Patent Application
20250098113
Some references, which may include patents, patent applications and various publications, may be cited and discussed in the description of this disclosure. The citation and/or discussion of such references is provided merely to clarify the description of the present disclosure and is not an admission that any such reference is “prior art” to the disclosure described herein. All references cited and discussed in this specification are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties and to the same extent as if each reference was individually incorporated by reference.
The present disclosure relates to a coolant distribution device, and more particularly to a coolant distribution device that directly receives direct current (DC) power for operation.
A database center composed of multiple server racks containing multiple servers generally supplies coolant to each server arranged in each of the server racks through cooling distribution units (CDU) for cooling. The coolant absorbs the heat generated by the servers, and the coolant with heat is transferred to external circulation pipelines through CDU's delivery pipelines for heat dissipation. In other words, the CDU is an essential element in the liquid cooling process at the database center. The CDU can evenly distribute coolant or cooling water to various server racks, and regulate and control the coolant's flow to maintain the required temperature and flow rate of a system including multiple server racks.
Existing coolant distribution devices receive alternating current (AC) power. However, for servers produced according to the standard specifications of the Open Compute Project (OCP), each of the server racks utilizes centralized power distribution to transmit DC power to the servers (e.g., DC power supply) through busbars. Through the centralized power supply, power saving and reduction in the machine failure rate can be achieved. In summary, the existing coolant distribution devices cannot be adapted to new designs of the server racks.
Therefore, how to improve structural strength through the improvement of the coolant distribution device and overcome the above-mentioned inadequacy has become an important issue to be addressed in the relevant art.
In response to the above-referenced technical inadequacy, the present disclosure provides a coolant distribution device that directly receives DC power to operate.
In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, one of the technical aspects adopted by the present disclosure is to provide a coolant distribution device, which includes a housing, a heat exchanger, a first inlet port, a first outlet port, at least one pump assembly, and a first power connector. The housing has at least one opening. The heat exchanger and the at least one pump assembly are disposed in the housing. The first inlet port and the first outlet port are connected to the heat exchanger. A part of the at least one pump assembly passes through the at least one opening and is exposed from the housing. The at least one pump assembly is interconnected with the first inlet port and the heat exchanger. The first power connector is disposed on the housing and is configured to receive DC power.
In one of the possible or preferred embodiments, the at least one pump assembly is interconnected with the first inlet port and the heat exchanger through a guiding pipe.
In one of the possible or preferred embodiments, the at least one pump assembly includes at least one fluidic connector, and the at least one pump assembly is interconnected with the guiding pipe through the at least one fluidic connector.
In one of the possible or preferred embodiments, the at least one fluidic connector is a quick connector.
In one of the possible or preferred embodiments, the at least one pump assembly includes a second power connector and a power module, the second power connector is electrically connected to the power module, and the first power connector and the second power connector are electrically coupled to each other.
In one of the possible or preferred embodiments, the coolant distribution device further includes at least one guiding structure disposed on the housing, the at least one pump assembly includes a matching member, and the at least one pump assembly is disposed at the at least one guiding structure through the matching member.
In one of the possible or preferred embodiments, the at least one pump assembly includes a handle, and the handle is exposed from the housing.
In one of the possible or preferred embodiments, a quantity of the at least one pump assembly is two.
In one of the possible or preferred embodiments, the coolant distribution device further includes a controller disposed in the housing, the controller is coupled to the at least one pump assembly, and the controller is configured to transmit a control signal to the at least one pump assembly to adjust a flow pressure value of the at least one pump assembly.
In one of the possible or preferred embodiments, the controller includes a handle.
In one of the possible or preferred embodiments, the coolant distribution device further includes a liquid storage unit and a flow sensor, and the liquid storage unit and the flow sensor are disposed inside the housing and connected between the first inlet port and the at least one pump assembly.
In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, another one of the technical aspects adopted by the present disclosure is to provide a coolant distribution device, which includes a housing, a pump assembly, a heat exchanger, and a controller. The pump assembly is disposed in the housing. The pump assembly includes a power module, and the power module is configured to receive DC power. The heat exchanger is disposed in the housing and coupled to the pump assembly. The controller is disposed in the housing and coupled to the power module and the pump assembly. The controller is configured to adjust working parameters of the pump assembly based on a state of a heat source.
