Patent ID: 9386727
Filing Date: 2016-07-05
CPC Classification: H05K

Claim Text:
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: