Electronics chassis with a barrier forming a liquid isolation region

1. An apparatus, comprising:

an electronics chassis having a plurality of panels forming an enclosure;

a plurality of electronic devices disposed within the electronics chassis;

a liquid cooling module including a cooling block in thermal contact with at least one of the electronic devices, a module supply conduit permanently fixed to the cooling block, and a module return conduit permanently fixed to the cooling block, wherein the liquid cooling module forms a liquid passageway from the module supply conduit through the cooling block to the module return conduit;

a liquid unit including a liquid supply conduit and a liquid return conduit, wherein the liquid supply conduit includes an upstream supply connector for connecting to an external liquid supply conduit and a downstream supply connector connected to the module supply conduit, and wherein the liquid return conduit has an upstream return connector connected to the module return conduit and a downstream return connector for connecting to an external liquid return conduit;

a liquid-tight barrier disposed in the electronics chassis and dividing the electronics chassis into an electronics region and a liquid isolation region, wherein the plurality of electronic devices and the liquid cooling module are located in the electronics region, wherein the liquid unit is located in the liquid isolation region, and wherein the module supply conduit extends across the liquid-tight barrier from the electronics region to the liquid isolation region where the module supply conduit is connected to the downstream supply connector, and wherein the module return conduit extends across the liquid-tight barrier from the electronics region to the liquid isolation region where the module return conduit is connected to the upstream return connector.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein there are no liquid supply or return connectors located in the electronics region.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:

the external liquid supply conduit, wherein the external liquid supply conduit is a manifold having connectors disposed at a plurality of locations within a rack; and

the external liquid return conduit, wherein the external liquid return conduit is a manifold having connectors disposed at the plurality of locations within the rack.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the upstream supply connector is positioned for blind-mating with the external supply conduit when the electronics chassis is inserted into the rack, and wherein the downstream return connector is positioned for blind-mating with the external return conduit when the electronics chassis is inserted into the rack.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the connectors are quick-connect couplings and/or threaded couplings.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the module supply conduit and the module return conduit are permanently fixed to the cooling block by a weld or bond.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the cooling block, the module supply conduit, and the module return conduit are each made of a metal.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the module supply conduit and the module return conduit are hard metal conduits.

9. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the module supply conduit and the module return conduit are flexible metal conduits.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the liquid supply conduit includes flexible conduit to facilitate manual alignment and connection of the downstream liquid supply connector to the module supply connector within the liquid isolation region, and wherein the liquid return conduit includes flexible conduit to facilitate manual alignment and connection of the upstream liquid return connector to the module return connector within the liquid isolation region.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of electronic devices includes a compute node having a central processing unit, and wherein the liquid cooling module is in thermal contact with the central processing unit.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the liquid-tight barrier supports the module supply conduit and the module return conduit.

13. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the module supply conduit has a distal end with a module supply conduit connector for manually connecting with the downstream supply connector, and wherein the module return conduit has a distal end with a module return conduit connector for manually connecting with the upstream return connector.

14. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:

a liquid detection device located in the bottom of the liquid isolation region.

15. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising;

a support member within the liquid isolation region for supporting the upstream supply connector and the downstream supply connector.

16. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:

a second liquid cooling module including a second cooling block in thermal contact with at least a second one of the electronic devices, a second module supply conduit permanently fixed to the second cooling block, and a second module return conduit permanently fixed to the second cooling block, wherein the second liquid cooling module forms a second liquid passageway from the second module supply conduit through the second cooling block to the second module return conduit, wherein the liquid supply conduit has a second downstream supply connector connected to the second module supply conduit, and wherein the liquid return conduit has a second upstream return connector connected to the second module return conduit.

17. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:

a second liquid cooling module including a second cooling block in thermal contact with at least a second one of the electronic devices, a second module supply conduit permanently fixed to the second cooling block, and a second module return conduit permanently fixed to the second cooling block, wherein the second liquid cooling module forms a second liquid passageway from the second module supply conduit through the second cooling block to the second module return conduit, wherein the second module supply conduit is permanently branched off of the module supply conduit and the second module return conduit is permanently branched off of the module return conduit.

18. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:

a second plurality of electronic devices disposed within the electronics region of the electronics chassis, wherein the second plurality of electronic devices are secured to a printed circuit board directly above the first plurality of electronic devices; and

a second liquid cooling module including a second cooling block in thermal contact with at least one of the electronic devices in the second plurality of electronic devices, a second module supply conduit permanently fixed to the second cooling block, and a second module return conduit permanently fixed to the second cooling block, wherein the second liquid cooling module forms a second liquid passageway from the second module supply conduit through the second cooling block to the second module return conduit, wherein the liquid supply conduit has a second downstream supply connector connected to the second module supply conduit, and wherein the liquid return conduit has a second upstream return connector connected to the second module return conduit, and wherein the barrier extends upward to support the module supply conduit and the module return conduit of the liquid cooling module and the second module supply conduit and the second module return conduit of the second liquid cooling module.

19. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:

a second liquid unit including a second liquid supply conduit and a second liquid return conduit, wherein the second liquid supply conduit includes a second upstream supply connector for connecting to a second external liquid supply conduit and a second downstream supply connector connected to a second module supply conduit, and wherein the second liquid return conduit has a second upstream return connector connected to a second module return conduit and a second downstream return connector for connecting to a second external liquid return conduit;

a second liquid-tight barrier disposed in the electronics chassis and further dividing the electronics chassis to create a second electronics region and leaving the liquid isolation region between the two electronics regions; and

a second plurality of electronic devices and a second liquid cooling module are located in the second electronics region, the second liquid cooling module including a second cooling block in thermal contact with at least one of the electronic devices in the second electronics region, the second module supply conduit permanently fixed to the second cooling block, and the second module return conduit permanently fixed to the second cooling block, wherein the second liquid cooling module forms a second liquid passageway from the second module supply conduit through the second cooling block to the second module return conduit, wherein the second liquid unit is located in the liquid isolation region, wherein the second module supply conduit extends across the second liquid-tight barrier from the second electronics region to the liquid isolation region where the second module supply conduit is connected to the second downstream supply connector, and wherein the second module return conduit extends across the second liquid-tight barrier from the second electronics region to the liquid isolation region where the second module return conduit is connected to the second upstream return connector.

20. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:

a second liquid unit including a second liquid supply conduit and a second liquid return conduit, wherein the second liquid unit is located in the liquid isolation region, wherein the second liquid supply conduit includes a second upstream supply connector for connecting to a second external liquid supply conduit and a second downstream supply connector connected to the second module supply conduit, and wherein the second liquid return conduit has a second upstream return connector connected to the second module return conduit and a second downstream return connector for connecting to a second external liquid return conduit;

wherein the liquid cooling module includes a second module supply conduit permanently fixed to the cooling block and a second module return conduit permanently fixed to the cooling block, wherein the liquid cooling module forms a second liquid passageway from the second module supply conduit through the cooling block to the second module return conduit; and

wherein the second module supply conduit extends across the liquid-tight barrier from the electronics region to the liquid isolation region where the second module supply conduit is connected to the second downstream supply connector, and wherein the second module return conduit extends across the liquid-tight barrier from the electronics region to the liquid isolation region where the second module return conduit is connected to the second upstream return connector.