In one of the possible or preferred embodiments, the state includes a power or temperature of the heat source, and the working parameters include a flow pressure value or a rotational speed value of the pump assembly.
In one of the possible or preferred embodiments, the coolant distribution device further includes a detachable container, the detachable container is installed in the housing from at least one opening of the housing, and the pump assembly, the controller, or the power module are disposed in the detachable container.
In one of the possible or preferred embodiments, the housing includes a guiding structure, the detachable container includes a matching member that corresponds to the guiding structure, and the detachable container is configured to be assembled on the guiding structure through the matching member.
Therefore, in the coolant distribution device provided by the present disclosure, with the first power connector being electrically connected to copper busbars in the server racks, the coolant distribution device can directly receive DC power from the power supply units (PSUs) in a system including multiple servers. In other words, the coolant distribution device does not require an additional adapter to convert DC power to AC power, which reduces the internal components of the coolant distribution device and lowers manufacturing costs.
These and other aspects of the present disclosure will become apparent from the following description of the embodiment taken in conjunction with the following drawings and their captions, although variations and modifications therein may be affected without departing from the spirit and scope of the novel concepts of the disclosure.
The described embodiments may be better understood by reference to the following description and the accompanying drawings, in which:
The present disclosure is more particularly described in the following examples that are intended as illustrative only since numerous modifications and variations therein will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Like numbers in the drawings indicate like components throughout the views. As used in the description herein and throughout the claims that follow, unless the context clearly dictates otherwise, the meaning of “a,” “an” and “the” includes plural reference, and the meaning of “in” includes “in” and “on.” Titles or subtitles can be used herein for the convenience of a reader, which shall have no influence on the scope of the present disclosure.
The terms used herein generally have their ordinary meanings in the art. In the case of conflict, the present document, including any definitions given herein, will prevail. The same thing can be expressed in more than one way. Alternative language and synonyms can be used for any term(s) discussed herein, and no special significance is to be placed upon whether a term is elaborated or discussed herein. A recital of one or more synonyms does not exclude the use of other synonyms. The use of examples anywhere in this specification including examples of any terms is illustrative only, and in no way limits the scope and meaning of the present disclosure or of any exemplified term. Likewise, the present disclosure is not limited to various embodiments given herein. Numbering terms such as “first,” “second” or “third” can be used to describe various components, signals or the like, which are for distinguishing one component/signal from another one only, and are not intended to, nor should be construed to impose any substantive limitations on the components, signals or the like.
Reference is made to
Reference is made to
The coolant distribution device D further includes a second inlet port 31 and a second outlet port 32. The second inlet port 31 and the second outlet port 32 are connected to the heat exchanger 3. The heat exchanger 3 has two different kinds of fluids. One kind of fluid is water from a building, such as water supplied directly from a water tower or from the building's chiller. This kind of fluid is called a primary fluid (not shown in the figures), which enters through the second inlet port 31 of the coolant distribution device D and exits through the second outlet port 32 of the coolant distribution device D. The other kind of fluid is the target fluid for cooling, which is called a coolant or secondary fluid. The secondary fluid, or the coolant, enters through the first inlet port 21 and exits through the first outlet port 22. The secondary fluid is configured to absorb the heat generated by equipment such as servers in a database center. The two kinds of fluids are fed into different channels within the heat exchanger and flow close to a heat exchange surface through these channels to exchange heat. In this way, the temperature of the equipment can be maintained at a proper value by the coolant distribution device D.
The guiding pipe 23 is connected between the at least one pump assembly 4 and the first inlet port 21, and between the at least one pump assembly 4 and the heat exchanger 3. In other words, the at least one pump assembly 4 is interconnected with the first inlet port 21, and the at least one pump assembly 4 is interconnected with the heat exchanger 3 through the guiding pipe 23. Specifically, the coolant (i.e., the secondary fluid, not shown in the figures) absorbs the waste heat generated by the servers and enters the housing 1 through the first input port 21 and further flows into at least one pump assembly 4 through the guiding tube 23, thereby reducing the overall temperature of a system including multiple servers and achieving a heat dissipation effect. After that, the coolant with heat is transferred to the heat exchanger 3 through the guiding pipe 23 and performs heat exchange with the primary fluid in the heat exchanger 3.
