JP-2026514261-A - Pump assembly and liquid cooling chassis housing

JP2026514261AJP 2026514261 AJP2026514261 AJP 2026514261AJP-2026514261-A

Abstract

The pump docking assembly is configured to interconnect at least one pump with a coolant liquid flow loop. The pump docking assembly comprises at least one pump receiving device positioned to releasably engage with at least one pump, and a coolant liquid flow loop port connectable to at least one pump. At least one pump includes a liquid coolant inlet. The liquid cooling chassis housing comprises a liquid coolant distribution device that encloses at least one electronic component and interconnects the liquid coolant flow loop with the pump docking assembly. [Selection Diagram] Figure 5B

Inventors

ロングハースト，ネイサン
クシェン，アレクサンダー

Assignees

アイスオトープ・グループ・リミテッド

Dates

Publication Date: 20260507
Application Date: 20240502
Priority Date: 20230503

Claims (16)

A pump docking assembly configured to interconnect at least one pump with a coolant liquid flow loop, At least one pump receiving device arranged to be releasably engaged with the at least one pump, It comprises a coolant liquid flow loop port connectable to at least one of the pumps, The at least one pump is a pump docking assembly including a liquid coolant inlet.
The pump docking assembly according to claim 1, wherein the at least one pump receiving device comprises a releasable push-fit clip mechanism.
The pump docking assembly according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the coolant liquid flow loop port includes a one-way valve device.
The pump docking assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the coolant liquid flow port includes a pressure relief device.
The pump docking assembly according to claim 4, wherein the pressure release device is a priming valve or an air vent orifice.
The pump docking assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the at least one pump receiving device includes an anti-vortex device disposed to cooperate with the liquid coolant inlet of the at least one pump when the at least one pump is engaged with the pump receiving device.
It also features one or more removable pumps, The pump docking assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein each of the one or more removable pumps is configured to include a handle or gripping surface for facilitating engagement and disengagement of each of the removable pumps with the pump receiving device.
The pump docking assembly includes a rail disposed proximal to the pump receiving device, The pump docking assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the rail is configured to engage with the at least one pump during engagement with the pump receiving device, and to guide the pump into proper engagement with the pump receiving device.
The pump docking assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the pump receiving device includes a female electrical connector configured to mate with a corresponding male electrical connector located on the at least one pump.
A liquid-cooled chassis housing for enclosing at least one electronic component, A liquid cooling chassis housing comprising a liquid coolant distribution device that interconnects a liquid coolant flow loop with a pump docking assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 9.
The liquid coolant flow loop comprises a first coolant liquid, as described in claim 10.
The liquid-cooled chassis housing includes a second coolant liquid inlet and a second coolant liquid outlet. The liquid inlet is connected to the liquid coolant distribution device, The liquid outlet is connected to the coolant liquid flow loop outlet of the pump docking assembly, the liquid cooling chassis housing according to claim 10 or 11.
The liquid coolant distribution device is a liquid coolant manifold, as described in claim 12, for the liquid cooling chassis housing.
A liquid cooling chassis housing according to any one of claims 10 to 12, wherein a heat exchange device is located between the second coolant liquid inlet and the liquid coolant distribution device, and between the second coolant liquid outlet and the pump docking assembly.
The at least one electronic component is located in a sump that receives the first coolant liquid from the liquid coolant flow loop. The liquid-cooled chassis housing according to any one of claims 10 to 14, wherein the at least one electronic component is in direct or indirect thermal contact with the first coolant liquid.
The liquid-cooled chassis housing according to claim 15, wherein the liquid level of the first coolant liquid is lower than at least one of the releasable push-fit clip mechanisms, the handle or gripping surface, and/or the liquid level of the first coolant liquid is at least the same height as the liquid coolant inlet.

Description

This disclosure relates to a pump docking assembly for receiving one or more interchangeable pumps. Also provided is a liquid-cooled chassis housing (or module) for holding at least one (electronic) heat-generating component together with the pump docking assembly (having one or more coolant pumps). Within computers, servers, or other devices used for data processing (referred to as IT, or information technology), there are several electronic devices called integrated circuits (ICs). These ICs may include central processing units (CPUs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), graphical processing units (GPUs), and random access memory (RAM). Each of these devices generates heat during use. To maintain the device at an optimal temperature for proper operation, this heat must be dissipated away from the device. As the processing power of IT increases, and therefore the number of electronic devices within computers, servers, or other IT systems increases, the challenge of adequately dissipating the heat generated by these electronic devices grows. Electronic devices are typically mounted on a printed circuit board (PCB) and usually housed or enclosed within a case, housing, or chassis to form an electronic module. For example, in a server, this enclosure may be referred to as a server chassis; however, the term “chassis” is used herein to refer to any type of overall housing used for electronic components. Server chassis typically conform to several industry standards specifying the height of each chassis, referred to as 1RU (1 rack unit) or 1OU (1 open unit), also abbreviated as 1U or 1OU. The smaller of the two main standards is 1RU/1U, which has a height of 44.45 mm or 1.75 inches. Such servers are typically rack-mounted, although such server chassis may not necessarily need to be plugged into, for example, a backplane. Methods for removing heat from each case or chassis are used to maintain electronic devices within the chassis at appropriate temperatures. Cooling electronic modules by circulating air over or inside each case or chassis is common. Airflow may be sufficient to remove some heat from the interior of the enclosure to the surrounding environment. Until recently, this cooling method was almost exclusively used for mass-produced IT and server equipment. However, as the scale of technology shrinks for the same computing performance, it has been found that the heat generated by electronic devices increases even as the footprint decreases. Thus, the limitations of air cooling systems for electronic modules have suppressed or constrained the peak performance of IT systems. Therefore, more complex systems and methods have been proposed for cooling electronic modules. In some cases, liquid cooling is used, where a liquid coolant flows over or near a heatsink coupled to the electronic device. Heat can then be transferred from the electronic device to an area or element that can remove the heat from the liquid coolant. Liquid cooling can, in some cases, provide more efficient heat transfer from the electronic device or components, and therefore can provide greater cooling power than air cooling systems. However, modern liquid cooling systems often use customized systems, which can be complex and expensive to install. Furthermore, improvements in cooling performance are always desired. A preferred mode of liquid cooling generally involves immersing the electrical components in a liquid coolant to provide a large surface area for heat exchange between the heat-generating electrical components and the coolant. Such systems may utilize single-phase coolants, in which case the coolant remains in the liquid phase or a phase-change coolant, and the liquid coolant must evaporate and condense for continuous, effective cooling. International Publication No. 2018/096362 (by the same applicant as this disclosure, details of which are incorporated herein by reference) describes a cooling system in which a primary dielectric coolant liquid is provided within a chassis and used to cool electronic components housed therein. The primary dielectric coolant liquid is pumped to a heat exchanger, where heat is transferred to a secondary liquid coolant. The heat exchanger is provided within the chassis, and the secondary liquid coolant, typically water or water-based (advantageous due to its high specific heat capacity), is pumped into the chassis and the heat exchanger within it, and then pumped out of the chassis and may be shared among multiple chassis. Pipes terminated with nozzles are provided to transport the primary dielectric coolant from the heat exchanger to the electronic components to be cooled. International Publication No. 2019/048864 (by the same applicant as this disclosure, details of which are incorporated herein by reference) describes heat sinks and heat sink configurations for electronic devices. Such heat sinks allow primary dielectric coolant to accumulate adjacent to specific electronic comp