LIQUID FILL/DRAIN SYSTEM FOR LIQUID COOLED ELECTRONICS RACKS
A method and system for handling an electronics having a liquid coolant system that uses a liquid coolant, the method including: providing the electronics rack with the liquid coolant system in a shipping crate, wherein the liquid coolant system of the rack does not contain the liquid coolant; providing the liquid coolant for the liquid coolant system in a separate storage container; and moving from a first location to a second location the crate with the liquid coolant system of the rack not containing the liquid coolant and the liquid coolant in the separate storage container. The liquid coolant system of the rack preferably is filled at the second location with the liquid coolant from the separate storage container. The system includes the storage container and a pump preferably positioned within the crate and configurable to move the liquid coolant from the storage container into the liquid coolant system.
1 . A system to handle liquid coolant, the liquid coolant arranged for use in a liquid coolant system of a rack, the liquid coolant system having a coolant supply side and a coolant return side, the rack arranged to hold a plurality of electronic components, the system to handle liquid coolant comprising:
a storage tank subsystem having a storage tank to contain liquid coolant, a storage tank inlet, and a storage tank outlet;
a pump subsystem having a pump to pump the liquid coolant, a pump inlet, and a pump outlet, wherein the storage tank outlet is connectable with the pump inlet, the coolant supply side is connectable with the pump outlet, and the coolant return side is connectable to the storage tank inlet; and
a shipping crate, wherein the storage tank subsystem and the pump subsystem are at least one of positioned inside of the shipping crate, integrated into the shipping crate, or fixed to the shipping crate.
2 . The system to handle liquid coolant according to claim 1 , wherein the shipping crate is reuseable to re-ship the rack or to ship another rack arranged to hold a different set of electronic components.
3 . The system to handle liquid coolant according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a shut-off valve in the storage tank subsystem or the pump subsystem to resist flow of the liquid coolant.
4 . The system to handle liquid coolant according to claim 1 , wherein:
the storage tank subsystem further includes a storage tank inlet connector in communication with the storage tank inlet and a storage tank outlet connector in communication with the storage tank outlet,
the pump subsystem further includes a pump inlet connector in communication with the pump inlet and a pump outlet connector in communication with the pump outlet,
the liquid coolant system further includes a supply side coolant connector in communication with the coolant supply side and a return side coolant connector in communication with the coolant return side, and
the storage tank outlet connector is connectable with the pump inlet connector, the supply side coolant connector is connectable with the pump outlet connector, and the return side coolant connector is connectable with the storage tank inlet connector.
5 . The system to handle liquid coolant according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a drain tank subsystem having a drain tank inlet in communication with a drain tank, wherein the coolant return side is connectable to the drain tank subsystem.
6 . The system to handle liquid coolant according to claim 5 , wherein the drain tank and the storage tank are integrated into a single housing.
7 . The system to handle liquid coolant according to claim 5 , wherein at least one of the storage tank and the drain tank has a baffle configured to decrease movement of the liquid coolant during transport.
8 . A method of handling a rack having a plurality of electronic components, the rack having a liquid coolant system, the method comprising:
providing the rack with the liquid coolant system in a shipping crate, wherein the liquid coolant system of the rack does not contain a liquid coolant;
providing the liquid coolant for the liquid coolant system in a separate storage container, the separate storage container being at least one of positioned inside of the shipping crate, integrated into the shipping crate, or fixed to the shipping crate; and
moving the shipping crate from a first location to a second location while the shipping crate contains the liquid coolant in the separate storage container.
9 . The method according to claim 8 , further comprising:
providing both the separate storage container containing the liquid coolant and the rack with the liquid coolant system not containing the liquid coolant in a same transit container; and
moving the same transit container from a first geographic address to a second geographic address.
10 . The method according to claim 8 , wherein the rack is moved from the first location to the second location with inert gas in the liquid coolant system of the rack.
11 . The method according to claim 10 , further comprising:
checking a pressure of the inert gas in the liquid coolant system of the rack before filling the rack with the liquid coolant after the shipping crate is moved.
12 . The method according to claim 10 , further comprising:
purging the inert gas in the liquid coolant system of the rack before filling the rack with the liquid coolant after the shipping crate is moved.
13 . The method according to claim 8 , further comprising:
after the shipping crate is moved, filling the liquid coolant from the separate storage container into the liquid coolant system of the rack.
14 . The method according to claim 13 , wherein:
the shipping crate is provided with a storage container subsystem and a pump subsystem,
the storage container subsystem has the separate storage container containing the liquid coolant, a storage container inlet connector and a storage container outlet connector,
the pump subsystem has a pump, a pump inlet connector, and a pump outlet connector, and
filling the liquid coolant system of the rack includes:
connecting the storage container outlet connector to the pump inlet connector;
connecting the pump outlet connector to a supply side connector of the liquid coolant system of the rack;
connecting the storage container inlet connector to a return side connector of the liquid coolant system of the rack; and
causing the pump to move the liquid coolant from the separate storage container to the liquid coolant system.
15 . The method according to claim 13 , further comprising:
draining the liquid coolant from the liquid coolant system of the rack.
16 . The method according to claim 15 , further comprising:
draining the liquid coolant from the liquid coolant system to the storage container using at least one pump.
17 . A shipping crate, comprising:
a storage tank subsystem having a storage tank arranged to contain liquid coolant, wherein the storage tank subsystem is positioned inside of the shipping crate, integrated into the shipping crate, or fixed to the shipping crate; and
a pump subsystem having a pump arranged to pump the liquid coolant from the storage tank subsystem to a rack that houses electronic components cooled via a liquid coolant system of the rack when the rack is deployed and operating, wherein the pump subsystem is positioned inside of the shipping crate, integrated into the shipping crate, or fixed to the shipping crate.
18 . The shipping crate according to claim 17 , wherein the pump subsystem and the storage tank subsystem are integrated together.
19 . The shipping crate according to claim 17 , further comprising:
at least one power source arranged to provide operational power to the pump subsystem.
20 . The shipping crate according to claim 17 , further comprising:
at least one elevation structure arranged to facilitate movement of the shipping crate via a forklift or a pallet jack.