Minimizing leakage in liquid cooled electronic equipment

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016270259-A1
Application number	US-201514656599-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 12, 2015
Priority date	Mar 12, 2015
Publication date	Sep 15, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

An apparatus for minimizing the volume of coolant leaked in liquid cooled electronic equipment, the apparatus including a server rack, a plurality of closed liquid cooling loops, a plurality of liquid to liquid heat exchangers, and a plurality of pumps. The closed liquid cooling loops are coupled to at least one of the servers in the server rack. Each of the closed liquid cooling loops restricts coolant flow entirely within the server rack. The closed liquid cooling loops may provide the entire volume of coolant provided to each server in the server rack.

First claim

1 . An apparatus for minimizing a volume of coolant leaked in liquid cooled electronic equipment, comprising:
a server rack housing a plurality of servers; a plurality of closed liquid cooling loops in the server rack, each of the closed liquid cooling loops coupled to at least one of the servers in the server rack, each of the closed liquid cooling loops restricting coolant flow entirely within the server rack; a plurality of liquid to liquid heat exchangers in the server rack, each of the liquid to liquid heat exchangers coupled to one of the closed liquid cooling loops in the server rack; and a plurality of pumps, each of the pumps circulating a coolant inside one of the closed liquid cooling loops, each of the pumps coupled to one of the closed liquid cooling loops in the server rack.

2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein each of the closed liquid cooling loops contains an entire volume of coolant provided to its respective at least one server in the server rack.

3 . The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of leak detection sensors in the server rack, each of the leak detection sensors configured to detect a condition indicative of a coolant leak from at least one of the closed liquid cooling loops.

4 . The apparatus of claim 3 , further comprising a controller to power off a server when the leak detection sensor detects the coolant leak.

5 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein each of the closed liquid cooling loops isolates the coolant provided to respective servers in the server rack such that a volume of the coolant provided to each of the servers is the volume of the coolant contained in each of the closed liquid cooling loops coupled to the servers.

6 . The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of catch basins in the server rack, each of the catch basins being positioned below at least one of the servers in the server rack, each of the catch basins collecting leaked coolant from at least one of the closed liquid cooling loops.

7 . The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein each of the catch basins includes a leak detection sensor.

8 . An apparatus for minimizing a volume of coolant leaked in liquid cooled electronic equipment, comprising:
a server rack housing a plurality of servers; at least one closed liquid cooling loop coupled to servers in the server rack, each of the closed liquid cooling loops restricting coolant flow entirely within the server rack; at least one leak detection sensor configured to detect a condition indicative of a coolant leak from at least one of the closed liquid cooling loops; a liquid to liquid heat exchanger coupled to each of the closed liquid cooling loops in the server rack; and a pump coupled to each of the closed liquid cooling loops, each of the pumps circulating a coolant inside the closed liquid cooling loop.

9 . The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the closed liquid cooling loop contains an entire volume of coolant provided to at least one of the servers in the server rack.

10 . The apparatus of claim 8 , further comprising a controller to power off a server when the leak detection sensor detects the coolant leak.

11 . The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the closed liquid cooling loops isolates the coolant provided to each of the servers in the server rack such that the volume of the coolant provided to each of the servers is the volume of the coolant contained in each of the closed liquid cooling loops coupled to the servers.

12 . The apparatus of claim 8 , further comprising a plurality of catch basins in the server rack, each of the catch basins being positioned below at least one of the servers in the server rack, each of the catch basins collecting leaked coolant from at least one of the closed liquid cooling loops.

13 . The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein
each of the catch basins includes a leak detection sensor.

14 - 20 . (canceled)

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Chainer Timothy J
• Parida Pritish R

Classifications

• H05K7/20781

  within cabinets for removing heat from server blades · CPC title

• G01M3/26

  by measuring rate of loss or gain of fluid, e.g. by pressure-responsive devices, by flow detectors · CPC title

• 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

• G01M3/3227

  for radiators · CPC title

• G01M3/188 Primary

  for radiators · CPC title