Primary circuit/secondary circuit cooling with liquid in both circuits

Abstract

Apparatus, systems, and method for efficiently cooling computing devices having heat-generating electronic components, such as, for example, independently operable servers, immersed in a dielectric liquid coolant in a tank.

1 - 52 . (canceled) 
     
     
         53 . An apparatus for holding and cooling rack-mountable servers containing heat-generating electronic components, comprising:
 at least one tank defining an open interior volume and having a coolant inlet for receiving a dielectric liquid coolant within the open interior volume and having a coolant outlet for allowing the coolant to flow from the open interior volume, the coolant inlet and the coolant outlet being fluidly coupled to each other;   a pump system comprising one or more pumps, wherein the pump system is configurable to circulate dielectric liquid coolant in a first liquid circuit that at least partially passes through the interior volume of the at least one tank;   one or more mounting members positioned within the interior volume and configured to hold a plurality of rack-mountable servers within the interior volume such that the plurality of rack-mountable servers can be commonly submersed in a volume of the dielectric liquid coolant in the at least one tank and such that, when the plurality of rack-mountable servers are commonly submersed in a volume of the dielectric liquid coolant, at least one of the pumps can move at least a portion of the dielectric liquid coolant across heat producing components in at least two of the rack-mountable servers;   a secondary cooling circuit comprising a second liquid coolant;   a liquid-to-liquid heat exchanger configured transfer heat from the dielectric liquid coolant in the first liquid circuit to the second liquid coolant in the secondary cooling circuit; and   one or more controllers, wherein at least one of the controllers is configurable to operate the pump system to adjust one or more characteristics of dielectric liquid coolant in the at least one tank,   wherein the secondary cooling circuit is configured to reject heat to a location distal to the at least one tank.   
     
     
         54 . The apparatus of  claim 53 , wherein the one or more mounting members are configured to mountably receive the plurality of rack-mountable servers in a vertical orientation, wherein the rack-mountable servers are arranged such that at least one of the pumps can produce bottom-to-top vertical flow between two servers that is substantially parallel to bottom-to-top vertical flow between two other servers of the rack-mountable servers that are commonly submerged in the volume of dielectric liquid coolant. 
     
     
         55 . The apparatus of  claim 53 ,
 wherein the one or more mounting members are configured to mountably receive the plurality of rack-mountable servers in a vertical orientation and above the bottom of the at least one tank to form a volume between the plurality of rack-mountable servers and the at least one tank in which the dielectric liquid coolant can collect to permit the flow of dielectric liquid coolant through the plurality of rack-mountable servers,   wherein, when the plurality of rack-mountable servers are mountably received, the plurality of rack-mountable servers can be completely submerged within the dielectric liquid coolant such that a volume of dielectric liquid coolant collects in a common manifold area above the plurality of rack-mountable servers to improve the circulation of the liquid coolant through the plurality of rack-mountable servers, thereby enhancing the cooling of each respective rack-mountable server, and   wherein the rack-mountable servers are arranged such that at least one of the pumps can produce vertical flow between two servers that is substantially parallel to vertical flow between two other servers of the rack-mountable servers that are commonly submerged in the volume of dielectric liquid coolant.   
     
     
         56 . The apparatus of  claim 53 , wherein the rack-mountable servers are mountable in a vertical orientation in the at least one tank, wherein the rack-mountable servers are mountable such that, when the rack-mountable servers are commonly submerged in the volume of dielectric liquid coolant in the at least one tank, at least one of the rack-mountable servers is independently removable from the volume of dielectric liquid coolant in which the at least two rack-mountable servers are submerged and from the at least one tank without the need to remove the other rack-mountable servers from the volume of dielectric liquid coolant in the at least one tank and without disrupting cooling flow of the dielectric liquid coolant to the other rack-mountable servers submerged in the dielectric liquid coolant. 
     
