Leakage detection apparatus and method and cabinet system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12372426-B2
Application number	US-202217936370-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 28, 2022
Priority date	Apr 3, 2020
Publication date	Jul 29, 2025
Grant date	Jul 29, 2025

Abstract

This application discloses a leakage detection apparatus and method, and a cabinet system, and relates to the server field. The apparatus is applied to a cabinet system, the cabinet system includes a plurality of nodes, with each node using a liquid cooling apparatus for heat dissipation. The apparatus includes: a detection circuit, coupled to the plurality of nodes, comprises a plurality of branch circuits for leakage detection of a plurality of liquid cooling apparatuses in the plurality of nodes; and a monitoring device, coupled to the detection circuit and configured to monitor a leakage status of the liquid cooling apparatus in each node, and determine, when leakage occurs in a faulty liquid cooling apparatus, a faulty node where the faulty liquid cooling apparatus resides.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A leakage detection apparatus for leakage detection in a cabinet system, the apparatus comprising:
a detection circuit, coupled to a plurality of nodes of the cabinet system with each node using a liquid cooling apparatus for heat dissipation, wherein the detection circuit comprises a plurality of branch circuits for leakage detection of a plurality of liquid cooling apparatuses in the plurality of nodes, and wherein each branch circuit comprises a water detection cable sensor, a first branch and a second branch, the first branch and the second branch are two conducting wires of the water detection cable sensor; and
a monitoring device, coupled to the detection circuit and configured to monitor a leakage status of the liquid cooling apparatus in each node, and determine, when leakage occurs in a faulty liquid cooling apparatus, a faulty node where the faulty liquid cooling apparatus resides.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the monitoring device comprises a processor and a voltage detector, an input end of the voltage detector is connected to the detection circuit, and an output end is connected to the processor;
the voltage detector is configured to, when detecting a voltage signal on the detection circuit, determine the leakage occurs, and send an indication signal to the processor; and
the processor is configured to receive the indication signal and control the detection circuit to locate the node where the faulty liquid cooling apparatus resides.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the detection circuit comprises a first trunk circuit, a second trunk circuit, wherein M branch circuits are respectively located in M nodes in the cabinet system, M is a quantity of the plurality of branch circuits;
one end of the first trunk circuit is connected to a power supply of the cabinet system, the other end of the first trunk circuit is connected to the M branch circuits, one end of the second trunk circuit is connected to the monitoring module, the other end of the second trunk circuit is connected to a switch of each branch circuit, M switches of the M branch circuits are in a turn-on state;
a branch circuit of a faulty node is configured to connect the first trunk circuit and the second trunk circuit when liquid leaking from a liquid cooling apparatus in the faulty node passes through the branch circuit of the faulty node; and
the monitoring device is configured to, when detecting a voltage signal on the second trunk circuit, detect the faulty node where the faulty liquid cooling apparatus resides by controlling the M switches.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the monitoring device is configured to control the M switches to be turned off, select a switch from the M switches, control the selected switch to be turned on, and determine that a node corresponding to the selected switch is the faulty node where the faulty liquid cooling apparatus resides when detecting a voltage signal on the second trunk circuit.

5. The apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the detection circuit further comprises M control modules, the M control modules are respectively located in the M nodes, the M control modules are in communication connection with the monitoring device, and each of the M control modules is connected to a control end of a switch corresponding to a node where the control module resides;
the monitoring device is configured to send a turn-off command to the M control modules when detecting a voltage signal on the second trunk circuit; and
one of the M control modules is configured to receive the turn-off command and control a switch connected to the any control module to be turned off.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein
the monitoring device is further configured to, after sending the turn-off command to the M control modules, select a control module from the M control modules and send a turn-on command to the selected control module;
the selected control module is configured to receive the turn-on command and control a switch connected to the selected control module to be turned on; and
the monitoring device is further configured to, when detecting a voltage signal on the second trunk circuit, determine that the node where the selected control module resides is the faulty node where the faulty liquid cooling apparatus resides.

7. The apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the one of the M control modules is a baseboard management controller (BMC) in a node where the module one of the M control modules resides.

8. The apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein a cabinet backplane is disposed in a cabinet in the cabinet system, and the first trunk circuit and the second trunk circuit are located in the cabinet backplane.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein a switch corresponding to any one of the M nodes is disposed in the cabinet backplane, or a switch corresponding to any node is disposed in the any node.

10. The apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein each of the M branch circuits comprises a first branch and a second branch;
the first branch and the second branch are oppositely disposed in a node where the branch circuit resides, and a gap exists between the first branch and the second branch; and
one end of the first branch is connected to the first trunk circuit, and one end of the second branch is connected to the second trunk circuit through a switch.

11. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein nodes in the cabinet system are divided into a plurality of groups, there are a plurality of detection circuits, and each detection circuit corresponds to a group of nodes; and
the monitoring device is configured to use the plurality of detection circuits to monitor a leakage status of a liquid cooling apparatus in each node in the plurality of groups of nodes, and use a detection circuit corresponding to the any group of nodes to locate, when a faulty node with a leaking liquid cooling apparatus exists in any group of nodes, the node where the faulty liquid cooling apparatus resides in the any group of nodes.

12. A cabinet system, comprising:
a plurality of nodes with each node using a liquid cooling apparatus for heat dissipation; and
a leakage detection apparatus comprising a detection circuit and a monitoring device,
wherein the detection circuit is coupled to the plurality of nodes and comprises a plurality of branch circuits for leakage detection of a plurality of liquid cooling apparatuses in the plurality of nodes, each branch circuit comprises a water detection cable sensor, a first branch and a second branch, the first branch and the second branch are two conducting wires of the water detection cable sensor; and
wherein the monitoring device is coupled to the detection circuit and configured to monitor a leakage status of the liquid cooling apparatus in each node, and determine, when leakage occurs in a faulty liquid cooling apparatus, a faulty node where the faulty liquid cooling apparatus resides.

13. The cabinet system according to claim 12 , wherein the monitoring device comprises a processor and a voltage detector, an input end of the voltage detector is connected to the detection circuit, and an output end is connected to the processor;
the voltage detector is configured to, when detecting a voltage signal on the detection circuit, determine the leakage occurs, and send an indication signal to the processor; and
the processor is configured to receive the indication signal and control the detection circuit to locate the faulty node where the faulty liquid cooling apparatus resides.

14. The cabinet system according to c

Assignees

• Huawei Tech Co Ltd

Inventors

• Wang Changqi
• Zhang Xian

Classifications

• H05K7/20272 Primary

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

• G01M3/165

  by means of cables or similar elongated devices, e.g. tapes · CPC title

• G01M3/182

  for tubes · CPC title

• H05K7/20772

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

• G06F1/18

  Packaging or power distribution · CPC title