Patent application number | Description | Published |
20090150129 | APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR SIMULATING HEATED AIRFLOW EXHAUST OF AN ELECTRONICS SUBSYSTEM, ELECTRONICS RACK OR ROW OF ELECTRONICS RACKS - Apparatus and method are provided for facilitating simulation of heated airflow exhaust of an electronics subsystem, electronics rack or row of electronics racks. The apparatus includes a thermal simulator, which includes an air-moving device and a fluid-to-air heat exchanger. The air-moving device establishes airflow from an air inlet to air outlet side of the thermal simulator tailored to correlate to heated airflow exhaust of the electronics subsystem, rack or row of racks being simulated. The fluid-to-air heat exchanger heats airflow through the thermal simulator, with temperature of airflow exhausting from the simulator being tailored to correlate to temperature of the heated airflow exhaust of the electronics subsystem, rack or row of racks being simulated. The apparatus further includes a fluid distribution apparatus, which includes a fluid distribution unit disposed separate from the fluid simulator and providing hot fluid to the fluid-to-air heat exchanger of the thermal simulator. | 06-11-2009 |
20100307171 | Cooling Infrastructure Leveraging a Combination of Free and Solar Cooling - Energy-efficient data center cooling techniques that utilize free cooling and/or solar cooling are provided. In one aspect, a cooling system is provided including a cooling tower; one or more modular refrigeration chiller units; and a water loop that can be selectively directed through the cooling tower, through one or more of the modular refrigeration chiller units or through a combination thereof. Another cooling system is provided including a solar cooling unit; one or more modular refrigeration chiller units; and a water loop that can be selectively directed through the solar cooling unit, through one or more of the modular refrigeration chiller units or through a combination thereof. | 12-09-2010 |
20100313590 | LIQUID-COOLED COOLING APPARATUS, ELECTRONICS RACK AND METHODS OF FABRICATION THEREOF - Liquid-cooled electronics racks and methods of fabrication are provided wherein a liquid-based cooling apparatus facilitates cooling of electronic subsystems when docked within the electronics rack. The cooling apparatus includes a liquid-cooled cooling structure mounted to a front of the rack, and a plurality of heat transfer elements. The cooling structure is a thermally conductive material which has a coolant-carrying channel for facilitating coolant flow through the structure. Each heat transfer element couples to one or more heat-generating components of a respective electronic subsystem, physically contacts the cooling structure when that electronic subsystem is docked within the rack, and provides a thermal transport path from the heat-generating components of the electronic subsystem to the liquid-cooled cooling structure. Advantageously, electronic subsystems may be docked within or undocked from the electronics rack without affecting flow of coolant through the liquid-cooled cooling structure. | 12-16-2010 |
20100326628 | CONDENSER FIN STRUCTURES FACILITATING VAPOR CONDENSATION COOLING OF COOLANT - Vapor condensers and cooling apparatuses are provided herein which facilitate vapor condensation cooling of a coolant employed in cooling an electronic device or electronic subsystem. The vapor condenser includes a thermally conductive base structure having an operational orientation when the condenser is facilitating vapor condensate formation, and a plurality of thermally conductive condenser fins extending from the thermally conductive base structure. The plurality of thermally conductive condenser fins have a varying cross-sectional perimeter along at least a portion of their length. The cross-sectional perimeters of the plurality of thermally conductive condenser fins are configured to increase in a direction of condensate travel when the thermally conductive base structure is in the operational orientation and the vapor condenser is facilitating vapor condensate formation. | 12-30-2010 |
20100328882 | DIRECT JET IMPINGEMENT-ASSISTED THERMOSYPHON COOLING APPARATUS AND METHOD - Cooling apparatuses and methods are provided for facilitating cooling of an electronic device utilizing a cooling subassembly, a pump and a controller. The cooling subassembly includes a jet impingement structure, and a thermosyphon. The jet impingement structure directs coolant into a chamber of the subassembly onto a surface to be cooled when in a jet impingement mode, and the thermosyphon, which is associated with the chamber, facilitates convective cooling of the surface to be cooled via boiling of coolant within the chamber when in a thermosyphon mode. The controller, which is coupled to the pump to control activation and deactivation of the pump, also controls transitioning between the jet impingement mode and the thermosyphon mode based on a sensed temperature of the electronic device. | 12-30-2010 |
