Liquid cooling loops for server applications
View Patent ↗Liquid-based cooling solutions used to transfer heat produced by one or more heat generating devices from one or more electronics servers to the ambient. Each electronics server includes one or more heat generating devices. Integrated onto each electronics server is a liquid based cooling system. Each liquid based cooling system includes a server pump and one or more microchannel cold plates (MCP) coupled together via fluid lines. The liquid based cooling system for each electronics server includes a rejector plate configured with micro-channels. The MCPs, the server pump and the rejector plate form a first closed loop. The rejector plate is coupled to a chassis cold plate via a thermal interface material. In a multiple electronics server configuration, the rejector plates for each of the electronics servers are coupled to the chassis cold plate configured with fluid channels which are coupled via fluid lines to a liquid-to-air heat exchanging system to form a second closed loop.
1. A cooling system for cooling a plurality of electronics servers, the cooling system comprising:
a. a plurality of electronics servers, each electronics server including one or more heat generating devices;
b. a plurality of fluid based cooling systems, one fluid based cooling system thermally coupled to a corresponding electronics server, wherein each fluid based cooling system includes at least one heat exchanging device through which flows a first fluid to receive heat transferred from the one or more heat generating devices of the corresponding electronics server, and each fluid based cooling system further includes a heat rejector through which the first fluid flows to transfer heat from the first fluid to the heat rejector;
c. a second heat exchanging system including a single cold plate through which flows a second fluid separate from the first fluid and a liquid-to-air heat rejector; and
d. a thermal interface formed between the heat rejector of each of the plurality of fluid based cooling systems and the single cold plate of the second heat exchanging system to transfer heat from the first fluid to the second fluid,
wherein each of the plurality of electronics servers is configured to be inserted along an insertion vector into an electronics chassis, and wherein the thermal interface is disposed along a thermal interface plane that is non-perpendicular to the insertion vector.
2. The cooling system of claim 1 wherein each fluid based cooling system forms a first closed fluid loop.
3. The cooling system of claim 1 wherein the first fluid is physically isolated from the second fluid.
4. The cooling system of claim 1 wherein the cold plate is configured with fluid channels.
5. The cooling system of claim 1 wherein the liquid-to-air heat rejector and the thermal interface form a second closed fluid loop.
6. The cooling system of claim 5 wherein the second heat exchanging system further comprises a first pump, wherein the first pump is included in the second closed fluid loop.
7. The cooling system of claim 1 wherein the heat rejector of each fluid based cooling system includes a rejector plate, wherein each rejector plate is configured with micro-channels.
8. The cooling system of claim 7 wherein the thermal interface layer further comprises a thermal interface material to couple each rejector plate to the cold plate.
9. The cooling system of claim 1 wherein the liquid-to-air heat rejector comprises a radiator.
10. The cooling system of claim 1 wherein the at least one heat exchanging device of each fluid based cooling system comprises one or more microchannel cold plates through which the first fluid flows.
11. The cooling system of claim 10 wherein one microchannel cold plate is coupled to each heat generating device.
12. The cooling system of claim 1 wherein each fluid based cooling system further comprises a second pump.
13. The cooling system of claim 1 wherein each electronics server comprises a blade server.
14. The cooling system of claim 1 wherein each electronics server comprises a rack server, and the electronics chassis comprises an electronics rack.
15. A cooling system for cooling an electronics server, the cooling system comprising:
a. a electronics server including one or more heat generating devices;
b. a fluid based cooling system including one or more first heat exchangers and a first heat rejector, each first heat exchanger is thermally coupled to one of the heat generating devices, wherein the fluid based cooling system includes a first fluid loop including the one or more first heat exchangers and the first heat rejector, the first fluid loop having a first fluid circulating therethrough to receive heat transferred from the one or more heat generating devices;
c. a second heat exchanging system including a second fluid loop with a second fluid, wherein the second fluid loop includes a second heat exchanger and a second heat rejector, further wherein the second heat exchanger is thermally coupled to the first heat rejector; and
d. a thermal interface formed between the first heat rejector of the fluid based cooling system and the second heat exchanger of the second heat exchanging system to transfer heat from the first fluid to the second fluid,
wherein the electronics server is configured to be inserted along an insertion vector into an electronics chassis, and wherein the entire thermal interface is disposed along a single thermal interface plane that is non-perpendicular and non-parallel to the insertion vector.
16. The cooling system of claim 15 wherein the fluid based cooling system forms a first closed fluid loop.
17. The cooling system of claim 15 wherein the first fluid is physically isolated from the second fluid.
18. The cooling system of claim 15 wherein the thermal interface includes a chassis cold plate, wherein the chassis cold plate is configured with fluid channels.
19. The cooling system of claim 15 wherein the heat rejector and the thermal interface form a second closed fluid loop.
20. The cooling system of claim 19 wherein the second heat exchanging system further comprises a first pump, wherein the first pump is included in the second closed fluid loop.
21. The cooling system of claim 15 wherein the fluid based cooling system includes a rejector plate configured with micro-channels.
22. The cooling system of claim 21 wherein the thermal interface layer further comprises a thermal interface material to couple the rejector plate to the chassis cold plate.
23. The cooling system of claim 15 wherein the heat rejector comprises a radiator.
24. The cooling system of claim 15 wherein the fluid based cooling system further comprises one or more microchannel cold plates through which the first fluid flows.
25. The cooling system of claim 24 wherein one microchannel cold plate is coupled to each heat generating device on the electronics server.
26. The cooling system of claim 15 wherein the fluid based cooling system further comprises a second pump.
27. The cooling system of claim 15 further comprising a plurality of electronics servers, each electronics server including one or more heat generating devices, and a plurality of fluid based cooling systems, one fluid based cooling system thermally coupled to a corresponding electronics server, wherein each of the plurality of fluid based cooling systems is thermally coupled to the thermal interface.
28. The cooling system of claim 15 wherein each electronics server comprises a blade server.
29. The cooling system of claim 15 wherein each electronics server comprises a rack server, and the electronics chassis comprises an electronics rack.
30. A cooling system for cooling an electronics server, the cooling system comprising:
a. a electronics server including one or more heat generating devices;
b. a fluid based cooling system thermally coupled to the electronics server, wherein the fluid based cooling system includes a first fluid to receive heat transferred from the one or more heat generating devices;
c. a non-circulating an external fluid supply to provide a new supply of a second fluid; and
d. a thermal interface coupled to the fluid based cooling system and to the external fluid supply to receive the fresh supply of the second fluid and to transfer heat from the first fluid to the second fluid,
wherein the electronics server is configured to be inserted along an insertion vector into an electronics chassis, and wherein the thermal interface is disposed along a thermal interface plane that is non-perpendicular to the insertion vector.
31. The cooling system of claim 30 wherein the fluid based cooling system forms a first closed fluid loop.
32. The cooling system of claim 30 wherein the first fluid is physically isolated from the second fluid.
33. The cooling system of claim 30 wherein the thermal interface includes a chassis cold plate, wherein the chassis cold plate is configured with fluid channels.
34. The cooling system of claim 30 further comprises a first pump coupled between the external fluid supply and the thermal interface.
35. The cooling system of claim 30 wherein the fluid based cooling system includes a rejector plate configured with micro-channels.
36. The cooling system of claim 35 wherein the thermal interface layer further comprises a thermal interface material to couple the rejector plate to the chassis cold plate.
37. The cooling system of claim 30 wherein the fluid based cooling system further comprises one or more microchannel cold plates through which the first fluid flows.
38. The cooling system of claim 37 wherein one microchannel cold plate is coupled to each heat generating device on the electronics server.
39. The cooling system of claim 30 wherein the fluid based cooling system further comprises a second pump.
40. The cooling system of claim 30 further comprising a plurality of electronics servers, each electronics server including one or more heat generating devices, and a plurality of fluid based cooling systems, one fluid based cooling system thermally coupled to a corresponding electronics server, wherein each of the plurality of fluid based cooling systems is thermally coupled to the thermal interface.
41. The cooling system of claim 30 wherein the external fluid supply comprises an external water supply that provides a new supply of water.
42. The cooling system of claim 30 wherein each electronics server comprises a blade server.
43. The cooling system of claim 30 wherein each electronics server comprises a rack server, and the electronics chassis comprises an electronics rack.
44. A cooling system for cooling an electronics server, the cooling system comprising:
a. a electronics server including one or more heat generating devices;
b. a fluid based cooling system thermally coupled to the electronics server, wherein the fluid based cooling system includes a fluid to receive heat transferred from the one or more heat generating devices;
c. a second heat exchanging system including a heat rejector; and
d. a thermal interface coupled to the fluid based cooling system and to the second heat exchanging system to direct the fluid to the heat rejector to transfer heat from the fluid to the air,
wherein the electronics server is configured to be inserted along an insertion vector into an electronics chassis, and wherein the entire thermal interface is disposed along a single thermal interface plane that is non-perpendicular and non-parallel to the insertion vector.
45. The cooling system of claim 44 wherein the fluid based cooling system, the thermal interface, and the heat rejector form a closed fluid loop.
46. The cooling system of claim 44 wherein the thermal interface includes a chassis cold plate, wherein the chassis cold plate is configured with fluid channels.
47. The cooling system of claim 44 wherein the second heat exchanging system further comprises a pump, wherein the pump is included in the closed fluid loop.
48. The cooling system of claim 44 wherein the heat rejector comprises a radiator.
49. The cooling system of claim 44 wherein the fluid based cooling system further comprises one or more microchannel cold plates through which the fluid flows.
50. The cooling system of claim 49 wherein one microchannel cold plate is coupled to each heat generating device on the electronics server.
51. The cooling system of claim 44 further comprising a plurality of electronics servers, each electronics server including one or more heat generating devices, and a plurality of fluid based cooling systems, one fluid based cooling system thermally coupled to a corresponding electronics server, wherein each of the plurality of fluid based cooling systems is coupled to the thermal interface to enable fluid flow from each of the plurality of fluid based cooling systems to the thermal interface.
52. The cooling system of claim 51 wherein each of the plurality of fluid based cooling systems is coupled to the thermal interface via a plurality of quick connects.
53. The cooling system of claim 44 wherein each electronics server comprises a blade server.
54. The cooling system of claim 44 wherein each electronics server comprises a rack server, and the electronics chassis comprises an electronics rack.