Vapor management system for a liquid immersion cooling system
A two-phase liquid immersion cooling system is described in which heat generating computer components cause a dielectric fluid in its liquid phase to vaporize. The system includes a vapor management system which can condense the vapor back into a liquid phase to cool the computer components. Using a pressure controlled vessel and pressure controller, the disclosed system may be operated at less than ambient pressure.
1. A device comprising:
a tank configured to hold thermally conductive, condensable dielectric fluid and a computer component;
a pressure controller to reduce or increase an interior pressure of the tank;
a vapor management system for condensing a gas phase of the dielectric fluid; and
a robot configured to pick up the computer component;
wherein the vapor management system includes a vapor storage unit for storage of vapor of the dielectric fluid and wherein the vapor storage unit comprises a valve for allowing air into the vapor management system to reduce a temperature of the vapor of the dielectric fluid.
2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the vapor management system includes a condensing structure within the tank.
3. The device of claim 2 , wherein the condensing structure includes a thermally conductive tube, a coil or radiator fins.
4. The device of claim 2 , wherein the condensing structure is configured to be coupled to a source of cooling liquid so that the cooling liquid passes through the condensing structure.
5. The device of claim 2 , wherein the device is configured to chill a cooling liquid using evaporative cooling or dry cooling towers.
6. The device of claim 2 , wherein the vapor management system includes an incoming pipe and an outgoing pipe.
7. The device of claim 6 , wherein the incoming pipe is configured to receive cooling liquid from a chilled cooling liquid source and guide the cooling liquid through the condensing structure.
8. The device of claim 6 , wherein the outgoing pipe is configured to receive cooling liquid from the condensing structure and return the cooling liquid to the chilled cooling liquid source.
9. The device of claim 1 , wherein the vapor management system includes a storage unit for storage of the dielectric fluid.
10. The device of claim 9 , wherein the vapor management system is configured to direct the dielectric fluid in the tank from the storage unit.
11. The device of claim 1 , wherein the vapor storage unit is a bellows.
12. The device of claim 11 , wherein the bellows are configured to inflate or deflate to maintain the interior pressure of the tank.
13. The device of claim 11 , wherein the bellows comprises one or more pouches.
14. The device of claim 1 , wherein the vapor storage unit is operably connected to a carbon bed to separate the vapor of the dielectric fluid from air.
15. The device of claim 14 , wherein the carbon bed comprises a desorption heater configured to heat the carbon bed to raise the temperature of the carbon bed.
16. The device of claim 1 , wherein the vapor management system comprises a filter.
17. The device of claim 1 , further comprising a filter which is configured to remove air and water vapor.
18. The device of claim 1 , wherein the vapor management system:
comprises an inert gas storage unit; and
is configured to introduce an inert gas from the inert gas storage unit into the tank during a startup operation or a shutdown operation.