초록 ▼

A cooling system and method are provided for facilitating cooling of multiple liquid-cooled electronics racks. The cooling system includes a main system coolant supply loop with a plurality of system coolant supply branch lines for facilitating supply of cooled system coolant to the electronics rack

A cooling system and method are provided for facilitating cooling of multiple liquid-cooled electronics racks. The cooling system includes a main system coolant supply loop with a plurality of system coolant supply branch lines for facilitating supply of cooled system coolant to the electronics racks, and a main system coolant return loop with a plurality of system coolant return branch lines for facilitating return of exhausted system coolant from the electronics racks. When operational, cooled system coolant circulates through the coolant supply loop and exhausted system coolant circulates through the coolant return loop. A plurality of modular cooling units are coupled to the coolant supply loop and coolant return loop. Each modular cooling unit includes a heat exchanger to facilitate cooling of a portion of the exhausted coolant circulating through the main system coolant return loop for return as cooled system coolant to the main system coolant supply loop.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A cooling system comprising: a system coolant supply manifold, the system coolant supply manifold comprising a main system coolant supply loop and at least one system coolant supply branch line coupled to and in fluid communication with a first portion of the main system coolant supply loop at a

1. A cooling system comprising: a system coolant supply manifold, the system coolant supply manifold comprising a main system coolant supply loop and at least one system coolant supply branch line coupled to and in fluid communication with a first portion of the main system coolant supply loop at a first end of the at least one system coolant supply branch line and a second portion of the main system coolant supply loop at a second end of the at least one system coolant supply branch line for facilitating supply of cooled system coolant to a plurality of liquid-cooled electronics racks, wherein cooled system coolant circulates through the main system coolant supply loop;a system coolant return manifold, the system coolant return manifold comprising a main system coolant return loop and at least one system coolant return branch line coupled to and in fluid communication with a first portion of the main system coolant return loop at a first end of the at least one system coolant return branch line and with a second portion of the main system coolant return loop at a second end of the at least one system coolant return branch line for facilitating return of exhausted system coolant from the plurality of liquid-cooled electronics racks, wherein exhausted system coolant circulates through the main system coolant return loop; anda plurality of modular cooling units each coupled in fluid communication with the main system coolant supply loop and the main system coolant return loop, and each modular cooling unit comprising a liquid-to-liquid heat exchanger comprising a first coolant path and a second coolant path, wherein the first coolant path is in fluid communication with the main system coolant return loop and the main system coolant supply loop to facilitate passing a portion of exhausted system coolant from the main system coolant return loop through the liquid-to-liquid heat exchanger, and the second coolant path is coupled in fluid communication with a facility coolant supply line and a facility coolant return line to facilitate passing chilled facility coolant through the liquid-to-liquid heat exchanger for cooling exhausted system coolant passing through the first coolant path of the liquid-to-liquid heat exchanger for recirculation thereof to the plurality of liquid-cooled electronics racks as cooled system coolant via the main system coolant supply loop. 2. The cooling system of claim 1, wherein modular cooling units of the plurality of modular cooling units are in fluid communication with the main system coolant supply loop and the main system coolant return loop at multiple connect locations disposed about the main system coolant supply loop and the main system coolant return loop. 3. The cooling system of claim 2, wherein at least two modular cooling units of the plurality of modular cooling units are clustered at one or more connect locations of the multiple connect locations disposed about the main system coolant supply loop and the main system coolant return loop. 4. The cooling system of claim 1, wherein the system coolant supply manifold, the plurality of liquid-cooled electronics racks, the system coolant return manifold and the plurality of modular cooling units define a closed loop system coolant flow path wherein heat extracted from the plurality of liquid-cooled electronics racks is exhausted to facility coolant passing through the liquid-to-liquid heat exchangers of the plurality of modular cooling units. 5. The cooling system of claim 1, wherein the main system coolant supply loop and the main system coolant return loop each encircle an area within which at least some liquid-cooled electronics racks of the plurality of liquid-cooled electronics racks align. 