JP5835764B1 - System and rack - Google Patents

Abstract

A liquid cooling means that is easy to maintain is provided for an information processing apparatus that is attached to and detached from a rack. A rack 1 on which one or a plurality of blade servers 3 can be installed is fixed to the blade server in a detachable manner, and a coolant supplied from outside the rack is allowed to pass inside the rack and then outside the rack. A pipe 13 to be led, which is thermally connected to a heat transfer block 36 thermally connected to at least one of heat sources included in the blade server in a state where the blade server is fixed by a fixing portion; And a heat exchanger that promotes heat exchange between the coolant flowing in the pipe and the air in the rack. [Selection] Figure 2

Description

  The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus that can be installed in a rack.

  Conventionally, a terminal for electrical connection is provided on one side of the sub board, a plurality of sockets into which the terminals are inserted are provided on the motherboard, and the circuit board and heat pipe of the sub board are connected to the circuit board. While being sandwiched between a pair of electrically insulated metal plates, at least one end of the heat pipe extends to the end of the metal plate, and heat of the arithmetic element of the sub board is transferred to one end of the metal plate by the heat pipe. There has been proposed a mounting structure for an electronic component that is configured to be carried to the side to dissipate heat (see Patent Document 1).

JP 2013-069087 A

  Conventionally, various cooling techniques have been proposed for information processing devices that generate heat when used. In particular, for cooling an information processing apparatus that generates a relatively large amount of heat, such as a server, a water cooling system may be employed as a cooling means with high cooling performance.

  However, when the information processing apparatus is used, it is necessary to avoid the liquid such as water from being applied to the electronic component. Therefore, it is necessary to pay close attention to prevent liquid leakage from the water cooling apparatus. In particular, when a water cooling method is employed in an information processing device (such as a blade server) that is attached to and detached from a rack, the piping of the water channel is complicated, and therefore when the information processing device is attached to and detached from the rack for maintenance. In addition, there is a possibility that the flow path of the coolant and the refrigerant may be damaged, a device failure due to water leakage, and an electric shock of the human body. For this reason, it is necessary to detach the information processing apparatus after stopping the circulation of the coolant and the refrigerant.

  In view of the above-described problems, an object of the present invention is to provide a liquid cooling means that is easy to maintain for an information processing apparatus that is attached to and detached from a rack.

  The present invention employs the following means in order to solve the above-described problems. That is, an example of the present disclosure is a system including one or more information processing apparatuses and a rack in which the one or more information processing apparatuses can be installed, and the rack is detachable from the information processing apparatus. And a pipe that guides the coolant supplied from outside the rack to the outside of the rack and then guides the outside of the rack to the outside. A heat transfer block thermally connected to at least one of a fixing unit and a heat source included in the information processing device, and heat transfer thermally connected to the pipe in a state where the information processing device is fixed by the fixing unit And a block.

  The present invention can also be grasped as an invention of a rack, an invention of an information processing apparatus, and an invention of a method for installing information processing in a rack.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, it becomes possible to provide the liquid cooling means with easy maintenance with respect to the information processing apparatus attached or detached to a rack.

It is a side view showing the outline of the system concerning an embodiment. It is a top view which shows the outline of the system which concerns on embodiment. It is a figure which shows a mode that a heat-transfer block is thermally connected to a pipe in embodiment.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of a system, an information processing apparatus, and a rack according to the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. However, the embodiment described below exemplifies the embodiment, and the system, the information processing apparatus, and the rack according to the present disclosure are not limited to the specific configuration described below. In implementation, the specific structure according to embodiment is employ | adopted suitably, and various improvement and deformation | transformation may be performed.

<System configuration>
FIG. 1 is a side view showing an outline of a system according to the present embodiment. FIG. 2 is a plan view showing an outline of the system according to the present embodiment. The system according to this embodiment includes a rack 1 on which one or a plurality of blade servers 3 can be mounted, and one or a plurality of blade servers 3 mounted on the rack 1. In addition, the broken line arrow in a figure shows the blowing direction, and the arrow which is not a broken line shows the insertion direction of the blade server 3. FIG.

  The rack 1 includes an enclosure 11, a fixing portion 12, a pipe 13, an urging portion 14, a heat exchanger 15, a fan 16, power supply or communication wiring 17, a rack-side connector 18, and a door 19. Further, outside the rack 1, a cooling device 9 for cooling the coolant flowing in the pipe 13 is installed, and the pipe 13 provided in the rack 1 is connected. In this embodiment, water is used as the cooling liquid, but other liquids may be used. The cooling device 9 may be any device that can cool the cooling liquid. For cooling the cooling liquid, in addition to the air cooling system, a system that uses a waste heat destination having a large heat capacity such as groundwater, seawater, and soil, a heat pump, etc. Various cooling methods may be employed.

