IPC분류정보
국가/구분 |
United States(US) Patent
등록
|
국제특허분류(IPC7판) |
|
출원번호 |
US-0845374
(2010-07-28)
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등록번호 |
US-8472182
(2013-06-25)
|
발명자
/ 주소 |
- Campbell, Levi A.
- Chu, Richard C.
- Ellsworth, Jr., Michael J.
- Iyengar, Madhusudan K.
- Simons, Robert E.
|
출원인 / 주소 |
- International Business Machines Corporation
|
대리인 / 주소 |
|
인용정보 |
피인용 횟수 :
7 인용 특허 :
68 |
초록
▼
Apparatus and method are provided for facilitating cooling of one or more components of an electronics rack. The apparatus includes a liquid-cooled structure associated with the electronic component(s) to be cooled, and a liquid-to-air heat exchanger coupled in fluid communication with the liquid-co
Apparatus and method are provided for facilitating cooling of one or more components of an electronics rack. The apparatus includes a liquid-cooled structure associated with the electronic component(s) to be cooled, and a liquid-to-air heat exchanger coupled in fluid communication with the liquid-cooled structure via a coolant loop to receive coolant from and supply coolant to the liquid-cooled structure. The heat exchanger is disposed external to the electronics rack within a cool air plenum of the data center containing the rack, and the plenum is coupled to a cool air source providing cooled air to the data center. Cooled air of the cool air plenum passes across the heat exchanger and cools coolant passing through the heat exchanger, which dissipates heat from the coolant passing therethrough to the cool air passing across the heat exchanger to facilitate liquid cooling of the electronic component(s) associated with the liquid-cooled structure.
대표청구항
▼
1. An apparatus for facilitating cooling of an electronics rack, the apparatus comprising: at least one liquid-cooled structure associated with at least one electronic component of the electronics rack; andat least one liquid-to-air heat exchanger coupled in fluid communication with the at least one
1. An apparatus for facilitating cooling of an electronics rack, the apparatus comprising: at least one liquid-cooled structure associated with at least one electronic component of the electronics rack; andat least one liquid-to-air heat exchanger coupled in fluid communication with the at least one liquid-cooled structure via a coolant loop for receiving heated coolant after passing through the at least one liquid-cooled structure, the at least one liquid-to-air heat exchanger being external to and detached from the electronics rack, the at least one liquid-to-air heat exchanger being disposed within a cool air plenum coupled to an air-cooling source and receiving cooled air therefrom, the cool air plenum being external to the electronics rack, wherein cooled air within the cool air plenum passes across the at least one liquid-to-air heat exchanger, and the at least one liquid-to-air heat exchanger cools coolant passing therethrough by dissipating heat from the coolant passing therethrough to the cooled air passing thereacross; andwherein the cool air plenum comprises one of an underfloor plenum or an overhead plenum within a data center containing the electronics rack, the cool air plenum providing cooled air to the data center, and wherein the electronics rack is an air-cooled electronics rack. 2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one liquid-to-air heat exchanger is associated with and accessible via at least one modular tile assembly defining, in part, the cool air plenum, the cool air plenum being one of the underfloor plenum or overhead plenum within a data center containing the electronics rack. 3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one liquid-to-air heat exchanger is part of at least one modular tile assembly defining, in part, the cool air plenum, and is removable with the at least one modular tile assembly, the cool air plenum being one of the underfloor plenum or overhead plenum within a data center containing the electronics rack. 4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the at least one liquid-to-air heat exchanger is associated with a first modular tile assembly defining, in part, the cool air plenum, and the apparatus further comprises an air-moving device associated with a second modular tile assembly defining, in part, the cool air plenum, wherein the first modular tile assembly and the second modular tile assembly are adjacent tile assemblies defining, in part, the cool air plenum, and the air-moving device facilitates cool air movement across the at least one liquid-to-air heat exchanger of the first modular tile assembly. 5. The apparatus of claim 4, further comprising a pump and a reservoir in fluid communication with the coolant loop, the pump pumping coolant through the coolant loop, and the pump and the reservoir being associated with a third modular tile assembly defining, in part, the cool air plenum. 6. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the air-moving device is part of the second modular tile assembly, and the second modular tile assembly includes a perforated tile, the air-moving device being disposed relative to the perforated tile to move air passing across the at least one liquid-to-air heat exchanger through the perforated tile into the data center. 7. The apparatus of claim 6, further comprising at least one air baffle associated with at least one of the first modular tile assembly or the second modular tile assembly, the at least one air baffle being configured to facilitate directing air passing across the at least one liquid-to-air heat exchanger towards the air-moving device for facilitating exhausting thereof into the data center through the perforated tile. 8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the first modular tile assembly comprises a solid surface tile and the at least one liquid-to-air heat exchanger is oriented to extend substantially parallel with the solid surface tile, and wherein the at least one air-moving device of the second modular tile assembly comprises blades extending within a plane oriented substantially parallel with the perforated tile of the second modular tile assembly. 9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one liquid-to-air heat exchanger is associated with at least one modular tile assembly defining, in part, the cool air plenum, the cool air plenum being one of an underfloor plenum or overhead plenum within a data center containing the electronics rack, and wherein the apparatus further comprises at least one air-moving device associated with the at least one modular tile assembly, the at least one modular tile assembly including a perforated tile, and the at least one air-moving device being aligned to the perforated tile for facilitating moving air passing across the at least one liquid-to-air heat exchanger through the perforated tile into the data center. 