Redundant Air and Liquid Cooling Module for Server Thermal Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current cooling technologies for high-end computing systems, particularly mid-range and high-volume servers, face challenges in managing heat dissipation effectively, especially with increasing packaging density and the limitations of prior art in handling failures of cooling elements, which can lead to system performance issues and cost-prohibitive solutions.
Innovation Solution
A redundant air and liquid cooled module with a cold plate, auxiliary drawer, heat exchanger, and air moving device, featuring fins for air cooling and multiple pumps or air moving devices in parallel or serial configurations to ensure continuous operation in case of failures, forming a closed liquid cooling loop.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a single cooling system (air or liquid) is used, then the device complexity is reduced, but the reliability decreases due to lack of redundancy against component failures
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling system is segmented into two independent subsystems: an air cooling subsystem and a liquid cooling subsystem. Each subsystem can operate independently to cool the electronic components, providing redundancy such that if one subsystem fails, the other can maintain cooling functionality and system reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements beforehand cushioning by pre-configuring both air and liquid cooling subsystems before operation. This ensures that if a cooling element fails in one subsystem, the other subsystem is already in place and can immediately take over, cushioning against the impact of failure and maintaining system reliability.
2Productivity
If packaging density is increased to accommodate more electronic components, then productivity is improved, but heat dissipation becomes more difficult and thermal management complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs both pneumatic (air cooling with fans and air channels) and hydraulic (liquid cooling with pumps and liquid channels) approaches to heat dissipation. The liquid cooling subsystem uses forced convection through pumped liquid flow, while the air cooling subsystem uses forced air convection, providing effective thermal management for high-density electronic components.
Solution Approach 2:
The thermal management system is segmented into separate air cooling and liquid cooling pathways, each with dedicated heat exchangers and fluid circulation systems. This segmentation allows optimized thermal control for different heat generation zones in high-density electronic packages.
3Temperature
If heavy fans, blowers and other cooling components are included to improve heat dissipation, then cooling effectiveness is improved, but weight increases affecting structural rigidity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic cooling control where fans and pumps can operate at variable speeds based on thermal load requirements. This allows the system to provide maximum cooling effectiveness when needed while reducing operational weight and energy consumption during normal operation, optimizing the weight-effectiveness balance.
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
The redundant cooling system enhances thermal management, maintains system performance even with component failures, and allows for higher microprocessor voltages and frequencies, reducing weight and cost issues while extending cooling capabilities beyond traditional solutions.
Implementation Method 1
a cold plate in thermal communication with a side attached auxiliary drawer
Implementation Method 2
The auxiliary drawer also houses a heat exchanger and an air moving device such that air can move through easily, to provide for air cooling
Implementation Method 3
an air moving device such that air can move through easily, to provide for air cooling
Implementation Method 4
the auxiliary drawer houses a liquid pump with piping such that the liquid pump with piping, the heat exchanger and the cold plate form a closed liquid cooling loop
Data Source
AI summary
A redundant assembly for an air and liquid cooled module is provided. The redundant cooling assembly comprises an air and liquid cooled module having a cold plate in thermal communication with a side attached auxiliary drawer. The auxiliary drawer houses a heat exchanger, a liquid pump with piping such that the heat exchanger, the liquid pump with piping and the cold plate form a closed liquid cooling loop. The auxillary drawer also housing an air moving device such that air can readily pass through the air moving device and the heat exchanger in order to provide air cooling. In one embodiment of the invention, fins are disposed on the cold plate to provide cooling in case the pump or the air moving device or both encounter a failure. In alternate embodiments, multiple pumps and/or multiple air moving devices can be used with or without the cold plate fins to provide redundancies.