A data center solar and waste heat recovery dehumidification system

Abstract

The application discloses a data center solar energy and waste heat recovery dehumidification system, which comprises a dehumidification subsystem, a heat pump subsystem, a solar heat collection subsystem, a pipeline switching subsystem and a cooling subsystem; the dehumidification subsystem comprises a dehumidifier and has two dehumidification heat exchangers; the heat pump subsystem and the solar heat collection subsystem are switchably communicated with the first dehumidification heat exchanger through the pipeline switching subsystem and are used for providing hot water required in a regeneration process to the dehumidifier; the cooling subsystem comprises a cold water unit and an air conditioner; the cold water unit is communicated with the second dehumidification heat exchanger and is used for providing cold water required in a dehumidification process to the dehumidifier; the air conditioner is used for receiving and cooling air processed through a second channel and providing cooling air supply to cabinets in a computer room. The application can fully utilize solar energy and waste heat of the data center, can efficiently dehumidify and cool air supply, can effectively reduce system energy consumption, has high system integration degree and low manufacturing and maintenance cost.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of dehumidification and air conditioning technology, and in particular to a data center solar energy and waste heat recovery dehumidification system. Background Technology

[0002] With the development of information technology and social progress, data centers, as facilities providing data storage, exchange, and processing, are receiving increasing attention for their construction and operation. Data centers contain a large number of IT devices that generate significant heat during operation, requiring cooling to ensure their normal operation. Furthermore, to avoid problems such as short circuits, rust, and decreased insulation performance caused by high humidity, the humidity inside the data center should also be controlled within a certain range. Currently, Class A data centers require a temperature of 20℃-24℃ and a relative humidity of 40%-60% during operation. Therefore, if the external environment of the data center is hot and humid, the air conditioning system will bear a high cooling and dehumidification load.

[0003] For typical data centers with a PUE of 1.4, air conditioning systems can account for over 20% of total energy consumption. To achieve efficient and energy-saving cooling, a combination of evaporative cooling and vapor compression refrigeration is often used. To handle wet loads, condensation dehumidification is commonly employed, setting the evaporation or cooling temperature below the outdoor air dew point to condense and separate water vapor, followed by heating the air to meet supply air temperature requirements. This method involves excessive cooling and reheating, resulting in unnecessary energy consumption, and its dehumidification performance is poor in high humidity and low dew point environments, potentially failing to meet supply air requirements. Current research has explored the application of dehumidifying rotors or liquid desiccants in data center dehumidification, partially utilizing waste heat. However, these devices are bulky, have complex piping, and are costly. Therefore, it is necessary to propose a highly efficient and energy-saving data center dehumidification and air conditioning system that utilizes solid adsorption dehumidification, effectively utilizing waste heat and solar energy to improve system dehumidification performance, significantly reducing energy consumption, simplifying the system, and lowering manufacturing and maintenance costs. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In view of the shortcomings of the existing technology, the present invention proposes a data center solar energy and waste heat recovery dehumidification system, which combines the utilization of condensation waste heat from air conditioning system, solar thermal utilization and solid adsorption dehumidification, and can achieve high-efficiency energy-saving dehumidification with higher system integration.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, this invention proposes a data center solar energy and waste heat recovery dehumidification system, characterized in that it includes a dehumidification subsystem, a heat pump subsystem, a solar energy collection subsystem, a pipeline switching subsystem, and a cooling subsystem.

[0006] The dehumidification subsystem includes a dehumidifier, a first fresh air fan, a return air fan, and an exhaust duct. The dehumidifier includes a first duct and a second duct. The first duct is equipped with a first dehumidification heat exchanger, and the second duct is equipped with a second dehumidification heat exchanger. The first fresh air fan and the exhaust duct are connected to the inlet and outlet of the first duct, respectively, and the return air fan is connected to the inlet of the second duct.

[0007] The heat pump subsystem and the solar collector subsystem are switchably connected to the first dehumidifier heat exchanger via a pipeline switching subsystem to provide the dehumidifier with the hot water required for the regeneration process.

