The present disclosure claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202010914496.9, titled “HEAT DISSIPATION SYSTEM AND SERVER SYSTEM”, filed on Sep. 3, 2020, the content of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
The present invention relates to the field of autonomous driving, and in particular to a heat dissipation system and a server system.
At present, in order to realize autonomous driving of a vehicle, one or even more vehicle-mounted servers are typically provided for decision-making and control in the autonomous vehicle. Autonomous driving involves complex technologies and thus requires more powerful vehicle-mounted servers, which have great computing powers, high processing efficiencies and long-term operational stability (such as strong vibration resistance and good heat dissipation performance). Therefore, compared to an ordinary server, a vehicle-mounted server requires a larger number of elements to be installed.
Limited by the space of a vehicle, these core elements are generally densely and compactly arranged in a case with limited space. However, some elements (hereinafter referred to as heat-generating elements) will generate heat during the operation, which may cause malfunction of the heat-generating elements as the temperature increases. Therefore, it is necessary to timely dissipate the heat from the heat-generating elements to ensure the normal operation of the core elements. The internal connections of existing water-cooling heat dissipation systems employed in servers in server rooms involve the risk of loosening and thus leaking cooling liquid when operating in running vehicles. Heat-generating elements will be shorted and fail to normally operate if exposed to the leaked cooling liquid, thereby posing a risk to autonomous driving. For this reason, the existing water-cooling radiator architecture provided in servers is not suitable for being used in vehicles.
How to timely and quickly dissipate the heat from vehicle-mounted servers and avoid the risk that cooling liquid leaks and thus comes into contact with heat-generating elements when a dissipation system operates in running vehicles has become a technical problem that needs to be solved urgently by those skilled in the art.
The present invention provides a heat dissipation system capable of quickly dissipating the heat from heat-generating elements in servers by water cooling to ensure the stable operation of the heat-generating elements and avoiding the risk that cooling liquid leaks and thus comes into contact with the heat-generating elements when operating in running vehicles.
The present invention provides a server system, wherein a heat dissipation system of the server system is capable of quickly dissipating the heat from heat-generating elements in servers by water cooling to ensure the stable operation of the heat-generating elements and avoiding the risk that cooling liquid leaks and thus comes into contact with the heat-generating elements when operating in running vehicles.
Other aims and advantages of the present invention will be further understood from the technical features disclosed in the present invention.
To achieve one or part or all of the above aims or other aims, an embodiment of the present invention provides a heat dissipation system for dissipating the heat from at least one heat-generating element in a case. The heat dissipation system comprises at least one water-cooling heat dissipation element, a first pipeline set and a water-cooling device. The at least one water-cooling heat dissipation element is arranged inside the case and coupled to at least one heat-generating element. The first pipeline set is arranged inside the case and has a first end and a second end. The first end is welded to the at least one water-cooling heat dissipation element. The water-cooling device is arranged outside the case and connected to the second end. Cooling liquid of the water-cooling device is allowed to flow through the first pipeline set and the at least one water-cooling heat dissipation element to dissipate the heat from the at least one heat-generating element.
In one embodiment of the present invention, the above case comprises a housing. The second end is connected to the water-cooling device through an opening of the housing.
In one embodiment of the present invention, the above at least one water-cooling heat dissipation element is arranged in contact with the at least one heat-generating element to dissipate the heat from the at least one heat-generating element.
In one embodiment of the present invention, the above at least one heat-generating element includes a plurality of heat-generating elements, and the at least one water-cooling heat dissipation element includes a plurality of water-cooling heat dissipation elements. Each of the plurality of heat-generating elements corresponds to at least one of the plurality of water-cooling heat dissipation elements.
In one embodiment of the present invention, the above first pipeline set comprises a plurality of first pipelines. Each of the plurality of water-cooling heat dissipation elements is connected to at least one of the plurality of first pipelines by welding. The cooling liquid is allowed to flow through the plurality of first pipelines and the plurality of water-cooling heat dissipation elements to dissipate the heat from the plurality of heat-generating elements.
In one embodiment of the present invention, the above at least one water-cooling heat dissipation element is connected to the first pipeline set by welding. The cooling liquid is allowed to flow through the first pipeline set and the at least one water-cooling heat dissipation element to dissipate the heat from the at least one heat-generating element. The first pipeline set and the at least one water-cooling heat dissipation element connected thereto by welding provide a sealed flow path for the cooling liquid in the case.
In one embodiment of the present invention, the above first pipeline set comprises a plurality of first pipelines. The plurality of first pipelines are made of a material including copper.
