Computing apparatus with closed cooling loop

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11026351-B2
Application number	US-201515754957-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 25, 2015
Priority date	Sep 25, 2015
Publication date	Jun 1, 2021
Grant date	Jun 1, 2021

Abstract

The present disclosure describes embodiments of apparatuses and methods related to a computing apparatus with a closed cooling loop thermally coupled to one or more processors disposed on a circuit board of the computing apparatus. The closed cooling loop circulates a dielectric fluid to absorb heat from the processor. A portion of the dielectric fluid is evaporated from the processor heat absorbed by the dielectric fluid. A heat exchanger is coupled to the circuit board and thermally coupled to the closed cooling loop. The heat exchanger is to include a coolant flow to remove heat from the dielectric fluid circulated through the portion of the closed cooling loop thermally coupled to the heat exchanger. A vapor portion of the dielectric fluid is condensed from the heat removed by the coolant flow. Other embodiments may be described and/or claimed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A computer server, comprising:
a circuit board;
a plurality of processors disposed on the circuit board;
a plurality of cold plates respectively coupled to the plurality of processors thermally to correspondingly absorb processor heat from the plurality of processors;
a closed cooling loop thermally coupled to the plurality of cold plates in series to circulate a dielectric fluid to serially absorb the processor heat from the plurality of cold plates to assist the cold plates in maintaining each of the plurality of processors at proximally a same temperature, wherein the dielectric fluid is initially in a fluid state and has a thermal characteristic where on absorption of the processor heat, the dielectric fluid transforms into a two phase state having a liquid portion and a vapor portion, and wherein the dielectric fluid is serially circulated through the plurality of cold plates at a flow rate about five to eight times slower than a flow rate of a single phase fluid; and
a heat exchanger thermally coupled to a portion of the closed cooling loop to provide a coolant flow to remove the processor heat absorbed by the dielectric fluid, wherein on removal of the processor heat from the two phase state dielectric fluid by the coolant flow of the heat exchanger, the vapor portion of the two phase state dielectric fluid condenses, returning the dielectric fluid into the initial fluid state.

2. The computer server of claim 1 , wherein the cold plates are aluminum cold plates.

3. The computer server of claim 1 , wherein the closed cooling loop includes a pump to circulate the dielectric fluid, and the dielectric fluid is a phase change refrigerant.

4. The computer server of claim 3 , wherein the refrigerant includes 1,1,1,2-tetrafluoroethane or 2,3,3,3-tetrafluoropropene.

5. The computer server of claim 1 , wherein the closed cooling loop includes an open space inside the heat exchanger to receive the dielectric fluid in the two phase state after the dielectric fluid has absorbed the processor heat from the plurality of cold plates, and the coolant flow of the heat exchanger is in a conduit plumbed to pass into the open space, span through the open space, and pass out of the open space.

6. A blade server for computing, comprising:
a circuit board;
a plurality of processors disposed on the circuit board;
a plurality of cold plates respectively coupled to the plurality of processors thermally to correspondingly absorb processor heat from the plurality of processors;
a condenser coupled to the circuit board and including a conduit to allow a condenser fluid to flow through the condenser;
a closed cooling loop spanning the circuit board and thermally coupled to the plurality of cold plates and the condenser in series; and
a fluid pump coupled to the closed cooling loop to pump a dielectric fluid first through the closed cooling loop and then through the condenser, wherein the pump is to circulate the dielectric fluid first through the closed cooling loop to absorb processor heat from the plurality of processors, wherein the dielectric fluid is initially in a fluid state and has a thermal characteristic where on absorption of the processor heat, the dielectric fluid transforms into a two phase state having a liquid portion and a vapor portion; wherein the condenser is to transfer heat to the condenser fluid from the two phase state dielectric fluid, wherein on transfer of heat to the condenser fluid from the two phase state dielectric fluid, a vapor portion of the two phase state dielectric fluid is to condense, returning the dielectric fluid into the initial fluid state, and wherein the dielectric fluid is serially circulated through the plurality of cold plates at a flow rate five to eight times slower than a flow rate of a single phase fluid to assist the cold plates in maintaining each of the plurality of processors at proximally a same temperature.

