US 7,086,247 B2 · Cooling system and method employing auxiliary thermal capacitor unit for facilitating continuous operation of an electronics rack

Abstract

A cooling approach is provided for cooling an electronics subsystem, such as an electronics rack. The cooling approach includes a coolant conditioning unit and a thermal capacitor unit. The coolant conditioning unit has a heat exchanger, a first cooling loop and a second cooling loop. The first cooling loop receives facility coolant from a facility coolant source and passes at least a portion thereof to the heat exchanger. The second cooling loop provides system coolant to the electronics subsystem, and expels heat in the heat exchanger from the electronics subsystem to the facility coolant in the first cooling loop. The thermal capacitor unit is in fluid communication with the second cooling loop to maintain temperature of the system coolant within a defined range for a period of time upon shutdown or failure of the facility coolant in the first cooling loop, thereby allowing continued operation of the electronics subsystem.

Claims23

Dependent claims

A cooling system comprising:

at least one coolant conditioning unit, the at least one coolant conditioning unit comprising a heat exchanger, a first cooling loop and a second cooling loop, the first cooling loop receiving facility coolant and passing at least a portion thereof through the heat exchanger, the second cooling loop providing system coolant to at least one electronics subsystem, and expelling heat in the heat exchanger from the at least one electronics subsystem to the facility coolant in the first cooling loop;
and
at least one thermal capacitor unit in fluid communication with the second cooling loop of the at least one coolant conditioning unit to maintain temperature of the system coolant within a defined range for a period of time upon shutdown or failure of the facility coolant in the first cooling loop of the at least one coolant conditioning unit.

A cooled electronics system comprising:

at least one electronics rack comprising a plurality of drawer units;
and
a cooling system comprising:
at least one coolant conditioning unit, the at least one coolant conditioning unit comprising a heat exchanger, a first cooling loop and a second cooling loop, the first cooling loop receiving facility coolant and passing at least a portion thereof through the heat exchanger, the second cooling loop providing system coolant to the at least one electronics rack, and expelling heat in the heat exchanger from the at least one electronics rack to the facility coolant in the first cooling loop;
and
at least one thermal capacitor unit in fluid communication with the second cooling loop of the at least one coolant conditioning unit to maintain temperature of the system coolant within a defined range for a period of time upon shutdown or failure of the facility coolant in the first cooling loop of the at least one coolant conditioning unit.

3 more elements

A method of cooling at least one electronics subsystem, the method comprising:

providing at least one coolant conditioning unit, the at least one coolant conditioning unit comprising a heat exchanger, a first cooling loop and a second cooling loop, the first cooling loop receiving facility coolant and passing at least a portion thereof through the heat exchanger, the second cooling loop providing system coolant to the at least one electronics subsystem, and expelling heat in the heat exchanger from the at least one electronics subsystem to the facility coolant in the first cooling loop;
and
providing at least one thermal capacitor unit in fluid communication with the second cooling loop of the at least one coolant conditioning unit to maintain temperature of the system coolant within a defined range for a period of time upon shutdown or failure of the facility coolant in the first cooling loop of the at least one coolant conditioning unit while the at least one electronics subsystem remains operational.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Cooling system and method employing auxiliary thermal capacitor unit for facilitating continuous operation of an electronics rack

Life of this patent

Cooling system and method employing auxiliary thermal capacitor unit for facilitating continuous operation of an electronics rack

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims23