Serviceable Two-Phase Immersion Cooling System Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing two-phase immersion cooling systems for data centers face challenges in ease of deployment, serviceability, and minimizing fluid losses, particularly due to complex hardware designs and the need for significant modifications to existing cooling infrastructure, which can lead to service interruptions and inefficiencies when maintaining high-power density servers.
Innovation Solution
A highly serviceable two-phase coolant immersion cooling system design that separates the top section and immersion section with panels, allowing for easy access and maintenance while minimizing vapor loss, featuring a separable condensing section and rotatable panels to maintain an airtight environment, enabling efficient operation and scalability without disrupting the cooling process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If conventional two-phase immersion cooling systems are used, then thermal management for high-power density servers is achieved, but serviceability deteriorates due to complex hardware design and infrastructure modifications
Solution Approach 1:
The system is divided into separate modules: immersion tanks for servers, external condensing units, and modular rack assemblies. This segmentation allows independent maintenance of each component without disrupting the entire cooling system, resolving the serviceability issue while maintaining thermal management effectiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
The condensing section is extracted from the immersion tank and placed as a separate external unit. This extraction eliminates the need to break the cooling loop or drain dielectric fluid when maintaining servers, as the condensing function operates independently outside the immersion environment.
2Productivity
If immersion cooling is implemented, then cooling efficiency for high-density racks is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates due to service interruptions during maintenance
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling system maintains continuous operation during server maintenance. The airtight seal and external condensing design allow servers to be serviced without shutting down the cooling loop, ensuring uninterrupted thermal management and enabling ongoing operation of remaining servers.
Solution Approach 2:
By extracting the condensing function to an external unit, the system enables independent maintenance of immersion tank components without affecting the condensing operation, thereby maintaining continuous cooling efficiency during service activities.
3Temperature
If existing cooling infrastructure is modified for immersion cooling, then thermal control is achieved, but loss of substance increases due to dielectric fluid loss
Solution Approach 1:
The airtight sealing system converts the potential harm of opening the immersion tank into a benefit by preventing dielectric fluid loss. The sealed design with interlocking panels and gaskets ensures that even during maintenance activities, the dielectric fluid remains contained, eliminating waste and reducing replacement needs.
Solution Approach 2:
By extracting the condensing section to an external unit connected via sealed interfaces, the system minimizes openings in the immersion tank, thereby reducing opportunities for dielectric fluid loss while maintaining effective thermal control.
4Ease of repair
If servers are serviced in immersion cooling systems, then maintenance is performed, but thermal management deteriorates due to service interruptions
Solution Approach 1:
The sealed immersion tank design with external condensing allows maintenance activities to proceed while the cooling system remains operational. Thermal management continuity is maintained as the airtight seal prevents fluid loss and the external condenser continues to reject heat independently of server maintenance activities.
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 design enhances the serviceability and efficiency of two-phase immersion cooling systems, allowing for seamless maintenance and operation with reduced fluid loss, supporting high-power density servers and maintaining thermal control without service interruptions, thus improving data center performance and capacity.
Implementation Method 1
the servers generate heat that is transferred to the two phase liquid coolant thereby causing at least some of the two phase liquid coolant to turn into a vapor
Implementation Method 2
the vapor collection compartment collects the two phase liquid coolant in vapor phase that is entering the condensing section, and where the liquid collection compartment collects the two phase liquid coolant in liquid phase when the two phase liquid coolant in vapor phase are condensed to liquid phase by the condensing coils
Data Source
AI summary
A two phase coolant immersion system includes a top section and an immersion section, where the top section and the immersion section are separated by one or more panels. The immersion section includes at least a number of server slots to receive a number of servers, where each of the servers is at least partially submerged within two phase liquid coolant within the immersion section, where, when the servers operate, the servers generate heat that is transferred to the two phase liquid coolant causing some of the two phase liquid coolant to turn into a vapor. The two phase coolant immersion system includes a condensing section interfaced with the immersion section, where the condensing section includes a vapor collection compartment to collect two phase liquid coolant in vapor phase and a liquid collection compartment situated beneath the vapor collection compartment. The one or more panels prevent vapor loss to the environment.