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CN-122003958-A - Direct liquid cooling system with sensor coolant distribution channels

CN122003958ACN 122003958 ACN122003958 ACN 122003958ACN-122003958-A

Abstract

The application relates to a direct liquid cooling system (DLC) for an IT infrastructure, which comprises at least one component (2) to be cooled, wherein the direct liquid cooling system comprises a Coolant Distribution Unit (CDU) and a coolant distribution channel (7), which is supplied with cooling liquid by the Coolant Distribution Unit (CDU), characterized in that the coolant distribution channel (7) comprises at least one sensor (300), with which at least one physical measurement of the liquid in the coolant distribution channel (7) is determined.

Inventors

  • Juan Carlos Cajo Alonso
  • Saurabu Singha
  • Aksha Kailadi Gurudut

Assignees

  • 利塔尔两合公司

Dates

Publication Date
20260508
Application Date
20240913
Priority Date
20231006

Claims (15)

  1. 1. A direct liquid cooling system (DLC) for an IT infrastructure comprising at least one component (2) to be cooled, wherein the direct liquid cooling system (DLC) comprises a Coolant Distribution Unit (CDU) and a coolant distribution channel (7), the coolant distribution channel (7) being configured to be fed with cooling liquid by the Coolant Distribution Unit (CDU), characterized in that the coolant distribution channel (7) comprises at least one sensor (300), the at least one sensor (300) being configured to determine at least one physical measurement of the liquid in the coolant distribution channel (7).
  2. 2. Direct liquid cooling system (DLC) according to claim 1, wherein the sensor (300) is a temperature sensor, a pressure sensor, a flow sensor and/or a sensor for determining the electrical conductivity of the liquid.
  3. 3. Direct liquid cooling system (DLC) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the coolant distribution channel (7) is configured to be fixed in the IT rack (1), the coolant distribution channel (7) extending longitudinally in a vertical direction.
  4. 4. Direct liquid cooling system (DLC) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the Coolant Distribution Unit (CDU) is configured to control an operating parameter of the Coolant Distribution Unit (CDU), preferably the cooling power for cooling the liquid and/or the pump power of at least one pump (14) for supplying the liquid to the coolant distribution channel (7), depending on the physical measurement value determined by the at least one sensor (300).
  5. 5. Direct liquid cooling system (DLC) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the coolant distribution channel (7) comprises a supply line (7.1) and a return line (7.3), the supply line (7.1) comprising a plurality of outlets (7.2) for cooled cooling liquid, the return line (7.3) comprising a plurality of inlets (7.4) for heated cooling liquid, at least one of the supply line (7.1) and the return line (7.3) comprising the at least one sensor (300).
  6. 6. The direct liquid cooling system (DLC) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the measurement value recording element of the at least one sensor (300) is configured to record a measurement value of the cooled cooling liquid in the supply line (7.1) in case the at least one sensor (300) is arranged in or on the supply line (7.1), or to record a measurement value of the heated cooling liquid in the return line (7.3) in case the at least one sensor (300) is arranged in or on the return line (7.3).
  7. 7. Direct liquid cooling system (DLC) according to claim 5 or 6, wherein the feed line (7.1) comprises a first temperature sensor configured to determine the temperature of the cooling liquid transported in the feed line (7.1), and the return line (7.3) comprises a second temperature sensor configured to determine the temperature of the cooling liquid transported in the return line (7.3).
  8. 8. Direct liquid cooling system (DLC) according to any of the claims 5 to 7, wherein the at least one sensor (300) is arranged at the coolant inlet (7.5) of the feed line (7.1) of the coolant distribution channel (7) or at the coolant outlet (7.6) of the return line (7.3) of the coolant distribution channel (7).
  9. 9. Direct liquid cooling system (DLC) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the at least one sensor (300) is arranged on the coolant distribution channel (7) or outside the coolant distribution channel (7), or the at least one sensor (300) is accessible from the outside of the coolant distribution channel (7).
  10. 10. Direct liquid cooling system (DLC) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the coolant distribution channel (7) comprises a supply line (7.1) and a return line (7.3), the supply line (7.1) comprising a plurality of outlets for cooled cooling liquid, the return line (7.3) comprising a plurality of inlets for heated cooling liquid, wherein at least one of the supply line (7.1) and the return line (7.3) has a fitting and is fluidly connected with the Coolant Distribution Unit (CDU) by means of the fitting, the fitting having the at least one sensor (300).
  11. 11. Direct liquid cooling system (DLC) according to claim 10, wherein the fitting is arranged directly at the inlet of the feed line (7.1) and/or at the outlet of the return line (7.3).
  12. 12. The direct liquid cooling system (DLC) according to claim 11, wherein the fitting is fluidly connected to the inlet and/or the outlet by a quick connector.
  13. 13. The direct liquid cooling system (DLC) according to claim 11 or 12, wherein the at least one sensor (300) is fluidly connected to the fitting by a quick connector.
  14. 14. Direct liquid cooling system (DLC) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the at least one sensor (300), preferably at least one pressure sensor, is mounted on the coolant distribution channel (7) by means of a quick connector.
  15. 15. Direct liquid cooling system (DLC) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the coolant distribution channel (7) comprises a cable guide, preferably a cable channel, with which the sensor cable of the at least one sensor (300) is guided along the coolant distribution channel (7), preferably outside the coolant distribution channel (7).

