Two-phase liquid cooled electronics

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10244655-B2
Application number	US-201715463231-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 20, 2017
Priority date	Mar 20, 2017
Publication date	Mar 26, 2019
Grant date	Mar 26, 2019

Abstract

Techniques that facilitate two-phase liquid cooling electronics are provided. In one example, a server system comprises a two-phase cooling system and an air moving system. The two-phase cooling system reduces a first temperature of a first electronic component in the server system using a pump that circulates a coolant refrigerant through a two-phase refrigerant loop associated with the first electronic component, where first electronic component satisfies a first defined criterion. The air moving system reduces a second temperature of a second electronic component in the server system using one or more fans associated with the second electronic component, where the second electronic component satisfies a second defined criterion.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A server system, comprising:
a two-phase cooling system comprising a two-phase refrigerant loop that circulates a coolant refrigerant, the two-phase refrigerant loop comprising:
a heat exchanger;
a plurality of two-phase cooling devices;
a condenser;
a pump; and
a plurality of control valves comprising:
a first control valve of the plurality of control valves in the two-phase refrigerant loop and located between a first two-phase cooling device of the plurality of two-phase cooling devices and the heat exchanger;
a second control valve of the plurality of control valves in the two-phase refrigerant loop located between a second two-phase cooling device of the plurality of two-phase cooling devices and the heat exchanger; and
a third control valve of the plurality of control valves located between the heat exchanger and the condenser,
wherein the two-phase cooling system reduces a first temperature of a first electronic component in the server system using the pump that circulates the coolant refrigerant through the first two-phase cooling device associated with the first electronic component, and wherein the first electronic component satisfies a first defined criterion,
wherein the coolant refrigerant flows sequentially through the condenser, the plurality of two-phase cooling devices, the heat exchanger, and returns to the condenser; and

an air moving system that reduces a second temperature of a second electronic component in the server system using fans associated with the second electronic component, wherein the second electronic component satisfies a second defined criterion.

2. The server system of claim 1 , wherein the first two-phase cooling device comprises a two-phase cooling cold plate.

3. The server system of claim 1 , wherein the heat exchanger transfers heat, from air in the server system, to the two-phase cooling system, and wherein the third control valve directly connects the heat exchanger and a condenser.

4. The server system of claim 3 , wherein the heat exchanger is an air-to-liquid heat exchanger.

5. The server system of claim 1 , wherein the condenser condenses, from a vapor phase to a liquid phase, a portion of the coolant refrigerant.

6. The server system of claim 5 , wherein the condenser is an air-cooled condenser.

7. The server system of claim 5 , wherein the condenser is a liquid-cooled condenser.

8. The server system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a first sensor that monitors a third temperature associated with an inlet to the server system;
a second sensor that monitors a flow rate of the coolant refrigerant; and
a controller that alters the flow rate of the coolant refrigerant based on the third temperature.

9. The server system of claim 1 , further comprising:
at least one of the flow control valves that regulates a flow of the coolant refrigerant associated with the two-phase cooling system;
a sensor that monitors power usage associated with the first electronic component or another electronic component, the another electronic component associated with a second two-phase cooling device of the plurality of two-phase cooling devices; and
a controller that regulates the at least one of the flow control valves based on the power usage.

10. The server system of claim 1 , further comprising a server enclosure that comprises the two-phase cooling system and the air moving system.

11. The server system of claim 1 , wherein the two-phase refrigerant loop associated with the first electronic component improves computational efficiency of the first electronic component by providing cooling of the first electronic component.

12. A system, comprising:
an enclosure comprising:
a two-phase cooling system comprising a two-phase refrigerant loop that circulates a coolant refrigerant, the two-phase refrigerant loop comprising:
a heat exchanger;
a plurality of cooling devices including a first two-phase cooling device and a second two-phase cooling device;
a condenser;
a pump; and
a plurality of control valves,
wherein the two-phase cooling system reduces a first temperature of a first electronic component in the enclosure using the pump that circulates the coolant refrigerant through the first two-phase cooling device associated with the first electronic component, and
wherein the coolant refrigerant flows sequentially through the condenser, the plurality of two-phase cooling devices, the heat exchanger, and returns to the condenser;

an air moving system that reduces a second temperature of a second electronic component in the enclosure using fans associated with the second electronic component; and
first sensors that monitor the two-phase cooling system; and

a controller that regulates the control valves associated with the two-phase cooling system based on first data provided by the first sensors, wherein the controller regulates a first control valve of the control valves to control a first flow from the heat exchanger and regulates other control valves of the control valves to regulate respective flows from the two-phase cooling devices to the heat exchanger.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the enclosure further comprises a second sensor that monitors the air moving system.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the controller further regulates the control valves based on second data provided by the second sensor.

15. The system of claim 12 , wherein each of the first sensors monitor a temperature associated with the two-phase cooling system or a flow rate associated with the two-phase cooling system.

16. The system of claim 12 , wherein the controller facilitates improved processing performance of the first electronic component by providing cooling of the first electronic component.

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Chainer Timothy Joseph
• Parida Pritish Ranjan
• Schultz Mark Delorman

Classifications

• H10W40/73

  for cooling by change of state · CPC title

• H10W40/47

  by flowing liquids, e.g. forced water cooling · CPC title

• H10W40/43

  by flowing gases, e.g. forced air cooling · CPC title

• H05K7/20509

  Multiple-component heat spreaders; Multi-component heat-conducting support plates; Multi-component non-closed heat-conducting structures · CPC title

• H05K7/20209

  Thermal management, e.g. fan control · CPC title