This application is based upon and claims the benefit of priority of the prior Japanese Patent Application No. 2018-115355, filed on Jun. 18, 2018, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
This application relates to a heat exchanger for liquid immersion cooling.
As a method for cooling electronic components, an immersion cooling method is known in which electronic components are immersed in a cooling liquid that is stored in a main tank body and cooled. In the liquid immersion cooling method, in some cases a heat exchanger for cooling the cooling liquid is immersed in the cooling liquid in order to suppress a deterioration in the cooling effect on electronic components due to a rise in the temperature of the cooling liquid in which the electronic components are immersed. However, even in a case where the heat exchanger is immersed in the cooling liquid, convection does not occur in the cooling liquid stored in the main tank body, and the cooling effect on the electronic components may not be improved in some cases. Therefore, by using a heat exchanger having a coolant elevating hole and a coolant descending hole, and providing a heat insulating member on the inner surface of the coolant elevating hole arranged directly above a heat generating member, convection of the cooling liquid is generated (For example, refer to Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 3-50897).
According to an aspect of the embodiments, a heat exchanger for liquid immersion cooling includes a first coolant stored in a tank capable of accommodating an electronic component, and configured to cool the electronic component by immersion, an introduction pipe into which a second coolant is introduced from outside of the tank, a discharge pipe from which the second coolant is discharged to outside of the tank, and a plurality of connection pipes coupled between the introduction pipe and the discharge pipe and configured to flow the second coolant from the introduction pipe to the discharge pipe, wherein the heat exchanger is immersed in the first coolant and accommodated in the tank.
The object and advantages of the invention will be realized and attained by means of the elements and combinations particularly pointed out in the claims.
It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory and are not restrictive of the invention.
The method described in Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 3-50897 leaves room for improvement from the aspect of improving the cooling performance by generating convection in the liquid coolant stored in the main tank body.
Hereinafter, embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings.
In the main tank body 10, a wiring board 70 on which electronic components 60, 62, and 64 are mounted is accommodated while being immersed in the coolant 14. Since the coolant 14 has electrical insulating properties, the wiring board 70 on which the electronic components 60, 62, and 64 are mounted may be cooled by immersing in the coolant 14. The electronic component 60 is, for example, a central processing unit (CPU). The electronic components 62 and 64 are, for example, memories. The wiring board 70 is, for example, a printed wiring board. A heat sink 72 having a plurality of radiation fins may be provided on the main surface of the electronic component 60. As a result, the heat radiation area of the electronic component 60 is increased, so the electronic component 60 is effectively cooled. The heat sink 72 is formed of a material having a high thermal conductivity such as metal or the like, and is formed of, for example, aluminum.
The heat exchanger 30 is accommodated in the main tank body 10 and immersed in the coolant 14. The heat exchanger 30 is provided for cooling the coolant 14 stored in the main tank body 10. The heat exchanger 30 has an introduction pipe 32, a discharge pipe 34, and a plurality of connecting pipes 36 connecting between the introduction pipe 32 and the discharge pipe 34. The introduction pipe 32, the discharge pipe 34, and the connecting pipes 36 are formed of a material having high thermal conductivity such as metal or the like. As an example, the introduction pipe 32, the discharge pipe 34, and the connecting pipes 36 are formed of aluminum. The introduction pipe 32, the discharge pipe 34, and the connecting pipes 36 are not limited to a case where they are formed of the same material, and may be formed of different materials.
One each of the introduction pipe 32 and the discharge pipe 34 may be provided, however in the first embodiment, a case where a plurality of pipes is provided will be described as an example. The plurality of introduction pipes 32 is connected to a common introduction part 40 having one introduction port 38. The plurality of discharge pipes 34 is connected to a common discharge part 44 having one discharge port 42. The introduction port 38 and the discharge port 42 are connected to an external heat exchanger 52 such as a chiller or the like via a pipe 50 (e.g., a “transfer pipe”). A pump 54 is installed in the pipe 50.
A coolant (hereinafter referred to as circulating coolant) is sealed in the heat exchanger 30. When the pump 54 is driven, circulating coolant circulates between the heat exchanger 30 and the external heat exchanger 52. The heat exchanger 30 is immersed in the coolant 14 stored in the main tank body 10, so the circulating coolant flows in the heat exchanger 30, heat exchange occurs with the coolant 14, and the coolant 14 is cooled.
