Water-cooled server and electronic device

A water-cooled server and an electronic device are provided. The water-cooled server comprises a cooling main tubing, wherein the cooling main tubing guides cooling water; a drainage branch tubing operatively coupled to cooling main tubing; a piston having a first end disposed in the drainage branch tubing and a second end disposed in the cooling main tubing, wherein the first end drives the second end to a first position under pressure of the cooling water to prevent the second end from plugging the cooling main tubing; and an elastic member operatively coupled to the piston, wherein the elastic member drives the second end of the piston to move to a second position to plug the cooling main tubing. An elastic force applied to the piston by the elastic member is smaller than maximum pressure applied to the piston by the cooling water.

CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the priority of Chinese patent application No. 201810283629.X, filed on Apr. 2, 2018, the entire content of all of which is incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE

The present disclosure relates to the field of electronic device technologies and, more particularly, relates to a water-cooled server and an electronic device including the water-cooled server.

BACKGROUND

In some electronic devices such as computers, water-cooled servers are generally adopted to improve the performance of the electronic devices. One of the biggest security concerns in the electronic devices equipped with the water-cooled server is a cooling water leak. At present, the industry mostly responds by water leak alarm to hand the cooling water leak in the water-cooled server, i.e., setting an alarm system in the electronic devices. After the alarm system is alarmed due to the water leak, an operator manually turns off the water-cooled server and related devices. However, such a coping style requires human involvement, which leads to complicated operation, low efficiency and slow response to the water leak.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

One aspect of the present disclosure provides a water-cooled server. The water-cooled server comprises: a cooling main tubing, wherein the cooling main tubing guides cooling water; a drainage branch tubing operatively coupled to cooling main tubing; a piston having a first end disposed in the drainage branch tubing and a second end disposed in the cooling main tubing, wherein the first end drives the second end to a first position under pressure of the cooling water to prevent the second end from plugging the cooling main tubing; and an elastic member operatively coupled to the piston, wherein the elastic member drives the second end of the piston to move to a second position to plug the cooling main tubing. An elastic force applied to the piston by the elastic member is smaller than maximum pressure applied to the piston by the cooling water.

Another aspect of the present disclosure provides an electronic device comprising a water-cooled server. The water-cooled server comprises: a cooling main tubing, wherein the cooling main tubing guides cooling water; a drainage branch tubing operatively coupled to cooling main tubing; a piston having a first end disposed in the drainage branch tubing and a second end disposed in the cooling main tubing, wherein the first end drives the second end to a first position under pressure of the cooling water to prevent the second end from plugging the cooling main tubing; and an elastic member operatively coupled to the piston, wherein the elastic member drives the second end of the piston to move to a second position to plug the cooling main tubing. An elastic force applied to the piston by the elastic member is smaller than maximum pressure applied to the piston by the cooling water.

Other aspects of the present disclosure may be understood by those skilled in the art in light of the description, the claims, and the drawings of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present disclosure provides a water-cooled server, which is capable of automatically and timely shutting down a water-cooled server in the event of water leaks without human involvement, thereby improving the efficiency of treating the water leaks in the water-cooled server.

FIG. 1illustrates a partial schematic view of an exemplary water-cooled server according to an embodiment of the present disclosure when a second end of a piston is at a first position, andFIG. 2illustrates a partial schematic view of an exemplary water-cooled server according to an embodiment of the present disclosure when a second end of a piston is at a second position.

As shown inFIG. 1andFIG. 2(the arrows indicate the flow direction of the cooling water), the water-cooled server may be installed in an electronic device such as a desktop computer. The water-cooled server may include a cooling main tubing1, a drainage branch tubing2, a piston3and an elastic member4. The cooling main tubing may guide the cooling water, and the drainage branch tubing2may be operatively coupled to the cooling main tubing1and communicate with the cooling main tubing1, such that the drainage branch tubing2may have the same water pressure as the cooling main tubing1.