Description

Direct liquid cooling system with sensor coolant distribution channels Technical Field The application relates to a direct liquid cooling system (Direct Liquid Cooling, DLC) for an IT infrastructure comprising at least one component to be cooled, the direct liquid cooling system comprising a coolant distribution unit (Coolant Distribution Unit, CDU) and a coolant distribution channel, the coolant distribution channel being supplied with cooling liquid by the Coolant Distribution Unit (CDU). Background US 2007/0274043 A1 describes such an arrangement above. US 2023/240053 A1 describes a direct liquid cooling system in which the coolant distribution channel comprises at least one sensor. Other direct liquid cooling systems can be found in US 2022/0039291 A1, US 2023/0060854 A1 and US 2023/0060854 A1. US 9,668,382 B2, US 11,310,939 B2 and US 11,395,443 B2 describe existing Coolant Distribution Units (CDUs) in which the components required for supplying cooled liquid to the coolant distribution channels are provided in a housing configured as a plug-in device, including for example but not limited to at least one pump, preferably a plurality of redundant pumps, heat exchangers, expansion tanks, pressure sensors, flow sensors and/or temperature sensors, three-way valves with bypass valves, ac power supplies, control means, maintenance valves, filters, automatic exhaust valves, pressure relief valves or flow regulating valves. For sub-cooling, the coolant distribution unit may have a liquid-liquid heat exchanger and interfaces for supply and return of cooling liquid (e.g. water). The cooling liquid may be provided by a chiller, refrigerator or the like. The gas-liquid heat exchanger may replace a liquid-liquid heat exchanger by a fan, preferably a filter fan, which sub-cools the cooling liquid of the direct liquid cooling system with air from the environment surrounding the coolant distribution unit. A disadvantage of existing Coolant Distribution Units (CDUs) is that they are provided as a single component, for example as plug-in equipment for mounting in a 19 inch rack of an IT rack, which integrates multiple, failed components. When one of these components, in particular one of the above-mentioned sensors, fails, the entire coolant distribution unit has to be replaced. This is typically accompanied by an interruption of the CDU cooling function, which in turn may lead to a failure of the IT infrastructure (e.g., servers). Disclosure of Invention The object of the present application is to propose a direct liquid cooling system with high maintenance convenience, in particular a sensor allowing to replace CDUs. The above object is achieved by a direct liquid cooling system (DLC) having the features of claim 1. The dependent claims relate to preferred embodiments of the application, respectively. The coolant distribution channel is thus arranged to comprise at least one sensor with which at least one physical measurement of the liquid in the coolant distribution channel is determined. In particular, the sensor may be provided in place of, or as such, a sensor which is originally provided in the CDU, in particular in the housing of the CDU. The sensor may be, for example, a temperature sensor, a pressure sensor, a flow sensor and/or a sensor for determining the conductivity of the liquid. However, the sensor is not limited to these embodiments, and in particular may be any sensor of the CDU configured to determine a physical measurement related to the cooling liquid, for example with respect to the supply and/or return of the CDU inner circuit forming a liquid circuit with the coolant distribution channel. The IT rack may have a frame structure of a switchgear cabinet, consisting of four vertical poles and eight horizontal poles. Multiple IT racks may form a switchgear cabinet row. DLC may be designed as a single cabinet solution or as a solution for supplying a switch cabinet row with cooling liquid. The DLC may be disposed in the same IT rack as the components to be cooled (e.g., server inserts). The DLC may also be configured to occupy the entire IT rack with ITs components, such as pump units, heat exchangers, control devices, etc. (if these components are not part of the CDU or at least one CDU, etc.), whereby the IT rack has the function of a cooling rack. The cooling devices may be arranged in a row of switch cabinets or IT racks and provide cooling fluid to the components to be cooled (e.g., server inserts) mounted in adjacent IT racks. Each IT rack receiving a supply of cooling liquid may include a coolant distribution channel that is supplied with cooling liquid by the CDU of the cooling rack. In a data center, a switchgear cabinet bank may separate hot channels from cold channels. The coolant distribution channels may be arranged in the IT rack in a vertical direction, for example in the area of the rear of the IT rack. The coolant distribution channels may be provided on vertical struts of the IT rack,