TWI910009B - Server device, expansion module and cooling module - Google Patents

Abstract

A server device includes a chassis, a first cold plate and an expansion module. The first cold plate is located in the chassis. The heat dissipation module is located in the chassis, and includes a second cold plate, a third cold plate, a heating component and a power distribution component. The second cold plate and the third cold plate are detachably mounted on the first cold plate, and are in fluid communication with the first cold plate. The third cold plate is at least partially located between the first cold plate and the second cold plate. The heating component is mounted on the second cold plate, and is located between the second cold plate and the third cold plate. The heating component is thermally coupled to the second cold plate and the third cold plate. The power distribution component includes a first power distribution board. The first power distribution board is disposed on the second cold plate.

Description

Server devices, expansion modules, and cooling modules

This invention relates to a server device, an expansion module, and a heat dissipation module, and more particularly to a server device, an expansion module, and a heat dissipation module equipped with a heat-generating element.

Artificial intelligence (AI) refers to enabling servers to learn from massive amounts of data to simulate human intelligence. As the amount of information (such as images and language) that servers can process increases, the development of AI is becoming increasingly rapid.

In general, in servers used for artificial intelligence, the power distribution board (PDB) is located at the bottom of the system on wafer (SoW). However, this arrangement results in excessively high component stacking height within the server, affecting space utilization and heat dissipation efficiency for the SoW. Furthermore, when operators need to repair the SoW, the water cooling plate and wafers must be removed from the PDB one by one, making the repair process overly cumbersome.

The present invention provides a server device, an expansion module and a heat dissipation module, thereby improving the space utilization within the server device and the heat dissipation efficiency of the expansion module, and simplifying the maintenance process of the expansion module.

An embodiment of the present invention discloses a server device comprising a housing, a first water-cooled plate, and an expansion module. The first water-cooled plate is located within the housing. The expansion module is located within the housing and includes a second water-cooled plate, a third water-cooled plate, a heat-generating element, and a power distribution unit. The second water-cooled plate is detachably mounted on and connected to the first water-cooled plate. The third water-cooled plate is detachably mounted on and connected to the first water-cooled plate. The third water-cooled plate is at least partially located between the first and second water-cooled plates. The heat-generating element is mounted on the second water-cooled plate and located between the second and third water-cooled plates. The heat-generating element is thermally coupled to both the second and third water-cooled plates. The power distribution unit includes a first power distribution board. The first power distribution board is disposed on the second water-cooled plate.

Another embodiment of the present invention discloses an expansion module disposed on a first water-cooled plate, and including a second water-cooled plate, a third water-cooled plate, a heating element, and a power distribution unit. The second water-cooled plate is detachably mounted on and connected to the first water-cooled plate. The third water-cooled plate is detachably mounted on and connected to the first water-cooled plate. The third water-cooled plate is at least partially located between the first and second water-cooled plates. The heating element is mounted on the second water-cooled plate and located between the second and third water-cooled plates. The heating element is thermally coupled to both the second and third water-cooled plates. The power distribution unit includes a first power distribution board. The first power distribution board is disposed on the second water-cooled plate.

Another embodiment of the present invention discloses a heat dissipation module disposed on a first water-cooled plate and housing a heat-generating element, comprising a second water-cooled plate, a third water-cooled plate, and a power distribution unit. The second water-cooled plate is detachably mounted on and connected to the first water-cooled plate. The third water-cooled plate is detachably mounted on and connected to the first water-cooled plate. The third water-cooled plate is at least partially located between the first and second water-cooled plates. The second and third water-cooled plates are thermally coupled to the heat-generating element. The heat-generating element is located between the second and third water-cooled plates. The power distribution unit comprises a first power distribution board. The first power distribution board is disposed on the second water-cooled plate.

According to the server device, expansion module and heat dissipation module of the above embodiment, since the second water-cooled plate, the third water-cooled plate, the heat generation element and the power distribution unit together constitute the expansion module, when the operator needs to repair the expansion module, the expansion module can be directly removed from the first water-cooled plate, without having to remove the third water-cooled plate, the heat generation element and the second water-cooled plate from the power distribution unit one by one, thereby simplifying the maintenance process of the expansion module.