The introduction pipes 32 and the discharge pipes 34 extend perpendicular to the bottom surface of the main tank body 10, for example. The plurality of connecting pipes 36 extends in parallel to the bottom surface of the main tank body 10, for example. The term “extending perpendicular” is not limited to the case where the pipes extend completely perpendicularly to the bottom surface of the main tank body 10, and even a case where the pipes extend with a slight inclination with respect to the bottom surface of the main tank body 10 is included. Similarly, “extending in parallel” is not limited to the case where the pipes extend completely in parallel to the bottom surface of the main tank body 10, and even a case where the pipes extend with a slight inclination with respect to the bottom surface of the main tank body 10 is also included. In the first embodiment, the introduction pipes 32 and the discharge pipes 34 extend in the direction of gravity, and the plurality of connecting pipes 36 extends in the first intersecting direction intersecting (for example orthogonal to) the direction of gravity.
Here, the heat exchanger 30 will be described by using
The plurality of introduction pipes 32 is in close proximity to each other and extend in parallel to each other in the gravity direction. The plurality of discharge pipes 34 is in close proximity to each other and extend in parallel to each other in the gravity direction. The plurality of connecting pipes 36 is connected between the introduction pipes 32 and the discharge pipes 34 and extend in the first intersecting direction intersecting the direction of gravity. For example, the plurality of connecting pipes 36 is such that the cross-sectional shape when cut in the direction of gravity is a flat shape whose longitudinal direction is the direction of gravity, however, may also be another shape such as a circular shape or the like The plurality of connecting pipes 36 is arranged in a plurality of rows in the second intersecting direction, with the second intersecting direction intersecting (for example orthogonal to) the direction of gravity and the first intersecting direction being the lateral direction of the flat shape. In addition, the plurality of connecting pipes 36 is arranged side by side in a plurality of stages also in the direction of gravity. Providing the plurality of connecting pipes 36 side by side in a plurality of stages in the direction of gravity is not limited to a case where the pipes are provided side by side in a plurality of stages completely in parallel to the direction of gravity, and a case of providing the pipes side by side in a plurality of stages that are slightly inclined with respect to the direction of gravity is also included. The width W in the lateral direction of the connecting pipes 36 is, for example, about 4 mm, and the length L in the longitudinal direction is, for example, about 45 mm. An interval D1 between the connecting pipes 36 arranged side by side in a plurality of rows is, for example, about 6 mm, and an interval D2 between the connecting pipes 36 arranged side by side in a plurality of stages is, for example, about 10 mm.
The connecting pipes 36 arranged side by side in a plurality of rows in the second intersecting direction are respectively connected between different introduction pipes 32 among the plurality of introduction pipes 32 and different discharge pipes 34 among the plurality of discharge pipes 34. For example, one of the plurality of rows in which the connecting pipes 36 are arranged is connected between one of the plurality of introduction pipes 32 and one of the plurality of discharge pipes 34. Another one of the plurality of rows of connecting pipes 36 is connected between another one of the plurality of introduction pipes 32 and another one of the plurality of discharge pipes 34.
The inside of a connecting pipe 36 is partitioned into a plurality of spaces 46, and a plurality of flow paths is formed. The circulating coolant flows inside the plurality of spaces 46 from the introduction pipe 32 side toward the discharge pipe 34 side. Here, the flow of the circulating coolant flowing through the heat exchanger 30 will be described with reference to
In this way, the circulating coolant flows through the heat exchanger 30 and is not mixed with the coolant 14 stored in the main tank body 10. For example, it is conceivable that the coolant 14 stored in the main tank body 10 is circulated by a pump to an external heat exchanger provided outside the main tank body 10 to cool the coolant 14. In this case, when the wiring board 70 is put in and taken out from the main tank body 10, foreign matter may become mixed in the coolant 14, and the pump circulating the coolant 14 may fail. On the other hand, in the first embodiment, since the circulating coolant flowing through the heat exchanger 30 and the coolant 14 stored in the main tank body 10 are not mixed, even in a case where foreign matter is mixed in the coolant 14, failure of the pump 54 for circulating the circulating coolant may be suppressed.
Here, in explaining the effect of the immersion tank 100 of the first embodiment, an immersion tank of a comparative example will be described.
When the pump 54 is driven, the circulating coolant that is cooled by the external heat exchanger 52 is introduced into the introduction pipe 82. The circulating coolant introduced into the introduction pipe 82 flows through a flow path formed inside the flat plate member 86 and then is discharged from the discharge pipe 84 toward the external heat exchanger 52.
According to the comparative example, in order to cool the coolant 14 stored in the main tank body 10, the heat exchanger 80 is immersed in the coolant 14. The flat plate member 86 of the heat exchanger 80 is installed at a bottom portion of the main tank body 10, so the coolant 14 in the vicinity of the bottom portion of the main tank body 10 is cooled. However, the coolant 14 that is warmed by the electronic components 60, 62, and 64 tends to rise upward in the direction of gravity more than the electronic components 60, 62, and 64, while on the other hand, the coolant 14 that is cooled by the flat plate member 86 of the heat exchanger 80 tends to accumulate in the vicinity of the bottom portion positioned on the lower side in the direction of gravity of the main tank body 10. Therefore, the temperature difference between the circulating coolant flowing through the flat plate member 86 and the coolant 14 existing around the flat plate member 86 is small, and effective heat exchange is difficult to perform. In addition, it is difficult for convection to occur in the coolant 14. As a result, it is difficult to perform effective cooling of the electronic components 60, 62, and 64.
