Liquid cooling with outdoor chiller rack system
AssigneeQuanta Computer Inc.
InventorsChao-Jung Chen, Yu-Nien Huang, Chih-Ming Chen, Tsung-Ta Li
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Abstract
A method of maintaining a server rack within a predetermined temperature range, including the removal of heat from the server rack by both conductive and convective heat transfer. Thermal contact structure is placed between the server rack and a heat sink. The heat sink may be in the form of a housing containing a radiator in one wall, and a bank of fans in an opposite wall to draw a coolant gas through the radiator. The coolant gas contacts the heat sink and a portion of the coolant gas is directed towards the server rack. Cooling liquid is supplied to the radiator by a chiller, which can be adjacent to the heat sink or located remotely from the heat sink.
Claims12
A combination of a server rack containing servers therein and a heat transfer apparatus, the combination comprising:
- a server rack housing servers;
- a heat exchanger defining a housing;
- a thermal contact structure disposed between the server rack and the heat exchanger to place the server rack and heat exchanger in thermal contact;
- and
- a chiller disposed directly adjacent to the heat exchanger, the chiller providing a source of cooling liquid to the heat exchanger to cool the server rack,
- wherein the heat exchanger includes a radiator operatively connected to the cooling liquid from the chiller, and wherein the housing includes a set of cooling fans positioned to draw air through the radiator to cool the servers and the server rack.
A cooling system for servers in a server rack comprising:
- a thermal contact structure to place the server rack into thermal contact with a heat exchanger including a radiator;
- a chiller configured to be encased by a housing of the heat exchanger and to provide a source of cooling liquid to the radiator, the radiator operatively connected to the cooling fluid provided by said chiller;
- and
- at least one bank of fans to draw air through said heat exchanger to cool the air,
- wherein the cooled air cools the servers in the server rack.
A method of maintaining an operating temperature of a series of servers in a server rack within a predetermined range of temperatures, the method comprising:
- removing heat from the server rack through conductive thermal contact with a heat exchanger;
- removing heat from the server rack by contacting a coolant gas with a radiator containing a cooling liquid, wherein the radiator is supplied with the cooling liquid from a chiller;
- and
- placing the chiller directly adjacent to the heat exchanger, wherein the heat exchanger is in the form of a housing containing both the radiator and a bank of fans to draw the coolant gas through the radiator.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.