Apparatus for adjusting coolant flow resistance through liquid-cooled electronics racks

摘要

Flow restrictors are employed in association with multiple heat exchange tube sections of a heat exchange assembly, or in association with multiple coolant supply lines or coolant return lines feeding multiple heat exchange assemblies. Flow restrictors associated with respective heat exchange tube sections (or respective heat exchange assemblies) are disposed at the coolant channel inlet or coolant channel outlet of the tube sections (or of the heat exchange assemblies). These flow restrictors tailor coolant flow resistance through the heat exchange tube sections or through the heat exchange assemblies to control overall heat transfer within the tube sections or across heat exchange assemblies. In one embodiment, the flow restrictors tailor a coolant flow distribution differential across multiple heat exchange tube sections or across multiple heat exchange assemblies.

主权项

1. A cooling apparatus for a plurality of electronics racks, each electronics rack comprising a heat exchange assembly, the cooling apparatus comprising:
a coolant distribution unit for supplying cooled system coolant to the heat exchange assemblies of the plurality of electronics racks; a plurality of coolant supply lines, each coolant supply line being in fluid communication with the coolant distribution unit and the respective heat exchange assembly of a respective electronics rack of the plurality of electronics racks and facilitating supply of system coolant from the coolant distribution unit to the respective heat exchange assembly; a plurality of coolant return lines, each coolant return line coupling in fluid communication the heat exchange assembly of a respective electronics rack of the plurality of electronics racks with the coolant distribution unit and facilitating return of exhausted system coolant from the respective heat exchange assembly to the coolant distribution unit, wherein system coolant circulates in a closed loop between the coolant distribution unit and the heat exchange assemblies via, at least in part, the plurality of coolant supply lines and the plurality of coolant return lines; a plurality of inline flow restrictors associated with the plurality of coolant supply lines or the plurality of coolant return lines, each inline flow restrictor having a dynamically adjustable orifice opening to control coolant flow resistance of the inline flow restrictor, and each inline flow restrictor being associated with a respective coolant line of the plurality of coolant supply lines or the plurality of coolant return lines for tailoring coolant flow resistance through that coolant line, and thereby through the respective heat exchange assembly of a respective electronics rack; and a controller programmed to control size of the dynamically adjustable orifice opening of each inline flow restrictor of the plurality of inline flow restrictors to force the coolant exiting the respective heat exchange assembly to be at a specified super-heated temperature, above a saturation temperature of the coolant, the controller automatically:
collecting rack power utilization data for each electronics rack of the plurality of electronics racks;summing the rack power utilizations of the plurality of electronics racks and determining a total coolant flow required to cool the plurality of electronics racks, and based on the total coolant flow required, setting a rate of cooled system coolant supplied by the coolant distribution unit;determining the highest power utilizing electronics rack of the plurality of electronics racks and setting the inline flow restrictor associated therewith to full open position;ascertaining coolant pressure and temperature information at the heat exchange assemblies of the plurality of electronics racks; andsetting inline flow restrictors associated with the remaining electronics racks of the plurality of electronics racks to ensure coolant exhausting from the heat exchange assemblies of the remaining electronics racks is in a super-heated vapor state within a specified range of super-heated temperatures based on the collected coolant pressure and temperature information.