Reference is made to
For example, the four fluidic connectors 41 of the two pump assemblies 4 and the four fluidic connectors 231 of the guiding pipe 23 are both quick disconnect blind mate (QDBM) connectors. The four fluidic connectors 41 are male connectors, while the four fluidic connectors 231 are female connectors. Since each quick disconnect blind mate connector includes a waterproof ring (e.g., an O-ring) disposed within it, there is no water leakage when the male connector is disconnected from the female connector.
As shown in
Each of the two pump assemblies 4 further includes a second power connector 42 and a power module 43. The second power connector 42 is electrically connected to the power module 43. The first power connector 5 and the second power connector 42 are electrically coupled to each other. Therefore, the second power connector 42 can transmit the DC power from the first power connector 5 to the power module 43. That is, the pump assemblies 4 of the present disclosure are electrically coupled to the first power connector 5 through the second power connector 42, so as to receive the DC power provided by the system. Furthermore, in addition to the pump assemblies 4, the heat exchanger 3 of the coolant distribution device D and the controller 7 mentioned below are also powered by an external system (i.e., the server racks).
Reference is further made to
The matching between the guiding structure 6 and the matching member 45 can be, for example, a groove that matches a convex portion, a track that matches a roller, or a support bar that matches a hook, and the present disclosure is not limited thereto. Moreover, the guiding structure can be disposed on a bottom plate or a side wall of the housing 1, and the present disclosure is not limited thereto. For example, in the present disclosure, the guiding structure 6 can be a guiding rail, and the matching member 45 can be a slider. Therefore, each of the two pump assemblies 4 is assembled on the guiding rail of the housing 1 through the slider and moves along the guiding rail.
Therefore, as shown in
Reference is further made to
Furthermore, the controller 7 is a pluggable component similar to the pump assemblies 4. The housing 1 includes another guiding structure 6 (e.g., a guiding rail) on which the controller 7 is installed. The second side cover 12 of the housing 1 has an opening corresponding to the controller 7, and the controller 7 includes a handle 71 and a matching member (e.g., a slider) that corresponds to the guiding structure 6. When the controller 7 is installed in the housing 1, the handle 71 is exposed from the housing 1. The user can grip the handle 71 and pull out the controller 7 from the inside of the coolant distribution device D. Furthermore, when the controller 7 is pulled out for replacement or maintenance, the coolant distribution device D does not need to be shut down. However, the pump assemblies 4 do not detect the control signal from the controller 7, and the working parameters of the pump assemblies 4 can be maintained at predetermined values.
Reference is further made to
In the coolant distribution device D provided by the present disclosure, with the first power connector 5 being electrically connected to copper busbars in the server racks, the coolant distribution device can directly receive DC power from the PSUs in the system composed of multiple servers. In other words, the coolant distribution device does not require an additional adapter to convert DC power to alternating current (AC) power, which reduces the internal components of the coolant distribution device and lowers manufacturing costs.
Moreover, in the coolant distribution device D provided by the present disclosure, the pump assemblies 4 and the controller 7 are both pluggable components, which have the handles 44, 71 and the matching member 45 corresponding to the guide structure 6. When the pump assemblies 4 and the controller 7 are installed in the housing 1, the handles 44, 71 are exposed from the housing 1. The user can grip the handles 44, 71 and pull out the pump assemblies 4 and the controller 7 from the inside of the coolant distribution device D. There is no need for complex disassembly steps, and the coolant distribution device D does not need to be shut down, which helps save costs in terms of labor and time.
The foregoing description of the exemplary embodiments of the disclosure has been presented only for the purposes of illustration and description and is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the disclosure to the precise forms disclosed. Many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teaching.
The embodiments were chosen and described in order to explain the principles of the disclosure and their practical application so as to enable others skilled in the art to utilize the disclosure and various embodiments and with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. Alternative embodiments will become apparent to those skilled in the art to which the present disclosure pertains without departing from its spirit and scope.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 202410989164.5 | Jul 2024 | CN | national |
This application claims the benefit of priority to the U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 63/538,863, filed on Sep. 18, 2023 which application is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. This application claims the benefit of priority to China Patent Application No. 202410989164.5, filed on Jul. 23, 2024, in the People's Republic of China. The entire content of the above identified application is incorporated herein by reference.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63538863 | Sep 2023 | US |