In one embodiment of the present invention, the above water-cooling device comprises a water tank, a water pump, and a second pipeline set. The water tank is used for storing cooling liquid. The water pump is installed on the water tank and used for pressurizing the cooling liquid. The second pipeline set is connected between the water tank and the second end of the first pipeline set. The cooling liquid pressurized by the water pump is allowed to sequentially flow through the second pipeline set and the first pipeline set into the at least one water-cooling heat dissipation element. The cooling liquid from the at least one water-cooling heat dissipation element is allowed to sequentially flow through the first pipeline set and the second pipeline set into the water tank.
In one embodiment of the present invention, the above water-cooling device further comprises a water-cooling radiator for cooling the cooling liquid. The water-cooling radiator is connected between the second end of the first pipeline set and the water tank through the second pipeline set.
In one embodiment of the present invention, the above water-cooling device further comprises a fan set arranged on the water-cooling radiator.
In one embodiment of the present invention, the heat dissipation system further comprises a water distributor. The second pipeline set is connected to the second end of the first pipeline set through the water distributor. The water distributor distributes the cooling liquid from the second pipeline set to the first pipeline set.
In one embodiment of the present invention, the above heat dissipation system further comprises at least one quick connector. The second pipeline set is connected to the water distributor through the at least one quick connector.
In one embodiment of the present invention, the above first pipeline set and the second pipeline set are made of different materials.
In one embodiment of the present invention, the first pipeline set and the second pipeline set have different hardnesses.
In one embodiment of the present invention, the second pipeline set comprises a plurality of hoses.
In one embodiment of the present invention, the above first pipeline set comprises a plurality of first pipelines. Each of the at least one water-cooling heat dissipation element comprises an upper cover, a water-cooling heat dissipation layer, and a bottom plate. The upper cover comprises an inlet hole and an outlet hole, each of which is connected to one of the first pipelines at the first end. The water-cooling heat dissipation layer comprises an internal space. The inlet hole and the outlet hole are connected to the internal space. The cooling liquid is allowed to flow through the inlet hole into the internal space and flow through the outlet hole out of the internal space. The bottom plate comprises a bottom plate opening. The water-cooling heat dissipation layer is arranged between the upper cover and the bottom plate. The water-cooling heat dissipation layer is exposed to the bottom plate opening so as to come into contact with the at least one heat-generating element.
In one embodiment of the present invention, the above internal space comprises a heat sink. The heat sink comprises a plurality of heat dissipation structures. The heat dissipation structures form a plurality of water-cooling flow channels for directing the cooling liquid.
In one embodiment of the present invention, the above at least one heat-generating element includes a central processing unit (CPU) or a graphics processing unit (GPU).
In one embodiment of the present invention, the above at least one heat-generating element is coated with a layer of thermally conductive silicone grease.
To achieve one or part or all of the above aims or other aims, an embodiment of the present invention provides a heat dissipation system for dissipating the heat from a plurality of heat-generating elements in a case. The plurality of heat-generating elements include a CPU or a GPU, and the heat dissipation system comprises a plurality of water-cooling heat dissipation elements, a plurality of metal conduits and a water-cooling device. The plurality of water-cooling heat dissipation elements are arranged inside the case and in contact with the plurality of heat-generating elements. Each of the plurality of water-cooling heat dissipation elements comprises a water-cooling flow channel. The plurality of metal conduits are arranged inside the case and have a first end and a second end. The first end is welded to the plurality of water-cooling heat dissipation elements. The water-cooling device is arranged outside the case. The water-cooling device comprises a water tank, a water pump and a hose set. The water tank is used for storing cooling liquid. The water pump is installed on the water tank and used for pressurizing the cooling liquid. The hose set is connected between the water tank and the second end of the plurality of metal conduits. The cooling liquid pressurized by the water pump is allowed to flow through the plurality of metal conduits and each of the water-cooling flow channels of the plurality of water-cooling heat dissipation elements to dissipate the heat from the plurality of heat-generating elements.
To achieve one or part or all of the above aims or other aims, an embodiment of the present invention provides a server system comprising a case and the above heat dissipation system. The case contains at least one heat-generating element. The heat dissipation system is used for dissipating the heat from the at least one heat-generating element in the case.
To achieve one or part or all of the above aims or other aims, an embodiment of the present invention provides a server system comprising a case and the above heat dissipation system. The case contains a plurality of heat-generating elements. The heat dissipation system is used for dissipating the heat of the plurality of heat-generating elements in the case.