[0008] The cooling subsystem includes a chiller and an air conditioner. The chiller is connected to the second dehumidification heat exchanger to provide chilled water required for the dehumidification process to the dehumidifier. The air conditioner is used to receive and cool the air processed by the second channel and provide cooling air to the server racks in the computer room.

[0009] Furthermore, the heat pump subsystem includes an evaporator, a compressor, a condenser, and an expansion valve connected end to end, and the pipeline switching subsystem is connected to the condenser; the solar thermal collector subsystem includes a solar collector, a hot water storage tank, and a hot water pump connected end to end, and the pipeline switching subsystem is connected to the hot water storage tank.

[0010] Furthermore, the pipeline switching subsystem includes a regenerated hot water pump, a first hot water three-way valve, and a second hot water three-way valve. The two inlets of the first hot water three-way valve are connected to the outlet of the hot water storage tank and the outlet of the condenser, respectively. The outlet of the first hot water three-way valve is connected to the inlet of the regenerated hot water pump, and the outlet of the regenerated hot water pump is connected to the first dehumidification heat exchanger. The inlet of the second hot water three-way valve is connected to the first dehumidification heat exchanger, and the two outlets of the second hot water three-way valve are connected to the inlet of the hot water storage tank and the inlet of the condenser, respectively.

[0011] Furthermore, the dehumidification subsystem also includes a fresh air regeneration channel and a return air channel. The fresh air regeneration channel connects the first fresh air fan and the inlet of the first channel, and the return air channel connects the return air fan and the inlet of the second channel.

[0012] Furthermore, it also includes a second fresh air fan located on the return air duct.

[0013] Furthermore, it also includes filters located in the fresh air regeneration channel and the return air channel.

[0014] Furthermore, the cooling subsystem also includes a chilled water pump, a first chilled water three-way valve, and a second chilled water three-way valve. The inlet of the chilled water pump is connected to the chiller unit. One outlet of the first chilled water three-way valve is connected to the inlet of the second dehumidifying heat exchanger. The other outlet of the first chilled water three-way valve is connected to one inlet of the second chilled water three-way valve through an air conditioning circulation pipeline. The other inlet of the second chilled water three-way valve is connected to the outlet of the second dehumidifying heat exchanger. The outlet of the second chilled water three-way valve is connected to the chiller unit.

[0015] Furthermore, it also includes an air-conditioned room, an underfloor air supply duct connection, a computer room, and server racks within the computer room. The air conditioners are located in the air-conditioned room, and the server racks form alternating closed cold aisles and open hot aisles. The underfloor air supply duct connects the air conditioner outlets to the cold aisles.

[0016] Furthermore, the evaporator is located between the return air fan and the inlet of the second channel.

[0017] Furthermore, the chiller unit is equipped with a cooling water return pipeline, and the evaporator can also be located on the cooling water return pipeline. Compared with the prior art, the present invention has at least the following beneficial technical effects:

[0018] 1. This invention treats the moisture load of data centers through solid adsorption dehumidification, reducing the load on air conditioning. Compared with commonly used condensation dehumidification, its dehumidification energy consumption is significantly reduced, and no condensate is generated during operation. It is safe and efficient in operation, with excellent dehumidification performance, which helps data centers in high-humidity areas to operate reliably.

[0019] 2. The dehumidifier used in this invention includes a dehumidification heat exchanger. It only needs to continuously supply chilled water and hot water during operation. It is convenient to use, has a compact structure, low manufacturing and maintenance costs, and is easy to integrate with existing air conditioning systems and water circulation systems for modification.

[0020] 3. The regenerated hot water used in this invention is produced by utilizing the waste heat from the return air of the machine room or the cooling water return water of the chiller unit at a higher temperature through a heat pump subsystem. Furthermore, when the solar irradiance conditions are good, it can also be produced by utilizing the heat energy collected by the solar collector, thus realizing the utilization of waste heat and renewable energy, greatly reducing the energy consumption of regeneration, and helping to improve the energy-saving effect.

