External Robotic Transfer for Liquid Immersion Cooling Hardware
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing liquid immersion cooling systems for computing devices require efficient and secure transportation of components between storage facilities and cooling systems, which is currently not automated and poses risks to the components during handling.
Innovation Solution
An autonomous robotic vehicle system that can map facilities, navigate to liquid cooling systems, align with the system, receive and secure computing devices, and transport them to storage facilities, utilizing communication with a central server for control and sensor data for safe operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If manual handling and transportation of computing devices is used, then operational flexibility is maintained, but component damage risk increases and operational efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The robotic system autonomously performs the complete transportation workflow including self-navigation to cooling systems, self-alignment with devices, secure gripping, and self-transport to storage facilities without human intervention, thereby eliminating manual handling risks while achieving full automation
Solution Approach 2:
The robotic vehicle serves as an intermediary between the liquid cooling system and storage facilities, providing a controlled, automated transport interface that protects computing devices during transit while maintaining system integration through central server communication
2Productivity
If automated robotic transportation is implemented, then component damage risk is reduced and operational efficiency improves, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The robotic vehicle is designed as a multi-functional platform that combines navigation, device acquisition, secure transport, and delivery capabilities in a single system, allowing one complex device to perform multiple functions rather than requiring separate specialized systems for each task
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the navigation system, gripping mechanism, transport platform, and control systems into a single integrated robotic vehicle that operates autonomously, reducing the need for multiple separate automated systems and simplifying the overall infrastructure
3Reliability
If secure enclosure is used during transport, then component protection is improved, but transportation time increases due to enclosure operations
Solution Approach 1:
The robotic system preliminarily positions the computing device onto the transport platform before initiating enclosure closure, and preliminarily navigates to the cooling system before device acquisition, optimizing the sequence of operations to minimize total transportation time while maintaining protection
Data Source
AI summary
An autonomous vehicle is disclosed which can map a facility and navigate its way to a particular liquid cooling system. The vehicle can be in communication with a central server, which can control the vehicle. The vehicle can align itself against the liquid cooling system and receive a computing device on a platform of the vehicle. The platform can be lowered and secured in an enclosure of the vehicle. Then, the vehicle can transport the computing device to a storage facility.