Furthermore, compared to the difficulty in cable management caused by connecting the third and second water-cooling plates through multiple tubes in general server devices, this embodiment replaces multiple tubes with a first water-cooling plate, which not only reduces the complexity of cable management but also improves the space utilization within the server device.

Furthermore, unlike typical power distribution boards which are located at the bottom of the heat source system, the first power distribution board in this embodiment is located on the second water-cooled plate, i.e., in reverse configuration, on top of the third water-cooled plate, the heating element, and the second water-cooled plate. In this way, cooling fluid leaking from the first, third, or second water-cooled plate will not flow to the first power distribution board, thereby preventing damage to the first power distribution board from the leaked cooling fluid.

The above description of the contents of this invention and the following description of the embodiments are used to demonstrate and explain the principles of this invention, and to provide a further explanation of the scope of the patent application of this invention.

Please refer to Figures 1 to 4. Figure 1 is a perspective view of the server device according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 is an exploded view of the server device of Figure 1. Figure 3 is an exploded view of the first water-cooled plate and expansion module of the server device of Figure 1. Figure 4 is another exploded view of the first water-cooled plate and expansion module of the server device of Figure 1.

The server device 10 of this embodiment is, for example, an artificial intelligence server or a cloud server, and includes a housing 11, a first water-cooled plate 12, a liquid inlet pipe 13, a liquid outlet pipe 14, and an expansion module 15. The size of the housing 11 is, for example, 2U. Specifically, the housing 11 has a base plate 111 and two side plates 112. The two side plates 112 are respectively connected to opposite sides of the base plate 111.

The first water-cooled plate 12 is located inside the casing 11 and disposed on the base plate 111. For example, the first water-cooled plate 12 is secured to the casing 11 by screws (not shown). The first water-cooled plate 12 approximately occupies the entire base plate 111. Furthermore, the first water-cooled plate 12 is made of a material with high thermal conductivity, for example, copper. An inlet pipe 13 and an outlet pipe 14 are connected to the first water-cooled plate 12. The inlet pipe 13 allows a cooling fluid (not shown) to flow into the first water-cooled plate 12. The outlet pipe 14 allows the cooling fluid to flow out of the first water-cooled plate 12. The cooling fluid is, for example, water or a refrigerant.

The expansion module 15 is located within the casing 11 and includes a second water-cooling plate 151, a third water-cooling plate 152, a heating element 153, and a power distribution component 154. The second water-cooling plate 151, the third water-cooling plate 152, and the power distribution component 154 together constitute a heat dissipation module for dissipating heat from the heating element 153. The second water-cooling plate 151 is detachably mounted to and communicates with the first water-cooling plate 12. In this embodiment, the first water-cooling plate 12 has multiple first quick-release connectors 121. The second water-cooling plate 151 includes a central portion 1511 and four corner portions 1512. The four corner portions 1512 are connected to the central portion 1511. The second water-cooling plate 151 has multiple second quick-release connectors 1513. These second quick-release connectors 1513 are respectively located at the four corner portions 1512. The first water-cooled plate 12 and the second water-cooled plate 151 are connected to the second quick-release connectors 1513 through the first quick-release connectors 121.

In detail, the first water-cooled plate 12 is divided into, for example, two first flow channels (not shown). Furthermore, the central portion 1511 is divided into, for example, two second flow channels (not shown), and the two first flow channels are not connected to each other. One of the two first flow channels, on one side of the central portion 1511, has first quick-release connectors 121 connected to second quick-release connectors 1513 and one of the two second flow channels; the other of the two first flow channels, on the other side of the central portion 1511, has first quick-release connectors 121 connected to second quick-release connectors 1513 and the other of the two second flow channels. In other words, each first flow channel and each second flow channel corresponds to two first quick-release connectors 121 and two second quick-release connectors 1513 and each constitutes a closed loop, and the two closed loops have the same structure.