  The blade server 3 includes a chassis (blade server housing) 31, a base 32, a heat source 33 such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a fixed portion 34, a heat pipe 35, a heat transfer block 36, and an air intake portion (fan) 37. And an information processing apparatus including the information processing apparatus side connector 38. The blade server 3 may include a RAM (Random Access Memory), a ROM (Read Only Memory), a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), an auxiliary storage device, and the like as the heat source 33, but the illustration is omitted. The blade server 3 has a structure in which a base 32 is housed in a chassis 31 having a substantially cubic outer shape. The base 32 includes a heat source 33, a heat transfer block 36, an information processing apparatus side connector 38, and the like. Is installed.

  In this embodiment, the enclosure (rack casing) 11 has a back wall 11r, a top wall 11t, a bottom wall 11b, and left and right side walls 11s, and thus the rack 1 has a substantially cubic outer shape. However, the shape of the enclosure 11 is not limited to a cube. The enclosure 11 only needs to be able to keep the air cooled by the heat exchanger 15 in the enclosure 11 to some extent, and does not have to be highly airtight. Further, a box in which the power / communication wiring 17 is stored, a rack-side connector 18 and a pipe 13 are fixed to the rear wall 11r of the enclosure 11. In addition, holes for passing the pipes 13 are provided in the upper and lower portions of the enclosure 11.

  A door 19 is provided on the front surface of the enclosure 11 and is closed during normal operation of the blade server 3. The door 19 is opened when maintenance of the blade server 3 is performed, thereby enabling access to the inside of the rack 1 in which the blade server 3 is accommodated. The door 19 is closed to increase the independence of the air inside the enclosure 11 and prevent the air cooled inside the enclosure 11 from leaking outside.

  The pipe 13 introduces cooling liquid supplied from the cooling device 9 installed outside the rack 1 into the rack 1, passes the inside through the rack 1, and then guides it to the cooling device 9 outside the rack 1. This is a liquid flow path. A pump 8 is provided in the middle of the flow path to circulate the coolant between the rack 1 and the cooling device 9. As described above, the holes for passing the pipes 13 are provided in the upper part and the lower part of the enclosure 11. In the pipe 13 and the pump 8, the cooling liquid cooled by the cooling device 9 is introduced from the pipe 13 on the lower hole side of the enclosure 11, and the cooling water used for cooling in the rack 1 is transferred to the upper part of the enclosure 11. It is installed so as to be returned to the cooling device 9 from the pipe 13 on the hole side. That is, the pipe 13 and the pump 8 are arranged so that the coolant flows from the lower side toward the upper side inside the rack 1.

  In addition, a material having high thermal conductivity is used as the material of the pipe 13. In the present embodiment, the pipe 13 is a cylindrical metal tube. The pipe 13 may be covered with a material such as vinyl. However, at least a portion thermally connected to the heat transfer block 36 on the server side and a portion provided with the heat exchanger 15 are not covered or covered with a material having high heat conductivity so as not to prevent heat conduction. It is preferable.

  In this embodiment, the pipe 13 is located above the portion where the heat transfer block 36 of the uppermost blade server 3 contacts and below the portion where the heat transfer block 36 of the lowermost blade server 3 contacts. Each of the parts has a bellows structure. By having such a bellows structure, the portion of the pipe 13 according to the present embodiment that is thermally connected to the heat transfer block 36 is movable.

  The urging unit 14 urges a portion of the pipe 13 including a portion where the heat transfer block 36 of the blade server 3 contacts, that is, a portion thermally connected to the heat transfer block 36 toward the heat transfer block 36. . In the present embodiment, a spring is employed for the urging portion 14, but other means may be employed. The urging unit 14 holds the pipe 13 at the position of the heat transfer block 36 when the blade server 3 is fixed in a state where the blade server 3 is not fixed. By doing so, when the blade server 3 is fixed, the pipe 13 is pushed by the heat transfer block 36 and the biasing portion 14 (spring) is contracted, and the biasing portion 14 moves the pipe 13 toward the heat transfer block 36. Energize to. In other words, in this embodiment, a part of the pipe 13 is movable, and the urging portion 14 is further provided to improve the degree of adhesion between the pipe 13 and the heat transfer block 36.

  The heat exchanger 15 is thermally connected to the pipe 13 to promote heat exchange between the coolant flowing in the pipe 13 and the air in the rack 1. In the present embodiment, a radiator having metal fins is employed as the heat exchanger 15. However, as long as the heat exchanger 15 promotes heat exchange between the coolant flowing in the pipe 13 and the air in the rack 1, other means such as a double pipe heat exchanger are adopted. May be. Further, the heat exchanger 15 is provided on the upstream side (i.e., the lower portion of the rack 1) in the flow of the coolant from the portion of the pipe 13 where the heat transfer block 36 is thermally connected. This is because heat exchange is performed between the cooling liquid in a lower temperature state (a state before receiving heat from the heat transfer block 36) and the air in the rack 1, thereby improving the efficiency of heat exchange. Moreover, in this embodiment, the fan 16 sends the air in the rack 1 to the heat exchanger 15 so that heat exchange between the coolant and air is promoted. However, the fan 16 may be omitted.

  The air intake unit (fan) 37 takes in the air heat-exchanged with the coolant via the heat exchanger 15 into the blade server 3.

  The heat transfer block 36 is thermally connected to at least one of the heat sources 33 included in the blade server 3 via the heat pipe 35. The heat pipe 35 collects heat generated in the heat source 33 in the heat transfer block 36. The heat transfer block 36 is thermally connected to the pipe 13 in a state where the blade server 3 is fixed by the fixing unit 12. A portion of the heat transfer block 36 that is in contact with the pipe 13 may have a shape that follows the outer shape of the pipe 13 in order to increase the adhesion between the heat transfer block 36 and the pipe 13. In the present embodiment, since the pipe 13 is cylindrical as described above, the portion of the heat transfer block 36 that contacts the pipe 13 has an arcuate concave shape along the outer periphery of the cylindrical pipe 13.

  FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a state in which the heat transfer block 36 is thermally connected to the pipe 13 in the present embodiment. The heat transfer block 36 and the pipe 13 are thermally connected via a heat transfer material (shim, spacer). In this embodiment, the heat transfer block 36 and the pipe 13 are composed of a silicon rubber sheet 5 (deformable, pipe 13 and heat transfer having a thermal conductivity of 50 watts per meter Kelvin (W / (m · K)) or more. The material is thermally connected to the block 36 via a material that can be filled. Specifically, a silicon rubber sheet such as “MANION 50α” (trade name) can be used. In the present embodiment, an example in which the heat transfer block 36 and the pipe 13 are thermally connected via the silicon rubber sheet 5 is described. However, the material sandwiched between the heat transfer block 36 and the pipe 13 is Any material that can be thermally connected (for example, a material having a thermal conductivity of 1.0 watt per meter Kelvin (W / (m · K)) or more) may be used, and the material is not limited to the silicon rubber sheet 5. For example, the heat transfer block 36 and the pipe 13 may be thermally connected via grease.

  The silicon rubber sheet 5 is an elastic material, and is deformed while being pressed between the heat transfer block 36 and the pipe 13 so as to be in close contact with the heat transfer block 36 and the pipe 13. Efficient heat dissipation can be performed without being blocked by air or the like. The heat transfer material that is in close contact with the heat transfer block 36 and the pipe 13 is not limited to the silicon rubber sheet 5. For example, even with the above-described grease, it is possible to prevent heat conduction from being blocked by air or the like due to close contact with the heat transfer block 36 and the pipe 13.

  Further, the material (silicon rubber sheet 5 in the present embodiment) interposed between the heat transfer block 36 and the pipe 13 may be fixed by being attached to the rack 1 side (that is, the pipe 13 surface). Alternatively, it may be fixed by being attached to the blade server 3 side (that is, the surface of the heat transfer block 36). Further, the heat transfer material (silicon rubber sheet 5 in the present embodiment) may be installed when the blade server 3 is fixed to the rack 1 without being fixed to the rack 1 or the blade server 3.

  The fixing part 12 of the rack 1 and the fixed part 34 of the blade server 3 cooperate to fix the blade server 3 to the rack 1 in a detachable manner. In the present embodiment, the fixed portion 12 and the fixed portion 34 employ a structure in which one is fitted to the other or a structure in which one sandwiches the other. However, other means may be adopted as means for fixing the blade server 3 to the rack 1. In the present embodiment, the fixing portion 12 also serves as a housing that houses the rack-side connector 18, and the fixed portion 34 also serves as a housing that houses the information processing device-side connector 38.

  For this reason, the rack-side connector 18 and the information processing apparatus-side connector 38 electrically connect the wiring 17 to the blade server 3 in a state where the fixed portion 34 of the blade server 3 is fixed by the fixing portion 12 of the rack 1. . That is, according to the present embodiment, the blade server 3 is installed by the fixing part 12 and the fixed part 34, the thermal connection between the heat transfer block 36 and the pipe 13, the information processing apparatus side connector 38 and the rack side connector. The connection with 18 is performed in conjunction.

<Work procedure>
Next, in this embodiment, a procedure for attaching / detaching the blade server 3 to / from the rack 1 will be described. On the side wall 11s of the enclosure 11 of the rack 1, rails are provided as guides when the blade server 3 is horizontally inserted into the enclosure 11 (not shown). When installing the blade server 3, the worker aligns the side surface of the blade server 3 with the rail, and then inserts the blade server 3 into the rack 1 along the rail.

  Here, the fixing portion 12 of the rack 1 is provided on the rear wall 11r of the enclosure 11, and the fixed portion 34 of the blade server 3 is inserted into the back of the blade server 3 (the blade server 3 is inserted into the rack 1). In the direction of travel in the case), and is provided at a position where the blade server 3 is fitted into the fixed portion 12 of the rack 1 when the blade server 3 is inserted (see FIG. 2). And as above-mentioned, in this embodiment, the fixing | fixed part 12 serves as the housing which accommodates the rack side connector 18, and the to-be-fixed part 34 also serves as the housing which accommodates the information processing apparatus side connector 38. FIG.

  The pipe 13 is held by the urging unit 14 at a position on the rear wall 11r side of the enclosure 11 so as not to interfere with the fixing unit 12, and the heat transfer block 36 is located behind the blade server 3 (blade server 3). Is provided at a position where the pipe 13 can be pushed in the direction of the rear wall 11r of the rack 1 when the blade server 3 is inserted (see FIG. 2).

  For this reason, when the operator inserts the blade server 3 into the rack 1 along the rail, the fixed portion 34 of the blade server 3 fits into the fixing portion 12 of the rack 1 and at the same time, the information processing apparatus side connector 38. And the rack-side connector 18 are electrically connected, and the pipe 13 and the heat transfer block 36 are thermally connected.

  When removing the blade server 3 from the rack 1, the operator may pull out the blade server 3 from the rack 1 along the rail. Thereby, the fitting state of the fixed portion 34 of the blade server 3 and the fixing portion 12 of the rack 1, the electrical connection between the information processing apparatus side connector 38 and the rack side connector 18, and the connection between the pipe 13 and the heat transfer block 36. The thermal connection is released at the same time.

  According to the present embodiment, the work is performed according to the above-described procedure, so that even when the liquid cooling method is adopted for cooling the information processing apparatus, the circulation of the cooling liquid is stopped during the maintenance of the information processing apparatus. Therefore, maintenance can be performed with simple work.

<Air flow in the rack>
Of the heat generated in the heat source 33, heat that cannot be collected by the heat pipe 35 is released to the air in the enclosure 11. For this reason, in the present embodiment, heat is exchanged between the coolant in the pipe 13 and the air in the enclosure 11 using the heat exchanger 15 provided in the pipe 13, so that the air in the enclosure 11 is changed. Cooling. The cooled air passes through the inside of the chassis 31 of the blade server 3 by the air intake unit (fan) 37 provided in each blade server 3 and circulates in the enclosure 11.

  More specifically, when the fan 16 provided in the rack 1 rotates, the air in the rack 1 passes through the heat exchanger 15, and heat is generated between the coolant and the air via the heat exchanger 15. Exchange is performed. In the present embodiment, the cooled air is sent to the front side of the rack 1 by the fan 16. The air sent to the front side of the rack 1 is taken in from the front side of the blade server by an air intake unit (fan) 37 provided in each blade server 3 to cool the heat source 33 in the chassis 31. The air whose temperature has risen and is used for cooling the heat source 33 is directly discharged from the rear of the blade server 3 to the rear wall 11r side of the rack 1 and cooled again by the heat exchanger 15.

  In the present embodiment, by generating the air flow as described above in the rack 1, heat that has not been collected by the heat pipe 35 among heat generated in the heat source 33 can be efficiently processed. I can do it. In the present embodiment, the example in which the heat exchanger 15 is installed in the lower part of the rack 1 has been described. However, the higher the temperature of air, the easier it is to accumulate in the upper part of the rack. For this reason, a heat exchanger may be installed in the rack upper part. Further, when the heat exchanger is installed at the upper part of the rack, the flow direction of the coolant in the pipe may be opposite to the direction described in the present embodiment (that is, the coolant flows from the upper side to the lower side of the rack). Good.

