TW201320883A - Modular heat-transfer systems - Google Patents

Abstract

Some modular heat-transfer systems can have an array of at least one heat-transfer element being configured to transfer heat to a working fluid from an operable element. A manifold module can have a distribution manifold and a collection manifold. A decoupleable inlet coupler can be configured to fluidicly couple the distribution manifold to a respective heat-transfer element. A decoupleable outlet coupler can be configured to fluidicly couple the respective heat-transfer element to the collection manifold. An environmental coupler can be configured to receive the working fluid from the collection manifold, to transfer heat to an environmental fluid from the working fluid or to transfer heat from an environmental fluid to the working fluid, and to discharge the working fluid to the distribution manifold.

Description

Modular heat transfer system Related application

U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 61/522,247, filed on Aug. 11, 2011, filed on Jun. U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 13/401,618, filed on Jan. 31, and U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 61/622,982, filed on Apr. 11, 2012, the entire disclosure of The manner of reference is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

The invention and related subject matter (collectively referred to as "disclosure") disclosed herein pertain to systems configured to transfer heat from one fluid to another, and more particularly, but not exclusively, with modularization. Configured system. Some systems are described herein, for example, with respect to cooling electronic components, but the disclosed invention can be used in a variety of other heat transfer applications.

With the recent rapid growth of cloud-based services, the number of network-connected computers and computing environments including servers has grown significantly over the past few years. As used herein, the term "server" generally refers to a computing device and a computing software that is coupled to a computing network that is configured to receive a request from a client computer that is also connected to the computing network (eg, Request to access or store files, request to provide computing resources, connection Request to another client).

The term "data center" (also sometimes referred to as "server farm" in the art) refers to a physical location that accommodates one or more servers. In some cases, the data center can simply contain unobtrusive corners in a small office. In other cases, the data center can contain several large warehouse-sized buildings that surround tens of thousands of square feet and accommodate thousands of servers.

Regardless of the size of the data center, the servers contained in the data center and data center consume a lot of electrical power. Although the operating server occupies a major portion of the power consumed by a given data center, the use of conventional methods to cool the server is another important part of the power consumed.

A typical commercially available server has been designed to be at least partially cooled by air in the data center. Such servers typically include one or more printed circuit boards having a plurality of operable heat sinks mounted to the one or more printed circuit boards (eg, memory, Chipset, microprocessor, hard drive, etc.). Printed circuit boards are typically housed in a housing having venting apertures configured to direct external air from the data center into, through, and out of the housing. Air absorbs heat dissipated by the operable components. After being discharged from the outer casing, the heated air mixes with the air in the data center, and the air conditioner cools the heated data center air, thereby consuming a large amount of energy in the process.

In general, higher performance server components dissipate more power. However, conventional cooling systems can be suitably removed from various operable devices. The amount of quantity corresponds in part to the degree of air conditioning available from the data center and other facilities, as well as the level of power dissipated by adjacent components and servers. For example, the temperature of the airflow entering the server in the data center may be dissipated by nearby servers and nearby power levels and the temperature of the air entering the data center (or, conversely, from within the data center) The rate at which heat is drawn from the air).

In general, the lower air temperature in the data center allows each server component cooled by the airflow to dissipate higher power, thus allowing each server to operate at a correspondingly higher level of performance. Therefore, data centers have traditionally used complex air conditioning systems (eg, chillers, vapor cycle refrigeration) to cool the air in the data center (eg, to approximately 65 °F) to achieve the desired degree of cooling (eg, Corresponds to the desired performance level). Some data centers provide a cold water system to remove heat from the air in the data center. However, the heat absorbed by the air exiting the data center using a complex air conditioning system including a conventional cold water system consumes a higher level of power and is costly.

In general, heat dissipating components that are spaced apart from each other (eg, lower heat density) can be more easily cooled than the same components that are placed close to each other (eg, higher heat density). Therefore, the data center has also compensated for increased power dissipation (corresponding to increased server performance) by increasing the spacing between adjacent servers. However, the relatively large spacing between adjacent servers reduces the number of servers in the data center compared to the relatively small spacing between adjacent servers, thus reducing the computational power of the data center.

Therefore, there is a need for efficient and low cost cooling for cooling electronic components An alternative device, such as a server in which the rack is mounted in the data center. There is also a need for compact heat exchange assemblies (e.g., integrated heat sinks and pump assemblies) that are configured to fit within commercially available servers, such commercially available servers The vertical component height is less than 1.75 inches or less. There is still a need for a heat transfer system for cooling a varying number of servers within a given array of servos. In particular, there is still a need for a reliable cooling system that is configured to cool various density server components within the rack, with the rack from one server to 42 servos being only the servo to be cooled An example of the ideal range of density. There is still a need for a heat transfer system that is configured to cool the servers in the data center without the need for costly air conditioning systems or cold water systems.

The present invention as disclosed herein overcomes many of the problems of the prior art and addresses the aforementioned needs and other needs, and the invention disclosed herein relates generally to modularized heat transfer systems, and more particularly, but not exclusively, to Capable of being assembled into modular components in such systems. For example, some of the disclosed inventions relate to cooling systems configured to cool one or more arrays of independently operable servers. Other aspects of the invention relate to the configuration of individual modules that can be combined with other modules into a modular heat transfer system. Still other inventions relate to the arrangement of interconnections between or among such modules. For example, the present disclosure describes an array of the present invention of a heat transfer module configured to interface with a manifold module and/or an environmental coupler (eg, For example, a liquid-to-liquid heat exchange module) is combined to facilitate heat transfer between the environment and one or more operable elements (eg, a server assembly). Some of the disclosed configurations of the modules are capable of adequately cooling a plurality of rack-mounted servers in the data center without requiring the data center to provide cold water at a temperature below ambient temperature, thereby eliminating costly and The need for a power chiller. Moreover, other aspects of the present invention relate to modules and system configurations that eliminate one or more components from the prior art system while maintaining one or more of the individual functions of each of the eliminated components.

According to a first aspect, the modular heat transfer system of the present invention is disclosed. Some specific aspects of such modular systems include an array having at least one heat transfer element defining an inlet and an outlet and configured to heat from a corresponding one of the at least one heat transfer element The operating element is transferred to the working fluid or transfers heat from the working fluid to an operable element corresponding to the at least one heat transfer element. The manifold module can have a distribution manifold and a collection manifold. The decoupled ingress coupler can correspond to each respective entry of each respective heat transfer element in the array. Each individual inlet coupler can be configured to fluidly couple the distribution manifold to the inlet of the respective heat transfer element. The decoupled outlet coupler can correspond to each respective outlet of each respective heat transfer element in the array. Each respective outlet coupler can be configured to fluidly couple the outlets of the respective heat transfer elements to the collection manifold. The environmental coupler can be configured to receive working fluid from the collection manifold, transfer heat from the working fluid to the ambient fluid or transfer heat from the ambient fluid to the working fluid, and discharge the working fluid to the distribution manifold.

At least one heat transfer element in the array can include a plurality of heat transfer elements. At least one of the heat transfer elements in the array can include a respective plurality of component heat exchange modules. The respective plurality of component heat exchange modules can be fluidly coupled in series with one another. Each component heat exchange module of the component heat exchange module can include a respective pump configured to drive a working fluid through each of the at least one heat transfer component.

At least one of the at least one heat transfer element can include a pump configured to urge the working fluid through the respective heat transfer element. The inlets of the respective heat transfer elements can be fluidly coupled to the distribution manifold, the outlets of the respective heat transfer elements can be fluidly coupled to the collection manifold, and the environmental coupler can be fluidly coupled Connected to the distribution manifold and coupled to the collection manifold to enable the definition of a closed circuit fluid line. The pump can be configured to push the working fluid through the closed circuit fluid line.

The environmental coupler can include a liquid to liquid heat exchanger configured to transfer heat to or from the liquid phase of the ambient fluid.

The decoupled fluid coupler of the inlet conduit can be configured to not engage any of the collection fluid couplers in the collection fluid coupler of the manifold module in a cooperative manner. The decoupled fluid coupler of the outlet conduit can be configured to not engage in engagement with any of the distribution fluid couplers defined by the manifold module.

The at least one heat transfer element can include a corresponding pair of component heat exchange modules. Each component heat exchange module of the component heat exchange module pair can be configured to transfer heat dissipated by the respective electrical component, photovoltaic component or optical component to the work As a fluid. In some embodiments of the modular heat transfer system of the present invention, the working fluid reservoir can be fluidly coupled to the manifold module.

Some modular heat transfer systems of the present invention also include a bracket that is configured to receive at least one independently operable server. Each independently operable server of the at least one independently operable server can include an operable element. The bracket can be configured to receiveably receive the manifold module. A heat transfer element can correspond to each of the at least one independently operable server, and one heat transfer element can be configured to transfer heat dissipated by the respective independently operable servers to the working fluid. The environmental coupler can be configured to discharge at least a portion of the heat dissipated by the individually independently operable servers from the working fluid to the ambient fluid.

Some modular heat transfer systems of the present invention include a sensor configured to emit a signal corresponding to one or more of: ambient relative humidity, ambient absolute humidity, ambient temperature, environment The wet bulb temperature, the temperature of the working fluid in one of the manifold modules, the temperature of the working fluid in one of the environmental couplers, the temperature of the ambient fluid in one of the environmental couplers, the volume of the working fluid in one of the environmental couplers, The temperature of the working fluid in one of the one or more heat transfer elements, the amount of leakage of the working fluid, the amount of leakage of the ambient fluid, or a combination thereof. Some modularized heat transfer systems of the present invention include one or more actuatable valves configured to at least partially respond to signals emitted by the sensor while limiting the working fluid Flow, flow of environmental fluids, or both.

The supply device can be configured to supply ambient fluid at a relatively lower temperature to the ambient coupler than the temperature of the working fluid within the environmental coupler. The heat exchanger can be configured to vent the heat absorbed by the ambient fluid from the working fluid within the environmental coupler from the ambient fluid to the environment. The supply apparatus can include an air cooled ambient heat exchanger configured to vent heat from the ambient fluid to the atmospheric air.

According to a second aspect, the coolant heat exchange module of the present invention is disclosed. In some embodiments, the coolant heat exchange module includes an inlet and an outlet configured to receive a working fluid from the collection manifold, the outlet being configured to discharge the working fluid to the distribution manifold. The heat exchanger can be configured to discharge heat absorbed by the working fluid from the array of operable elements from the working fluid to the relatively cooler ambient fluid.

In some embodiments, the coolant heat exchange module can be mountably coupled to an equipment housing that houses an array of operable components. The heat exchanger can be configured to provide sufficient rate of heat transfer from the working fluid to cool the working fluid to a suitable temperature when the working fluid is delivered by one or more pumps positioned external to the coolant heat exchange module.

One or more pumps positioned outside of the coolant heat exchange module may include a pump fluidly coupled between the collection manifold and the distribution manifold. For example, a plurality of pumps can be fluidly coupled between the collection manifold and the distribution manifold.

In some but not all cases, the coolant heat exchange module may further include a pump. The pump can be fluidly coupled between the inlet and the heat exchanger, the pump can be fluidly coupled between the heat exchanger and the outlet, or both.

In some cases, one or more actuatable valves are configured to control the ring The flow rate of the fluid, the flow rate of the working fluid, or both. The temperature sensor can be configured to measure the temperature of the surface of the coolant heat exchange module, the ambient air temperature, or both. The humidity sensor can be configured to measure the humidity of the ambient air in which the coolant heat exchange module is installed.

Some coolant heat exchange modules also include a calculator configured to determine a dew point temperature based at least in part on the humidity of the ambient air measured by the humidity sensor. The controller can be configured to actuate at least one of the one or more actuatable valves at least in part in response to a dew point temperature determined by the calculator.

Some coolant heat exchange modules include one or more sensors, each sensor configured to emit a signal corresponding to one or more of: the relative humidity of the ambient fluid, the absolute humidity of the ambient fluid The temperature of the ambient fluid, the temperature of the liquid in the manifold module, the temperature of the liquid in the first fluid conduit of the heat exchanger, the temperature of the liquid in the second fluid conduit of the heat exchanger, and the volume of the coolant in the coolant reservoir a temperature of one or more of the plurality of equipped heat exchangers, a temperature of the liquid in the heat exchanger, a temperature of one or more of the plurality of heat exchangers, a temperature of the heat exchanger surface, and a second fluid conduit The temperature of the facility coolant, the temperature of the facility coolant flowing from the second fluid conduit, the amount of leakage of the equipment coolant, the leakage of the facility coolant, or a combination thereof. The controller can also be configured to, at least in part, respond to signals received from one of the one or more sensors to actuate one or more actuatable valves to control the flow of ambient fluid Rate, flow rate of working fluid, or both.

Some coolant heat exchange modules include a transmitter that is configured To send a signal containing information, the signal containing information corresponds to a signal received from one or more sensors. The controller and calculator can be configured together to prevent condensation from forming on the coolant heat exchange module or any feature of the coolant heat exchange module.

According to a third aspect of the invention, a heat exchange element is disclosed. The heat exchange element can include a first heat sink having a first plurality of adjacent fins, the first plurality of adjacent fins defining respective first plurality of microchannels between adjacent fins. Each of the fins can define a respective distal edge. The first manifold body can cover at least a portion of each of the distal edges of the first fins and define an opening configured to transport fluid flow in a direction transverse to the microchannels of the first fin To the microchannel of the first heat sink.

The second fin may have a second plurality of adjacent fins, the second plurality of adjacent fins defining respective second plurality of microchannels between adjacent fins. Each of the fins can define a respective distal edge. The second manifold body can cover at least a portion of each of the distal edges of the second fin and define an opening configured to transport fluid flow in a direction transverse to the microchannel of the second fin To the microchannel of the second heat sink.

The second manifold body and the second heat sink may be fluidly coupled in series with the first heat sink.

Other aspects of the present disclosure will become apparent to those skilled in the art in the <RTIgt; Various specific aspects. It should be appreciated that incorporating the modules and systems of the disclosed invention The other and various specific aspects are possible, and the various details disclosed may be modified in various aspects without departing from the spirit and scope of the principles disclosed herein. For example, the detailed description of the present invention is intended to be illustrative of the specific embodiments of the invention. Rather, the Detailed Description includes specific details for the purpose of providing a comprehensive understanding of the principles disclosed herein. Accordingly, the drawings and detailed description are to be regarded as

The principles of the present invention are described below with reference to specific examples of modularized heat transfer systems that are related to a module heat transfer system, and more particularly, but not exclusively, to a configuration that is configured to cool a server. A modular heat transfer system for arrays (eg, in a data center). However, one or more of the principles disclosed may be incorporated into various system configurations to achieve any of the various system characteristics. The system for a particular configuration, application, or usage description is merely an example of a system incorporating one or more of the principles of the present invention as disclosed herein, and such systems are used to illustrate one or more of the disclosed principles. A number of aspects of the invention.

Thus, a heat transfer system having properties different from those of the specific examples discussed herein may implement one or more of the principles of the present invention, and such heat transfer systems may be used in applications not described in detail herein ( For example) to transfer heat to a laser component, a light-emitting diode, a chemical reactant undergoing a chemical reaction, a photovoltaic cell, a solar collector, a power electronic component, Non-microprocessor electronic components, photonic integrated circuits, and other electronic modules, as well as various other industrial, military, and consumer devices now known or later developed, or that transfer heat from each of these. Therefore, such alternative specific aspects are also within the scope of the present disclosure.

Overview

The following is a description of a modular heat transfer system configured to transfer heat between an array of heat transfer elements and an ambient heat transfer coupler. Some of the disclosed modular heat transfer systems are configured to cool an array of n independently operable servers (or components of an array of n independently operable servers). Other disclosed modular heat transfer systems are configured to, for example, heat a solution of a chemical reactant that undergoes an endothermic chemical reaction.

Server cooling system

As just one example of the disclosed heat transfer system, FIG. 1 illustrates a cooling system configured to cool an array of independently operable servers 112a, 112b...112n mounted in a rack or chassis. For example, each of the array of heat transfer elements 110a, 110b . . . 110n can be thermally coupled to respective components that dissipate heat during operation of the servers 112a, 112b . . . 112n.

The manifold module 200 can be configured to distribute relatively cool coolant among the plurality of heat transfer elements 110a, 110b...110n, thereby allowing the coolant to absorb heat from the server and allowing the coolant to cool the individual within the server. Component. Manifold 200 can collect working fluid from an array of heat transfer elements and deliver the working fluid to environmental coupler 15 (eg, a liquid to liquid heat exchanger).

Figure 2 illustrates a representative heat transfer element 110a within a representative server (e.g., server 112a) of the server. Representative heat transfer element 110a There may be a modular configuration (eg, the modular configuration includes component heat transfer module pairs 120a, 130a, which are configured to cool corresponding microprocessor pairs or other server component pairs) (not shown)). The inlet to the heat transfer element 110a can be fluidly coupled to the distribution manifold 210, and the outlet of the heat transfer element 110a can be fluidly coupled to the collection manifold 220.

The environmental coupler 15 can be configured to facilitate the discharge of heat from the coolant to an ambient working fluid (eg, facility water) to cool the coolant. For example, the environmental coupler 15 can be cooled by operating the fluid from the environment 16 via the coupler 15 through a relatively cold environment. When a relatively hot coolant (or more generally referred to as a working fluid) passes through the environmental coupler 15, the relatively hot coolant discharges at least some of the heat absorbed in the heat transfer element to the environment 16 (eg, , the environmental working fluid), thereby cooling the working fluid. Subsequently, the relatively cool coolant can be redistributed among the heat transfer elements by the manifold module to provide substantially continuous cooling to the array of servers.

As just one example, which is more fully discussed below and illustrated in FIG. 1, the equipment heat transfer module 100 can include a chassis 101 or bracket that is configured to receive a plurality of independently operable servers. The manifold module 200 can be positioned adjacent the chassis 101 and the chassis can support an environmental coupler.

Other modular heat transfer systems

Other modularized heat transfer system configurations are also described herein. As indicated in Figures 3 and 4, the modularized heat transfer system 10' can be summarized in accordance with the systems shown in Figures 1 and 2.

For example, the system 10' can have a manifold 200' with a manifold 200' The working fluid is distributed among the arrays 100 of the n heat transfer elements 110a', 110b'...110n', and the n heat transfer elements 110a', 110b'...110n' are each thermally coupled to the n operable elements. Individual operable elements (not shown) within the respective array. Like the modular heat transfer system 10 shown in FIG. 1, the modular heat transfer system 10' shown in FIG. 3 can be equipped with a heat transfer module 12' equipped with a heat transfer module 12'. Arranged to circulate the array 100' of one or more heat transfer elements 110a', 110b'...110n' with the environmental coupler 15' by circulating the working fluid through the fluid lines 17a, 17b, 17c, 17d (eg , the liquid exchanges heat between the liquid heat exchangers). The coupler 15' can be configured to transfer heat between the environmental work fluid (eg, the feed water of the facility) in the thermal transfer module 12' and the environment 16'. In a general sense, the modular heat transfer system 10' can be configured to vent heat to the environment 16' (as in an environment in a server cooling application) or configured to be self-contained (eg, in applications related to endothermic reactions) Environment) absorbs heat.

In addition to systems configured to cool a plurality of servers that dissipate heat during operation, some of the disclosed heat transfer systems can be configured to heat a plurality of devices. As just one example, a chemical processor can be configured to accommodate a plurality of endothermic chemical reactions. The array of heat transfer elements can be configured to transfer heat from the environment 16' to the chemical processor. For example, the environmental coupler 15' can be maintained at a relatively hot temperature and heat can be transferred from the coupler to the array 100' of relatively cold heat transfer elements. In this case, the working fluid within the heat transfer module 12' can be circulated as described above, carrying heat from the relatively higher temperature coupler 15' through the manifold module 200 and discharging heat to the array corresponding to the array. One or more heat transfer elements 110a' in 100', One or more relatively cold operable elements of 110b'...110n' (eg, a reactor vessel).

An array of n operable elements (e.g., reactor vessels) can be coupled to a chassis, housing or other housing, and the chassis, housing or other housing can form part of the heat transfer module 12'.

Compared to conventional heat transfer systems, heat transfer systems configured as shown in Figures 1 and 3 can provide a scalable rate and many advantages for heat transfer to the array at relatively low overall cost. A variable number of independently operable components.

Working fluid

As used herein, "working fluid" means a fluid that is used or capable of absorbing heat from a region having a relatively high temperature and carrying heat absorbed from a region having a relatively high temperature (eg, by advection) to The region having a relatively low temperature and at least a portion of the heat to be absorbed are discharged to a region having a relatively low temperature.

In some embodiments (eg, an endothermic chemical reaction), the environmental working fluid has a relative operating capacity (eg, a reaction chamber) corresponding to a given heat transfer element in array 100' (Fig. 4). Higher temperature. In other specific aspects (eg, exothermic chemical reactions, servos, lasers), the ambient working fluid has a relatively low temperature compared to operational components (eg, reaction chambers, integrated circuits, light sources).

As used herein, "coolant" refers to a working fluid that can be used or actually used in a heat transfer system that is configured to maintain the zone selected by absorbing heat from the area of the device. Threshold temperature Or below the selected threshold temperature. While many formulations of working fluids are possible, common formulations include distilled water, ethylene glycol, propylene glycol, and mixtures of the foregoing.

Equipment module

A wide variety of devices can be configured to receive a plurality of operational elements. For example, an equipment enclosure, commonly referred to as an "equipment bracket" or "bracket," can be configured to receive a plurality of independently operable equipment components (eg, a server), as shown in FIG.

Although the cooling system for the rack mounted server is described in considerable detail as an example of a modular heat transfer system incorporating the principles disclosed herein, other specific aspects of the heat transfer system are contemplated. For example, scientific instruments, telecommunications devices (eg, routers and switches), audio equipment (eg, amplifiers, preamplifier conditioning units, and audio receivers), video equipment (eg, players), laser equipment, lighting equipment (eg, incandescent lighting and light emitting diodes), chemical processing equipment, biological processing equipment, and other equipment are conceivable specific aspects of operable components to which the modular heat transfer system can be applied. These operative elements can be received by the equipment housing and the equipment housing can be included in the equipment module 12.

Some commercially available equipment racks are configured to receive an operable element having a windward area having a measured dimension of about 19 inches wide and an integer multiple of about 1.75 inches. The height of the operable component is sometimes measured in bracket units (usually referred to as "U" or "RU" not often referred to). Therefore, an operable component measuring about 1.75 inches in height has a measuring height of 1 U and is sometimes referred to as a "1 U" component. Similarly, the 2U component measures a height of about 3.5 吋 and 4U The component measurement height is about 7 吋.

To facilitate installation in common available brackets, most of the operable elements 112a, 112b...112n have a front panel height that is about 1/32 inch (0.31 inch) in height, less than the corresponding multiple of the bracket unit. For example, a 1U component typically measures about 1.719 inches in height, rather than 1.75 inches, and a 2U component typically measures about 3.469 feet high instead of 3.5 feet. The clearance above and/or below the mounting equipment facilitates installation and removal without mechanical interference with adjacent equipment.

Other standardized equipment brackets are also available for purchase. For example, in the telecommunications industry, equipment racks are typically configured to receive operable components having a windward area measuring approximately 23 inches wide and approximately 1 inch high.

Although the standardized equipment housing is described in considerable detail herein, other specific aspects of the equipment module are contemplated. For example, the equipment module need not be different from the operational elements or need to be configured to receive the operational elements to take advantage of the scalable nature of the disclosed heat transfer system. For example, the housing of a host computer or supercomputer can include an array of coolant heat exchangers, manifold modules, and heat transfer elements disclosed herein. In other embodiments, the equipment module can be configured as a space or chamber within a structure selected to accommodate a plurality of operable elements, or a volume within a flying frame selected to accommodate a plurality of operable elements.

Heat transfer element

As described above, the array of one or more heat transfer elements 110a, 110b . . . 110n can be configured to transfer heat to a working fluid flowing through the respective heat transfer elements or from a working fluid flowing through the respective heat transfer elements. Transfer heat. example For example, as shown in Figures 2 and 7, each of the heat transfer elements 110a, 110b ... 110n can include one or more heat exchange modules (120a, 120b), the one or more heat exchange modules The set is configured to absorb heat from components of the operable or operative component or to dissipate heat to the components of the operable or operative component.

As used herein, the terms "heat sink" and "heat exchanger" are interchangeable and refer to a device configured to transfer energy via convection (ie, a combination of conduction and advection) or phase change of a working fluid. Transfer energy to or from the fluid. The heat exchange module can be a heat exchanger or can include a heat exchanger in combination with one or more other components. For example, as described more fully below, the heat exchange module can include a conduit or housing that is combined with a heat exchanger. Likewise, the heat exchange module can include a heat exchanger in combination with an integrated housing and pump, along with any associated seals, gaskets, and/or couplers.

For example, a number of examples of suitable heat exchange modules are described in the following patent applications: U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 60/954,987, filed on Aug. 9, 2007, filed on Aug. 11, 2008. U.S. Patent Application Serial No. U.S. Patent Application Serial No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 61/622,982, filed on Apr. 11, 2012, the entire disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference.

As mentioned, some of the heat transfer elements 110a, 110b ... 110n include a plurality of heat exchange modules 120a, 130a, 120b, 130b ... 120n, 130n (Fig. 6). Each of the plurality of heat exchange modules may correspond to For example, a group of individual heat sinks or individual heat sinks within an operable component (eg, a server).

A plurality of heat exchange modules (eg, modules 120a, 130a) may be fluidly coupled in series to each other (eg, such that a volume of working fluid is returned from one to the collection manifold 210 (or other system components) The heat exchange module 120a flows to another heat exchange module 130a as shown, for example, in Figures 2 and 7. Alternatively, a plurality of heat exchange modules (eg, modules 120a", 130a") may be fluidly coupled in parallel to each other within a given heat transfer element 110a" (eg, such that a first mass of working fluid flow A heat exchanger 120a" is passed through and a second mass of working fluid flows through the other heat exchanger 130a") as shown in Figure 6A.

In the context of a rack mountable server having a plurality of heat sinks (eg, microprocessors, chipsets, memory, graphics components, voltage regulators), heat transfer elements 110a, 110b . . . 110n may be included for cooling Single-phase heat exchange modules or two-phase heat exchange modules for individual devices. As used herein, "phase" refers to the thermodynamic state of a substance, such as a liquid phase, a gas phase, a solid phase, or a saturated mixture of a liquid and a gas. As used herein, a "single-phase" heat exchange module refers to a heat exchange module in which the working fluid experiences little or no net change in the fluid as it flows through the heat exchange module, thereby remaining substantially the same phase. (for example, liquid). As used herein, a "two-phase" heat exchange module refers to a heat exchange module in which a working fluid undergoes a phase change when fluid flows through the heat exchange module (eg, liquid evaporates into a gas phase or gas condenses into a liquid) phase).

