IP Library Granted Patent US 9,606,588
Granted Patent B2
US 9,606,588 · App. 13/931,754 · Granted Mar 28, 2017

Closed-loop cooling system for high-density clustered computer system

Inventors: Steven J. Dean (Chippewa Falls, WI); David R. Collins (Eau Claire, WI); Timothy Scott McCann (Eleva, WI); Perry D. Franz (Elk Mound, WI); Jeffrey M. Glanzman (Mondovi, WI)
Assignee: Silicon Graphics International Corp.
G06F1/20G06F1/181H05K7/20754H05K7/20827G06F2200/201
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,606,588
App. No.
13/931,754
Granted
Mar 28, 2017
Kind
B2
Abstract

A cooling system for a high performance computing system includes a closed-loop cooling cell having two compute racks and a cooling tower between the compute racks. Each compute rack includes at least one blade enclosure, and the cooling tower includes at least one water-cooled heat exchanger and one or more blowers configured to draw warm air from a side of the compute racks towards a back, across the water-cooled heat exchanger, and to circulate cooled air to a side of the compute racks towards a front. The cooling cell further includes a housing enclosing the compute racks and the cooling tower to provide a closed-loop air flow within the cooling cell. The cooling system further includes cooling plate(s) configured to be disposed between two computing boards within the computing blade, and a fluid connection coupled to the cooling plate and in fluid communication with the blade enclosure.

Claims (42)

1. A cooling system for a high performance computing system having a plurality of computing blades for use within a data center, the cooling system comprising:

a sealed closed-loop airflow cooling cell including:

a first compute rack including at least one blade enclosure, the first compute rack having a front, a back, and a side;

a second compute rack including at least one blade enclosure, the second compute rack having a front, a back, and a side;

a cooling tower coupled to the side of the first compute rack using an airtight seal and coupled to the side of the second compute rack using an airtight seal, the cooling tower having at least two water-cooled heat exchangers positioned in a v-shape with the open side of the v-shape facing one or more blowers; and

the one or more blowers configured to draw warm air from the first and second compute racks across the water-cooled heat exchanger, and to circulate cooled air into the first and second compute racks; and

a housing enclosing the first compute rack, the second compute rack, and the cooling tower to provide a closed-loop air flow within the cooling cell;

wherein the cooling cell is within the data center and substantially no air from the cooling cell enters the data center.

2. The cooling system of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the compute racks in one of the closed-loop cooling cells further includes a cooling manifold in the blade enclosure that is configured to couple to the plurality of computing blades in the blade enclosure, the cooling system further comprising an external cooling distribution unit having fluid connections in fluid communication with the cooling manifolds.

3. The cooling system of claim 2 , wherein the external cooling distribution unit further includes

a liquid-cooled heat exchanger in contact with a portion of the fluid connections; and

one or more pumps configured to move liquid within the fluid connections from the cooling manifolds to the liquid-cooled heat exchanger.

4. The cooling system of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the compute racks in the closed-loop cooling cell further includes a cooling manifold in the blade enclosure that is configured to couple to the plurality of computing blades in the blade enclosure, the cooling system further comprising an external cooling distribution unit having fluid connections in fluid communication with the cooling manifolds.

5. The cooling system of claim 4 , wherein the external cooling distribution unit further includes

a liquid-cooled heat exchanger in contact with a portion of the fluid connections; and

one or more pumps configured to move liquid within the fluid connections from the cooling manifolds to the liquid-cooled heat exchanger.

6. The cooling system of claim 1 , wherein the cooling cell includes two water-cooled heat exchangers positioned in a v-shape.

7. The cooling system of claim 1 , wherein the first and second racks are in an M-rack configuration.

8. The cooling system of claim 1 , wherein the first and second racks are in a D-rack configuration.

9. A high performance computing (HPC) system for use within a data center comprising: a sealed closed-loop airflow cooling cell including:

a first compute rack including at least one blade enclosure, the first compute rack having a front, a back, and a side;

a second compute rack including at least one blade enclosure, the second compute rack having a front, a back, and a side;

a cooling tower coupled to the side of the first compute rack using an airtight seal and coupled to the side of the second compute rack using an airtight seal, the cooling tower having at least two water-cooled heat exchangers positioned in a v-shape with the open side of the v-shape facing one or more blowers; and the one or more blowers configured to draw warm air from the first and second compute racks across the water-cooled heat exchanger, and to circulate cooled air into the first and second compute racks; and

a housing enclosing the first compute rack, the second compute rack, and the cooling tower to provide a closed-loop air flow within the cooling cell; and a plurality of computing blades in each blade enclosure;

wherein the cooling cell is located within the data center and substantially no air from the cooling cell enters the data center.

10. The HPC system of claim 9 , wherein at least one of the compute racks in one of the closed-loop cooling cells further includes a cooling manifold in the blade enclosure that is coupled to the plurality of computing blades in the blade enclosures, the HPC system further comprising an external cooling distribution unit having fluid connections in fluid communication with the cooling manifolds.

11. The HPC system of claim 10 , wherein the external cooling distribution unit further includes

a liquid-cooled heat exchanger in contact with a portion of the fluid connections; and

one or more pumps configured to move liquid within the fluid connections from the cooling manifolds to the liquid-cooled heat exchanger.

12. The HPC system of claim 9 , wherein at least one of the compute racks in the closed-loop cooling cell further includes a cooling manifold in the blade enclosure that is coupled to the plurality of computing blades in the blade enclosure, the HPC system further comprising an external cooling distribution unit having fluid connections in fluid communication with the cooling manifolds.

13. The HPC system of claim 12 , wherein the external cooling distribution unit further includes

a liquid-cooled heat exchanger in contact with a portion of the fluid connections; and

one or more pumps configured to move liquid within the fluid connections from the cooling manifolds to the liquid-cooled heat exchanger.

14. The HPC system of claim 9 , wherein the cooling cell includes two water-cooled heat exchangers positioned in a v-shape.

15. The HPC system of claim 9 , wherein the first and second racks are in an M-rack configuration.

16. The HPC system of claim 9 , wherein the first and second racks are in a D-rack configuration.

17. The system according to claim 1 further comprising:

one or more cooling plates, each cooling plate configured to be disposed between two computing boards within the computing blade; and

a fluid connection coupled to the cooling plate and in fluid communication with the blade enclosure.

18. The HPC system according to claim 9 further comprising:

one or more cooling plates, each cooling plate configured to be disposed between two computing boards within the computing blade; and

a fluid connection coupled to the cooling plate and in fluid communication with the blade enclosure.

Assignments (4)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 4, 2017
From: SILICON GRAPHICS INTERNATIONAL CORP.
To: HEWLETT PACKARD ENTERPRISE DEVELOPMENT LP
Reel/Frame 044128/0149 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Nov 2, 2016
From: MORGAN STANLEY SENIOR FUNDING, INC., AS AGENT
To: SILICON GRAPHICS INTERNATIONAL CORP.
Reel/Frame 040545/0362 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Mar 13, 2015
From: SILICON GRAPHICS INTERNATIONAL CORP.
To: MORGAN STANLEY SENIOR FUNDING, INC.
Reel/Frame 035200/0722 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 13, 2013
From: DEAN, STEVEN J.; COLLINS, DAVID R.; MCCANN, TIMOTHY SCOTT; FRANZ, PERRY D.; GLANZMAN, JEFFREY M.
To: SILICON GRAPHICS INTERNATIONAL CORP.
Reel/Frame 031203/0289 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 61724274 · Nov 8, 2012
Related Publication 20140124168A1 · May 8, 2014