     
         57 . The apparatus of  claim 53 , wherein at least one of the controllers is configured to maintain dielectric liquid coolant in at least one location in the at least one tank at a predetermined temperature. 
     
     
         58 . The apparatus of  claim 53 , wherein at least one of the controllers is configured to maintain dielectric liquid coolant exiting the rack-mountable servers at a temperature that is significantly higher than comfortable room temperature and lower than the maximum permissible temperature of the most sensitive heat generating electronic component of the rack-mountable servers. 
     
     
         59 . The apparatus of  claim 53 , wherein at least one of the controllers is configured to adjust, based at least in part on measured characteristics of the dielectric liquid coolant in the at least one tank or the rack-mountable servers, flow of the dielectric liquid coolant in the at least one tank. 
     
     
         60 . The apparatus of  claim 53 , wherein at least one of the controllers is configured to adjust, based at least in part on measured characteristics of the dielectric liquid coolant in the at least one tank or the rack-mountable servers, flow the second liquid coolant in the secondary liquid cooling circuit that receives heat from the dielectric liquid coolant. 
     
     
         61 . The apparatus of  claim 53 , wherein the rack-mountable servers are mountable in the at least one tank such that at least one of the rack-mountable servers is independently removable from a volume of dielectric liquid coolant and from the at least one tank without the need to remove the other rack-mountable servers from the volume of dielectric liquid coolant in the at least one tank and such that the other rack-mountable servers can remain operating while submersed in the volume of dielectric liquid coolant. 
     
     
         62 . The apparatus of  claim 53 , wherein the tank comprises an open top, wherein the rack-mountable servers are mountable such that at least one of the rack-mountable servers can be removed from the tank through the open top while the other rack-mountable servers remain at least partially submersed in the dielectric liquid coolant and in operation. 
     
     
         63 . A method of cooling a plurality of rack-mountable servers containing heat generating electronic components commonly submersed within a dielectric liquid coolant inside a tank with an open interior volume, comprising:
 flowing a dielectric liquid coolant in a first liquid cooling circuit through the plurality of rack-mountable servers commonly submersed the dielectric liquid coolant to absorb at least a portion of any heat being generated by the rack-mountable servers;   thermally coupling the dielectric liquid coolant heated by the plurality of rack-mountable servers to a heat exchanger;   rejecting, via the heat exchanger, at least a portion of the heat absorbed by the dielectric liquid coolant to a liquid in a secondary liquid cooling circuit.   
     
     
         64 . The method of  claim 63 , further comprising:
 monitoring the temperature of the liquid coolant at least one location within the first liquid cooling circuit; and   controlling one or more cooling characteristics of the dielectric liquid coolant inside the tank such that the temperature exiting the rack-mountable servers is an elevated temperature, wherein the elevated temperature is significantly higher than comfortable room temperature and lower than the maximum permissible temperature of the most sensitive heat generating electronic component of the rack-mountable servers.   
     
     
         65 . The method of  claim 63 , wherein thermally coupling the liquid coolant comprises:
 flowing dielectric liquid coolant from a distally located heat exchanger at a second temperature through a coolant inlet in the tank, wherein the second temperature is lower than the elevated temperature;   flowing at least a portion of the dielectric liquid coolant received into the tank through the coolant inlet through the plurality of servers for absorbing at least a portion of any heat being generated by each of the plurality of servers;   flowing at least a portion of the heated dielectric liquid coolant exiting the plurality of servers at the elevated temperature through a coolant outlet in the tank wherein the coolant outlet is fluidly coupled to the distally located heat exchanger in order for at least a portion of the heat from the heated dielectric coolant to be rejected; and   fluidly coupling the cooled dielectric liquid coolant from the heat exchanger at substantially the second temperature to the coolant inlet to the tank, whereby the dielectric liquid coolant completes a first liquid cooling circuit through the heat exchanger and the plurality of servers in the tank to reject at least a portion of the heat absorbed by the dielectric liquid coolant from the plurality of servers,   wherein flowing a dielectric liquid coolant through the plurality of servers comprises:   flowing at least a portion of the dielectric liquid coolant received into the tank at approximately the second temperature through the plurality of servers immersed within the dielectric liquid coolant for absorbing at least a portion of any heat being dissipated by the plurality of servers.   
     
