Abstract:
An exemplary server cabinet includes an enclosure configured to house multiple servers therein, and a liquid cooling system. A heat conductive plate is positioned in the enclosure to be adjacent to the servers. The liquid cooling system includes a cooler located outside the enclosure, a conduit thermally connecting the cooler with the heat conductive plate, and a working liquid circulating in the conduit and the cooler. Heat generated by the servers is absorbed by the heat conductive plate and transferred to the cooler by the working liquid for dissipation.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     1. Technical Field 
     The disclosure generally relates to server cabinets, and more particularly to a server cabinet with a liquid cooling system. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     For unified management, many servers can be arranged in a single cabinet. It is well known that the servers in such an arrangement may generate a considerable amount of heat during operation, particularly when they densely occupy the cabinet space. If the heat is not efficiently removed, the servers may suffer damage. Thus, heat dissipation for the cabinet is very important. 
     What is needed, therefore, is a server cabinet with a liquid cooling system which can overcome the described limitations. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Many aspects of the present embodiments can be better understood with reference to the following drawings. The components in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, the emphasis instead placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the present embodiments. Moreover, in the drawings, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the various views. 
         FIG. 1  is an assembled, isometric view of a server cabinet in accordance with one embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 2  is an exploded view of the server cabinet shown in  FIG. 1 , but with a cooler and part of a conduit of the server cabinet omitted. 
         FIG. 3  is similar to  FIG. 2 , but with a top plate and a side plate of the server cabinet omitted, and showing air circulation in the server cabinet. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , a server cabinet in accordance with one embodiment of the disclosure is shown. The server cabinet includes a pedestal  10 , a rack  20  located on the pedestal  10 , an enclosure  30  disposed at an outer periphery of the rack  20 , a plurality of servers  40  mounted on the rack  20 , and a liquid cooling system  50  for dissipating heat generated by the servers  40 . In the exemplary embodiment, each of the servers  40  is dimensioned such that a width of the front (and rear) of the server  40  is less than a depth of the server  40  from the front to the rear. In this description, unless the context indicates otherwise, a reference to the “front” or to the “rear” indicates a position corresponding to opposite ends of a longitudinal axis of the server cabinet; and a reference to the “left” or to the “right” indicates a position corresponding to opposite ends of a transverse axis of the server cabinet. 
     The pedestal  10  is substantially rectangular, and has a plurality of wheels  11  at a bottom thereof, facilitating movement of the server cabinet. 
     The rack  20  is mounted on the pedestal  10 , and includes a plurality of vertical braces  21 , a plurality of horizontal braces  22 , two heat conductive plates  23 ,  24 , and two pairs of rails  25 . The vertical and horizontal braces  21 ,  22  cooperatively form a cubical framework. The heat conductive plates  23 ,  24  are located at left and right sides of the rack  20 , respectively, and are fixed on the cubical framework. Each of the heat conductive plates  23 ,  24  is made of metal or metal alloy with a high heat conductivity coefficient, such as copper, copper-alloy, or other suitable material. The two pairs of rails  25  are symmetrically fixed on the heat conductive plates  23 ,  24 , respectively, for mounting the servers  40  on the rack  20 . 
     The enclosure  30  includes a top plate  31  at a top side thereof, a front plate  32  at a front side thereof, a rear plate  33  at a rear side thereof, and two side plates  34 ,  35  at opposite left and right sides thereof, respectively. The side plates  34 ,  35  are disposed outside the heat conductive plates  23 ,  24 , respectively. Each of the side plates  34 ,  35  is parallel to and spaced from a corresponding heat conductive plate  23 ,  24 . The top, front, rear, and side plates  31 ,  32 ,  33 ,  34 ,  35  and the pedestal  10  cooperatively enclose the rack  20  and the servers  40 . 
     The liquid cooling system  50  includes a heat transfer member  51 , a cooler  52 , and a conduit  53  interconnecting the heat transfer member  51  and the cooler  52 . The heat transfer member  51  and the conduit  53  are made of metal or metal alloy with a high heat conductivity coefficient, such as copper, copper-alloy, or other suitable material. The heat transfer member  51  includes a plurality of stacked heat transfer fins  511 . The fins  511  are parallel to and spaced from each other. The fins  511  are fixed on the heat conductive plate  24  at the right side of the rack  20 , and located between the heat conductive plate  24  and the side plate  35  of the enclosure  30 , namely, at an interior of the enclosure  30 . 
     The conduit  53  includes a heat transfer section  531 , and two connecting sections  532  at opposite ends of the heat transfer section  531 , respectively. The heat transfer section  531  curves back and forth in a zigzag shape, and extends through the fins  511 , in thermal contact with the heat transfer member  51 . The connecting sections  532  extend out of the enclosure  30  from a top end and a bottom end of the rack  20 , respectively, and communicate with opposite sides of the cooler  52 , respectively. 
     The cooler  52  is located at an exterior of the enclosure  30 . In this embodiment, the cooler  52  is a conventional cooler, such as a thermoelectric cooler, or other. The cooler  52  and the conduit  53  contain a working liquid (not shown) therein. The working liquid usually selected is water, methanol, or alcohol, each of which has a relatively low boiling point. The working liquid contained in the heat transfer section  531  of the conduit  53  enters the cooler  52  via one of the connecting sections  532  of the conduit  53  for heat exchange, and then flows back to the heat transfer section  531  via the other connecting section  532  for further cooling circulation. A liquid pump (not shown) is provided to circulate the working liquid in the cooler  52  and the conduit  53 , thereby enhancing the heat dissipation efficiency of the liquid cooling system  50 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 3 , during operation of the server cabinet, heat is generated by the servers  40 , and thus air surrounding the servers  40  is heated. The heat conductive plate  24  absorbs the heat from the heated air, and transfers the heat to the heat transfer member  51 . The heat is evacuated from the heat transfer member  51  via the working liquid contained in the conduit  53  and the cooler  52 , and finally dissipates to the ambient environment via the cooler  52 . In this process, the heated air at the heat conductive plate  24  is cooled to become cool air. The cool air flows toward the servers  40 , and exchanges heat with the servers  40 . In this way, hot and cool air circulation is generated in the enclosure  30 , to evacuate the heat of the servers  40 . Therefore, the heat dissipation efficiency of the server cabinet is improved. This is achieved without the need for a fan, and with minimal space being occupied by the liquid cooling system  50 . 
     Alternatively, in the server cabinet, the heat transfer member  51  of the liquid cooling system  50  can be fixed on the heat conductive plate  23  at the left side of the rack  20 , or on both of the heat conductive plates  23 ,  24  at the left and right sides of the rack  20 . 
     It is to be understood, however, that even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the present embodiments have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structures and functions of the embodiments, the disclosure is illustrative only, and changes may be made in detail, especially in matters of shape, size, and arrangement of parts within the principles of the invention to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed.