Cooling electronic devices in a data center

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9961803-B2
Application number	US-201615359154-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 22, 2016
Priority date	Sep 23, 2014
Publication date	May 1, 2018
Grant date	May 1, 2018

Abstract

A data center cooling system includes a thermosiphon, an actuator coupled to the thermosiphon, and a controller. The thermosiphon includes an evaporator; a condenser; and at least one conduit coupled between the evaporator and the condenser to transport a working fluid between the evaporator and the condenser. The controller is coupled to the actuator and configured to operate the actuator to adjust a liquid level of the working fluid in the evaporator based, at least in part, on a parameter associated with a heat load of one or more data center heat generating computing devices.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A server tray sub-assembly comprises:
a motherboard;
a plurality of heat generating electronic devices mounted on the motherboard;
a thermosiphon mounted on the motherboard, the thermosiphon comprising:
an evaporator in heat transfer communication with the plurality of heat generating electronic devices;
a condenser fluidly coupled to the evaporator with a fluid conduit that slopes downward from the condenser to the evaporator; and
a multi-phase fluid contained in the thermosiphon; and

a control system comprising:
a sensing device operable to sense a value associated with an amount of heat generated by the plurality of heat generating electronic devices; and
an actuator operatively coupled to the thermosiphon to adjust an amount of the multi-phase fluid in the evaporator based, at least in part, on the sensed value.

2. The server tray sub-assembly of claim 1 , wherein the actuator is operatively coupled to the condenser and is configured to adjust the condenser based, at least in part, on the sensed value.

3. The server tray sub-assembly of claim 2 , wherein the actuator is configured to adjust at least one of a vertical distance between the condenser and the evaporator; a working volume of the condenser; or an angular position of the condenser relative to the motherboard.

4. The server tray sub-assembly of claim 2 , wherein the actuator comprises a piston mounted in an interior volume of the condenser.

5. The server tray sub-assembly of claim 4 , wherein the piston is configured to adjust a working volume of the condenser based, at least in part, on the sensed value.

6. The server tray sub-assembly of claim 1 , wherein the actuator is configured to vibrate the condenser.

7. The server tray sub-assembly of claim 1 , wherein the actuator is configured to adjust a flow of a liquid phase of the multi-phase fluid from the condenser to the evaporator based, at least in part, on the sensed value.

8. The server tray sub-assembly of claim 1 , wherein the actuator comprises a valve arranged in a liquid line of the fluid conduit.

9. The server tray sub-assembly of claim 1 , wherein the actuator comprises a wicking material mounted in a liquid line of the fluid conduit.

10. The server tray sub-assembly of claim 9 , wherein the fluid conduit is flexible.

11. The server tray sub-assembly of claim 9 , wherein the wicking material comprises an absorbent material.

12. The server tray sub-assembly of claim 11 , wherein the absorbent material is configured to absorb a portion of a liquid phase of the multi-phase fluid.

13. The server tray sub-assembly of claim 1 , wherein the sensed value comprises at least one of: a temperature of air adjacent the plurality of heat generating electronic devices, a temperature of air adjacent the condenser, a temperature of the plurality of heat generating electronic devices, a temperature of the motherboard, a liquid level of the multi-phase fluid in the evaporator, a pressure of the multi-phase fluid, a temperature of the multi-phase fluid, a power usage of the plurality of heat generating electronic devices, a frequency of one or more of the plurality of heat generating electronic devices, or a utilization of one or more of the plurality of heat generating electronic devices.

14. The server tray sub-assembly of claim 1 , wherein the fluid conduit comprises copper or aluminum.

15. The server tray sub-assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a fan mounted to the motherboard.

16. The server tray sub-assembly of claim 15 , wherein the fan is configured to circulate airflow across the condenser.

17. The server tray sub-assembly of claim 16 , further comprising an enhanced heat transfer surface coupled to the condenser.

18. The server tray sub-assembly of claim 17 , wherein the fan is positioned on the motherboard to circulate the airflow across the enhanced heat transfer surface coupled to the condenser.

19. The server tray sub-assembly of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of heat generating electronic devices comprise at least one data center server device.

20. The server tray sub-assembly of claim 19 , wherein the at least one data center server device comprises a processor.

Assignees

• Google Llc

Inventors

• Samadiani Emad
• Wong Eehern J
• Imwalle Gregory P
• Farshchian Soheil

Classifications

• H05K7/20809 Primary

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

• H05K7/20836

  Thermal management, e.g. server temperature control · CPC title

• H05K7/20318

  Condensers · CPC title

• H05K7/20336

  Heat pipes, e.g. wicks or capillary pumps · CPC title

• G06F1/20

  Cooling means · CPC title