Reliability

If primary cooling module is deactivated for maintenance or failure, then reliability is maintained through secondary module, but fluid flow and pressure equality must be maintained for seamless switching

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecontinuous operationVSAvoidswitching complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements pressure equalization between the primary and secondary cooling modules through the shared liquid receiver. This ensures that when switching between modules, there are no pressure differentials that would complicate the transition, enabling seamless operation while maintaining continuous cooling.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #12Equipotentiality

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 provides reliable redundancy while minimizing additional costs and complexity by enabling efficient switching between primary and secondary modules, ensuring continuous operation and reducing downtime without the need for full duplication of components.

Implementation Method 1

each equipped with a pump, condenser, and liquid receiver

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectHeat transfer: Heat Exchanger

Implementation Method 2

condenser for receiving refrigerant from the load. The refrigerant received by the condenser being at a higher temperature than the first temperature

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectCondensation: Condensation

Implementation Method 3

The primary and secondary modules also each include a pump for circulating refrigerant

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectPumping: Pump

Implementation Method 4

sharing a common condenser and receiver to maintain fluid flow and pressure equality

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectPressure equalization: Hydraulic Accumulator

Data Source

PatentUS10288324B2Pumped refrigerant cooling system with 1+1 to N+1 and built-in redundancy

Publication Date: 2019.05.14 VERTIV CORP

AI summary

A pumped refrigerant cooling system having cooling units with associated pumping units for providing working fluid to the cooling unit to enable cooling of a space. The pumped refrigerant cooling system also includes a redundant pumping unit which is activated when a primary pumping unit associated with a cooling unit becomes inactive. The primary pumping unit is deactivated in favor of the redundant pumping unit. Once the primary pumping unit is placed in a condition suitable for reactivation, the redundant pumping unit is deactivated, and the primary pumping unit is reactivated.