6. The cooling system of claim 1, wherein the main system coolant supply loop and the main system coolant return loop each encircle an area within which the plurality of liquid-cooled electronics racks are disposed. 7. The cooling system of claim 1, wherein each modular cooling unit further comprises at least one flow control valve in fluid communication with the first coolant path of the liquid-to-liquid heat exchanger thereof, and wherein each modular cooling unit further comprises a controller coupled to the at least one flow control valve for directing at least a portion of exhausted system coolant passing through the modular cooling unit through the first coolant path of the liquid-to-liquid heat exchanger. 8. The cooling system of claim 7, wherein each modular cooling unit further comprises a temperature sensor disposed to sense temperature of cooled system coolant being supplied by the modular cooling unit to the main system coolant supply loop, the controller being coupled to the temperature sensor for allowing the controller to ascertain, and control via the at least one flow control valve, temperature of the cooled system coolant being supplied by the modular cooling unit to the main system coolant supply loop. 9. The cooling system of claim 1, wherein each modular cooling unit further comprises a reservoir and a pump coupled in fluid communication with the main system coolant return loop for receiving a portion of exhausted system coolant from the main system coolant return loop and pumping at least a portion of the exhausted system coolant through the first coolant path of the liquid-to-liquid heat exchanger, wherein the plurality of modular cooling units are distributed about the main system coolant supply loop and the main system coolant return loop to provide distributed pumping and cooling of system coolant into the main system coolant supply loop. 10. A data center comprising: a plurality of liquid-cooled electronics racks; anda cooling system for facilitating liquid-cooling of the plurality of liquid-cooled electronics racks, the cooling system comprising: a system coolant supply manifold, the system coolant supply manifold comprising a main system coolant supply loop and a plurality of system coolant supply branch lines coupled to and in fluid communication with the main system coolant supply loop for facilitating supply of cooled system coolant to the plurality of liquid-cooled electronics racks, wherein cooled system coolant circulates through the main system coolant supply loop, and at least one system coolant supply branch line of the plurality of system coolant supply branch lines is coupled to and in fluid communication with a first portion of the main system coolant supply loop at a first end of the at least one system coolant supply branch line and with a second portion of the main system coolant supply loop at a second end of the at least one system coolant supply branch line;a system coolant return manifold, the system coolant return manifold comprising a main system coolant return loop and a plurality of system coolant return branch lines coupled to and in fluid communication with the main system coolant return loop for facilitating return of exhausted system coolant from the plurality of liquid-cooled electronics racks, wherein exhausted system coolant circulates through the main system coolant return loop, and at least one system coolant return branch line of the plurality of system coolant return branch lines is coupled to and in fluid communication with a first portion of the main system coolant return loop at a first end of the at least one system coolant return branch line and with a second portion of the main system coolant return loop at a second end of the at least one system coolant return branch line; anda plurality of modular cooling units each coupled in fluid communication with the main system coolant supply loop and the main system coolant return loop, and each modular cooling unit comprising a liquid-to-liquid heat exchanger comprising a first coolant path and a second coolant path, wherein the first coolant path is in fluid communication with the main system coolant return loop and the main system coolant supply loop to facilitate passing a portion of exhausted system coolant from the main system coolant return loop through the liquid-to-liquid heat exchanger, and the second coolant path is coupled in fluid communication with a facility coolant supply line and a facility coolant return line to facilitate passing chilled facility coolant through the liquid-to-liquid heat exchanger for cooling exhausted system coolant passing through the first coolant path of the liquid-to-liquid heat exchanger for recirculation thereof to the plurality of liquid-cooled electronics racks as cooled system coolant via the main system coolant supply loop. 11. The data center of claim 10, wherein the main system coolant supply loop and the main system coolant return loop each encircle an area within which at least some liquid-cooled electronics racks of the plurality of liquid-cooled electronics racks align. 12. The data center of claim 10, wherein the main system coolant supply loop and the main system coolant return loop each encircle an area within which the plurality of liquid-cooled electronics racks are disposed. 