flow balancing scheme for two-phase refrigerant cooled rack

Abstract

A cooling system distributes fluid to a plurality of docking bays within a server rack. The server rack includes docking bays for housing electronics devices. A two-phase fluid-based heat exchanging system is coupled to each docking bay, which functions to remove heat from the electronics server. The docking bays are conceptually divided into one or more sections, and a dynamic fluid flow regulator is included within a section input line that supplies a liquid-phase fluid to each section. The section input line branches into a plurality of parallel fluid paths, one parallel fluid path coupled to each docking bay in the section. A fixed fluid flow regulator is included within each branching fluid pathway. The combination of the dynamic and fixed fluid flow regulators provides balanced fluid flow to each two-phase heat exchanging system.

1 . A cooling assembly comprising:
 a. a plurality of fluid-based two-phase cooling systems; and   b. a fluid input manifold configured to supply a coolant in a liquid-phase to each of the plurality of fluid-based cooling systems, the fluid input manifold comprises:
 i. a fluid input line; 
 ii. one or more dynamic fluid flow regulators coupled in parallel to the fluid input line, wherein each dynamic fluid flow regulator is configured to provide a variable fluid flow resistance; and 
 iii. a plurality of fixed fluid flow regulators, one fixed fluid flow regulator coupled to each cooling system, wherein the plurality of fixed fluid flow regulators are arranged into one or more groups, one group coupled to each dynamic fluid flow regulator such that all fixed fluid flow regulators in the group are coupled in parallel to the dynamic fluid flow regulator, further wherein each fixed fluid flow regulator is configured to provide a fixed fluid flow orifice. 
   
     
     
         2 . The cooling system of  claim 1  further comprising a fluid output manifold configured to receive two-phase coolant from each of the plurality of cooling systems. 
     
     
         3 . The cooling assembly of  claim 1  wherein the fluid output manifold comprises a plurality of cooling system output lines, one cooling system output line coupled to each cooling system, and a cooling assembly output line coupled to each of the plurality of cooling system output lines. 
     
     
         4 . The cooling assembly of  claim 3  wherein a diameter of the fluid input line is smaller than a diameter of the cooling assembly output line. 
     
     
         5 . The cooling system of  claim 1  further comprising a frame including a plurality of docking bays, each docking configured to receive a heat generating electronics device, wherein one of the plurality of cooling systems is coupled to one of the docking bays. 
     
     
         6 . The cooling assembly of  claim 5  wherein each cooling system is configured to be mounted to the heat generating electronics device when the heat generating electronics device is mounted within the docking bay. 
     
     
         7 . The cooling assembly of  claim 1  wherein each cooling system comprises one or more heat exchangers configured to pass the coolant therethrough. 
     
     
         8 . The cooling assembly of  claim 1  wherein at least a portion of the coolant undergoes a phase change within the cooling system. 
     
     
         9 . The cooling assembly of  claim 1  wherein each dynamic fluid flow regulator is configured to output a constant fluid flow rate in response to a range of fluid pressures of the coolant within the fluid input manifold. 
     
     
         10 . The cooling assembly of  claim 1  wherein the coolant comprises a refrigerant. 
     
     
         11 . The cooling assembly of  claim 1  wherein the fluid input manifold further comprises a plurality of cooling system input lines, one cooling system input line coupled between one orifice tube and one cooling system. 
     
     
         12 . The cooling assembly of  claim 1  wherein each fixed fluid flow regulator includes one or more filters. 
     
     
         13 . A cooling assembly comprising:
 a. a frame including a plurality of docking bays, each docking bay configured to receive a heat generating electronics device;   b. a fluid input manifold configured to supply a coolant in a liquid-phase to each of the plurality of docking bays, the fluid input manifold comprises:
 i. a fluid input line; 
 ii. one or more dynamic fluid flow regulators coupled in parallel to the fluid input line, wherein each dynamic fluid flow regulator is configured to provide a variable fluid flow resistance; and 
 iii. a plurality of orifice tubes, one orifice tube coupled to each docking bay, wherein the plurality of orifice tubes are arranged into one or more groups, one group coupled to each dynamic fluid flow regulator such that all orifice tubes in the group are coupled in parallel to the dynamic fluid flow regulator, further wherein each orifice tube is configured to provide a fixed fluid flow orifice; and 
   c. a fluid output manifold configured to receive two-phase coolant from each of the plurality of docking bays.   
     
     
         14 . The cooling assembly of  claim 13  further comprising a plurality of fluid-based cooling systems, one fluid-based cooling system coupled to each docking bay, wherein each fluid-based cooling system is coupled to the orifice tube coupled to the docking bay and to the fluid output manifold. 
     
     
         15 . The cooling assembly of  claim 14  wherein each fluid-based cooling system is configured to be mounted to the heat generating electronics device. 
     
     
         16 . The cooling assembly of  claim 14  wherein each fluid-based cooling system comprises one or more heat exchangers configured to pass the coolant therethrough. 
     
     
         17 . The cooling assembly of  claim 14  wherein the cooling assembly comprises a two-phase cooling system and at least a portion of the coolant undergoes a phase change within the fluid-based cooling system. 
     
     
         18 . The cooling assembly of  claim 13  wherein each dynamic fluid flow regulator is configured to output a constant fluid flow rate in response to a range of fluid pressures of the coolant within the fluid input manifold. 
     
     
         19 . The cooling assembly of  claim 13  wherein the coolant comprises a refrigerant. 
     
     
         20 . The cooling assembly of  claim 13  wherein the fluid input manifold further comprises a plurality of docking bay input lines, one input line coupled between the orifice tube and the docking bay. 
     
     
         21 . The cooling assembly of  claim 13  wherein the fluid output manifold comprises a fluid output line and a plurality of docking bay output lines coupled to the fluid output line, each docking bay output line coupled to one docking bay. 
     
     
         22 . The cooling assembly of  claim 21  wherein a diameter of the fluid input line is smaller than a diameter of the fluid output line. 
     
     
         23 . The cooling assembly of  claim 13  wherein each orifice tube includes one or more filters. 
     
     
         24 . A cooling assembly comprising:
 a. a plurality of fluid-based two-phase cooling systems; and   b. a fluid input manifold configured to supply a coolant in a liquid-phase to each of the plurality of fluid-based cooling systems, the fluid input manifold comprises:
 i. a fluid input line; and 
 ii. a plurality of fixed fluid flow regulators coupled in parallel to the fluid input line, one fixed fluid flow regulator coupled to each cooling system, wherein each fixed fluid flow regulator is configured to provide a fixed fluid flow orifice.