Direct facility coolant cooling of a rack-mounted heat exchanger

摘要

A cooling apparatus and method are provided. The cooling apparatus includes a coolant-cooled heat exchanger for facilitating dissipation of heat generated within an electronics rack, and a coolant control apparatus. The coolant control apparatus includes at least one coolant recirculation conduit coupled in fluid communication between a facility coolant supply and return, wherein the facility coolant supply and return facilitate providing facility coolant to the heat exchanger. The control apparatus further includes a coolant pump(s) associated with the recirculation conduit(s) and a controller which monitors a temperature of facility coolant supplied to the heat exchanger, and redirects facility coolant, via the coolant recirculation conduit(s) and coolant pump(s), from the facility coolant return to the facility coolant supply to, at least in part, ensure that facility coolant supplied to the heat exchanger remains above a dew point temperature.

主权项

1. A cooling apparatus comprising:
A coolant-cooled heat exchanger associated with an electronic rack and facilitating dissipation of heat generated within the electronics rack; and a coolant control apparatus, the coolant control apparatus comprising:
at least one coolant recirculation conduit coupled in fluid communication between a facility coolant supply conduit and a facility coolant return conduit, the facility coolant supply conduit facilitating a flow of liquid facility coolant to the coolant-cooled heat exchanger and the facility coolant return conduit facilitating exhausting the liquid facility coolant from the coolant-cooled heat exchanger;at least one liquid coolant pump associated with the at least one coolant recirculation conduit, the at least one liquid coolant pump facilitating controlled recirculation of liquid facility coolant from the facility coolant return conduit to the facility coolant supply conduit through the at least one coolant recirculation conduit;at least one check valve whining the at least one coolant recirculation conduit, the at least one check valve preventing backflow of the liquid facility coolant from the facility coolant supply conduit to the facility coolant return conduit through the at least one recirculation conduit; anda controller, the controller monitoring a temperature of the liquid facility coolant supplied to the coolant-cooled heat exchanger, and controlling the at least one liquid coolant pump to control recirculation of the liquid facility coolant, via the at least one coolant recirculation conduit, from the facility coolant return conduit to the facility coolant supply conduit to, at least in part, ensure that the liquid facility coolant supplied to the coolant-cooled heat exchanger remains above a dew point temperature.