1 rack 3 blade server (information processing equipment)
13 Pipe 36 Heat transfer block

Claims (19)

One or more information processing devices;
A rack in which the one or more information processing apparatuses can be installed;
A system comprising:
The rack is
A fixing unit for detachably fixing the information processing apparatus;
A flow path that guides the coolant supplied from outside the rack to the outside of the rack after passing the inside of the rack;
A heat exchanger that promotes heat exchange between the coolant flowing in the flow path and the air in the rack by being thermally connected to the flow path,
The information processing apparatus includes:
A fixed part fixed by the fixing part;
A heat transfer block thermally connected to at least one of the heat sources included in the information processing apparatus, the heat transfer block thermally connected to the flow path in a state where the information processing apparatus is fixed by the fixing unit; Comprising
system. The heat exchanger is provided on the upstream side in the flow of the coolant from the portion of the flow path that is thermally connected to the heat transfer block.
The system of claim 1. The information processing apparatus further includes an air intake unit that takes in the air heat-exchanged with the coolant via the heat exchanger into the information processing apparatus.
The system according to claim 1 or 2. The portion of the heat transfer block in contact with the flow path has a shape along the outer shape of the flow path.
The system according to any one of claims 1 to 3. The flow path has a cylindrical shape,
The portion of the heat transfer block in contact with the flow path has a shape along the outer periphery of the cylindrical flow path.
The system according to any one of claims 1 to 4. The heat transfer block and the flow path are thermally connected via a heat transfer material,
The system according to any one of claims 1 to 5. The heat transfer block and the flow path are thermally connected via a material having a thermal conductivity of 1.0 watt per meter Kelvin (W / (m · K)) or more.
The system according to claim 6. The heat transfer block and the flow path are thermally connected via a material having a thermal conductivity of 50 watts per meter Kelvin (W / (m · K)) or more.
The system according to claim 6. The heat transfer block and the flow path are thermally connected via a material that is in close contact with the heat transfer block and the flow path by being deformed,
The system according to any one of claims 6 to 8. The heat transfer block and the flow path are thermally connected via grease,
The system according to claim 9. The heat transfer block and the flow path are thermally connected via a silicon rubber sheet,
The system according to claim 9. The rack is
Wiring for power supply or communication;
A rack-side connector for electrically connecting the wiring to the information processing device in a state where the information processing device is fixed by the fixing unit;
The information processing apparatus includes:
An information processing device side connector for electrically connecting the information processing device to the wiring in a state where the fixed portion is fixed to the rack;
The thermal connection between the flow path and the heat transfer block, and the electrical connection between the rack side connector and the information processing apparatus side connector are interlocked.
The system according to any one of claims 1 to 11. The information processing apparatus further includes a heat pipe that thermally connects the heat source and the heat transfer block,
The system according to any one of claims 1 to 12. The rack further includes a door that opens to allow access to the inside of the rack in which the fixed information processing apparatus is accommodated.
The system according to any one of claims 1 to 13. A rack in which one or more information processing devices can be installed,
A fixing unit for detachably fixing the information processing apparatus;
A flow path that guides the coolant supplied from outside the rack to the outside of the rack after passing through the inside of the rack, and the information processing apparatus includes the information processing apparatus fixed by the fixing unit. A flow path thermally connected to a heat transfer block thermally connected to at least one of the heat sources;
A heat exchanger that promotes heat exchange between the coolant flowing in the flow path and the air in the rack by being thermally connected to the flow path,
rack. The heat exchanger is provided on the upstream side in the flow of the coolant from the portion of the flow path that is thermally connected to the heat transfer block.
The rack according to claim 15. The heat transfer block and the flow path are thermally connected via a heat transfer material,
The rack according to claim 15 or 16. The heat transfer block and the flow path are thermally connected via a material that is in close contact with the heat transfer block and the flow path by being deformed,
The rack according to claim 17. Wiring for power supply or communication;
A rack-side connector for electrically connecting the wiring to the information processing device in a state where the information processing device is fixed by the fixing unit;
The thermal connection between the flow path and the heat transfer block, and the electrical connection between the rack side connector and the information processing apparatus side connector are interlocked.
The rack according to any one of claims 15 to 18.

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