Liquid cooling system for a computer cabinet

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9769954-B2
Application number	US-201414186976-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 21, 2014
Priority date	Feb 28, 2013
Publication date	Sep 19, 2017
Grant date	Sep 19, 2017

Abstract

A computer cabinet includes at least one rackable server cooled by a cooling circuit; a cooling circuit supply device including:
two cooling modules, each cooling module including:
a primary hydraulic circuit; a secondary hydraulic circuit; a heat exchanger; a pump; a controller to control the pump;
a central control unit connected to the controller of each of the cooling modules;

the central control unit being capable of activating one of the cooling modules while the other cooling module is inactive.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A computer cabinet comprising:
at least one rackable server through which a cooling circuit passes, the cooling circuit carrying a coolant, the cooling circuit comprising an inlet and an outlet;
a coolant supply device configured to supply the cooling circuit with coolant, the supply device comprising:
two cooling modules, each cooling module comprising:
a primary hydraulic circuit a comprising an outlet for connection to the inlet of a client hydraulic network and an inlet for connection to the outlet of the client hydraulic network;
a secondary hydraulic circuit comprising an outlet connected to the inlet of the computer cabinet cooling circuit and an inlet connected to the outlet of the computer cabinet cooling circuit;
a heat exchanger to cool the coolant passing through the secondary hydraulic circuit by heat dissipation through the primary hydraulic circuit;
a pump to control the coolant flow in the secondary hydraulic circuit;
a controller configured to control the pump;

a central control unit connected to the controller of each of the cooling modules;
wherein the central control unit is configured to activate one of the cooling modules while the other cooling module is inactive, the secondary hydraulic circuit of the active cooling module supplying the cooling circuit so as to keep the coolant at a constant differential pressure between the cooling module outlet and inlet.

2. The computer cabinet according to claim 1 , wherein the secondary hydraulic circuits of the cooling modules are connected in parallel.

3. The computer cabinet according to claim 1 , wherein the two cooling modules are located in a lower part of the cabinet, the rackable server being located in an upper part.

4. The computer cabinet according to claim 1 , wherein the static pressure of the coolant in the cooling circuit is greater than or equal to 2 bars.

5. The computer cabinet according to claim 1 , wherein each cooling module also comprises at least one temperature sensor capable of measuring the temperature at the outlet from the secondary hydraulic circuit of said cooling module, the coolant flow in the primary hydraulic circuit being maintained at a flow selected such that the temperature at the outlet from the secondary hydraulic circuit is equal to a threshold temperature.

6. The computer cabinet according to claim 1 , wherein each cooling module further comprises a bypass channel arranged to allow at least part of the coolant to bypass the pump.

7. The computer cabinet according to claim 1 , wherein the secondary hydraulic circuit of each cooling module comprises a non-return valve on the upstream side of the exchanger.

8. The computer cabinet according to claim 1 , wherein each cooling module comprises at least one first pressure sensor, the controller of each cooling module being connected to the first two pressure sensors of each of the two cooling modules.

9. The computer cabinet according to claim 1 , wherein the first pressure sensor in each cooling module is located at the inlet to the pump of the cooling module.

10. The computer cabinet according to claim 1 , wherein each cooling module comprises at least one third pressure sensor located at the outlet from the pump of said cooling module.

11. The computer cabinet according to claim 1 , wherein the inlet and the outlet of the primary hydraulic circuit of each cooling module are fitted with non-drip quick couplings to facilitate connection and disconnection the primary hydraulic circuit to and from the client hydraulic network, the inlet and the outlet of the secondary hydraulic circuit of each cooling module being fitted with non-drip quick couplings that is usable to connect and disconnect the secondary hydraulic circuit to and from the cooling circuit.

12. The computer cabinet according to claim 1 , wherein a fluid flowing in the primary hydraulic circuit circulates in an opposite direction to the coolant that circulates in the secondary hydraulic circuit.

13. The computer cabinet according to claim 1 , wherein a fluid flowing in the primary hydraulic circuit circulates in the primary hydraulic circuit without passing in the cooling circuit.

14. A computer cabinet comprising:
a plurality of rackable servers through each of which a separate cooling circuit passes, the cooling circuit carrying a coolant, each cooling circuit of the plurality of rackable servers including an inlet manifold and an outlet manifold;
a coolant supply device arranged underneath the plurality of rackable servers and configured to supply the cooling circuit of each of the plurality of rackable servers with coolant, the coolant supply device comprising:
two cooling modules arranged in parallel, each cooling module comprising:
a primary hydraulic circuit comprising an outlet for connection to the inlet of a client hydraulic network and an inlet for connection to the outlet of the client hydraulic network;
a secondary hydraulic circuit comprising an outlet connected to the inlet manifold of the cooling circuit of each of the plurality of rackable servers and an inlet connected to the outlet manifold of the cooling circuit of each of the plurality of rackable servers;
a heat exchanger to cool the coolant passing through the secondary hydraulic circuit by heat dissipation through the primary hydraulic circuit;
a pump capable to control the coolant flow in the secondary hydraulic circuit;
a controller configured to control the pump;

a central control unit connected to the controller of each of the cooling modules;
wherein the central control unit is configured to activate one of the cooling modules while the other cooling module is inactive, the secondary hydraulic circuit of the active cooling module supplying the cooling circuit of each of the plurality of rackable servers so as to keep the coolant at a constant differential pressure between the cooling module outlet and inlet and so that the coolant flow through the cooling circuit of each of the plurality of rackable servers is constant.

15. The computer cabinet according to claim 14 , wherein the outlet of the secondary hydraulic circuit is connected to the inlet manifold of the cooling circuit of each of the plurality of rackable servers via an inlet distribution manifold and wherein the inlet of the secondary hydraulic circuit is connected to the outlet manifold of the cooling circuit of each of the plurality of rackable servers via an outlet distribution manifold.

16. The computer cabinet according to claim 14 , wherein a fluid flowing in the primary hydraulic circuit circulates in an opposite direction to the coolant that circulates in the secondary hydraulic circuit.

17. The computer cabinet according to claim 14 , wherein a fluid flowing in the primary hydraulic circuit circulates in the primary hydraulic circuit without passing in the cooling circuit of each of the plurality of rackable servers.

18. The computer cabinet according to claim 14 , wherein the static pressure of the coolant in the cooling circuit of each of the plurality of rackable servers is greater than or equal to 2 bars.

19. The computer cabinet according to claim 14 , wherein each cooling module comprises at least one temperature sensor capable of measuring the temperature at the outlet from the secondary hydraulic circuit of said cooling module, the coolant flow in the primary hydraulic circuit being maintained at a flow selected such that the temperature at the outlet from the secondary hydraulic circuit is equal to a threshold temperature.

Assignees

• Bull Sas

Inventors

• Bonnin Jean-Christophe
• Nadifi Eimed

Classifications

• H05K7/20781 Primary

  within cabinets for removing heat from server blades · CPC title

• H05K7/20645

  within cabinets for removing heat from sub-racks · CPC title

• H05K7/20218

  using a liquid coolant without phase change in electronic enclosures (in cabinets of standardized dimensions H05K7/20536; in server cabinets H05K7/20709; in vehicle electronic casings H05K7/20845; in power control electronics H05K7/2089; in displays H05K7/20954) · CPC title

• H05K7/2029 Primary

  using a liquid coolant with phase change in electronic enclosures (in cabinets of standardized dimensions H05K7/20536; in server cabinets H05K7/20709; in vehicle electronic casings H05K7/20845; in power control electronics H05K7/2089; in displays H05K7/20954) · CPC title