SERVER CABINET COOLANT DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM

• US 20130043775A1
• Filed: 11/16/2011
• Published: 02/21/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/19/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Inventec Corporation
• Original Assignee: Inventec Corporation
• Inventors: Chen, Chien-An, Shih, Wei-Ta
• Granted Patent: US 8,654,532 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 312/236
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 9/0246 Arrangements for connecting header boxes with flow lines
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20781 within cabinets for removing heat from server blades
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/4456 With liquid valves or liquid trap seals
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/598 With repair, tapping, assembly, or disassembly means
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/87161 With common valve operator
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/87949 Linear motion of flow path sections operates both

Abstract

A cooling coolant pipe of a server cabinet includes multiple tube bodies interconnected in series and at least one adjustable valve. In each of the tube bodies a first chamber and a second chamber that are adjacent to and separated from each other, the second chambers of the two adjacent tube bodies are in communication with each other, and a wall surface of each of the tube bodies has at least one connection port in communication with the first chamber. The adjustable valve is disposed in one of the tube bodies. The first chamber in each of the tube bodies is in communication with the second chamber in the tube body through the adjustable valve. In this way, the adjustable valve adjusts the flow rate of a cooling fluid flowing from the second chamber to the first chamber.

Claims

1. A server cabinet suitable for accommodating at least one tray, each tray bearing at least one heat source and a heat exchanger disposed on the heat source, the server cabinet including a coolant distribution system comprising:

a first coolant pipe, comprising;

multiple tube bodies interconnected in series, wherein each of the tube bodies includes a first chamber and a second chamber and the first chamber and the second chamber are adjacent to and separated from each other, the second chambers of each of the two adjacent tube bodies are in communication with each other, each of the tube bodies has at least one connection port in communication with the first chamber, and the connection port is suitable for being connected to the heat exchanger; and

at least one adjustable valve disposed in each of the tube bodies, wherein the first chamber in each of the tube bodies is in communication with the second chamber in the tube body through the adjustable valve;

a second coolant pipe, suitable for being connected to the heat exchanger; and

a cooling circulation power device, connected to the first coolant pipe and the second coolant pipe;

wherein the cooling circulation power device is used to drive a cooling fluid to flow to and through the second chambers of the tube bodies of the first coolant pipe, and each adjustable valve is used to adjust the flow rate of the cooling fluid in the corresponding tube body flowing from the second chamber to the first chamber, so that the cooling fluid flows from the first chamber to the heat exchanger to perform heat exchange on the heat source and flows back to the cooling circulation power device through the second coolant pipe.

2. The server cabinet according to claim 1, wherein each of the second chambers of each of the tube bodies are in direct series communication with each other, but the first chambers of each of the tube bodies are isolated from each other, except through the connection ports through which the first chambers communicate with their corresponding second chambers.

3. The server cabinet according to claim 1, wherein the first coolant pipe has a first end and a second end opposite to each other, and the second end is positioned higher than the first end.

4. The server cabinet according to claim 1, wherein the first coolant pipe further has at least one powered driver connected to at least one of the adjustable valves.

5. The server cabinet according to claim 1, wherein each of the adjustable valves is adjusted, relative to the adjustment of each of the other adjustable valves, so that an approximately equal flow of coolant is circulated into each of the multiple tube bodies.

6. The server cabinet according to claim 1, wherein each of the adjustable valves further comprises:

an outer tube member, disposed in the second chamber, wherein the outer tube member has an outer valve port, and the outer valve port is in communication with the second chamber; and

an inner tube member, pivoted inside the outer tube member, wherein the inner tube member has an opening is in communication with the first chamber, and an inner valve port in communication with the opening, and the inner tube member is used for rotating relative to the outer tube member to enable the inner valve port to be in communication with the outer valve port.

7. The server cabinet according to claim 1, wherein the first coolant pipe further has a first joint member disposed between the two adjacent tube bodies, the first joint member separates the two adjacent first chambers, the first joint member has a through hole, and the two adjacent second chambers are in communication with each other through the through hole.

8. The server cabinet according to claim 1, wherein the first coolant pipe further has a second joint member, the second joint member has a fluid port, the second joint member is disposed at one end of the tube body to which the powered cooling circulation device is connected, the second joint member closes the first chamber of the tube body, and the second chamber of the tube body is connected to the cooling circulation power device through the fluid port.

9. A coolant pipe, comprising:

multiple tube bodies interconnected in series, wherein each of the tube bodies includes a first chamber and a second chamber and the first chamber and the second chamber are adjacent to and separated from each other, the second chambers of the two adjacent tube bodies are in communication with each other, and a wall surface of each of the tube bodies has at least one connection port in communication with the first chamber; and

multiple adjustable valves, disposed in the tube bodies, wherein the first chamber in each of the tube bodies is in communication with the second chamber in the tube body through the adjustable valve.

10. The coolant pipe according to claim 9, wherein each of the second chambers of each of the tube bodies are in direct series communication with each other, but the first chambers of each of the tube bodies are isolated from each other, except through the connection ports through which the first chambers communicate with their corresponding second chambers.

11. The coolant pipe according to claim 9, further comprising at least one powered driver connected to at least one of the adjustable valves.

12. The coolant pipe according to claim 9, wherein each of the adjustable valves is connected to a powered driver and is adjusted, relative to the adjustment of each of the other adjustable valves, so that an approximately equal flow of coolant is circulated into each of the multiple tube bodies.

13. The coolant pipe according to claim 9, wherein each of the adjustable valves further comprises:

an outer tube member, disposed in the second chamber, wherein the outer tube member has an outer valve port, and the outer valve port is in communication with the second chamber; and

an inner tube member, pivoted inside the outer tube member, wherein the inner tube member has an opening in communication with the first chamber, and an inner valve port in communication with the opening, and the inner tube member is used for rotating relative to the outer tube member to enable the inner valve port to be in communication with the outer valve port.

14. The coolant pipe according to claim 9, further comprising a first joint member, wherein the first joint member is disposed between two adjacent tube bodies, the first joint member separates the two adjacent first chambers, the first joint member has a through hole, and the two adjacent second chambers are in communication with each other through the through hole.

15. A multiple tray server cabinet cooling system comprising:

a plurality of trays, each tray bearing at least one heat source and a heat exchanger disposed on the heat source;

a supply flow duct, comprising a plurality of modular source flow bodies interconnected in series, each modular source flow body comprising;

an arterial chamber that is in direct fluid communication with the arterial chamber of each adjacent modular source flow body;

an auxiliary chamber, isolated from the auxiliary chambers of the other fluid-transferring bodies, and isolated also from the arterial chamber, except for a valve-controlled port that regulates fluid flow from the arterial chamber to the auxiliary chamber;

at least one fluid communication tube fitting affixed to the auxiliary chamber, each tube fitting enabling coupling of the supply flow duct to a corresponding tube that supplies cooling fluid to a corresponding tray; and

an adjustable valve that regulates the rate at which fluid can flow from the arterial chamber, through the valve-controlled port, to the auxiliary chamber;

a return flow duct, comprising a plurality of modular return flow units interconnected in series, each modular return flow unit comprising;

a return flow chamber that is in direct fluid communication with the return flow chamber of each adjacent modular return flow unit;

at least one fluid communication tube fitting affixed to the return flow chamber, each tube fitting enabling coupling of the return flow duct to a corresponding tube that returns cooling fluid from a corresponding tray; and

a powered cooling circulation device cooling the return flow and connecting the return flow duct to the supply flow duct.

16. The multiple tray server cabinet cooling system of claim 15, wherein each auxiliary chamber includes a plurality of fluid communication tube fittings.

17. The multiple tray server cabinet cooling system of claim 15, further comprising a powered driver for each adjustable valve.

18. The multiple tray server cabinet cooling system according to claim 17, wherein each of the adjustable valves is operable to be adjusted, relative to the adjustment of each of the other adjustable valves, so that an approximately equal flow of coolant is circulated into each of the multiple tube bodies.

19. The multiple tray server cabinet cooling system according to claim 15, wherein each of the adjustable valves further comprises:

an outer tube member, disposed in one of the first and second chambers, wherein the outer tube member has an outer valve port, and the outer valve port is in communication with the corresponding chamber; and

an inner tube member, pivoted inside the outer tube member, wherein the inner tube member has an opening in communication with the port connecting the first and second chambers, and an inner valve port in communication with the opening, and the inner tube member is used for rotating relative to the outer tube member to enable the inner valve port to be in communication with the outer valve port.

20. The multiple tray server cabinet cooling system according to claim 15, further comprising modular joint members operable to join any two of the supply flow ducts together, whereby the multiple tray server cabinet cooling system is operable to be assembled to any of a plurality of selectable lengths in accordance with a selected number of modular source flow bodies connected together.