IP Library Granted Patent US 11,665,862
Granted Patent B2
US 11,665,862 · App. 17/235,560 · Granted May 30, 2023

Cooling computing modules of a rack-mountable tray

Inventors: Richard A. Crisp (Austin, TX); Matthew B. Gilbert (Austin, TX); Corey D. Hartman (Hutto, TX)
Assignee: Dell Products L.P.
H05K7/20772G06F1/206G06F2200/201
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,665,862
App. No.
17/235,560
Granted
May 30, 2023
Kind
B2
Abstract

An information handling system, including a plurality of computing modules; a rack-mountable tray including: a plurality of bays, each bay including a thermal pad, wherein i) each computing module is engaged with one or more of the bays of the plurality of bays and ii) one or more of the thermal pads are in thermal communication with a respective computing module of the plurality of computing modules; and a fluid circulation system positioned within the tray and coupled to each of the thermal pads, the fluid circulation system circulating fluid proximate to the thermal pads to transfer heat from the computing modules through the thermal pads.

Claims (33)

1. An information handling system, comprising:

a plurality of computing modules, each computing module of the plurality of computing modules including a thermal plate;

a rack-mountable tray including:

a plurality of bays, each bay including a thermal pad, wherein i) each computing module is engaged with a respective bay of the plurality of bays, and wherein ii) the thermal pad of each bay is in thermal communication with the thermal plate of the computing module that is engaged within the bay to transfer heat from the thermal plate of the computing module to the thermal pad of the bay; and

a fluid circulation system positioned within the tray and coupled to each of the thermal pads, the fluid circulation system:

introducing, for each of the plurality of computing modules, a fluid within the computing module via the bay that the computing module is engaged with to transfer heat from components of the computing module to the fluid and transfer heat from the fluid to the thermal plate of the computing module; and

circulating, for each of the plurality of bays, additional fluid within the thermal pad of the bay to transfer heat from the thermal pad to the additional fluid.

2. The information handling system of claim 1 , wherein each of the bays further includes one or more interconnects for engaging with the respective computing module.

3. The information handling system of claim 2 , wherein the tray further includes a data delivery system and a power delivery system, wherein the one or more interconnects couple the computing modules with the data delivery system and the power delivery system.

4. The information handling system of claim 1 , wherein the fluid circulation system includes, for each thermal pad, a cold fluid intake and a warm fluid return.

5. The information handling system of claim 1 , wherein the fluid is a water-based fluid.

6. The information handling system of claim 1 , further including an air circulation system coupled to the tray to further transfer heat from the computing modules.

7. An apparatus, comprising:

a rack-mountable tray, including:

a plurality of bays, each bay including a thermal pad, wherein i) each computing module of a plurality of computing modules is engaged with a respective bay of the plurality of bays, and wherein ii) the thermal pad of each bay is in thermal communication with a thermal plate of the computing module that is engaged with the bay to transfer heat from the thermal plate of the computing module to the thermal pad of the bay; and

a fluid circulation system positioned within the tray and coupled to each of the thermal pads, the fluid circulation system:

introducing, for each of the plurality of computing modules, a fluid within the computing module via the bay that the computing module is engaged with to transfer heat from components of the computing module to the fluid and transfer heat from the fluid to the thermal plate of the computing module; and

circulating, for each of the plurality of bays, additional fluid within the thermal pad of the bay to transfer heat from the thermal pad to the additional fluid.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein each of the bays further includes one or more interconnects for engaging with the respective computing module.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the tray further includes a data delivery system and a power delivery system, wherein the one or more interconnects couple the computing modules with the data delivery system and the power delivery system.

10. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the fluid circulation system includes, for each thermal pad, a cold fluid intake and a warm fluid return.

11. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the fluid is a water-based fluid.

12. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the fluid is a dielectric-based fluid.

13. The apparatus of claim 7 , further including an air circulation system coupled to the tray to further transfer heat from the computing modules.

14. A method of cooling a plurality of computing modules, comprising:

engaging each computing module of the plurality of computing modules with a respective bay of a plurality of bays of a rack-mountable tray, wherein, for each computing module, a thermal plate of the computing module is in thermal communication with a thermal pad of the bay the computing module is engaged with;

introducing, for each of the plurality of computing modules, a fluid within the computing module via the bay that the computing module is engaged with to transfer heat from components of the computing module to the fluid and transfer heat from the fluid to the thermal plate of the computing module;

transferring, for each of the plurality of computing modules, heat from the thermal plate of the computing module to the thermal pad of the bay the computing module is engaged with; and

circulating, for each bay of the plurality of bays, additional fluid within the thermal pad of the bay to transfer heat from the thermal pad to the additional fluid.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein engaging each computing module with a respective bay further includes engaging each computing module with one or more interconnects of the respective bay.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein engaging each computing module with one or more interconnects of the respective bay further includes coupling each computing module with a data delivery system and a power delivery system through the interconnects.

17. The method of claim 14 , wherein the fluid is a water-based fluid.

18. The method of claim 14 , wherein the fluid is a dielectric-based fluid.

Assignments (10)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL/FRAME (056295/0280) Recorded Jun 10, 2022
From: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
To: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
Reel/Frame 062022/0255 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL/FRAME (056295/0124) Recorded Jun 10, 2022
From: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
To: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
Reel/Frame 062022/0012 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL/FRAME (056295/0001) Recorded Jun 10, 2022
From: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
To: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
Reel/Frame 062021/0844 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Nov 2, 2021
From: CREDIT SUISSE AG, CAYMAN ISLANDS BRANCH
To: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
Reel/Frame 058297/0332 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded May 19, 2021
From: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
To: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 056295/0124 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded May 19, 2021
From: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
To: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 056295/0001 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded May 19, 2021
From: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
To: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 056295/0280 →
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE MISSING PATENTS THAT WERE ON THE ORIGINAL SCHEDULED SUBMITTED BUT NOT ENTERED PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL: 056250 FRAME: 0541. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE ASSIGNMENT. Recorded May 17, 2021
From: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
To: CREDIT SUISSE AG, CAYMAN ISLANDS BRANCH
Reel/Frame 056311/0781 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded May 14, 2021
From: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
To: CREDIT SUISSE AG, CAYMAN ISLANDS BRANCH
Reel/Frame 056250/0541 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 20, 2021
From: CRISP, RICHARD A.; GILBERT, MATTHEW B.; HARTMAN, COREY D.
To: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.
Reel/Frame 055978/0287 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20220338383A1 · Oct 20, 2022
Cited By (7)
US 12,250,024 US 12,313,886 US 12,405,433 US 12,455,422 US 12,461,322 US 12,490,401 US 12,520,448