7. The blade server of claim 6 , wherein the cold plates are aluminum cold plates.

8. The blade server of claim 6 , wherein the dielectric fluid is a refrigerant.

9. The blade server of claim 8 , wherein the refrigerant includes 1,1,1,2-tetrafluoroethane or 2,3,3,3-tetrafluoropropene.

10. The blade server of claim 6 , further comprising:
the dielectric fluid in the closed cooling loop.

11. The blade server of claim 6 , wherein the closed cooling loop includes an open space inside the condenser to receive the dielectric fluid after the dielectric fluid has absorbed heat from the plurality of cold plates, and the conduit is plumbed to pass into the open space, span through the open space, and pass out of the open space.

12. A rack system for computing, comprising:
a plurality of server boards, wherein at least a first of the server boards comprises:
a plurality of processors disposed on the first server boards;
a plurality of cold plates respectively coupled to the plurality of processors to correspondingly absorb processor heat from the plurality of processors;
a heat exchanger coupled to the first server board; and
a closed cooling loop spanning the first server board and thermally coupled to the cold plates and the heat exchanger, in series wherein the closed cooling loop is to first circulate a dielectric fluid to absorb processor heat from the cold plates; wherein the dielectric fluid is initially in a fluid state and has a thermal characteristic where on absorption of the processor heat, the dielectric fluid transforms into a two phase state having a liquid portion and a vapor portion; wherein the heat exchanger is to include a coolant flow to remove heat from the two phase state dielectric fluid circulated through a section of the closed cooling loop thermally coupled to the heat exchanger, wherein on transfer of heat to the coolant flow from the two phase state dielectric fluid, a vapor portion of the dielectric fluid is to condense, returning the dielectric fluid into the initial fluid state and wherein the dielectric fluid is serially circulated through the plurality of cold plates at a flow rate five to eight times slower than a flow rate of a single phase fluid to assist the cold plates in maintaining each of the plurality of processors at proximally a same temperature.

13. The rack system of claim 12 , wherein the cold plates are aluminum cold plates.

14. The rack system of claim 12 , wherein the dielectric fluid is a refrigerant.

15. The rack system of claim 12 , further comprising:
the dielectric fluid in the closed cooling loop.

16. The rack system of claim 12 , wherein the closed cooling loop includes an open space inside the heat exchanger to receive the dielectric fluid after the dielectric fluid has absorbed heat from the cold plates, and the coolant flow is in a conduit plumbed to pass into the open space, span through the open space, and pass out of the open space.

17. A method of cooling a server, comprising:
circulating a dielectric fluid in a closed cooling loop thermally coupled to a plurality of cold plates in series, the plurality of cold plates being respectively coupled to a plurality of processors thermally to remove processor heat from the processors, the processors being disposed on a circuit board of the server, with the processor heat transferring from the cold plates to the dielectric fluid, wherein the dielectric fluid is initially in a fluid state and has a thermal characteristic where on absorption of the processor heat, the dielectric fluid transforms into a two phase state having a liquid portion and a vapor portion, wherein circulating the dielectric fluid comprises s

Assignees

• Intel Corp

Inventors

• Kulkarni Devdatta P
• Dischler Richard J

Classifications

• H05K1/181

  associated with surface mounted components · CPC title

• H05K7/20263

  Heat dissipaters releasing heat from coolant · CPC title

• G06F1/20 Primary

  Cooling means · CPC title

• H05K7/20772

  within server blades for removing heat from heat source · CPC title

• H05K7/20327

  Accessories for moving fluid, for connecting fluid conduits, for distributing fluid or for preventing leakage, e.g. pumps, tanks or manifolds · CPC title