[0021] 4. The dehumidification system proposed in this invention can meet the temperature and humidity requirements of data center air supply, and can also introduce a certain amount of fresh air according to actual needs. The heat pump subsystem is flexible in layout and has good applicability.

[0022] The following will further explain the concept, specific structure, and technical effects of the present invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, so as to fully understand the purpose, features, and effects of the present invention. Attached Figure Description

[0023] Figure 1This is a schematic diagram of a preferred embodiment of the computer room return air waste heat recovery and dehumidification system of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of a cooling water waste heat recovery and dehumidification system according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0025] The components are as follows: 1-Chiller unit, 2-Chiller water pump, 3-First chilled water three-way valve, 4-Second chilled water three-way valve, 5-Air conditioner, 6-Underfloor air supply duct, 7-First fresh air fan, 8-Fresh air regeneration duct, 9-Dehumidifier, 10-Second fresh air fan, 11-Return air fan, 12-Return air duct, 13-Exhaust duct, 14-Evaporator, 15-Compressor, 16-Condenser, 17-Expansion valve, 18-Solar collector, 19-Hot water storage tank, 20-Hot water pump, 21-Regenerated hot water pump, 22-First hot water three-way valve, 23-Second hot water three-way valve, 24-Air conditioning room, 25-Machine room, 26-Rack, 27-Cold aisle, 28-Hot aisle, 29-Machine room exhaust vent, 30-Filter. Detailed Implementation

[0026] The following description, with reference to the accompanying drawings, illustrates several preferred embodiments of the present invention to make its technical content clearer and easier to understand. The present invention can be embodied in many different forms, and the scope of protection of the present invention is not limited to the embodiments mentioned herein.

[0027] In the accompanying drawings, components with the same structure are indicated by the same numerical designation, and components with similar structures or functions are indicated by similar numerical designations. The dimensions and thicknesses of each component shown in the drawings are arbitrary, and the present invention does not limit the dimensions and thicknesses of each component.

[0028] Example 1

[0029] The present invention proposes a data center solar energy and waste heat recovery dehumidification system, such as... Figure 1 As shown,

[0030] Its features include a dehumidification subsystem, a heat pump subsystem, a solar thermal collector subsystem, a pipeline switching subsystem, and a cooling subsystem;

[0031] The dehumidification subsystem includes a dehumidifier 9, a first fresh air fan 7, a return air fan 11, and an exhaust duct 13. The dehumidifier 9 includes a first duct and a second duct. The first duct is equipped with a first dehumidification heat exchanger, and the second duct is equipped with a second dehumidification heat exchanger. The first fresh air fan 7 and the exhaust duct 13 are connected to the inlet and outlet of the first duct, respectively. The return air fan 11 is connected to the inlet of the second duct. The two dehumidification heat exchangers can perform dehumidification and regeneration processes at the same time. Chilled water and regeneration hot water are introduced into them to enhance the dehumidification and regeneration processes, improve the system's dehumidification performance, and reduce energy consumption.

[0032] The heat pump subsystem and the solar collector subsystem are switchably connected to the first dehumidifier heat exchanger via a pipeline switching subsystem to provide the dehumidifier 9 with the hot water required for the regeneration process.

[0033] The cooling subsystem includes a chiller unit 1 and an air conditioner 5. The chiller unit 1 is connected to the second dehumidification heat exchanger to provide chilled water required for the dehumidification process to the dehumidifier 9. The air conditioner 5 is used to receive and cool the air processed by the second channel and provide cooling air to the server racks in the computer room.