20100328888 | COOLING APPARATUS WITH THERMALLY CONDUCTIVE POROUS MATERIAL AND JET IMPINGEMENT NOZZLE(S) EXTENDING THEREIN - A cooling apparatus and method of fabrication are provided for facilitating cooling of an electronic device. The cooling apparatus includes a thermally conductive porous material and a liquid coolant supply. The thermally conductive porous material (such as metal foam material) is coupled to a surface of the electronic device to be cooled, or a structure coupled to the electronic device. The liquid coolant supply includes a jet impingement structure, which includes one or more jet nozzles for directing liquid coolant onto the surface to be cooled. The jet nozzle(s) extends into the thermally conductive porous material, and facilitates delivery of liquid coolant onto the surface to be cooled. The thermally conductive porous material is in thermal contact with the surface to be cooled and facilitates cooling of the electronic device by boiling of the liquid coolant passing through the porous material. | 12-30-2010 |
20100328889 | COOLED ELECTRONIC MODULE WITH PUMP-ENHANCED, DIELECTRIC FLUID IMMERSION-COOLING - Cooled electronic modules and methods of fabrication are provided with pump-enhanced, dielectric fluid immersion-cooling of the electronic device. The cooled electronic module includes a substrate supporting an electronic device to be cooled. A cooling apparatus couples to the substrate, and includes a housing configured to at least partially surround and form a sealed compartment about the electronic device. Additionally, the cooling apparatus includes dielectric fluid and one or more pumps disposed within the sealed compartment. The dielectric fluid is in direct contact with the electronic device, and the pump is an impingement-cooling, immersed pump disposed to actively pump dielectric fluid within the sealed compartment towards the electronic device. Multiple condenser fins extend from the housing into the sealed compartment in an upper portion of the sealed compartment, and a liquid-cooled cold plate or an air-cooled heat sink is coupled to the top of the housing for cooling the condenser fins. | 12-30-2010 |
20100328890 | CONDENSER STRUCTURES WITH FIN CAVITIES FACILITATING VAPOR CONDENSATION COOLING OF COOLANT - Vapor condensers and cooling apparatuses are provided which facilitate vapor condensation cooling of a coolant employed in cooling an electronic device. The vapor condenser includes a thermally conductive base structure with a plurality of condenser fins extending from the base structure. The condenser fins have a proximal end coupled to the base structure and a remote end remote from the base structure. At least one exposed cavity is provided within each condenser fin extending from the remote end towards the proximal end. The exposed cavities are sized to provide greater condenser fin surface area for facilitating vapor condensate formation, and thereby facilitate cooling of an electronic device using a two-phase coolant. | 12-30-2010 |
20100328891 | CONDENSER BLOCK STRUCTURES WITH CAVITIES FACILITATING VAPOR CONDENSATION COOLING OF COOLANT - Condenser structures and cooling apparatuses are provided which facilitate vapor condensation heat transfer of a coolant employed in cooling an electronic device. The condenser structure includes a thermally conductive condenser block with multiple exposed cavities therein extending from a first main surface towards a second main surface. The condenser block is a monolithic structure, and the first main surface is a coolant vapor condensate formation surface when the condenser structure is operationally facilitating cooling of an electronic device. The exposed cavities extend from the first main surface into the condenser block to increase a condensation surface area of the condenser block, thereby facilitating coolant vapor condensate formation on the condenser block, and thus cooling of the electronic device using a two-phase coolant. The condenser structure also includes coolant-carrying channels for facilitating cooling of the condenser block, and thus vapor condensate formation on the condenser block. | 12-30-2010 |
20110051372 | STRESS RELIEVED HOSE ROUTING TO LIQUID-COOLED ELECTRONICS RACK DOOR - A cooling apparatus and method are provided which include an air-to-liquid heat exchanger and system coolant inlet and outlet plenums mounted to an electronics rack door along an edge of the door remote from the edge hingedly mounted to the rack. The plenums are in fluid communication with the heat exchanger and respectively include an inlet and outlet. Coolant supply and return hoses are disposed above the electronics rack and couple the inlet plenum to a coolant supply header and the outlet plenum to a coolant return header. The hoses are sufficiently long and flexible to open or close the door. A stress relief structure is attached to the top of the door and clamps the supply and return hoses in fixed relation to relieve stress on connect couplings at the ends of the hoses to the plenum inlet and outlet during opening or closing of the door. | 03-03-2011 |