10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the at least one liquid-to-air heat exchanger is oriented to extend substantially parallel to the perforated tile, and the at least one air-moving device is disposed between the at least one liquid-to-air heat exchanger and the perforated tile. 11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the at least one liquid-to-air heat exchanger extends away from the perforated tile into the cool air plenum and is configured with a transverse cross-sectional shape comprising a central opening, the at least one air-moving device being aligned to the central opening to facilitate drawing air across the at least one liquid-to-air heat exchanger and exhausting of the air passing threreacross through the perforated tile. 12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the apparatus comprises multiple liquid-to-air heat exchangers coupled in fluid communication with the coolant loop, the multiple liquid-to-air heat exchangers extending away from the perforated tile into the cool air plenum, and being disposed to together define the transverse cross-sectional shape with the central opening. 13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the multiple liquid-to-air heat exchangers comprise four liquid-to-air heat exchangers coupled in fluid communication and extending away from the perforated tile into the cool air plenum, the four liquid-to-air heat exchangers being coupled together in a rectangular-shaped, transverse cross-sectional configuration. 14. A data center comprising: an electronics rack;a cool air plenum, the cool air plenum comprising one of an underfloor plenum or overhead plenum providing cooled air to the data center, the cool air plenum being coupled to an air-cooling source for the data center for receiving cooled air therefrom; andan apparatus for facilitating cooling of at least one electronic component of the electronics rack, the apparatus comprising: at least one liquid-cooled structure associated with the at least one electronic component of the electronics rack; andat least one liquid-to-air heat exchanger coupled in fluid communication with the at least one liquid-cooled structure via a coolant loop for receiving heated coolant after passing through the at least one liquid-cooled structure, the at least one liquid-to-air heat exchanger being configured for disposition external to the electronics rack within the cool air plenum coupled to the air-cooling source, wherein cooled air within the cool air plenum passes across the at least one liquid-to-air heat exchanger, and the at least one liquid-to-air heat exchanger cools coolant passing therethrough by dissipating heat from the coolant passing therethrough to the cooled air passing thereacross. 15. The data center of claim 14 wherein the at least one liquid-to-air heat exchanger is associated with a first modular tile assembly defining, in part, the cool air plenum, and the apparatus further comprises an air-moving device associated with a second modular tile assembly defining, in part, the cool air plenum, wherein the first modular tile assembly and the second modular tile assembly are adjacent tile assemblies defining, in part, the cool air plenum, and the air-moving device facilitates cool air movement across the at least one liquid-to-air heat exchanger of the first modular tile assembly, and wherein the apparatus further comprises at least one air baffle associated with at least one of the first modular tile assembly or the second modular tile assembly, the at least one air baffle being configured to facilitate directing air passing across the at least one liquid-to-air heat exchanger towards the air-moving device for facilitating exhausting thereof into the data center through the perforated tile. 16. The data center of claim 15, wherein the first modular tile assembly comprises a solid surface tile and the at least one liquid-to-air heat exchanger is oriented to extend substantially parallel with the solid surface tile, and wherein the at least one air-moving device of the second modular tile assembly comprises blades extending within a plane oriented substantially parallel with the perforated tile of the second modular tile assembly. 17. The data center of claim 14, wherein the at least one liquid-to-air heat exchanger is associated with at least one modular tile assembly defining, in part, the cool air plenum, the cool air plenum being one of an underfloor plenum or overhead plenum within a data center containing the electronics rack, and wherein the apparatus further comprises at least one air-moving device associated with the at least one modular tile assembly, the at least one modular tile assembly including a perforated tile, and at least one air-moving device being aligned to the perforated tile for facilitating moving air passing across the at least one liquid-to-air heat exchanger through the perforated tile into the data center, and wherein the at least one liquid-to-air heat exchanger is oriented to extend substantially parallel to the perforated tile, and the at least one air-moving device is disposed between the at least one liquid-to-air heat exchanger and the perforated tile. 18. The data center of claim 14, wherein the at least one liquid-to-air heat exchanger is associated with at least one modular tile assembly defining, in part, the cool air plenum, and wherein the apparatus further comprises at least one air-moving device associated with the at least one modular tile assembly, the at least one modular tile assembly including a perforated tile, and the at least one air-moving device being aligned to the perforated tile for facilitating moving air passing across the at least one liquid-to-air heat exchanger through the perforated tile into the data center, and wherein the at least one liquid-to-air heat exchanger extends away from the perforated tile into the cool air plenum and is configured with a transverse cross-sectional shape comprising a central opening, the at least one air-moving device being aligned to the central opening to facilitate drawing air across the at least one liquid-to-air heat exchanger and exhausting of the air passing thereacross through the perforated tile. 19. A method of facilitating cooling of an electronics rack, the method comprising: disposing at least one tile assembly external to the electronics rack, the at least one tile assembly defining, in part, a cool air plenum of a data center containing the electronics rack, and comprising at least one liquid-to-air heat exchanger extending away from a tile thereof into the cool air plenum, the cool air plenum being coupled to an air-cooling source for the data center and receiving cooled air therefrom;associating at least one liquid-cooled structure with at least one electronic component of the electronics rack to facilitate removal of heat therefrom via liquid coolant passing therethrough, and coupling in fluid communication, via a coolant loop, the at least one liquid-cooled structure and the at least one liquid-to-air heat exchanger, wherein the at least one liquid-to-air heat exchanger receives coolant from and supplies coolant to the at least one liquid-cooled structure; andwherein in operation, cool air of the cool air plenum passes across the at least one liquid-to-air heat exchanger, and the at least one liquid-to-air heat exchanger cools coolant passing therethrough by dissipating heat from the coolant passing therethrough to the cooled air passing thereacross.
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