The third water-cooled plate 152 is detachably mounted on and sealed to the first water-cooled plate 12. Specifically, the third water-cooled plate 152 is at least partially embedded in the first water-cooled plate 12. The first water-cooled plate 12 has multiple openings 122 at the embedding location of the third water-cooled plate 152. Cooling fluid flows out through these openings 122, dissipating heat from the third water-cooled plate 152. Furthermore, since the first water-cooled plates 12 are sealed to each other, cooling fluid leakage is prevented. Moreover, the third water-cooled plate 152 is at least partially located between the first water-cooled plate 12 and the second water-cooled plate 151. The first water-cooling plate 12 occupies approximately the entire base plate 111 to accommodate the installation of the second water-cooling plate 151 and the third water-cooling plate 152. However, this is not a limitation, as long as the area occupied by the first water-cooling plate 12 is sufficient for the installation of the second water-cooling plate 151 and the third water-cooling plate 152.

The heat-generating element 153 is, for example, a wafer, and is mounted on the second water-cooled plate 151, located between the second water-cooled plate 151 and the third water-cooled plate 152. The heat-generating element 153 is thermally coupled to both the second water-cooled plate 151 and the third water-cooled plate 152. That is, the opposite sides of the heat-generating element 153 dissipate heat through the second water-cooled plate 151 and the third water-cooled plate 152, and the heat dissipation cycle is completed through the first water-cooled plate 12. The size of the heat-generating element 153 is, for example, 12 inches. Furthermore, the high heat dissipation demand area of the heat-generating element 153 is dissipated through the third water-cooled plate 152.

Furthermore, the heat-generating element 153 has multiple electrical connectors 1531 for connecting multiple cables (not shown). The four corner portions 1512 of the second water-cooling plate 151 protrude from the outer contour of the central portion 1511, and a clearance notch N is formed between any two adjacent corner portions 1512. These electrical connectors 1531 are respectively located at the four clearance notches N. In this way, these electrical connectors 1531 are not interfered with by the second water-cooling plate 151. These electrical connectors 1531 are respectively disposed on multiple circuit boards (not shown), and these circuit boards are connected to the body of the heat-generating element 153, for example, through surface mount technology (SMT).

The power distribution unit 154 is used to distribute power and includes a first power distribution board 1541 and a second power distribution board 1542. Specifically, the second power distribution board 1542 is a separate plate from the first power distribution board 1541. The first power distribution board 1541 is disposed on the central portion 1511 of the second water-cooled plate 151. In summary, the first power distribution board 1541, the second water-cooled plate 151, the heating element 153, and the third water-cooled plate 152 are stacked sequentially from the distance away from the first water-cooled plate 12 towards the distance closer to the first water-cooled plate 12. That is, when the casing 11 is placed horizontally, the first power distribution board 1541, the second water-cooled plate 151, the heating element 153, and the third water-cooled plate 152 are stacked sequentially from top to bottom on the first water-cooled plate 12. In other words, unlike a typical power distribution board located at the bottom of a heat source system, the first power distribution board 1541 in this embodiment is arranged in reverse, positioned on top of the second water-cooled plate 151, the heating element 153, and the third water-cooled plate 152. Furthermore, the second water-cooled plate 151 provides a mounting point for the heating element 153 and also dissipates heat from both the heating element 153 and the first power distribution board 1541. The first power distribution board 1541, the second water-cooled plate 151, the heating element 153, and the third water-cooled plate 152 are, for example, secured to the first water-cooled plate 12 using screws (not shown).

The area covered by the first power distribution plate 1541 in the central portion 1511 is, for example, less than or equal to the area of the central portion 1511. That is, the first power distribution plate 1541 does not obstruct the clearance notch N. In this way, when the operator plugs or unplugs the cables to the electrical connectors 1531 of the heating element 153, the operator's view is not obstructed by the first power distribution plate 1541 and the operator can directly see the cables and the electrical connectors 1531. Furthermore, the electrical connectors 1531 are not interfered with by the second water-cooling plate 151. Therefore, the cables can be plugged or unplugged directly at the clearance notch N without removing the second water-cooling plate 151.

Furthermore, the first power distribution board 1541 includes, for example, a 400VDC hot-swappable controller and fuse, a power supply, and a DC/DC power converter (not shown). The second power distribution board 1542 is mounted on the first water-cooled plate 12 and includes multiple power distributors 15421. These power distributors 15421 are used, for example, to convert a 3.6kW power supply from 400VDC to 50VDC and to convert the DC/DC power converter from 48VDC to 12VDC.