For a given quality working fluid, with a "single phase" heat exchange module In contrast to a given change in temperature, a "two-phase" heat exchange module typically absorbs or rejects more heat and in some cases provides more suitable cooling or heating relative to a given temperature threshold because The latent heat of evaporation (or condensation) of most working fluids is substantially greater than the specific heat of the fluid (for example, a single-phase fluid can change temperature in proportion to the amount of heat absorbed or discharged, while a fluid undergoing phase transitions absorbs or rejects heat. Therefore, it is usually kept in a relatively narrow temperature range).

Since the temperature and/or phase of the working fluid of a given mass may change when a given mass of working fluid flows through the first heat exchange module, the working fluid of a comparable quality enters the second heat exchange module without being The first heat exchange module is heated (eg, assuming that the temperature of the fluid and/or the downstream heat exchanger is limited by a fixed upper limit temperature limit), a given mass of working fluid flowing through the second heat exchange module The ability to exchange heat may be slightly reduced, and the second heat exchange module fluid is coupled in series to the first heat exchanger. However, in many cases including many equipment cooling specific aspects (e.g., cooling the rack mountable server shown in Figure 1), this temperature change undesirably reduces the cooling capacity of the downstream heat exchanger. For example, the flow rate of the working fluid can be increased to compensate for the relatively high rate of heat dissipation of the operable element to ensure that the respective heat transfer elements 110a, 110b...110n are within the working fluid before entering the downstream heat exchanger. The temperature of the working fluid is maintained below the upper threshold temperature. Similarly, for relatively low rates of heat dissipation, the flow rate of the working fluid can be reduced to a suitable level that maintains a given temperature below the upper limit while reducing the pumped fluid flow to the heat transfer element (and / Or the amount of power consumed by system 10).

Component heat exchange module

The various heat exchange modules and pump specific aspects are suitable for incorporation into the heat transfer elements 110a, 110b ... 110n of the type described above. For example, a number of representative embodiments of a heat exchange module and a pump configuration are disclosed in the following patent application: U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 60/954,987, filed on Aug. 9, 2007, in U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 12/189,476, filed on Jan. 11, 2011, and U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 61/512,379, filed on Jul. 27, 2011, filed on Feb. U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 61/622, 982, filed on Jun. Each of the patent applications in the application is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety in its entirety in its entirety in its entirety in the the the the the the the the the the

As an example only, application No. 61/512,379 discloses a specific aspect of a heat exchange module having an integrated pump fluidly coupled in series to a heat exchanger and positioned Upstream of the heat exchanger. As explained in application No. 61/512,379, the working fluid can enter the inlet of the heat exchange module and the pump can increase the pressure head in the working fluid to push the working fluid through the respective heat exchanger. Application No. 61/512,379 also discloses that, in some embodiments, after the working fluid flows through the respective heat exchangers, the working fluid exits the heat exchange module and flows through the remotely located heat exchanger (eg, To discharge the heat absorbed by the respective heat exchangers).

Application No. 61/512,379 and other patent applications cited above The plurality of heat exchange modules of the type disclosed herein may be fluidly coupled in series or in parallel to each other and may be used to exchange heat with one or more respective components. As just one example, Figures 2 and 6 illustrate two heat exchange modules, such as modules 120a, 130a, that are fluidly coupled in series to each other. On the other hand, FIG. 6A illustrates two heat exchange modules fluidly coupled in parallel to each other, for example, modules 120a", 130a".

When the two heat exchange modules 120a, 130a are coupled in series to each other, the working fluid can flow from one heat exchange module 120a into the other heat exchange module 130a (eg, heat exchange through the remote location) Before the device). For example, the inlet 121 to the first heat exchange module 120a can be fluidly coupled to the distribution manifold 210, and the first heat exchange module 120a has a pump and a heat exchanger. The outlet 122 of the first heat exchange module 120a can be fluidly coupled to the inlet 131 of the second heat exchange module 130a, and the second heat exchange module 130a has a pump and a heat exchanger. The outlet 122 of the second heat exchange module 130a can be fluidly coupled to the collection manifold 220.

In this series configuration, the working fluid exits the distribution manifold 210 and enters the inlet 121 of the first (eg, upstream) heat exchange module 120a. The working fluid then enters the respective pump volute defined by the integrated housing, thereby allowing the pump impeller to increase the pressure head in the working fluid. The fluid then flows from the heat exchanger and exits from the outlet 122 of the first heat exchange module 120a.

With the first heat exchange module 120a and the second heat exchange module 130a fluidly coupled to each other in series, the fluid then enters the inlet 131 of the second (eg, downstream) heat exchange module 130a. In the second heat exchange module 130a, the working fluid follows the path through the first heat exchange module 120a. The path of similar diameter (eg, the working fluid flows through the pump and the downstream heat exchanger before exiting the outlet 132 of the second heat exchange module 130a) and flows into the collection manifold 220.

The fluid coupling of the heat exchange modules to each other in series as described above provides a measure of redundancy to the fluid distribution system. For example, a plurality of heat exchange modules (eg, modules 120a, 130a) are coupled to fluidly couple the plurality of pumps to each other in series, the plurality of heat exchange modules each having a corresponding pump and corresponding heat Switch. Thus, if one of the plurality of pumps fails (eg, becomes inoperable or has insufficient operational capability), one or more remaining pumps can continue to flow the working fluid through the respective heat exchange elements.

A heat exchange module positioned downstream of another heat exchange module will typically receive a relatively high level when the heat exchange modules are coupled to each other in series as compared to a heat exchange module that is fluidly coupled in parallel with each other. A working fluid of temperature (eg, a working fluid that has absorbed heat when the working fluid flows through the upstream heat exchange module). However, since the mixed average temperature of the working fluid when the working fluid is discharged from the upstream heat exchange module at least partially corresponds to the average flow rate of the working fluid flowing through the upstream heat exchange module, the suitable flow rate of the working fluid can be selected. To maintain the temperature of the working fluid below a predetermined threshold temperature. For example, the threshold temperature may correspond at least in part to the cooling rate provided by the downstream heat exchange module.

For example, as shown in FIG. 6A, when two heat exchange modules 120a", 130a" are coupled in parallel to each other, working fluid can flow from each heat exchange module 120a", 130a" into the collection manifold. 220 without flowing through other heat exchanges Module. For example, the inlet to each heat exchange module 120a", 130a" can be fluidly coupled to the distribution manifold 210, and the corresponding working fluid flow can flow through each of the heat exchange modules. The individual streams can be mixed with each other in a manifold (eg, a collection manifold). Although the parallel connection of the heat exchange modules to each other does not provide redundant pumping (series coupling provides redundant pumping), each individual stream of working fluid can flow through the parallel heat exchange modules without being Other heat exchange modules in the heat exchange modules coupled in parallel are heated.

Fluid distribution

Many liquid phase working fluids are substantially incompressible liquids. Accordingly, one or more pumps are configured to increase the pressure head in the working fluid and thereby urge the working fluid to flow through the fluid line, the fluid line extending between the environmental coupler 15 and the equipment module 100 and through the environment Coupler 15 and equipment module 100, the one or more pumps can be positioned at any suitable or convenient location within the pipeline, as described more fully below.

A given heat transfer element 110a, 110b . . . 110n can include one or more pumps configured to increase the pressure head of the working fluid as the working fluid flows through the heat transfer element. The pumps can be fluidly coupled in series or in parallel to each other.

Pumps coupled in series to each other tend to provide a relatively large increase in the pressure head at the same flow rate as compared to a single pump, which is measured between the inlet of the upstream pump and the outlet of the downstream pump. Pumps coupled in parallel to each other tend to provide a relatively large flow rate that accumulates at approximately the same increase in pressure head as compared to a single pump.

Some heat transfer components have a pump and a plurality of heat exchange modules. As above As explained in relation to Figures 6 and 6A, a plurality of heat exchanger modules can be fluidly coupled in series or in parallel to each other. A plurality of heat exchange modules can be fluidly coupled in series to the pump (eg, positioned upstream or downstream of the pump).

Other heat transfer elements have a plurality of pumps and a plurality of heat exchangers that are fluidly coupled to each other. The plurality of pumps may be fluidly coupled in parallel or in series to each other, and the heat exchange modules may be fluidly coupled in parallel or in series to each other. One or more of the plurality of heat exchangers may be fluidly coupled in parallel or in series with one or more of the plurality of pumps.

For example, the first plurality of heat exchange modules can be fluidly coupled in parallel or in series to each other. The first plurality of heat exchange modules can be fluidly coupled in series to the respective first plurality of pumps (eg, positioned upstream or downstream of the pump). The first plurality of pumps may be fluidly coupled in parallel or in series to each other. The second plurality of heat exchange modules can be fluidly coupled in parallel or in series to each other. The second plurality of heat exchangers can be fluidly coupled in series to the second plurality of pumps (eg, positioned upstream or downstream of the pump). Each of the first plurality of pumps and the second plurality of pumps may be fluidly coupled in parallel or in series to each other.

The plurality of heat transfer elements 110a, 110b . . . 110n corresponding to a given equipment module 100 may be fluidly coupled in series or in parallel to each other. For example, Figures 1, 2, 3, 5, and 6 illustrate representative aspects of a plurality of heat transfer elements 110a, 110b ... 110n that are fluidly coupled in parallel with one another. As explained above, each heat transfer in the heat transfer element The component may in turn have a plurality of heat exchange modules that are fluidly coupled in series (or in parallel) to each other.

As shown in Figure 6, the respective inlets 150a, 150b ... 150n of each of the heat transfer elements 110a, 110b ... 110n can be fluidly coupled to the distribution manifold 210, and each of the heat transfer elements The respective outlets 140a, 140b...140n of a heat transfer element may be fluidly coupled to the collection manifold 220. In the case of a parallel configuration of the heat transfer elements 110a, 110b ... 110n, a given mass of working fluid can flow through one heat transfer element without flowing through the other heat transfer element.

The parallel configuration prevents a given mass of working fluid that has flowed through one of the heat transfer elements from flowing through the other heat transfer element until the absorbed heat is exhausted from the working fluid (eg, in the coolant heat exchange module) To reduce thermal coupling among the servers 112a, 112b...112n. Also, this configuration allows one or more of the plurality of heat transfer elements 110a, 110b...110n to push the working fluid through the equipment heat exchange module 12, which eliminates or reduces the pumps in the heat removal elements. Need for a pump other than that.

However, some specific aspects of the disclosed heat exchange system include a "system" pump positioned within the fluid distribution line and spaced from the component heat exchange modules (eg, modules 120a, 130a). For example, the pump can be positioned in series between the manifold module 200 and the environmental coupler 15 (eg, in the fluid heat exchange module 300). As just one example, the coolant heat exchange module shown in Figure 6B includes a pump 317 that is positioned downstream of the reservoir 315 (but in other embodiments, the pump can be positioned upstream of the reservoir) .

Even so, the heat transfer elements are fluidly coupled in parallel with each other A measure of redundancy is provided, otherwise if the pump is located in, for example, the working fluid heat exchange module 300, the measure of redundancy is not available. For example, if a given heat transfer element fails or performance degrades, the degraded heat transfer element and any associated operational elements (eg, servers) can be removed from the equipment heat exchange module 100 (and associated brackets). Without affecting the operation of any remaining heat transfer elements or operable elements.

Also, if one of the pumps in the given heat transfer element fails, one or more other pumps in the heat transfer element can continue to push the working fluid through the heat transfer element (eg, through the respective heat exchange module) ), thereby allowing the working fluid to continue to be in thermal contact with the individual component heat exchange modules to exchange heat with each of the operable components until the transferable component 110a can be repaired or replaced.

Moreover, fluidly coupling the heat exchange modules in a given heat transfer element (eg, 110a) to each other in a fluid manner allows selection of a flow rate through the respective heat transfer elements to correspond to delivery via the heat exchange module The rate of heat required. For example, if the heat exchanger is thermally coupled to the heat sink and it is desired to transfer heat from the device to the working fluid at a relatively high rate, by, for example, increasing the respective pumps in a given heat transfer element 110a The speed of one or more pumps to provide a relatively high flow rate of the working fluid.

A heat transfer element having independently controllable pumps and fluidly coupled in parallel to one another also allows control of the flow rate through each of the individual heat transfer elements 110a, 110b...110n independently of the other heat transfer elements. This independent control of the flow rate of the working fluid flowing through each of the individual heat transfer elements 110a, 110b...110n allows the power consumed by the respective working elements to be selected to correspond to the transfer of heat to each of the individual heat transfer elements. Or from each individual heat transfer element The desired rate of heat transfer. For example, particularly when the desired rate of transfer of heat to or from each of the heat transfer elements is substantially varied among the plurality of heat transfer elements, and each heat transfer element has other heat The appropriate lower power is selected for the plurality of heat transfer elements 110a, 110b as compared to the case where the flow rate of the transfer elements is the same (e.g., corresponding to the highest rate of heat transfer of the operable elements in the array of operable elements). Each of the individual heat transfer elements of ... 110n can provide a relatively low overall power consumption for the equipment module 100.

Fluid coupler

As used herein, "fluid" means or relates to a fluid (eg, a mixture of a gas, a liquid, a liquid phase, and a gas phase, etc.). Thus, the "fluidically coupled" two regions are coupled to each other to allow fluid to flow from one of the regions to another region in response to a pressure gradient between the regions.

As shown in FIG. 5, one module is fluidly coupled to another module (eg, the equipment module 100 is coupled to the manifold module 200 or the manifold module is coupled to the coolant heat exchange) One or more of the fluid conduits 20, 30, 40 of the module 300) may be coupled by a decoupled coupler (eg, couplers 50, 50a, 50b, 51a, 52a, 52b, 55a, 55b) Connect to one or both of the individual modules. Some decoupled couplers are configured as dropletless quick connect couplers of the type commercially available from Colder Products.

As indicated in Figure 6, the fluid conduits 162a, 162b ... 162n extending from the respective inlets 150a, 150b ... 150n of the heat transfer elements 110a, 110b ... 110n may have inlet fluid couplers 232a, 232b ... 232n, inlet fluid coupling The 232a, 232b...232n are positioned at the distal end of the fluid conduit. The inlet fluid couplers 232a, 232b...232n can be configured to couple the respective fluid conduits to the distribution manifold 210. Similarly, fluid conduits 172a, 172b ... 172n extending from respective outlets 140a, 140b ... 140n of heat transfer elements 110a, 110b ... 110n can have outlet fluid couplers 242a, 242b ... 242n positioned at the distal end of the fluid conduit. . The outlet fluid couplers 232a, 232b...232n can be configured to couple the respective fluid conduits to the collection manifold 220.

In some embodiments, each respective inlet fluid coupler 232a, 232b...232n is configured to be incompatible with each other in a completely different manner than the respective outlet fluid couplers 242a, 242b...242n. This non-interchangeable inlet fluid coupler and outlet fluid coupler may reduce the likelihood that a user may inadvertently connect the inlet fluid coupler to the collection manifold 220 or connect the outlet fluid coupler to the distribution manifold 210. Each of the fluid couplers of the respective fluid couplers can be configured as a droplet free quick connect coupler as described above.

The component heat exchange modules 120a, 130a may be equipped with one or more sensors configured to observe relevant physical parameters associated with the respective heat exchange modules and to transmit corresponding to the observations The signal to the physical parameters. The signal transmitted by the sensor can be wirelessly transmitted to the receiver or transmitted to the bus through the wire. As described below, the manifold module 200 can include the bus bar and extend from one or more sensors associated with each heat exchange module and corresponding to signals of the one or more sensors The wire can be electrically coupled to the busbar by mating the electrical connector component on the wire with the electrical connector component on the busbar.

Manifold module

As described above and as shown in FIG. 7, the manifold module 200 can have a distribution manifold and/or a collection manifold. The manifold module 200 can include a body or component that defines an elongated aperture that defines a manifold. The elongated aperture may terminate within the body to define an elongated recess having openings 211, 221 at one end. A plurality of transverse holes may extend into the structure and intersect the elongated holes to define a plurality of lateral openings relative to the elongated holes. This configuration can be formed from any suitable material or combination of materials. In some embodiments, the construction can have a unitary structure, and in other embodiments, the construction has a multi-piece construction.

The elongated apertures may define a distribution manifold 210 that is configured to distribute a working fluid flow among the plurality of heat transfer elements 110a, 110b...110n. For example, the opening 211 at the end of the elongated recess can define a fluid inlet, and each of the plurality of lateral openings 231a, 231b . . . 231n can define a respective fluid outlet. The inlets of each of the respective heat transfer elements 110a, 110b...110n may be fluidly coupled to respective ones of the lateral openings. With this configuration, each of the heat transfer elements can be fluidly coupled in parallel to the other heat transfer elements.

The elongated apertures may define a collection manifold 220 that is configured to collect a working fluid flow among a plurality of heat transfer elements. For example, an opening at the end of the elongated recess can define a fluid outlet 221, and each of the plurality of lateral openings 242a, 242b...242n can define a respective fluid inlet of the collection manifold. The outlets of each of the respective heat transfer elements 110a, 110b...110n may be fluidly coupled to respective ones of the lateral openings. In the case of this configuration, each of the heat transfer elements is fluidly Parallel coupling to other heat transfer components.

In some cases, a given component can define a first elongate aperture configured to dispense a manifold and a second elongate aperture configured to collect the manifold. This configuration is sometimes referred to as manifold module 200. This configuration can be formed from any suitable material or combination of materials. In some embodiments, the construction can have a unitary structure, and in other embodiments, the construction has a multi-piece construction.

Each of the openings 211, 221, 231, 241 in the manifold module can have a respective fluid coupler 332, 311, 230, 240. Each individual fluid coupler can be configured as a droplet free quick connect coupler of the type described above.

