Server Tray Liquid Cold Plate for Uniform Data Center Cooling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cooling systems for data centers often fail to effectively manage heat generated by high-power electronic devices, leading to potential device failure due to inadequate cooling, especially in areas where forced convection is ineffective, resulting in increased costs and inefficiencies.
Innovation Solution
A liquid cold plate assembly integrated with a server tray package, featuring a base and top portion that form a cooling liquid flow path with multiple inlets and outlets to customize the coolant flow, providing direct liquid cooling and thermal interface materials for efficient heat transfer from heat-generating devices.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If forced convection cooling is used with fans, then cooling coverage can be provided for most devices, but devices in difficult-to-cool areas cannot be effectively cooled
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling system is segmented into multiple independent cooling zones, each with its own cold plate and coolant flow path. This allows different regions of the server tray to be cooled independently, ensuring that devices in difficult-to-cool areas receive adequate cooling without being limited by the constraints of forced convection alone.
Solution Approach 2:
A liquid coolant serves as an intermediary medium to transfer heat from electronic devices to the cooling system. The coolant flows through cold plates that are in direct thermal contact with heat-generating components, enabling efficient heat removal from areas where air-based forced convection is ineffective.
2Reliability
If multiple cooling methods are used to cover all devices, then all devices can be cooled, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The cold plate cooling system is merged with the server tray structure itself, integrating the cooling function directly into the mechanical support framework. This combination eliminates the need for separate cooling assemblies and reduces overall system complexity while maintaining effective cooling coverage.
Solution Approach 2:
The server tray is designed to serve multiple functions: structural support for electronic devices and integrated cooling through the cold plate system. This multi-functionality reduces the need for additional dedicated cooling components, thereby simplifying the overall system architecture.
3Ease of manufacture
If uniform coolant flow is provided to all devices, then simple flow management is achieved, but devices with different heat generation requirements cannot be optimally cooled
Solution Approach 1:
The coolant flow distribution is optimized for local heat generation characteristics. Cold plates are positioned and configured to match the thermal profiles of specific electronic devices, with higher coolant flow rates directed to high-power devices that generate more heat, while lower flow rates are sufficient for low-power devices.
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 system provides uniform cooling and custom flow paths to effectively manage heat from both high and low heat-generating devices, preventing overheating and enhancing the performance and reliability of data center components.
Implementation Method 1
a thermal interface between one or more heat generating devices and the cooling liquid
Implementation Method 2
a cooling liquid flow path through which a cooling liquid is circulated
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2A
Figure 2B~2C
AI summary
A server tray package includes a motherboard assembly that includes a plurality of data center electronic devices; and a liquid cold plate assembly. The liquid cold plate assembly includes a base portion mounted to the motherboard assembly, the base portion and motherboard assembly defining a volume that at least partially encloses the plurality of data center electronic devices; and a top portion mounted to the base portion and including a heat transfer member that includes a first number of inlet ports and a second number of outlet ports that are in fluid communication with a cooling liquid flow path defined through the heat transfer member, the first number of inlet ports being different that the second number of outlet ports.