In this embodiment, since the second water-cooled plate 151, the third water-cooled plate 152, the heating element 153 and the power distribution unit 154 together constitute the expansion module 15, when the operator needs to repair the expansion module 15, the expansion module 15 can be directly removed from the first water-cooled plate 12, without having to remove the third water-cooled plate 152, the heating element 153 and the second water-cooled plate 151 from the power distribution unit 154 one by one, thereby simplifying the repair process of the expansion module 15.

Furthermore, compared to the difficulty in cable management caused by connecting the third water-cooled plate 152 and the second water-cooled plate 151 through multiple flow tubes in general server devices, this embodiment replaces multiple flow tubes by providing a first water-cooled plate 12, which can not only reduce the complexity of cable management, but also improve the space utilization within the server device 10.

Furthermore, unlike typical power distribution boards which are located at the bottom of the heat source system, the first power distribution board 1541 in this embodiment is located on the second water-cooled plate 151, i.e., it is arranged in reverse on the top side of the third water-cooled plate 152, the heating element 153, and the second water-cooled plate 151. In this way, the cooling fluid leaking from the first water-cooled plate 12, the third water-cooled plate 152, or the second water-cooled plate 151 will not flow to the first power distribution board 1541, thereby preventing the leaked cooling fluid from damaging the first power distribution board 1541.

Furthermore, since the power distribution component 154 includes a first power distribution board 1541 and a second power distribution board 1542, and the second power distribution board 1542 is a separate component from the first power distribution board 1541, in addition to reducing the thickness of the first power distribution board 1541 by, for example, two to three times to improve the space utilization within the server device 10, the heat-generating components of the power distribution component 154 can also be distributed, preventing excessive concentration of heat-generating components near the heat-generating component 153. This allows the first power distribution board 1541 and the second power distribution board 1542 to dissipate heat through the second water-cooling plate 151 and the first water-cooling plate 12, respectively. In this way, the heat dissipation efficiency of the expansion module 15 can be improved.

In this embodiment, there are multiple first quick-release connectors 121 and multiple second quick-release connectors 1513, and four corner pieces 1512, but this is not a limitation. In other embodiments, there may be only one first quick-release connector and one second quick-release connector, and the number of corner pieces may be three or less or five or more.

In this embodiment, the high heat dissipation demand area of the heating element 153 is dissipated through the third water-cooled plate 152, but this is not the only embodiment. In other embodiments, the high heat dissipation demand area of the heating element can also be dissipated through the second water-cooled plate.

In this embodiment, the number of power distributors 15421 is multiple, but not limited to this. In other embodiments, the number of power distributors may be only a single one.

Please refer to Figures 5 and 6 together. Figure 5 is a side view of the server device in Figure 1. Figure 6 is a flow chart of the cooling fluid flow in the server device in Figure 1.

In this embodiment, since the two closed-loop structures are identical, the following explanation will focus on one of the two closed-loop systems. When the cooling fluid flows into the first water-cooled plate 12 from the inlet pipe 13 along direction A, as shown in Figure 6, the cooling fluid also flows into the second water-cooled plate 151 from the first water-cooled plate 12 along direction B, passing through the first quick-release connector 121 and the second quick-release connector 1513, as shown in Figure 5, and flows within the second water-cooled plate 151 along direction C. At this time, the cooling fluid absorbs the heat generated by the heating element 153 and transfers it to the second water-cooled plate 151. Then, the cooling fluid that has absorbed heat flows back from the second water-cooled plate 151 to the first water-cooled plate 12 along direction D. Next, the cooling fluid that absorbs heat flows from the first water-cooled plate 12 along direction E to the liquid outlet pipe 14 as shown in Figure 6 and flows out of the first water-cooled plate 12 to carry out the next cooling cycle.

Furthermore, as shown in Figure 6, after the cooling fluid flows into the first water-cooled plate 12, it will also flow in the direction F within the first water-cooled plate 12, and through these openings 122, it will absorb the heat generated by the heating element 153 and transfer it to the third water-cooled plate 152 for heat exchange.

