Scalable, multi-vessel distribution system for liquid level control within immersion cooling tanks

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9351429-B2
Application number	US-201313756904-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 1, 2013
Priority date	Feb 1, 2013
Publication date	May 24, 2016
Grant date	May 24, 2016

Abstract

A fluid level control system includes: a first immersion cooling tank having a first volume of immersion cooling liquid and an inlet/outlet pipe extending from a base wall of the tank by which immersion cooling liquid can flow into and out of the first immersion cooling tank; at least one second volume of cooling liquid held within a liquid containing unit having a corresponding inlet/outlet pipe; and a pipe distribution system that physically connects the second volume of immersion cooling liquid to the first volume of immersion cooling liquid via respective inlet/outlet pipes and which enables fluid equilibrium to be maintained between the first volume of liquid and the second volume of liquid via gravitational equilibrium and/or passive level control such that a first volume level of the first volume of immersion cooling liquid remains substantially equal to a second volume level of the second volume of immersion cooling liquid.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A fluid level control system for an immersion cooling tank environment, the system comprising:
a first immersion cooling tank having a first volume of immersion cooling liquid contained therein and an inlet/outlet pipe extending from a base wall of the tank with an external pipe connector, wherein the inlet/outlet pipe is utilized as a conduit by which immersion cooling liquid can flow into and out of the first immersion cooling tank, wherein the first immersion cooling tank includes at least one immersion server that is at least partially submerged below a liquid surface of the immersion cooling liquid;
at least one second volume of immersion cooling liquid held within a liquid containing unit which has a corresponding inlet/outlet pipe associated with the liquid containing unit; and
a pipe distribution system that physically connects the second volume of immersion cooling liquid to the first volume of immersion cooling liquid via respective inlet/outlet pipes and which enables fluid equilibrium to be maintained between the first volume of liquid and the second volume of liquid such that a first volume level of the first volume of immersion cooling liquid remains substantially equal to a second volume level of the second volume of immersion cooling liquid.

2. The fluid level control system of claim 1 , wherein the second volume of immersion cooling liquid is located co-planar to the first immersion cooling tank, and on a same vertical plane relative to the first volume of liquid, which results in a measured flow of immersion cooling liquid between the first volume of immersion cooling liquid and the second volume of liquid to maintain both volumes at a liquid equilibrium level.

3. The fluid level control system of claim 2 , wherein in response to a change in the first volume level, corresponding to one of an increase and a decrease in the first volume of immersion cooling liquid, liquid flow occurs through the pipe distribution system to provide an offsetting change in the second volume of immersion cooling liquid in order to bring both volumes back to an equilibrium point.

4. The fluid level control system of claim 1 , wherein the immersion cooling liquid is volatile and is sealed within the first immersion cooling tank to mitigate escape of the immersion cooling liquid from the first immersion cooling tank.

5. The fluid level control system of claim 1 , wherein the liquid containing unit of the second volume is a cooling liquid reservoir that contains reserve amounts of cooling liquid for use by one or more immersion cooling tanks.

6. The fluid level control system of claim 5 , wherein the second volume of immersion cooling liquid provides a flow of new cooling liquid into the first immersion cooling tank in response to the first volume of immersion cooling liquid falling below a low liquid threshold of cooling liquid for the first immersion cooling tank.

7. The fluid level control system of claim 5 , wherein the first immersion cooling tank comprises:
a liquid level sensor within the immersion cooling tank and which detects changes in the liquid volume level;
a valve assembly connected within the input/output pipe prior to the external pipe connector; and
a controller that, in response to a detected change reducing the liquid volume level of the first immersion cooling liquid volume to below a pre-set level within the first immersion cooling tank, autonomously triggers an opening of the valve assembly to allow new cooling liquid to flow into the first immersion cooling tank.

8. The fluid level control system of claim 5 , wherein the pipe distribution system is connected to both the cooling liquid reservoir and at least one second immersion cooling tank having associated second immersion cooling liquid volumes and connected in tandem within a daisy chain configuration.

9. The fluid level control system of claim 1 , wherein the liquid containing unit of the second volume is a second immersion cooling tank.

10. The fluid level control system of claim 8 , further comprising:
at least one third volume of immersion cooling liquid held within at least one additional immersion cooling tank; and
wherein the pipe distribution system is connected to a plurality of second immersion cooling tanks in tandem within a daisy chain configuration; and
wherein a liquid volume level across the plurality of second immersion cooling tanks and the first immersion cooling tank is maintained at an equilibrium point relative to all of the immersion cooling tanks connected via the pipe distribution system.

11. A method for maintaining fluid levels of immersion cooling liquid across a plurality of immersion cooling tanks within a datacenter, the method comprising:
physically connecting an inlet/outlet pipe of a first immersion cooling tank to an inlet/outlet pipe of at least one second immersion cooling tank via a pipe distribution system to provide a network of connected immersion cooling tanks connected in a daisy chain configuration;
providing an initial supply of immersion cooling liquid to at least one of the connected immersion cooling tanks;
sealing each of the connected immersion cooling tanks to prevent environmental escape of the immersion cooling liquid during operation of the immersion cooling tanks;
wherein a gravitational imbalance of immersion cooling fluid within the connected immersion cooling tanks causes a flow of immersion cooling fluid across the pipe distribution system to equalize the immersion cooling liquid within the different immersion cooling tanks; and
wherein a change is a fluid volume level within any one of the immersion cooling tanks within the network of immersion cooling tanks causes an offsetting flow of immersion cooling liquid to provide equilibrium in the immersion cooling liquid maintained within each of the immersion cooling tanks.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising placing a plurality of immersion cooling tanks on a level vertical plane relative to each other.

13. The fluid level control system of claim 1 , wherein at least the first immersion cooling tank further comprises a server rack generally incorporated or placed within a lower volume of the tank enclosure and within which the immersion server is inserted, the server rack providing support for holding the immersion server in place while the immersion server is submerged in the immersion cooling liquid.

14. The fluid level control system of claim 13 , wherein at least one section of the server rack is extending below a liquid surface of the immersion cooling liquid.

15. The fluid level control system of claim 13 , wherein the server rack is attached to interior sides of side and bottom panels of the immersion cooling tank.

16. The fluid level control system of claim 13 , wherein the immersion server is extends laterally across the immersion cooling tank from a first side rail to an opposing second side rail.

17. The fluid level control system of claim 13 , wherein the immersion server is partially submerged below the liquid surface, with a section of a chassis above the liquid surface of the cooling liquid.

18. The fluid level control system of claim 1 , wherein a level of immersion cooling liquid is measured such that only heat-dissipating components on the immersion server that are to be liquid cooled are immersed in the cooling liquid.

Assignees

• Dell Products Lp
• Dell Products Lp

Inventors

• Shelnutt Austin Michael
• Curlee James D
• Bailey Edmond I
• Mills Richard Steven

Classifications

• F28F2280/10

  Movable elements, e.g. being pivotable · CPC title

• H05K7/20781 Primary

  within cabinets for removing heat from server blades · CPC title

• H05K7/20772

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

• F28D15/0266

  with separate evaporating and condensing chambers connected by at least one conduit; Loop-type heat pipes; with multiple or common evaporating or condensing chambers (F28D15/043 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H05K7/203

  by immersion · CPC title