TWO-PHASE IMMERSION COOLING TEST VESSEL FOR EFFICIENT DATA CENTER TEMPERATURE REGULATION

Abstract

Modern data centers are large warehouses with around one million servers that generate heat as they operate. High temperatures can cause computers to fail, so these server rooms are largely cooled by water chillers in conjunction with air conditioners. This method uses large amounts of water and electricity, and because of the ever growing demand for computational power in a technological era, data centers will only increase in size and number. Companies like Microsoft Corporation are working to develop two-phase immersion cooling, which is more efficient and saves water and electricity. However, all of the existing tanks that run two-phase cooling are large, so it is hard to run tests using different fluids and server components. The goal of this project was to create a small-scale tank to function as a testing vessel for Microsoft. The engineering team utilized the agile style of project management so multiple prototypes were developed and improved upon over the course of the year. This allowed the team to quickly figure out what would work best for the design. Tasks were divided among six group members based on educational background and former experience. The final delivered tank met all of the requirements listed at the beginning of the year. The vessel consists of a quartz tank with an attached aluminum collar and acrylic lid. A control system monitors the conditions in the tank and is powered by a series of sensors communicating with a raspberry pi and arduino. Finally, a copper coil inside the tank acted as the heat exchanger in conjunction with a Koolance radiator.