Two-Phase Liquid Cooling Impedance Balancing
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Solution Overview
Problem
In modern server systems, unbalanced cooling liquid flow rates due to varying thermal design power among servers lead to uneven pressure drops and inadequate cooling, potentially causing chip overheating and damage.
Innovation Solution
A two-phase liquid cooling system with an impedance device, such as ball valves or capillary tubes, is used to balance the cooling liquid flow rates by adjusting impedance in each cooling branch, ensuring uniform pressure distribution and efficient heat dissipation across servers with different thermal loads.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If cooling liquid is circulated through multiple servers with different thermal loads, then cooling coverage is improved, but flow rate balance deteriorates due to varying pressure drops
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by configuring different impedance values in different cooling branches according to the specific thermal loads of individual servers. Each server's cooling branch is customized with appropriate impedance (through capillary tubes of different dimensions or ball valves with different opening degrees) to match its heat generation characteristics, thereby achieving local flow rate optimization while maintaining overall system cooling coverage.
2Temperature
If more phase change occurs in high thermal load servers, then cooling effectiveness is improved, but pressure drop increases causing flow imbalance
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements preliminary anti-action by pre-configuring impedance devices in the cooling branches before the cooling process begins. These impedance devices (capillary tubes or ball valves) are set to counteract the expected excessive pressure drops in high thermal load servers, thereby preventing flow imbalance before it occurs and ensuring stable cooling effectiveness across all servers.
3Reliability
If cooling liquid flow rate is increased in high thermal load servers, then chip temperature control is improved, but system complexity increases due to flow rate balancing requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies self-service by designing a passive flow balancing system where impedance devices automatically regulate cooling liquid distribution without requiring external control mechanisms. The system self-adjusts flow rates through the pre-configured impedance characteristics of capillary tubes or ball valves, eliminating the need for complex active control systems while ensuring reliable chip temperature control.
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 effectively balances cooling liquid flow rates, reducing pressure drop differences and enhancing cooling efficiency, preventing overheating in high thermal load servers while minimizing excessive fluid evaporation and ensuring smooth liquid flow.
Implementation Method 1
the amount of cooling liquid that undergoes boiling/phase change varies as it flows through each server
Implementation Method 2
The impedance device 40 is used to increase the impedance in each cooling branch 23 to balance the cooling liquid flow rate in each cooling branch 23
Data Source
AI summary
A two-phase liquid cooling system for cooling electronic devices includes a housing configured for accommodating the electronic devices, a cooling loop connected to the housing, and an impedance device connected to the cooling loop. The cooling loop includes a supply manifold, a return manifold, and multiple cooling branches connected in parallel between the supply manifold and the return manifold, each cooling branch is configured for transferring cooling liquid to cool one electronic device. The impedance device increases impedance in each of the multiple cooling branches to reduce difference in impedance between each cooling branch and balances the pressure drop in each cooling branch, and thus balancing the cooling liquid flow rate in each cooling branch. A two-phase liquid cooling cabinet and method for liquid cooling of multiple electronic devices with different thermal loads are also disclosed.