13. The data center of claim 10, wherein modular cooling units of the plurality of modular cooling units are in fluid communication with the main system coolant supply loop and the main system coolant return loop at multiple connect locations disposed about the main system coolant supply loop and the main system coolant return loop. 14. The data center of claim 13, wherein at least two modular cooling units of the plurality of modular cooling units are clustered at one or more connect locations of the multiple connect locations disposed about the main system coolant supply loop and the main system coolant return loop. 15. The data center of claim 14, wherein clusters of at least two modular cooling units are disposed in different quadrants of the main system coolant supply loop and the main system coolant return loop. 16. The data center of claim 10, wherein each modular cooling unit of the plurality of modular cooling units comprises at least one flow control valve in fluid communication with the first coolant path of the liquid-to-liquid heat exchanger, and wherein each modular cooling unit further comprises a controller coupled to the at least one flow control valve for directing at least a portion of exhausted system coolant passing through the modular cooling unit through the first coolant path of the liquid-to-liquid heat exchanger, and each modular cooling unit further comprises a temperature sensor disposed to sense temperature of cooled system coolant being supplied by the modular cooling unit to the main system coolant supply loop, the controller being coupled to the temperature sensor to ascertain, and control via the at least one flow control valve, temperature of the cooled system coolant being supplied by the modular cooling unit to the main system coolant supply loop, and wherein each modular coolant unit further comprises a reservoir and a pump coupled in fluid communication with the main system coolant return loop for receiving a portion of exhausted system coolant from the main system coolant return loop and pumping at least a portion of the exhausted system coolant through the first coolant path of the liquid-to-liquid heat exchanger, wherein the plurality of modular cooling units are distributed about the main system coolant supply loop and the main system coolant return loop to provide distributed cooling and pumping of system coolant into the main system coolant supply loop. 17. A method of facilitating parallel cooling of a plurality of liquid-cooled electronics racks, the method comprising: providing a system coolant supply manifold, the system coolant supply manifold comprising a main system coolant supply loop and at least one system coolant supply branch line coupled to and in fluid communication with a first portion of the main system coolant supply loop at a first end of the at least one system coolant supply branch line and with a second portion of the main system coolant supply loop at a second end of the at least one system coolant supply branch line for facilitating supply of cooled system coolant to the plurality of liquid-cooled electronics racks, wherein cooled system coolant circulates through the main system coolant supply loop;providing a system coolant return manifold, the system coolant return manifold comprising a main system coolant return loop and at least one system coolant return branch line coupled to and in fluid communication with a first portion of the the main system coolant return loop at a first end of the at least one system coolant return branch line and with a second portion of the main system coolant return loop at a second end of the at least one system coolant return branch line for facilitating return of exhausted system coolant from the plurality of liquid-cooled electronics racks, wherein exhausted system coolant circulates through the main system coolant return loop; andproviding a plurality of modular cooling units coupled in fluid communication with the main system coolant supply loop and the main system coolant return loop, and each modular cooling unit comprising a liquid-to-liquid heat exchanger comprising a first coolant path and a second coolant path, wherein the first coolant path is in fluid communication with the main system coolant return loop and the main system coolant supply loop to facilitate passing a portion of exhausted system coolant from the main system coolant return loop through the liquid-to-liquid heat exchanger, and the second coolant path is coupled in fluid communication with a facility coolant supply line and a facility coolant return line to facilitate passing chilled facility coolant through the liquid-to-liquid heat exchanger for cooling exhausted system coolant passing through the first coolant path of the liquid-to-liquid heat exchanger for recirculation thereof to the plurality of liquid-cooled electronics racks as cooled system coolant via the main system coolant supply loop. 18. The cooling system of claim 1, wherein there are more liquid-cooled electronics racks in the plurality of liquid-cooled electronics racks than modular cooling units in the plurality of modular cooling units supplying system coolant to the main system coolant supply loop.