Cooling arrangements for autonomous racks

An autonomous rack system having rack structures with self-contained liquid cooling loops for installation in various environments, comprising:

• a rack structure housing a first set of rack-mounted processing assemblies containing liquid-cooled heat-generating electronic components and air-cooled heat-generating electronic components and a second set of rack-mounted processing assemblies containing air-cooled heat-generating electronic components and liquid-cooled heat-generating electronic components having operating thermal requirements that are more tolerant to higher temperature levels than the liquid-cooled heat-generating electronic components of the first set of rack-mounted processing assemblies;
• a first air-to-liquid heat exchanger mounted to a front side of the rack structure and configured to pull in cold ambient air towards the first set of rack-mounted processing assemblies;
• a second air-to-liquid heat exchanger mounted to a rear side of the rack structure and configured to pull away warmed air from the second set of rack-mounted processing assemblies and expel the hot air from the rear side of the rack structure;
• a first liquid cooling loop, comprising:
• a first circulation conduit conveying cooling liquid incorporating a forward path fluidly-coupled to an output of the first air-to-liquid heat exchanger and a return path fluidly-coupled to an input of the first air-to-liquid heat exchanger;
• at least one liquid cooling unit thermally mounted onto the at least one liquid-cooled heat-generating electronic component of the first set of processing assemblies and fluidly-coupled to the circulation conduit to internally channel the cooling liquid therethrough;
• and
• at least one first pump to forcibly urge the flow of the cooling liquid through the forward path, the liquid cooling unit, the return path, and the first air-to-liquid heat exchanger;
• a second liquid cooling loop, comprising:
• a second circulation conduit conveying cooling liquid incorporating a forward path fluidly-coupled to an output of the second air-to-liquid heat exchanger and a return path fluidly-coupled to an input of the second air-to-liquid heat exchanger;
• at least one liquid cooling unit thermally mounted onto the at least one liquid-cooled heat-generating electronic component of the second set of processing assemblies and fluidly-coupled to the circulation conduit to internally channel the cooling liquid therethrough;
• and
• at least one second pump to forcibly urge the flow of the cooling liquid through the forward path, the liquid cooling unit, the return path, and the second air-to-liquid heat exchanger;
• wherein:
• the cold ambient air pulled into the front side of the rack structure by the first air-to-liquid heat exchanger, is firstly warmed while cooling the first cooling liquid of the first liquid cooling loop and flows across the first and second sets of processing assemblies, such that the air warmed by the air-cooled heat-generating electronic components of the first and second sets of processing assemblies is expelled from the rear side of the rack structure by the second air-to-liquid heat exchanger, where the expelled air gets warmer while cooling the second cooling liquid of the second liquid cooling loop;
• the second cooling liquid of the second liquid cooling loop is warmer than the first cooling liquid of the first liquid cooling loop;
• along the forward path of the first circulation conduit, the liquid cooling unit receives the cooling liquid from the output of the first air-to-liquid heat exchanger for internally channeling the cooling liquid therein and along the return path, the liquid cooling unit returns the internally channeled liquid after being warmed by the liquid-cooled heat-generating electronic components of the first set of processing assemblies to the input of the first air-to-liquid heat exchanger;
• and
• along the forward path of the second circulation conduit, the liquid cooling unit receives the cooling liquid from the output of the second air-to-liquid heat exchanger for internally channeling the cooling liquid therein and along the return path, the liquid cooling unit returns the internally channeled liquid after being warmed by the liquid-cooled heat-generating electronic components of the second set of processing assemblies to the input of the second air-to-liquid heat exchanger.

A rack structure housing a set of rack-mounted processing assemblies that include air-cooled heat-generating electronic components, a first set of liquid-cooled heat-generating electronic components, and a second set of liquid-cooled heat-generating electronic components, in which the second set of liquid-cooled heat-generating electronic components manifest operating thermal requirements that are more tolerant to the higher temperature levels than the first set of liquid-cooled heat-generating electronic components, the rack structure comprising:

• a first air-to-liquid heat exchanger mounted to a front side of the rack structure and configured to pull in cold ambient air towards the set of rack-mounted processing assemblies;
• a second air-to-liquid heat exchanger mounted to a rear side of the rack structure and configured to pull away warmed air from the set of rack-mounted processing assemblies and expel the hot air from the rear side of the rack structure;
• a first liquid cooling loop, comprising:
• a first circulation conduit conveying cooling liquid incorporating a forward path fluidly-coupled to an output of the first air-to-liquid heat exchanger and a return path fluidly-coupled to an input of the first air-to-liquid heat exchanger;
• at least one liquid cooling unit thermally mounted onto the at least one first liquid-cooled heat-generating electronic component of the set of processing assemblies and fluidly-coupled to the circulation conduit to internally channel the cooling liquid therethrough;
• and
• at least one first pump to forcibly urge the flow of the cooling liquid through the forward path, the liquid cooling unit, the return path, and the first air-to-liquid heat exchanger;
• a second liquid cooling loop, comprising:
• a second circulation conduit conveying cooling liquid incorporating a forward path fluidly-coupled to an output of the second air-to-liquid heat exchanger and a return path fluidly-coupled to an input of the second air-to-liquid heat exchanger;
• at least one liquid cooling unit thermally mounted onto the at least one second liquid-cooled heat-generating electronic component of the set of processing assemblies and fluidly-coupled to the circulation conduit to internally channel the cooling liquid therethrough;
• and
• at least one second pump to forcibly urge the flow of the cooling liquid through the forward path, the liquid cooling unit, the return path, and the second air-to-liquid heat exchanger;
• wherein:
• the cold ambient air pulled into the front side of the rack structure by the first air-to-liquid heat exchanger, is firstly warmed while cooling the first cooling liquid of the first liquid cooling loop and flows across the set of processing assemblies, such that the air warmed by the air-cooled heat-generating electronic components of the set of processing assemblies is expelled from the rear side of the rack structure by the second air-to-liquid heat exchanger, where the expelled air gets warmer while cooling the second cooling liquid of the second liquid cooling loop;
• the second cooling liquid of the second liquid cooling loop is warmer than the first cooling liquid of the first liquid cooling loop;
• along the forward path of the first circulation conduit, the liquid cooling unit receives the cooling liquid from the output of the first air-to-liquid heat exchanger for internally channeling the cooling liquid therein and along the return path, the liquid cooling unit returns the internally channeled liquid after being warmed by the first set of liquid-cooled heat-generating electronic components of the set of processing assemblies to the input of the first air-to-liquid heat exchanger;
• and
• along the forward path of the second circulation conduit, the liquid cooling unit receives the cooling liquid from the output of the second air-to-liquid heat exchanger for internally channeling the cooling liquid therein and along the return path, the liquid cooling unit returns the internally channeled liquid after being warmed by the second set of liquid-cooled heat-generating electronic components of the set of processing assemblies to the input of the second air-to-liquid heat exchanger.