Even when the connecting pipes 36 are arranged side by side in a plurality of stages in the direction of gravity, a flow of the coolant 14 descending toward the lower side in the direction of gravity as indicated by the arrow 92 tends to occur between the connecting pipes 36 arranged side by side in a plurality of rows. This is due to the following reason. For example, in a case where one large connecting pipe 36 extends in the direction of gravity from the upper end side to the lower end side of the introduction pipes 32 and the discharge pipes 34, the flow path resistance between the connecting pipes 36 arranged side by side in a plurality of rows becomes large. In this case, it becomes difficult for the coolant 14 to flow toward the lower side in the direction of gravity between the connecting pipes 36 arranged side by side in a plurality of rows. On the other hand, by providing connecting pipes 36 arranged side by side in a plurality of stages in the direction of gravity, the flow path resistance between the connecting pipes 36 arranged side by side in a plurality of rows becomes small. For this reason, a flow of the coolant 14 descending toward the lower side in the direction of gravity such as indicated by the arrow 92 tends to occur between the connecting pipes 36 arranged side by side in a plurality of rows.
By generating an upward flow and a downward flow in the coolant 14 stored in the main tank body 10 in this way, a flow in which the coolant 14 circulates inside the main tank body 10 is produced as indicated by arrows 90 to 96. As a result, the temperature difference of the coolant 14 stored in the main tank body 10 becomes small. Therefore, heat exchange between the circulating coolant flowing through the heat exchanger 30 and the coolant 14 stored in the main tank body 10 is effectively performed, and the electronic component 60 is effectively cooled.
According to the first embodiment, as illustrated in
As the number of rows of connecting pipes 36 arranged side by side in a plurality of rows in the second intersecting direction intersecting the direction of gravity increases, it becomes difficult for the coolant 14 existing between the connecting pipes 36 located inside the rows to be influenced by the coolant 14 existing further outside than the connecting pipes 36 arranged side by side in the plurality of rows. For example, as the number of rows of the connecting pipes 36 arranged side by side in a plurality of rows increases, it becomes easy for the coolant 14 existing between the connecting pipes 36 located inside the rows to be cooled. Therefore, a large downward flow tends to occur, and a large convection tends to occur in the coolant 14. For this reason, the number of rows of the connecting pipes 36 arranged side by side in a plurality of rows in the second intersecting direction is preferably three rows or more, and more preferably five rows or more, and even more preferably eight rows or more. From the aspect of suppressing the enlargement of the main tank body 10, the number of rows of the connecting pipes 36 arranged side by side in a plurality of rows in the second intersecting direction is preferably ten rows or less, and more preferably seven rows or less, and even more preferably four rows or less.
As illustrated in
As illustrated in
As illustrated in
The coolant 14 stored in the main tank body 10 and the circulating coolant flowing through the heat exchanger 30 may be the same type of coolant or may be different kinds of coolant. Even in a case where the circulating coolant flowing through the heat exchanger 30 flows out to the main tank body 10 for some reason, by making the coolant 14 stored in the main tank body 10 and the circulating coolant flowing through the heat exchanger 30 be the same type of coolant, the adverse effects on the electronic component 60 and the like may be suppressed. In addition, by making the coolant 14 stored in the main tank body 10 and the circulating coolant flowing through the heat exchanger 30 be different types of coolant, a coolant having a high heat dissipating capacity suitable for cooling may be adopted as the circulating coolant. For example, the coolant 14 stored in the main tank body 10 may be a fluorine-based insulating coolant and the circulating coolant flowing through the heat exchanger 30 may be water or a propylene glycol-based coolant.
In the first embodiment, a case in which the introduction pipes 32 and the discharge pipes 34 extend in the direction of gravity was described as an example, however the technique is not limited to this case and these pipes may extend in a direction inclined from the direction of gravity.
Although embodiments have been described in detail above, the embodiments are not limited to the specific embodiments, and various modifications and changes may be made within the range of the gist of the embodiments described in the claims.
All examples and conditional language provided herein are intended for the pedagogical purposes of aiding the reader in understanding the invention and the concepts contributed by the inventor to further the art, and are not to be construed as limitations to such specifically recited examples and conditions, nor does the organization of such examples in the specification relate to a showing of the superiority and inferiority of the invention. Although one or more embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail, it should be understood that the various changes, substitutions, and alterations could be made hereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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2018-115355 | Jun 2018 | JP | national |