The piston3may include a first end31disposed in the drainage branch tubing2disposed in the cooling main tubing1. When the water pressure in the drainage branch tubing2and the cooling main tubing1is at a normal value, i.e., normal water pressure, the first end31of the piston3may move to the end of the drainage branch tubing2under the influence of the normal water pressure, thereby driving the second end32of the piston3to move to a first position, asFIG. 1shows. The second end32of the piston3may not block the cooling main tubing1, and the cooling water may normally flow in the cooling main tubing1.

The elastic member4may have one end fixedly coupled (the coupling position of one end of the elastic member4may have a variety of options, which will be discussed in the following) and another end operatively coupled to the first end31of the piston3. Thus, the elastic member4may drive the piston3to move. The elastic force applied to the piston3by the elastic member4may be always smaller than the pressure applied to the piston3by the cooling water during the normal operation of the water-cooled server (i.e., the aforementioned normal water pressure), such that during the normal operation of the water-cooled server, the second end32of the piston3may be prevented from moving to the second position to affect the normal operation of the water-cooled server.

After a water leak occurs, the water pressure in the drainage branch tubing2and the cooling main tubing1may be lowered, such that after the pressure applied to the first end31by the cooling water becomes smaller than the elastic force applied by the elastic member4, the second end32of the piston3may be driven by the elastic member4to move to the second position, thereby blocking the cooling main tubing1, asFIG. 2shows. The cooling water may be no longer continuously flowing and, thus, the cooling water may be prevented from continuously leaking.

The communication part of the drainage branch tubing2and the cooling main tubing1may be designed to enhance the performance of the water-cooled server. In one embodiment, the communication part of the drainage branch tubing2and the cooling main tubing1, as well as, the arrangement part of the second end32in the cooling main tubing1may be respectively located at two sides of the cooler5of the water-cooled server. The cooler5may cool the water and circulate the cooling water, for example, directly through cold plates that contact the CPU thermal case, DIMMs, and other high-heat-producing components in the water-cooled server. In the disclosed embodiments, the two sides of the cooler5refer to the upstream and downstream of the cooler5, as shown inFIGS. 1-2. In one embodiment, the communication part of the drainage branch tubing2and the cooling main tubing1, as well as, the arrangement part of the second end32in the cooling main tubing1may be respectively located at the upstream and downstream of the cooler5. In another embodiment, the communication part of the drainage branch tubing2and the cooling main tubing1, as well as, the arrangement part of the second end32in the cooling main tubing1may be respectively located at the downstream and upstream of the cooler5.

Through configuring the communication part (i.e., coupling part) of the drainage branch tubing2and the cooling main tubing1, as well as, the arrangement part of the second end32in the cooling main tubing1to be respectively located at two sides of the cooler5of the water-cooled server, the normal operation of the cooler5may be ensured and, meanwhile, the arrangement of the drainage branch tubing2and the piston3may be facilitated. Thus, the structure of the water-cooled server may be simplified, and the changes introduced to the water-cooled server may be reduced, which may realize a better assembly of the water-cooled server and the existing structure of the electronic device. Meanwhile, the leakage of the cooling water may be reduced, and the relatively large amount of cooling water in the cooler5may also be prevented from being leaked. In another embodiment, the drainage branch tubing2and the piston3may be disposed on the same side (upstream or downstream) of the cooler5without considering the above factors.

In one embodiment, as shown inFIGS. 1 and 2, the second end32of the piston3may be disposed adjacent to a water inlet11of the cooling main tubing1, and the coupling part between the drainage branch tubing2and the cooling main tubing1may be disposed adjacent to a water outlet12of the cooling main tubing1. Because the water leak often occurs near the water outlet12of the cooling main tubing1, through configuring the coupling part between the drainage branch tubing2and the cooling main tubing1to be disposed adjacent to the water outlet12of the cooling main tubing1, the piston3may be able to sense the change of the water pressure timely and sensitively, thereby changing the position in time. Accordingly, the performance of treating the water leak may be enhanced.

Meanwhile, through configuring the second end32of the piston3to be disposed adjacent to a water inlet11of the cooling main tubing1, the cooling water may be completely prevented from entering the cooling main tubing1, and the continuous leakage of the cooling water may be prevented regardless of the water leak position in the cooling main tubing1, thereby further enhancing the performance of treating the water leak.

In one embodiment, the elastic member4may be a spring that is disposed in the drainage branch tubing2and applies a pulling force to the first end31of the piston3, as shown inFIGS. 1-2. The structure and arrangement of the elastic member4may be determined according to the various application scenarios, which is not limited by the present discourse. In certain embodiments, the elastic member4may be a spring disposed inside the drainage branch tubing2, through which the influence of the newly introduced components on the assembly of the water-cooled server may be further reduced. In certain other embodiments, the elastic member4may be a shrapnel which is provided between the first end31and the outer wall of the cooling main tubing1to apply a pushing force to the first end31.

In the disclosed embodiments, the water-cooled server may further comprise a barrier6which is movably disposed at the drainage branch tubing2and capable of blocking the first end31of the piston3. In one embodiment, the barrier6may have a needle shape, for example, the barrier6may be a needle, as shown inFIGS. 1-2. The barrier6may be a member for controlling the activation and deactivation of the new structure. For example, provided that the water leak is not desired to be treated in a specific case, one end of the barrier6may be inserted into the drainage branch tubing2to form a blockage for the first end31, such that the second end32of the piston3may be always in the first position and may not move to the second position, and the cooling main tubing1may be always unblocked. Provided that the water leak is desired to be treated, the barrier6may be moved out of the drainage branch tubing2, such that the barrier6may no longer form a blockage for the piston3, and the piston3may automatically and timely treat the water leak in the aforementioned manner.

Based on the disclosed water-cooled server, the present disclosure further provides an electronic device including a water-cooled server, which is any one of the disclosed water-cooled servers. Because the disclosed electronic device includes any one of the disclosed water-cooled servers, the disclosed electronic device may exhibit the same features as the disclosed water-cooled servers, and details are not described herein again.

In the disclose water-cooling server, the cooling main tubing may guide cooling water to realize the water cooling of the server. In addition to flowing in the cooling main tubing, the cooling water may also flow into the drainage branch tubing communicating with the cooling main tubing, such that the water pressure in the drainage branch tubing may be consistent with the water pressure in the cooling main tubing. The piston may be disposed in the drainage branch tubing, where the first end of the piston may be disposed in the drainage branch tubing, and the second end may be disposed in the cooling main tubing. The water pressure in the drainage branch tubing may be exerted on the first end of the piston, through which the second end of the piston may be enabled to move to the first position, and the second end of the piston may not form a blockage/barrier in the cooling main tubing.

Meanwhile, the elastic member may be operatively coupled to the piston, and the elastic force applied to the piston may move the second end of the piston from the first position to the second position. The second position is a position where the second end blocks the cooling main tubing to stop the cooling water from flowing in the cooling main tubing. Further, the elastic force applied to the piston by the elastic member may be always smaller than the maximum pressure applied to the piston by the cooling water. Thus, during the normal operation of the water-cooled server, the second end of the piston may remain in the first position under the influence of the water pressure, instead of being moved to the second position due to the elastic force of the elastic member. Thus, the smooth flow of the cooling main tubing may be ensured, and the water-cooled server may be operated normally.

After the water-cooled server leaks, the water pressure in the drainage branch tubing and the cooling main tubing may be lowered, such that the water pressure exerted on the piston may be insufficient to overcome the elastic force of the elastic member, and the elastic member may drive the piston to move. In particular, the elastic member may drive the second end of the piston to move from the first position to the second position, forming a blockage in the cooling main tubing. Thus, the cooling water may no longer flow in the cooling main tubing, and further leakage of the cooling water may be avoided.

That is, in the disclose water-cooling server, the plugging of the cooling main tubing by the piston may be automatically completed by the change of the water pressure without any human involvement. Further, based on the change of the water pressure, the plugging of the cooling main tubing may be realized in time at the initial stage of the water leak, which may improve the response to the water leak and the treatment of the water leak.

Various embodiments of the present specification are described in a progressive manner, in which each embodiment focusing on aspects different from other embodiments, and the same and similar parts of each embodiment may be referred to each other. The overall and partial structure of the water-cooled server may be referred to the combination of the various disclosed structures.