Based on the above, the embodiments of the present invention have at least one of the following advantages or effects. The server system provided in the embodiment of the present invention comprises a heat dissipation system. The heat-generating element, the water-cooling heat dissipation element and the first pipeline set of the heat dissipation system are arranged inside the case, while the water-cooling device is arranged outside the case. The first end of the first pipeline set is welded to the water-cooling heat dissipation element, and the second end of the first pipeline set is connected to the water-cooling device. The cooling liquid of the water-cooling device is allowed to flow through the first pipeline set and the water-cooling heat dissipation element to dissipate the heat from the heat-generating element. Therefore, the heat dissipation system is capable of quickly dissipating the heat from heat-generating elements in servers by water cooling to ensure the stable operation of the heat-generating elements. Besides, the water-cooling device is arranged outside the case, and the first pipeline set is connected to the water-cooling heat dissipation element by welding. Therefore, the heat dissipation system is capable of avoiding the risk that cooling liquid leaks and thus comes into contact with heat-generating elements when operating in running vehicles.
The drawings are provided to facilitate a further understanding of the present invention and form a part of the specification, and, together with the embodiments of the present invention, are provided to illustrate the present invention without limiting the present invention.
In order to enable those skilled in the art to better understand the technical schemes of the present invention, the technical schemes in the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the drawings in the embodiments of the present invention. It is obvious that the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present invention rather than all of the embodiments. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without making any creative effort based on the embodiments of the present invention shall fall within the protection scope of the present invention.
The heat dissipation system provided in the example of the present invention can be applied to vehicle-mounted servers of autonomous vehicles, servers of unmanned aerial vehicles, servers of autonomous ships, robots and all other servers in need of heat dissipation, and application scenarios are not strictly limited in the present application.
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In this example, the server system 100 comprises a case 200 and a heat dissipation system 300. The case 200 contains at least one heat-generating element 210, for example, a plurality of heat-generating elements 210 (see
The heat dissipation system 300 comprises at least one water-cooling heat dissipation element 400, a first pipeline set 320 and a water-cooling device 330. In this example, the heat dissipation system 300 comprises, for example, a plurality of the water-cooling heat dissipation elements 400. The water-cooling heat dissipation elements 400 and the first pipeline set 320 are arranged inside the case 200. Each of the heat-generating elements 210 may be arranged corresponding to at least one of the water-cooling heat dissipation elements 400. In some examples, the number and types of the heat-generating elements 210 and the water-cooling heat dissipation elements 400 may be provided according to actual requirements. The water-cooling heat dissipation elements 400 may be arranged, for example, in one-to-one correspondence with the heat-generating elements 210, or a plurality of the water-cooling heat dissipation elements 400 may be arranged corresponding to one heat-generating element 210 according to actual requirements, which is not limited by the present invention. One water-cooling heat dissipation element 400 may be provided, for example, in a rectangular or a square shape with the side length being 50 cm, or one water-cooling heat dissipation element 400 is provided in different sizes and shapes according to the size of the heat-generating element 210 and other requirements.
In this example, the water-cooling heat dissipation elements 400 are coupled to at least one heat-generating element 210, for example, the heat-generating elements 210. The water-cooling heat dissipation elements 400 may be arranged, for example, in direct contact with the heat-generating elements 210 to dissipate the heat from the heat-generating elements 210, thereby achieving a better heat dissipation effect. However, in some examples, the water-cooling heat dissipation elements 400 may also be arranged in indirect contact with the heat-generating elements 210, for example, through one or more other elements or coatings, which is not limited by the present invention. Specifically, the heat-generating elements 210 may be coated, for example, with a layer of thermally conductive silicone grease, such that the heat from the heat-generating elements 210 is uniformly directed to the water-cooling heat dissipation elements 400. The heat-generating elements 210 may also be provided with other types of heat dissipation materials according to actual requirements. In addition, the heat-generating elements 210 may also be provided with heat dissipation fins or other heat dissipation elements above, which is not limited by the present invention.
In this example, the first pipeline set 320 has a first end and a second end. The first end is, for example, an end of the first pipeline set 320 in the arrow direction of the second axis Y in
In this example, the heat dissipation system 300 is used for dissipating the heat from at least one heat-generating element, for example, the heat-generating elements 210, in the case 200. Specifically, the cooling liquid of the water-cooling device 330 is allowed to flow through the first pipeline set 320 and the water-cooling heat dissipation elements 400 to dissipate the heat from the heat-generating elements 210.