As described above, the fluid couplers corresponding to the distribution manifold 210 and the fluid couplers corresponding to the collection manifold 220 can be configured to be incompatible with each other in a completely different manner from each other (eg, the fluid couplers can be different from each other) The way to "open the keyway"). This non-interchangeable dispensing fluid coupler and collection fluid coupler can reduce the likelihood that a user may inadvertently couple the inlet of the heat transfer element to the collection manifold and the outlet of the heat transfer element to the distribution manifold.

Coolant heat exchange module

In the context of a cooling system for a rack mountable server, the environmental coupler can have a coolant heat exchange module. A suitable coolant heat exchange module can be passive (eg, coolant heat exchange module 300 shown in FIG. 6) or active (eg, a coolant heat exchange module can include an illustration by way of example The "system" pump in Figure 6B).

As shown in Figures 1, 7, and 9, the coolant heat exchange module Group 300 can be configured to exchange heat between the equipment heat transfer module 12 and the environment 16. For example, the coolant heat exchange module 300 can have an environmental coupler 15 that is configured to exchange between a working fluid in the heat transfer module 12 and an ambient working fluid, such as a feed water of a facility. heat.

Referring to FIG. 6, the inlet 310 of the coolant heat exchange module 300 can be fluidly coupled to the outlet 321 of the collection manifold 320. The inlet 315a of the working fluid reservoir 315 can be fluidly coupled downstream of the inlet 310, and the outlet 315b of the reservoir 315 can be fluidly coupled to the inlet 316a of the stop valve 316, which is sometimes also referred to as a cutoff valve. (For example, in the event of a leak, the shutoff valve may be closed to prevent the working fluid from being drawn out of the equipment heat transfer module 12 or from the equipment heat transfer module 12.)

The environmental coupler 15 can be configured as a plate heat exchanger or as any other suitable liquid to liquid heat exchanger. For example, the first inlet 321a of the environmental coupler 15 (eg, a plate heat exchanger) can be fluidly coupled to the outlet 316b of the stop valve 316. The first fluid conduit 321 can extend between the first inlet 321a of the environmental coupler 15 and the first outlet 321b of the environmental coupler to allow working fluid from the equipment heat exchange module 12 to flow through the environmental coupler 15 and For example, the ambient fluid flowing through the second conduit 322 in the coupler 15 exchanges heat.

The second inlet 322a of the environmental coupler 15 can be fluidly coupled to a supply of ambient working fluid (eg, a source of cooling water). The second fluid conduit 322 can extend between the second fluid inlet 322a and the second outlet 322b to allow ambient working fluid to flow through the ambient coupler and exchange heat with the working fluid that is equipped with the heat exchange module 12.

The first outlet 321b (eg, corresponding to the first outlet 321b of the working fluid that is equipped with the heat exchange module 12) may be fluidly coupled to the check valve. The check valve prevents backflow of the working fluid in the heat exchange module 12.

A proportional valve (not shown) controls the flow rate of the ambient working fluid to control the rate at which the ambient working fluid is allowed to flow through the environmental coupler 15. Thus, the proportional valve can control the rate at which heat is transferred between the equipped heat exchange module 12 and the ambient working fluid. Also, the individual pumps in the heat exchange module 12 can be controlled to increase or decrease the flow of working fluid through the ambient coupler 15 and thereby control the rate at which heat is transferred to the ambient working fluid.

Controlling the flow rate of each individual working fluid flowing through the environmental coupler 15 can also effectively control the temperature of the environmental coupler (e.g., the temperature of the exposed surface). By controlling the temperature of the environmental coupler 15, the user can prevent or substantially prevent condensation from forming on or around the environmental coupler 15 by maintaining the temperature of the environmental coupler above the dew point.

Performance example

The system disclosed by the present invention provides unparalleled cooling capacity and cost savings. For example, some of the disclosed systems can outperform many other liquid cooling solutions in today's data center market segments. Recent tests have shown that the disclosed system provides a number of unprecedented benefits in a data center environment, from reduced operating costs to increased rack density. For example,

1. A flow rate of about 10 C (eg, between about 9 C and about 11 C) of facility water is less than about 5 L/min (eg, between about 4.5 L/min and about 5.5 L/min): the present invention The disclosed system represents a first liquid cooling solution such as This is so effective that even at less than about 5 L/min, the total CPU power of greater than about 10 kW (eg, between about 9 kW and 11 kW) can be properly cooled. Compared to the water usage and operating costs associated with conventional liquid cooling systems, this condition represents a significant reduction in facility water usage and represents considerable cost savings.

2. The flow rate of about 10 C of facility water is about 30 L/min (eg, between about 27 L/min and about 33 L/min): the system disclosed herein promotes unparalleled cooling of higher stent densities For example, heat greater than about 45 kW (eg, between about 40 kW and about 50 kW) can be dissipated at a relatively low flow rate of about 30 L/min.

3. A flow rate of about 50 C (e.g., between about 45 C and about 50 C) of facility water of about 30 L/min: the disclosed system can use a relatively low flow rate as compared to conventional liquid cooling systems. And providing relatively suitable cooling with respect to hot water, for example, some of the systems disclosed herein may use a flow rate of less than about 30 L/min, suitably cooled with relatively hot water (eg, water at a temperature of about 50 C). About 10 kW per bracket. This situation translates into amazing operational cost savings, including the elimination of chillers (representing a total cooling cost of up to about 35%), free air cooling, throttling CRAC/CRAH systems, and less reliance on server fans.

The incomparable cooling performance of the disclosed system allows for increased density and reduced power usage in conjunction with the particular needs of the data center environment.

Can be used in most climates with an economizer and without any supplemental refrigeration tower, chilling tower or cooling tower The facility water at 40 °C eliminates a significant source of power consumption that most conventional data centers must tolerate when relying on conventional cooling techniques.

In another example, when the 95 watt thermal design power processor is cooled to the same temperature with a heat exchange module of the type described above, 77% of the power consumed by the air to cool the processor is eliminated. In this example, the power consumed by the conventional cooling system is eliminated by 14 watts, thereby eliminating about 5% of the total power consumed by the operational server (e.g., measured at the input of the power supply of the server).

The cooling techniques described above greatly improve the cooling density that can be achieved for a rack mounted server. The improved cooling density in turn allows for greater computational power within a given volume and improves the cost effectiveness and performance of a given physical location. In addition, liquid cooling is used to cool the heat source in the server, which can be cooled independently of the air in the data center, thereby reducing the load on the room air conditioning and eliminating the source of the larger costs associated with operating the conventional data center. .

Table 1 below summarizes several examples of cooling performance that can be achieved using a modular heat transfer system of the type disclosed herein. Surprisingly, some modular systems have achieved coolant thermal resistance of about -0.056 ° C / W. This amazingly low thermal resistance is suitable for cooling two 150 watt microprocessors in a 1U server without any cold or cold of the facility water source. For example, in the case of this lower thermal resistance, the facility water entering the ambient coupler 15 at 40 ° C can cool the two microprocessors to 51.5 ° C and 55.1 ° C, respectively.

The data shown in Table 1 below is for a single heat transfer element 110a, a single The heat transfer element 110a has two heat exchange modules of the type disclosed in the application No. 61/512,379, which are fluidly coupled in series to each other as described above. Each of the heat exchange modules in the heat exchange module is thermally coupled to a respective microprocessor in the microprocessor.

System monitor and controller

As shown in FIG. 9, some of the disclosed modular heat transfer systems 12 include one or more sensors 210a, 210b...210n, and one or more sensors 210a, 210b...210n are configured to One or more individual physical parameters of the system or environment 16 are monitored. Also, some of the disclosed modular heat transfer systems 12 include a controller configured to adjust one or more operational parameters of the system in response at least in part to signals transmitted by the sensors. Some of the disclosed control systems include a computing environment of the type shown in FIG. Some computing environments include servers that are cooled by a modular heat transfer system.

Some of the disclosed modular heat transfer systems 10 include one or more sensors configured to monitor one or more corresponding physical parameters of the system. Such sensors may include, among other things, temperature sensors, pressure sensors, speed sensors (eg, flow meters), float sensors or other sensors, and humidity sensors, which The temperature sensor is positioned relative to the fluid conduit (eg, conduits 20, 30, 40) to provide a correspondence a signal of the temperature of the fluid within the conduit or the temperature of the surface of the component heat exchange modules 120a, 120b (Fig. 2), the pressure sensor being positioned to provide a static pressure corresponding to the working fluid and a selected reference pressure a relative pressure difference signal, the speed sensor being configured to provide a signal corresponding to a rotational speed of the pump, the float sensor or other sensor configured to provide a level corresponding to a coolant level in the reservoir Signal, the humidity sensor is configured to provide a signal corresponding to one or more of absolute humidity, relative humidity, wet bulb temperature, and dry bulb temperature. These signals may include any type of signal suitable for transmitting information, including wired and wireless signals such as radio frequency (RF) signals, infrared (IR) signals, microwave signals and photon signals.

Some of the disclosed coolant heat exchange modules 300 include a controller 330. For example, the controller 330 can be configured to adjust one or more operational parameters of the respective modularized heat transfer system 10 at least in part in response to signals transmitted by the sensor, the sensor responding to The signal is transmitted, for example, by a detected measurement of the physical parameters of the system or environment. The controller 330 can also be configured to transmit a signal 331 (FIG. 9) containing information regarding the sensed operational parameters of the system 10. The transmitted signal can be received by the remote receiver (or by a server cooled by system 10) and when the observed operating parameters are outside of the selected range (eg, when an over temperature condition is detected), Alert the manager.