20110056225 | CONTROL OF SYSTEM COOLANT TO FACILITATE TWO-PHASE HEAT TRANSFER IN A MULTI-EVAPORATOR COOLING SYSTEM - A cooling system and method are provided for facilitating two-phase heat transfer from an electronics system including a plurality of electronic devices to be cooled. The cooling system includes a plurality of evaporators coupled to the electronic devices, and a coolant loop for passing system coolant through the evaporators. The coolant loop includes a plurality of coolant branches coupled in parallel, with each coolant branch being coupled in fluid communication with a respective evaporator. The cooling system further includes a control unit for maintaining pressure of system coolant at a system coolant supply side of the coolant branches within a specific pressure range at or above saturation pressure of the system coolant for a given desired saturation temperature of system coolant into the evaporators to facilitate two-phase heat transfer in the plurality of evaporators from the electronic devices to the system coolant at the given desired saturation temperature. | 03-10-2011 |
20110056675 | APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR ADJUSTING COOLANT FLOW RESISTANCE THROUGH LIQUID-COOLED ELECTRONICS RACK(S) - Apparatuses and methods are presented for adjusting coolant flow resistance through one or more liquid-cooled electronics racks. Flow restrictors are employed in association with multiple heat exchange tube sections of a heat exchange assembly, or in association with a plurality of coolant supply lines or coolant return lines feeding multiple heat exchange assemblies. Flow restrictors associated with respective heat exchange tube sections (or respective heat exchange assemblies) are disposed at the coolant channel inlet or coolant channel outlet of the tube sections (or of the heat exchange assemblies). These flow restrictors tailor coolant flow resistance through the heat exchange tube sections or through the heat exchange assemblies to enhance overall heat transfer within the tube sections or across heat exchange assemblies by tailoring coolant flow. In one embodiment, the flow restrictors tailor a coolant flow distribution differential across multiple heat exchange tube sections or across multiple heat exchange assemblies. | 03-10-2011 |
20110058637 | PRESSURE CONTROL UNIT AND METHOD FACILITATING SINGLE-PHASE HEAT TRANSFER IN A COOLING SYSTEM - A pressure control unit and method are provided for facilitating single-phase heat transfer within a liquid-based cooling system. The pressure control unit includes a pressure vessel containing system coolant, and a pressurizing mechanism associated with the pressure vessel. A coolant line couples system coolant in the pressure vessel in fluid communication with the coolant loop of the cooling system, and a regulator mechanism couples to the pressurizing mechanism to maintain pressure within the pressure vessel at or above a defined pressure threshold, thus maintaining pressure within the coolant loop above the pressure threshold. The defined pressure threshold is set to facilitate system coolant within the coolant loop remaining single-phase throughout an operational temperature range of the system coolant within the coolant loop. More particularly, the pressure threshold is set to ensure pressure of system coolant within the coolant loop remains above the coolant's saturation pressure at maximum operational temperature. | 03-10-2011 |
20110060470 | COOLING SYSTEM AND METHOD MINIMIZING POWER CONSUMPTION IN COOLING LIQUID-COOLED ELECTRONICS RACKS - A cooling system and method are provided for facilitating cooling of a liquid-cooled electronics rack. The cooling system includes a coolant flow controller, a modular cooling unit and a pressure controller. The flow controller is associated with a respective electronics rack and controls flow of coolant through that electronics rack based on its changing cooling requirements. The cooling unit includes an adjustable coolant pump for facilitating supply of coolant to the rack. The pressure controller is associated with the cooling unit for controlling pressure of coolant at an output of the cooling unit via control of pump speed of the pump. Responsive to adjusting coolant flow through the electronics rack, the pressure controller automatically adjusts pump speed of the adjustable pump to maintain pressure about a constant coolant pressure set point at an output of the cooling unit, thereby conserving power while still cooling the liquid-cooled electronics rack. | 03-10-2011 |
20120201005 | ADJUSTING COOLANT FLOW RESISTANCE THROUGH LIQUID-COOLED ELECTRONICS RACK(S) - A method is presented for adjusting coolant flow resistance through one or more liquid-cooled electronics racks. Flow restrictors are employed in association with multiple heat exchange tube sections of a heat exchange assembly, or in association with a plurality of coolant supply lines or coolant return lines feeding multiple heat exchange assemblies. Flow restrictors associated with respective heat exchange tube sections (or respective heat exchange assemblies) are disposed at the coolant channel inlet or coolant channel outlet of the tube sections (or of the heat exchange assemblies). These flow restrictors tailor coolant flow resistance through the heat exchange tube sections or through the heat exchange assemblies to enhance overall heat transfer within the tube sections or across heat exchange assemblies by tailoring coolant flow. In one embodiment, the flow restrictors tailor a coolant flow distribution differential across multiple heat exchange tube sections or across multiple heat exchange assemblies. | 08-09-2012 |