According to the server device, expansion module and heat dissipation module of the above embodiment, since the second water-cooled plate, the third water-cooled plate, the heat generation element and the power distribution unit together constitute the expansion module, when the operator needs to repair the expansion module, the expansion module can be directly removed from the first water-cooled plate, without having to remove the third water-cooled plate, the heat generation element and the second water-cooled plate from the power distribution unit one by one, thereby simplifying the maintenance process of the expansion module.

Furthermore, compared to the difficulty in cable management caused by connecting the third and second water-cooling plates through multiple tubes in general server devices, this embodiment replaces multiple tubes with a first water-cooling plate, which not only reduces the complexity of cable management but also improves the space utilization within the server device.

Furthermore, unlike typical power distribution boards which are located at the bottom of the heat source system, the first power distribution board in this embodiment is located on the second water-cooled plate, i.e., in reverse configuration, on top of the third water-cooled plate, the heating element, and the second water-cooled plate. In this way, cooling fluid leaking from the first, third, or second water-cooled plate will not flow to the first power distribution board, thereby preventing damage to the first power distribution board from the leaked cooling fluid.

Furthermore, since the power distribution unit includes a first power distribution board and a second power distribution board, and the second power distribution board is a separate component from the first power distribution board, in addition to reducing the thickness of the first power distribution board by, for example, two to three times to improve space utilization within the server device, the heat-generating components of the power distribution unit can be dispersed, preventing excessive concentration of heat-generating components near the heat-generating components. This allows the first and second power distribution boards to dissipate heat through the second water-cooling plate and the first water-cooling plate, respectively. This improves the heat dissipation efficiency of the expansion module.

Although the present invention has been disclosed above with reference to the aforementioned embodiments, it is not intended to limit the present invention. Anyone skilled in similar art may make some modifications and refinements without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of patent protection of the present invention shall be determined by the scope of the patent application attached to this specification.

10: Server Unit 11: Chassis 111: Base Plate 112: Side Plate 12: First Water-Cooling Plate 121: First Quick-Lock Connector 122: Opening 13: Liquid Inlet Pipe 14: Liquid Outlet Pipe 15: Expansion Module 151: Second Water-Cooling Plate 1511: Central Section 1512: Corner Section 1513: Second Quick-Lock Connector 152: Third Water-Cooling Plate 153: Heating Element 1531: Electrical Connector 154: Power Distribution Component 1541: First Power Distribution Board 1542: Second Power Distribution Board 15421: Power Distributor A~F: Direction N: Clearance Notch

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the server device according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 is an exploded view of the server device of Figure 1. Figure 3 is an exploded view of the first water-cooled plate and expansion module of the server device of Figure 1. Figure 4 is another exploded view of the first water-cooled plate and expansion module of the server device of Figure 1. Figure 5 is a side view of the server device of Figure 1. Figure 6 is a flow diagram of the cooling fluid flow in the server device of Figure 1.

10: Server Devices

11: Case

111: Base Plate

112:Side panel

12: First water-cooled plate

13: Liquid Inlet Pipe

14: Discharge tube

15: Expansion Modules

1512: Corner

1531: Electrical Connector

154: Power Distribution Components

1541: First Power Distribution Board

1542: Second Power Distribution Board

15421: Power splitter

N: Displacement Gap

Claims (20)

