UPS Liquid Cooling Baseplate for Space-Saving Heat Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional UPS configurations in data centers require significant resources and space for heat management, often necessitating dedicated air cooling equipment and raised floors/ceiling structures, which can be cumbersome and inefficient.
Innovation Solution
A liquid cooling system for UPS components, featuring a base member with fluid conduit structures and interconnecting channels to distribute cooling liquid, combined with air cooling via pumping modules and air-to-liquid heat exchangers mounted on the UPS doors, reducing the need for extensive air cooling systems and optimizing space usage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If dedicated air cooling equipment and raised floors/ceiling structures are provided for heat management, then cooling effectiveness is improved, but space occupation and device complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the cooling function from the UPS unit itself by providing dedicated air cooling equipment (air handling units) positioned between UPS units. This allows the cooling function to be separated from the power supply units, enabling more efficient heat management without increasing the footprint of individual UPS units.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines multiple cooling functions into a shared air handling unit positioned between UPS units. This single unit serves multiple UPS units simultaneously, reducing the total space required for cooling equipment compared to providing separate cooling systems for each UPS unit.
2Temperature
If dedicated air cooling equipment and raised floors/ceiling structures are provided for heat management, then cooling effectiveness is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The air handling units are designed to serve multiple UPS units simultaneously, performing a universal cooling function across the system. This multi-functionality reduces the overall number of cooling devices required and simplifies the system architecture compared to individual cooling systems for each UPS unit.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the cooling system into modular air handling units that can be positioned between UPS units in a rack configuration. This segmentation allows for scalable deployment and simplified maintenance while maintaining effective cooling across the entire system.
3Power
If more cooling equipment is provided, then heat dissipation capacity is improved, but space requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges cooling resources by positioning air handling units between UPS units, allowing a single cooling device to serve multiple power supply units. This approach increases heat dissipation capacity without proportionally increasing space requirements, as the cooling function is shared across multiple units.
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 liquid cooling system efficiently dissipates a significant portion of UPS heat, allowing for compact design and reduced space requirements, facilitating easier maintenance and potentially increasing electrical power capacity while maintaining safe operating conditions.
Implementation Method 1
a base member in thermal contact with the at least one semiconductor target component
Implementation Method 2
air cooling via pumping modules and air-to-liquid heat exchangers mounted on the UPS doors
Data Source
AI summary
A liquid cooling device for cooling at least one target component that includes: a base member to be in thermal contact with the at least one target component to be cooled by the liquid cooling device, the base member including a lower surface configured to be placed in contact with the at least one target component, the base member defining a plurality of pockets spaced apart from one another on an upper side thereof and defining a plurality of fluid conduits configured to internally circulate a cooling liquid therethrough. Each of the plurality of pockets arranged to accommodate a corresponding fluid conduit and an interconnecting channel defined by the base member and extending between two neighboring pockets of the plurality of pockets for distributing the cooling fluid from the fluid conduit of one pocket to the fluid conduit of a neighboring pocket.