What Is Cooling Manifold?_
A cooling manifold is the vertical distribution header inside a liquid-cooled rack that carries coolant from the coolant distribution unit (CDU) to each compute and switch tray and returns the warmed coolant back. It is the in-rack plumbing backbone that every quick disconnect ties into, and it must be sized to deliver design flow to the full rack heat load with minimal pressure drop.
Technical Details
A rack manifold consists of paired supply and return runs, typically mounted in the rear of the rack, with a branch and quick-disconnect port for every tray position. Design parameters include internal diameter sized to keep velocity and pressure drop within spec at full flow (an NVL72 rack moves on the order of tens of liters per minute at design ΔT), balanced branch resistance so the top and bottom trays receive equivalent flow, and bleed/vent points for purging air during fill. Air trapped in a manifold causes hot spots and pump cavitation, so the flush-and-fill procedure must fully purge the headers. Materials and seals must be compatible with the specified coolant, and the assembly is included in the rack-level pressure and leak test.
How Leviathan Systems Works with Cooling Manifold
Leviathan Systems routes and commissions rack cooling manifolds as part of liquid-cooling integration, purging air during flush-and-fill and verifying balanced flow across every tray.
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