A server device includes: a housing; a first water-cooled plate disposed within the housing; and an expansion module disposed within the housing, comprising: a second water-cooled plate detachably mounted to and connected to the first water-cooled plate; a third water-cooled plate detachably mounted to and connected to the first water-cooled plate, wherein the third water-cooled plate is at least partially located between the first and second water-cooled plates; a heat-generating element mounted on the second water-cooled plate and located between the second and third water-cooled plates, wherein the heat-generating element is thermally coupled to both the second and third water-cooled plates; and a power distribution unit including a first power distribution board disposed on the second water-cooled plate. The server device as described in claim 1, wherein the housing has a base plate and two side plates respectively connected to opposite sides of the base plate, and the first water-cooled plate is disposed on the base plate. The server device as described in claim 2, wherein the third water-cooled plate is at least partially embedded in the first water-cooled plate. The server device as described in claim 1 further includes an inlet pipe and an outlet pipe, the inlet pipe and the outlet pipe being connected to the first water-cooled plate. The server device as described in claim 1, wherein the first water-cooled plate has at least one first quick-release connector, the second water-cooled plate has at least one second quick-release connector, and the first water-cooled plate and the second water-cooled plate are connected to each other through the at least one first quick-release connector and the at least one second quick-release connector. The server device as described in claim 5, wherein the second water-cooled plate includes a central portion and at least one corner portion connected to the central portion, the first power distribution plate covers the central portion, the at least one second quick-release connector is located at the at least one corner portion, and the area of the first power distribution plate covering the central portion is less than or equal to the area of the central portion. The server device as described in claim 6, wherein there are multiple first quick-release connectors, at least one second quick-release connector, and at least one corner, and the second quick-release connectors are respectively located in the corners. The server device as described in claim 7, wherein the first water-cooled plate is divided into two non-connected first flow channels, and the central portion is divided into two non-connected second flow channels, the two first flow channels and the two second flow channels respectively forming a closed loop with the corresponding first quick-release connectors and the corresponding second quick-release connectors. The server device as described in claim 7, wherein the heating element has a plurality of electrical connectors and a clearance notch is formed between any two adjacent corners, the electrical connectors being located at the clearance notch. The server device as described in claim 1, wherein the power distribution component further includes a second power distribution board disposed on the first water-cooled plate and having at least one power distributor. An expansion module is disposed on a first water-cooled plate, the expansion module comprising: a second water-cooled plate, detachably mounted on and connected to the first water-cooled plate; a third water-cooled plate, detachably mounted on and connected to the first water-cooled plate, the third water-cooled plate being at least partially located between the first and second water-cooled plates; a heating element, mounted on the second water-cooled plate and located between the second and third water-cooled plates, the heating element being thermally coupled to both the second and third water-cooled plates; and a power distribution unit, comprising a first power distribution board disposed on the second water-cooled plate. The expansion module as described in claim 11, wherein the third water-cooled plate is used to at least partially embed the first water-cooled plate. The expansion module as described in claim 11, wherein the second water-cooled plate has at least one second quick-release connector, the second water-cooled plate being connected to the first water-cooled plate through at least one first quick-release connector and the at least one second quick-release connector of the first water-cooled plate. The expansion module as described in claim 13, wherein the second water-cooling plate includes a central portion and at least one corner portion connected to the central portion, the first power distribution plate covers the central portion, the at least one second quick-release connector is located at the at least one corner portion, and the area of the first power distribution plate covering the central portion is less than or equal to the area of the central portion. The expansion module as described in claim 14, wherein there are multiple first quick-release connectors, at least one second quick-release connector, and at least one corner portion, and the second quick-release connectors are respectively located in the corner portions. The expansion module as described in claim 15, wherein the heating element has a plurality of electrical connectors and a clearance notch is formed between any two adjacent corner portions, the electrical connectors being located at the clearance notches respectively. The expansion module as described in claim 11, wherein the power distribution unit further includes a second power distribution board for mounting on the first water-cooled plate and having at least one power distributor. A heat dissipation module is disposed on a first water-cooled plate and housing a heat-generating element. The heat dissipation module includes: a second water-cooled plate detachably mounted on and connected to the first water-cooled plate; a third water-cooled plate detachably mounted on and connected to the first water-cooled plate, the third water-cooled plate being at least partially located between the first and second water-cooled plates, the second and third water-cooled plates being thermally coupled to the heat-generating element, the heat-generating element being located between the second and third water-cooled plates; and a power distribution component including a first power distribution board disposed on the second water-cooled plate. The heat dissipation module as described in claim 18, wherein the second water-cooled plate has at least one second quick-release connector, the second water-cooled plate being connected to the first water-cooled plate through at least one first quick-release connector and the at least one second quick-release connector of the first water-cooled plate. The heat dissipation module as described in claim 18, wherein the power distribution component further includes a second power distribution board for mounting on the first water-cooling plate and having at least one power distributor.