     
         66 . The method of  claim 63 , wherein flowing a dielectric liquid coolant through the plurality of servers comprises:
 flowing at least a portion of the dielectric liquid coolant at a second temperature in a first fluid portion of a first liquid cooling circuit through each of the plurality of servers wherein the liquid coolant exiting the plurality of servers is heated to an elevated temperature wherein the second temperature is lower than the elevated temperature; and   wherein thermally coupling the dielectric liquid coolant to a distally located heat exchanger comprises:   thermally coupling the heated dielectric liquid coolant through a coupler to the second liquid coolant located in a first portion of a second liquid cooling circuit;   fluidly coupling the heated cooling fluid in the first portion of the second liquid cooling circuit to the distally located heat exchanger for rejecting at least a portion of the heat coupled through the second liquid circuit from the heated dielectric liquid coolant;   fluidly coupling the cooled cooling fluid at substantially the second temperature from the distally located heat exchanger through a second portion of the second liquid circuit to the coupler; and   thermally coupling the cooled cooling fluid through the coupler to the first portion of the first liquid circuit.   
     
     
         67 . The method of  claim 63 , further comprising exhausting the heat recovered by the secondary cooling circuit from the plurality of servers to the ambient atmosphere. 
     
     
         68 . The method of  claim 63 , further comprising beneficially using the heat recovered by the secondary cooling circuit from the plurality of servers by recycling heat into a useful medium. 
     
     
         69 . The method of  claim 68 , wherein the step of recycling heat into a use medium comprises a selected one of a group of recycling heat steps consisting of heating a building through its HVAC system, operating a heat pump to perform work, generating electricity, heating water, and a combination thereof: 
     
     
         70 . The method of  claim 63 , wherein the step of rejecting at least a portion of the heat absorbed by the dielectric liquid coolant comprises: removing at least a portion of the heat at the distally located heat exchanger through a selected one of a group of secondary cooling apparatus consisting of a vapor-cycle refrigeration apparatus, a cooling tower, a fan for blowing ambient air, a heat engine for performing work, an electric generator, and a combination thereof. 
     
     
         71 . A system for cooling a plurality of rack-mountable servers containing heat generating electronic components, comprising:
 at least one tank defining an open interior volume;   one or more mounting members positioned within the open interior volume and configured to mountably receive a plurality of rack-mountable servers within the interior volume;   a dielectric liquid coolant circulating in a first liquid cooling circuit across heat producing components of the plurality of rack-mountable servers;   a secondary cooling system having a cooling fluid flowing in a second liquid cooling circuit wherein the secondary cooling system rejects some of the heat from the cooling fluid;   a coupler located within or proximate to the at least one tank for thermally coupling heated dielectric coolant from the portion of the first liquid cooling circuit exiting the plurality of servers within the tank to the cooling fluid in the second liquid cooling circuit for rejecting some of the heat from such heated dielectric liquid coolant,   wherein the at least one tank is configured for containing the dielectric liquid coolant within the interior volume such that, when the plurality of servers are mountably received therein, at least a substantial portion the rack-mountable servers is configured to be commonly submerged within dielectric liquid coolant when the tank is sufficiently full of the dielectric liquid coolant.   
     
     
         72 . The method of  claim 70 , a controller configured to adjust one or more cooling characteristics of the dielectric liquid coolant inside the tank such that the temperature exiting the rack-mountable servers is an elevated temperature. 
     
     
         73 . The method of  claim 72 , wherein the elevated temperature is a temperature significantly higher than the typical comfortable room temperature for humans and lower than the maximum permissible temperature of the most sensitive heat generating electronic component in the plurality of servers.