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Title: Cooling system with automated seasonal freeze protection

Abstract

An automated multi-fluid cooling system and method are provided for cooling an electronic component(s). The cooling system includes a coolant loop, a coolant tank, multiple valves, and a controller. The coolant loop is at least partially exposed to outdoor ambient air temperature(s) during normal operation, and the coolant tank includes first and second reservoirs containing first and second fluids, respectively. The first fluid freezes at a lower temperature than the second, the second fluid has superior cooling properties compared with the first, and the two fluids are soluble. The multiple valves are controllable to selectively couple the first or second fluid into the coolant in the coolant loop, wherein the coolant includes at least the second fluid. The controller automatically controls the valves to vary first fluid concentration level in the coolant loop based on historical, current, or anticipated outdoor air ambient temperature(s) for a time of year.

Inventors:
; ; ; ; ; ; ;
Issue Date:
Research Org.:
International Business Machines Corp., Armonk, NY (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE
OSTI Identifier:
1254128
Patent Number(s):
9351431
Application Number:
13/649,334
Assignee:
INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION (Armonk, NY)
Patent Classifications (CPCs):
H - ELECTRICITY H05 - ELECTRIC TECHNIQUES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR H05K - PRINTED CIRCUITS
F - MECHANICAL ENGINEERING F28 - HEAT EXCHANGE IN GENERAL F28F - DETAILS OF HEAT-EXCHANGE AND HEAT-TRANSFER APPARATUS, OF GENERAL APPLICATION
DOE Contract Number:  
EE0002894
Resource Type:
Patent
Resource Relation:
Patent File Date: 2012 Oct 11
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
42 ENGINEERING; 32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION

Citation Formats

Campbell, Levi A., Chu, Richard C., David, Milnes P., Ellsworth, Jr., Michael J., Iyengar, Madhusudan K., Simons, Robert E., Singh, Prabjit, and Zhang, Jing. Cooling system with automated seasonal freeze protection. United States: N. p., 2016. Web.
Campbell, Levi A., Chu, Richard C., David, Milnes P., Ellsworth, Jr., Michael J., Iyengar, Madhusudan K., Simons, Robert E., Singh, Prabjit, & Zhang, Jing. Cooling system with automated seasonal freeze protection. United States.
Campbell, Levi A., Chu, Richard C., David, Milnes P., Ellsworth, Jr., Michael J., Iyengar, Madhusudan K., Simons, Robert E., Singh, Prabjit, and Zhang, Jing. Tue . "Cooling system with automated seasonal freeze protection". United States. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1254128.
@article{osti_1254128,
title = {Cooling system with automated seasonal freeze protection},
author = {Campbell, Levi A. and Chu, Richard C. and David, Milnes P. and Ellsworth, Jr., Michael J. and Iyengar, Madhusudan K. and Simons, Robert E. and Singh, Prabjit and Zhang, Jing},
abstractNote = {An automated multi-fluid cooling system and method are provided for cooling an electronic component(s). The cooling system includes a coolant loop, a coolant tank, multiple valves, and a controller. The coolant loop is at least partially exposed to outdoor ambient air temperature(s) during normal operation, and the coolant tank includes first and second reservoirs containing first and second fluids, respectively. The first fluid freezes at a lower temperature than the second, the second fluid has superior cooling properties compared with the first, and the two fluids are soluble. The multiple valves are controllable to selectively couple the first or second fluid into the coolant in the coolant loop, wherein the coolant includes at least the second fluid. The controller automatically controls the valves to vary first fluid concentration level in the coolant loop based on historical, current, or anticipated outdoor air ambient temperature(s) for a time of year.},
doi = {},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {2016},
month = {5}
}

Works referenced in this record:

Experimental characterization of an energy efficient chiller-less data center test facility with warm water cooled servers
conference, March 2012

  • David, Milnes P.; Iyengar, Madhusudan; Parida, Pritish
  • 2012 IEEE/CPMT 28th Semiconductor Thermal Measurement & Management Symposium (SEMI-THERM), 2012 28th Annual IEEE Semiconductor Thermal Measurement and Management Symposium (SEMI-THERM)
  • https://doi.org/10.1109/STHERM.2012.6188853

Server liquid cooling with chiller-less data center design to enable significant energy savings
conference, March 2012

  • Iyengar, Madhusudan; David, Milnes; Parida, Pritish
  • 2012 IEEE/CPMT 28th Semiconductor Thermal Measurement & Management Symposium (SEMI-THERM), 2012 28th Annual IEEE Semiconductor Thermal Measurement and Management Symposium (SEMI-THERM)
  • https://doi.org/10.1109/STHERM.2012.6188851