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In this example, the first pipeline set 320 comprises a plurality of first pipelines 322. Each of the water-cooling heat dissipation elements 400 is connected to at least one of the first pipelines 322 by welding. The cooling liquid from the water-cooling device 330 is allowed to flow through the first pipelines 322 and the water-cooling heat dissipation elements 400 to dissipate the heat from the heat-generating elements 210. For example,
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In this example, the heat dissipation system 300 further comprises a water distributor 340 and at least one quick connector 350, for example, a plurality of quick connectors 350. The second pipeline set 335 is connected to the water distributor 340 through the quick connectors 350 and to the second end of the first pipeline set 320 through the water distributor 340. Specifically, the water distributor 340 distribute the cooling liquid from the second pipeline set 335 into the first pipeline set 320. By the arrangement of the water distributor 340, the number of the pipelines in the second pipeline set 335 may be, for example, less than or equal to the number of the pipelines in the first pipeline set 320, thereby reducing the number of the pipelines outside the case 200. In addition, by the arrangement of the quick connectors 350, the connection between the first pipeline set 320 and the second pipeline set 335 can be quickly established and adjusted at least according to different server module architectures and requirements on heat dissipation.
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In this example, the first pipeline set 320 (the first pipelines 322) and the second pipeline set 335 are made of different materials and have different hardnesses. The first pipelines 322 are, for example, a plurality of metal conduits, which may be made of a material including, for example, copper, or may be made of, for example, metallic or non-metallic materials that facilitate thermal conduction and welding. In this example, the second pipeline 335A, the second pipeline 335B, the second pipeline 335C and the second pipeline 335D may be, for example, bendable hoses for forming hose sets, so that the water tank 332, the water pump 334, the water-cooling radiator 336 and the fan set 337 can be arranged at appropriate positions with respect to the case 200 according to actual requirements.
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In this example, the server system 100 comprises a heat dissipation system 300. The heat-generating elements 210, the water-cooling heat dissipation elements 400, and the first pipeline set 320 of the heat dissipation system 300 are arranged inside the case 200, while the water-cooling device 330 is arranged outside the case 200. The first end of the first pipeline set 320 is welded to the water-cooling heat dissipation elements 400, and the second end of the first pipeline set 320 is connected to the water-cooling device 330. The cooling liquid of the water-cooling device 330 is allowed to flow through the first pipeline set 320 and the water-cooling heat dissipation elements 400 to dissipate the heat from the heat-generating elements 210. Therefore, the heat dissipation system is capable of quickly dissipating the heat from the heat-generating elements 210 in servers by water cooling to ensure the stable operation of the heat-generating elements 210. In addition, compared to an air-cooling heat dissipation system, a water-cooling heat dissipation system features a smaller size and lower noise.
Specifically, the water-cooling device 330 is arranged outside the case 200, and the first pipeline set 320 is connected to the water-cooling heat dissipation element 400 by welding. Since the heat-generating elements 210 are isolated from the water-cooling device 330, in some cases where some server systems 100 are operated, e.g., in running vehicles or other environments with vibration, when the cooling liquid of the water-cooling device 330 leaks, e.g., out of the connections of the water tank 332, the water pump 334, the water-cooling radiator 336, the fan set 337 or the second pipeline set 335, it can be blocked by the case 200 (for example, the housing 220 of the case 200) and thus prevented from contacting the heat-generating elements 210. In addition, in this example, the heat-generating elements 210, the water-cooling heat dissipation elements 400 and the first pipelines 322 are connected together, for example, by welding, so as to form a sealed whole in the case 200. For example, the water-cooling heat dissipation elements 400 and the first pipelines 322 can provide a sealed flow path for the cooling liquid in the case 200. In some cases where some server systems 100 are operated, e.g., in running vehicles or other environments with vibration, leakage of the cooling liquid is prevented in the case 200. In other words, the server system 100 and the heat dissipation system 300 thereof can avoid the risk that the cooling liquid leaks and thus comes into contact with the heat-generating elements 210 when operating in running vehicles, and helps to reduce the risk that the heat-generating elements are shorted or fail to normally operate, thereby reducing the risk posed on autonomous driving and improving the stability of autonomous driving.
While the above examples of the present invention have been described, additional variations and modifications can be made to those examples by those skilled in the art once they learn of the basic inventive concepts. Therefore, the accompanying claims are intended to be interpreted as including the above examples and all variations and modifications that fall within the scope of the present invention.
It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that variations and modifications may be made to the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Thus, if such modifications and variations of the present invention fall within the scope of the claims of the present invention and the equivalents thereof, the present invention is intended to include such modifications and variations as well.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 202010914496.9 | Sep 2020 | CN | national |