Integrated two-phase immersion cooling system with enhanced boiling and predictive fluid and condensation control
An integrated two-phase immersion cooling system for electronic devices includes a tank containing a dielectric working fluid in which one or more electronic modules are immersed. Each electronic module is thermally coupled to a heat-spreading assembly supporting a boiling-enhancement surface configured to promote controlled nucleate boiling of the dielectric working fluid. Vapor generated at the boiling-enhancement surface rises into a vapor region and is guided toward a condensation assembly, where the vapor is condensed and returned to the working-fluid region through one or more condensate-return pathways. A coolant-delivery subsystem provides directed liquid-phase dielectric working fluid toward the boiling-enhancement surface to reinforce surface wetting, regulate local heat flux, and reduce reliance on bulk fluid circulation. A control subsystem receives thermal and fluidic telemetry, estimates operating states associated with phase-change behavior, and regulates liquid delivery, circulation, and condensation operation to maintain stable two-phase cooling while reducing energy consumption across operating conditions.
1 . A two-phase immersion cooling system for electronic devices, comprising:
a tank configured to contain a dielectric working fluid;
at least one electronic module disposed within the tank and at least partially submerged in the dielectric working fluid; a heat-spreading assembly thermally coupled to the electronic module; a boiling-enhancement surface operatively associated with the heat-spreading assembly and configured to promote controlled boiling of the dielectric working fluid; a liquid delivery subsystem comprising a manifold configured to direct dielectric liquid toward the boiling-enhancement surface; a condenser subsystem positioned to receive vapor generated at the boiling-enhancement surface and to condense vapor for return to the tank; a circulation subsystem configured to circulate the dielectric working fluid; and a control subsystem operatively coupled to the liquid delivery subsystem, the condenser subsystem, and the circulation subsystem, wherein the control subsystem is configured to;
(i) receive thermal telemetry associated with operation of the electronic module;
(ii) determine an anticipated change in thermal behavior of the electronic module; and
(iii) initiate control actions affecting at least two of the liquid delivery subsystem, the condenser subsystem, and the circulation subsystem prior to occurrence of the anticipated change,
such that response timing of the affected subsystems is coordinated relative to one another to reduce sequential response behavior during transient operating conditions.
2 . The two-phase immersion cooling system of claim 1 , wherein the control subsystem is configured to initiate at least one control action prior to a predicted thermal excursion of the electronic module.
3 . The two-phase immersion cooling system of claim 1 , wherein the liquid delivery subsystem is configured to selectively direct dielectric liquid toward the boiling-enhancement surface in response to a detected boiling condition at the surface.
4 . The two-phase immersion cooling system of claim 3 , wherein the detected boiling condition includes at least one of nucleate boiling, transitional boiling, or incipient dry-out.
5 . The two-phase immersion cooling system of claim 1 , wherein the condenser subsystem comprises plural condensation operating modes, and the control subsystem is configured to selectively activate or modulate at least one of the plural condensation operating modes.
6 . The two-phase immersion cooling system of claim 5 , wherein the plural condensation operating modes include at least two of air-cooled condensation, liquid-coupled condensation, or thermoelectric condensation.
7 . The two-phase immersion cooling system of claim 1 , further comprising one or more vapor-director structures disposed between the boiling-enhancement surface and the condenser subsystem, the vapor-director structures being configured to shape vapor flow paths independently of liquid flow paths.
8 . The two-phase immersion cooling system of claim 1 , wherein the heat-spreading assembly comprises a vapor chamber or heat-spreading plate configured to distribute thermal energy laterally prior to boiling.
9 . The two-phase immersion cooling system of claim 1 , wherein condensed dielectric working fluid returns to the tank through one or more guided return pathways.
10 . The two-phase immersion cooling system of claim 1 , wherein the tank, boiling-enhancement surface, liquid delivery subsystem, condenser subsystem, circulation subsystem, and control subsystem are operatively integrated such that control actions affecting one subsystem influence operation of at least one other subsystem.
11 . The two-phase immersion cooling system of claim 1 , wherein the control actions include modulation of liquid delivery toward the boiling-enhancement surface and selective activation of one or more condenser pathways.
12 . A method of thermally managing at least one electronic module immersed in a dielectric working fluid, the method comprising: providing a boiling-enhancement surface thermally coupled to the electronic module; promoting boiling of the dielectric working fluid at the boiling-enhancement surface; providing a liquid delivery subsystem; directing dielectric liquid toward the boiling-enhancement surface using the liquid delivery subsystem; providing a circulation subsystem; circulating the dielectric working fluid using the circulation subsystem; providing a condenser subsystem having one or more condensation operating modes; condensing vapor generated by the boiling of the dielectric working fluid using the condenser subsystem; (i) receiving thermal telemetry associated with operation of the electronic module; (ii) determining an anticipated change in thermal behavior of the electronic module; and (iii) initiating control actions affecting at least two of the liquid delivery subsystem, the condenser subsystem, and the circulation subsystem prior to occurrence of the anticipated change, such that response timing of the affected subsystems is coordinated relative to one another to reduce sequential response behavior during transient operating conditions.
13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the control actions are initiated prior to a predicted rise in temperature of the electronic module.
14 . The method of claim 12 , wherein directing dielectric liquid toward the boiling-enhancement surface is adjusted in response to detected boiling at the boiling-enhancement surface.
15 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the one or more condensation operating modes are selectively sequenced in response to vapor generation rate.
16 . The method of claim 12 , wherein determining the anticipated change is based at least in part on historical operating data associated with the electronic module.
17 . A control subsystem for a two-phase immersion cooling system, the control subsystem comprising at least one controller and being configured to:
receive thermal telemetry associated with operation of an electronic module;
determine an anticipated change in thermal behavior of the electronic module; and
generate predictive control outputs prior to occurrence of the anticipated change, the predictive control outputs affecting at least two of a liquid delivery subsystem, a condenser subsystem, and a circulation subsystem, such that response timing of the affected subsystems is coordinated relative to one another to reduce sequential response behavior during transient operating conditions.
18 . The control subsystem of claim 17 , wherein the thermal telemetry includes at least one of temperature data, pressure data, vapor flow data, liquid flow data, fluid-level data, or power-consumption data.
19 . The control subsystem of claim 17 , wherein the at least one controller generates predictive control outputs using rule-based, model-based, data-driven, or hybrid control logic.
20 . The control subsystem of claim 17 , wherein the at least one controller adjusts at least one of timing, rate, or spatial distribution of operation of the liquid delivery subsystem based on the thermal telemetry.
21 . The control subsystem of claim 17 , wherein the at least one controller transitions the cooling system into a reduced-energy operating state upon detecting sustained stable two-phase operating conditions.