In some cases, the working fluid heat exchanger module can include a stop valve 316 that can be electrically actuated between an open position and a closed position. Valve 316 can be configured to prevent working fluid from being in coolant heat exchange module 300, manifold module 200, and heat transfer element 110a when the valve is in the closed position, The array of 110b...110n is cycled through 100.

Valve 316 is operatively coupled to the controller. For example, the controller can be able to actuate the valve by sending an actuation signal to the valve. The actuation signal can be transmitted at least in part in response to a signal transmitted by one or more of the sensors (eg, a leak detector, a dew point sensor).

Some of the disclosed modular heat transfer systems include a computing environment, as shown in FIG. Some computing environments are configured to translate electrical signals or other signals from the sensor into a form recognizable by the user (eg, by presenting a graphical display of temperature, pressure, or pump speed or by invoking an audible alarm). Some computing environments are configured as controllers described above for adjusting one or more operational parameters of a modular heat transfer system. In the context of a rack mountable server, the computing environment may include one or more servers in a server cooled by respective heat transfer elements.

Computing environment

FIG. 10 illustrates a generalized example of a suitable computing environment 1100 in which the described methods, aspects, techniques, and techniques may be implemented. The computing environment 1100 is not intended to represent any limitation as to the scope of use or functionality of the technology, as the technology can be implemented in a variety of general or special purpose computing environments. For example, the disclosed technology can be implemented in other computer system configurations, including handheld devices, multi-processor systems, microprocessor-based consumer electronic devices, or programmable consumer electronic devices, Internet PCs, mini computers, mainframe computers and the like. The disclosed techniques can also be practiced in a distributed computing environment in which tasks are performed by remote processing devices, The remote processing devices are linked via a communication network. In a distributed computing environment, the program module can be located in both the local memory storage device and the remote memory storage device.

Referring to FIG. 10, computing environment 1100 includes at least one central processing unit 1110 and memory 1120. In Figure 10, this most basic configuration 1130 is included within the dashed line. The central processing unit 1110 executes computer executable instructions, and the central processing unit 1110 can be an actual or virtual processor. In a multi-processing system, multiple processing units execute computer-executable instructions to increase processing power so that multiple processors can execute simultaneously. The memory 1120 can be a volatile memory (eg, a scratchpad, a cache memory, a RAM), a non-volatile memory (eg, ROM, EEPROM, flash memory, etc.) or some combination of the two. The memory 1120 stores a software 1180 that can, for example, implement one or more of the techniques of the present invention as described herein. The computing environment can have additional features. For example, computing environment 1100 includes a storage 1140, one or more input devices 1150, one or more output devices 1160, and one or more communication connections 1170. An interconnecting mechanism (not shown), such as a bus, controller, or network, interconnects components of computing environment 1100. Typically, the operating system software (not shown) provides an operating environment for other software executing in computing environment 1100, and the operating system software coordinates the activities of the components of computing environment 1100.

The storage 1140 can be removable or non-removable, and the storage 1140 includes a magnetic disk, a magnetic tape or a tape, a CD-ROM, a CD-RW, a DVD, or any other medium that can be used to store information and It can be accessed within computing environment 1100.

The storage 1140 stores instructions for the software 1180, and the software 1180 can implement the techniques described herein.

The one or more input devices 1150 can be touch input devices such as a keyboard, keypad, mouse, pen or trackball, voice input device, scanning device, or another device that provides input to the computing environment 1100. For audio, one or more input devices 1150 can be a sound card or similar device that accepts audio input in analog or digital form, or a CD-ROM reader that provides audio samples to computing environment 1100. The one or more output devices 1160 can be a display, a printer, a speaker, a disc writer, or another device that provides output from the computing environment 1100.

One or more communication connections 1170 enable communication to another computing entity via a communication medium (eg, a connection network). The communication medium transmits information, such as computer executable instructions, compressed graphic information, or other information in the modulated data signal. The data signal may include information regarding physical parameters observed by the sensor, or commands issued by the controller, for example, to invoke changes in the operation of the components in system 10 (FIG. 1).

The computer readable medium is any available media that can be accessed within computing environment 1100. By way of example, and not limitation, in the context of computing environment 1100, computer-readable media includes memory 1120, storage 1140, communication media (not shown), and combinations of any of the foregoing.

Other exemplary specific aspects

The examples described above are generally directed to modularized heat transfer systems configured to exchange heat between relatively high temperature regions and relatively lower temperature regions. Based on the principles disclosed herein, along with this Any concomitant variations in the configuration of the individual devices described herein are contemplated in addition to the specific aspects described above in detail. In conjunction with the principles disclosed herein, it is possible to provide a variety of modular systems configured to transfer heat. For example, the disclosed system can be used to transfer heat to components in a data center, laser components, light-emitting diodes, chemical reactions, photovoltaic cells, solar collectors, and various other industrial devices now known and future developed. , military equipment and consumer devices, or transfer heat from each of the above. Moreover, the systems disclosed above can be used in combination with other heat transfer systems, such as thermoelectric coolers, refrigeration systems, and air cooled systems using peripheral components, such as from only a few examples among many possible examples.

Directions and references (eg, up, down, top, bottom, left, right, backward, forward, etc.) may be used to facilitate the discussion of the drawings, but are not intended to be limiting. For example, certain terms may be used, such as "upward", "downward", "upper", "lower", "horizontal", "vertical", "left", "right" and the like. the term. The terms are used where applicable to provide a clear description when dealing with relative relationships, particularly with respect to the particular aspects illustrated. However, such terms are not intended to imply an absolute relationship, location, and/or orientation. For example, with respect to an object, the "upper" surface can simply become a "lower" surface by turning the object. However, the surface remains the same surface and the object remains the same object. As used herein, "and/or" means "and" or "or" and "and" and "or". Moreover, all patents and non-patent documents cited herein are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety for all purposes.

The principles described above in connection with any particular example may be combined with other examples A combination of principles described by any one or more of the examples. Therefore, the detailed description should not be taken in a limiting sense, and after reviewing the present disclosure, one of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate a variety of fluid heat exchange systems that can be designed using the various concepts described herein. In addition, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the exemplary embodiments disclosed herein may be susceptible to various configurations without departing from the principles disclosed.

The previous description of the disclosed aspects is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to make or use the disclosed invention. It will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art that <RTIgt; </ RTI> <RTIgt; </ RTI> <RTIgt; </ RTI> <RTIgt; </ RTI> <RTIgt; Therefore, the invention as claimed is not intended to be limited to the details shown herein, but is intended to be in accordance with the scope of the scope of the claims. Or "a" reference to a singular element is not intended to mean "one and only one" but "one or more". All structural equivalents and functional equivalents of the elements of the various embodiments described in the present disclosure are intended to be In addition, nothing disclosed herein is intended to be open to the disclosure, whether or not the disclosure is explicitly recited in the claims. Unless the terms "means" or "steps of..." are used to explicitly describe a component, it is not intended to interpret any patentable component in accordance with the terms of the patent law.

Therefore, in view of the many possible specific aspects to which the disclosed principles may be applied, it will be appreciated that the specific aspects described above are only examples and such specifics The scope of the aspect should not be considered limiting. We therefore reserve all rights to the subject matter disclosed herein, including the right to claim all things within the scope and spirit of the above description.

The subject matter of the invention described herein is illustrated by the accompanying drawings, unless otherwise specified. Referring to the drawings, in which like reference numerals refer to the An isometric view of a specific aspect of the transmission system, the modular heat transfer system configured to cool a plurality of independently operable rack mounted servers; FIG. 2 illustrates the modularization shown in FIG. An isometric view of a portion of the heat transfer system along with the features of the heat transfer element; Figure 3 illustrates a schematic view of the modular heat transfer system; and Figure 4 illustrates a portion of the modular heat transfer system illustrated in Figure 3 Figure 5 is a schematic diagram showing the modular heat transfer system shown in Figures 1 and 2, wherein the features of the heat transfer element and a plurality of corresponding fluid couplers are illustrated; 5 is a schematic diagram of a modular heat transfer system in which the features of the heat transfer element and the environmental coupler are illustrated; FIG. 6A illustrates a schematic diagram of an alternative configuration of the heat transfer element; and FIG. 6B illustrates the heat of the coolant Schematic diagram of an alternative configuration of the exchanger; Figure 7 is a schematic view showing a manifold module of the type shown in Figures 1 and 3; and Figure 8 is an isometric view of a portion of the modular heat transfer system shown in Figure 1 The features of the environmental coupler are illustrated; FIG. 9 illustrates a block diagram of a controller suitable for controlling the modular heat transfer system of the type shown in FIG. 1; FIG. 10 is illustrated as being suitable for use with FIG. A block diagram of the computing environment used in combination with the controller shown.

Claims (31)

A modular heat transfer system comprising: an array having at least one heat transfer element, the at least one heat transfer element defining an inlet and an outlet and configured to self-correspond to the at least one heat transfer element An operative element is transferred to a working fluid or transfers heat from a working fluid to an operable component corresponding to the at least one heat transfer component; a manifold module having a distribution manifold And a collection manifold; a decoupled inlet coupler corresponding to each respective inlet of each of the respective heat transfer elements in the array, wherein the respective inlet coupler Configuring to fluidly couple the distribution manifold to the inlet of the respective heat transfer element; a decoupled outlet coupler corresponding to each of the array Each individual outlet of each of the heat transfer elements, wherein the respective outlet coupler is configured to fluidly couple the outlet of the respective heat transfer element to the collection manifold; and an environmental coupling Device The environment coupler is configured to receive the working fluid from the collection manifold, transfer heat from the working fluid to an ambient fluid or transfer heat from an ambient fluid to the working fluid, and discharge the working fluid to the distribution岐管. The modular heat transfer system of claim 1, wherein the at least one heat transfer element in the array comprises a plurality of heat transfer elements. Such as the modularized heat transfer system of claim 2, wherein the array At least one of the heat transfer elements in the column includes a plurality of individual component heat exchange modules. The modular heat transfer system of claim 3, wherein the plurality of component heat exchange modules are fluidly coupled in series with each other. The modular heat transfer system of claim 4, wherein each component heat exchange module of the component heat exchange modules comprises a separate pump configured to drive the working fluid flow Passing at least one of the respective heat transfer elements. A modular heat transfer system according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the at least one heat transfer element comprises a pump configured to urge the working fluid to flow through the respective heat transfer element. The modular heat transfer system of claim 6, wherein the inlet of the respective heat transfer element is fluidly coupled to the distribution manifold, the outlet of the respective heat transfer element being Fluidly coupled to the collection manifold, and the environmental coupler is fluidly coupled to the distribution manifold and coupled to the collection manifold to enable defining a closed circuit fluid line, and wherein The pump is configured to be able to push the working fluid through the closed circuit fluid line. The modular heat transfer system of claim 1, wherein the environmental coupler comprises a liquid-to-liquid heat exchanger configured to transfer heat to a liquid phase of the ambient fluid Or transferring heat from a liquid phase of one of the ambient fluids. For example, the modularized heat transfer system of claim 1 of the patent scope, wherein the entry The decoupled fluid coupler of the mouthpiece is configured to not engage in engagement with any of the collection fluid couplers of the collection fluid coupler of the manifold module. The modular heat transfer system of claim 1, wherein the decoupled fluid coupler of the outlet conduit is configured to not cooperate with the distributed fluid coupler defined by the manifold module Any of the distribution fluid couplers are engaged. The modular heat transfer system of claim 1, wherein the at least one heat transfer component comprises a corresponding component heat exchange module pair, wherein each component heat exchange module of the component heat exchange module pair It is configured to transfer heat dissipated by the respective electronic, optoelectronic or optical device to the working fluid. The modular heat transfer system of claim 1, further comprising a bracket configured to receive at least one independently operable server, wherein each of the at least one independently operable server The independently operable server includes an operable component, wherein the bracket is configured to receiveably receive the manifold module, and one heat transfer component corresponds to each of the at least one independently operable server and is configured to The heat dissipated by the individually independently operable servers is transferred to the working fluid, and the environmental coupler is configured to operate at least a portion of the heat dissipated by the respective independently operable servers from the work Fluid is discharged to the ambient fluid. The modular heat transfer system of claim 1, further comprising a sensor configured to emit a signal corresponding to one or more of: a relative of an environment Humidity, one of the environment Absolute humidity, a temperature of an environment, a wet bulb temperature of an environment, a temperature of the working fluid in a portion of the manifold module, a temperature of the working fluid in a portion of the environmental coupler, the ambient coupler a temperature of the ambient fluid in a portion, a volume of the working fluid in a portion of the environmental coupler, a temperature of the working fluid in a portion of the one or more heat transfer elements, a leakage of the working fluid, A leakage amount of the ambient fluid, or a combination of the above. The modular heat transfer system of claim 13, further comprising one or more actuatable valves configured to at least partially respond to the sensor The signal is emitted while restricting the flow of one of the working fluids, the flow of one of the ambient fluids, or both. The modular heat transfer system of claim 12, further comprising a supply device configured to compare a temperature of the working fluid with the ambient coupler at a relatively low temperature The ambient fluid is supplied to the environmental coupler. A modular heat transfer system according to claim 15 further comprising a heat exchanger configured to absorb heat of the ambient fluid from the working fluid in the environmental coupler from the environment The fluid is discharged to an environment. The modular heat transfer system of claim 15, wherein the supply device comprises an air-cooled ambient heat exchanger configured to discharge heat from the ambient fluid to atmospheric air . For example, the modularized heat transfer system of claim 1 of the patent scope The step includes a working fluid reservoir that is fluidly coupled to the manifold module. A coolant heat exchange module comprising: an inlet configured to receive a working fluid from a collection manifold; an outlet configured to discharge the working fluid to a distribution manifold; a heat An exchanger configured to discharge heat of the working fluid from an array of operable elements from the working fluid to a relatively cold ambient fluid, wherein the coolant heat exchange module is mountably coupled Connecting to an equipment enclosure housing the array of operable elements, and wherein the heat exchanger is configured to provide sufficient when the working fluid is delivered by one or more pumps positioned external to the coolant heat exchange module A rate at which heat is transferred from the working fluid to cool the working fluid to a suitable temperature. The coolant heat exchange module of claim 19, wherein the one or more pumps positioned outside the coolant heat exchange module comprise a pump fluidly coupled to the collection manifold Between this distribution manifold. The coolant heat exchange module of claim 20, wherein the pump fluidly coupled between the collection manifold and the distribution manifold comprises a plurality of pumps, the plurality of pumps being fluidly coupled Connected between the collection manifold and the distribution manifold. The coolant heat exchange module of claim 20, wherein the coolant heat exchange module further comprises fluidly coupled to the inlet a pump between the port and the heat exchanger, a pump fluidly coupled between the heat exchanger and the outlet, or both. The coolant heat exchange module of claim 19, further comprising one or more actuatable valves configured to control a flow rate of the ambient fluid, One of the working fluid flow rates or both. The coolant heat exchange module of claim 23, further comprising a temperature sensor configured to measure a temperature of one of the surfaces of the coolant heat exchange module, an environment Air temperature or both. The coolant heat exchange module of claim 24, further comprising a humidity sensor configured to measure the humidity of one of the ambient air in which the coolant heat exchange module is installed. The coolant heat exchange module of claim 25, further comprising: a calculator configured to determine at least in part based on the humidity of the ambient air measured by the humidity sensor a dew point temperature; and a controller configured to actuate at least one of the one or more actuatable valves to be actuatable at least in part in response to the dew point temperature determined by the calculator valve. The coolant heat exchange module of claim 19, further comprising one or more sensors, each sensor configured to emit a signal corresponding to one or more of: a relative of an environmental fluid Humidity, an absolute humidity of an ambient fluid, a temperature of an ambient fluid, a temperature of a liquid in the manifold module, a temperature of a liquid in the first fluid conduit of the heat exchanger, the heat exchanger a temperature of a liquid in the second fluid conduit, a volume of the coolant in the coolant reservoir, a temperature of one or more of the plurality of equipment heat exchangers, a temperature of a liquid in the heat exchanger, a temperature of one or more of the plurality of heat exchangers equipped with a surface of the heat exchanger, a temperature of the facility coolant entering the second fluid conduit, the facility flowing from the second fluid conduit A temperature of the coolant, a leakage amount of the equipment coolant, a leakage amount of the facility coolant, or a combination of the above. The coolant heat exchange module of claim 27, wherein the controller is further configured to at least partially respond to a signal received from one of the one or more sensors, and The one or more actuatable valves are actuated to control a flow rate of one of the ambient fluids, a flow rate of the working fluid, or both. The coolant heat exchange module of claim 27, further comprising a transmitter configured to transmit a signal containing information corresponding to the one or more senses The signal received by the detector. The coolant heat exchange module of claim 26, wherein the controller and the calculator are configured together to prevent condensation from forming on the coolant heat exchange module or any feature of the coolant heat exchange module on. A heat exchange element comprising: a first heat sink having a first plurality of adjacent a first plurality of adjacent fins defining a first plurality of microchannels between adjacent fins, wherein each of the fins defines a respective distal edge; a first a manifold body that covers at least a portion of each of the distal edges of the first fins and defines an opening configured to direct a fluid flow transverse to the One of the microchannels of the first heat sink is transported to the microchannels of the first heat sink; a second heat sink, the second heat sink has a second plurality of adjacent fins, the second a plurality of adjacent fins defining a respective second plurality of microchannels between adjacent fins, wherein each of the fins defines a respective distal edge; a second manifold body, the first a second manifold body covering at least a portion of each of the distal edges of the second fins and defining an opening configured to direct a fluid flow transverse to the second heat sink And transmitting the microchannels to the microchannels of the second heat sink in one direction, In the second manifold body and said second heat sink and the first cooling fin to be fluidly coupled in series.