[0034] The heat pump subsystem includes an evaporator 14, a compressor 15, a condenser 16, and an expansion valve 17 connected end to end. The pipeline switching subsystem is connected to the condenser 16, which can not only recover the waste heat of the high-temperature return air of the machine room 25, but also generate regenerated hot water at the condenser 16 through heat pump circulation, and at the same time reduce the return air temperature of the machine room 25, which helps to reduce the load of the air conditioning 5. The solar thermal collector subsystem includes a solar collector 18, a hot water storage tank 19, and a hot water pump 20 connected end to end. The pipeline switching subsystem is connected to the hot water storage tank 19, which can produce hot water for the regeneration of the dehumidifier 9 when the solar irradiation conditions are good. At this time, the heat pump subsystem can be shut down to reduce power consumption.

[0035] The pipeline switching subsystem includes a regenerated hot water pump 21, a first hot water three-way valve 22, and a second hot water three-way valve 23. The two inlets of the first hot water three-way valve 22 are connected to the outlet of the hot water storage tank 19 and the outlet of the condenser 16, respectively. The outlet of the first hot water three-way valve 22 is connected to the inlet of the regenerated hot water pump 21, and the outlet of the regenerated hot water pump 21 is connected to the first dehumidification heat exchanger. The inlet of the second hot water three-way valve 23 is connected to the first dehumidification heat exchanger, and the two outlets of the second hot water three-way valve 23 are connected to the inlet of the hot water storage tank 19 and the inlet of the condenser 16, respectively. The first hot water three-way valve 22 and the second hot water three-way valve 23 can only be connected to either the hot water storage tank 19 or the condenser 16 simultaneously to form a hot water circuit. That is, the regenerated hot water comes from either the solar collector subsystem or the heat pump subsystem, depending on the solar radiation conditions.

[0036] The dehumidification subsystem also includes a fresh air regeneration channel 8 and a return air channel 12. The fresh air regeneration channel 8 connects the first fresh air fan 7 and the inlet of the first channel, and the return air channel 12 connects the return air fan 11 and the inlet of the second channel.

[0037] It also includes a second fresh air fan 10 installed on the return air duct 12, which can introduce fresh air to ensure the air supply effect.

[0038] It also includes filters 30 installed in the fresh air regeneration channel 8 and the return air channel 12, which can improve indoor air quality.

[0039] The chilled water of chiller unit 1 can be divided into two paths. One path flows through chilled water pump 2, first chilled water three-way valve 3, air conditioner 5 and second chilled water three-way valve 4 and then returns to the chiller unit. This is also the original circulation pipeline of the air conditioning system. The other path flows through chilled water pump 2, first chilled water three-way valve 3, dehumidifier 9 and second chilled water three-way valve 4 and then returns to chiller unit 1. This design does not require replacing the chiller unit and is easy to implement by modifying existing equipment.

[0040] Preferably, the air conditioner 5 is a precision air conditioner.

[0041] Preferably, the dehumidifying heat exchanger inside the dehumidifier 9 is made by coating the surface of a tube-fin heat exchanger with impregnated silicone. During dehumidification, the copper tube of the dehumidifying heat exchanger is connected to the chilled water circuit, and during regeneration, the copper tube is connected to the hot water circuit.

[0042] The dehumidification system described in this embodiment also includes an underfloor air supply duct 6, a hot aisle 28, a cold aisle 27, and a server room exhaust vent 29. Above the underfloor air supply duct 6, there are multiple server racks 26 in the server room. Alternating closed cold aisles 27 and open hot aisles 28 are formed between the server racks 26. When the air conditioning system is running, the air supplied by the underfloor air supply duct 6 enters the cold aisle 27, then flows laterally through the server racks 26 to cool them. After being heated, the air enters the hot aisle 28. The server room air is gathered by the return air fan 11 and enters the return air duct 12. Simultaneously, according to the fresh air exchange requirements, a portion of the air is discharged to the outside through the server room exhaust vent 29.

[0043] When the dehumidification system operates under conditions of moderate solar radiation and low hot water temperature in the hot water storage tank 19, one inlet of the first hot water three-way valve 22 and one outlet of the second hot water three-way valve 23 are connected to the condenser 16 of the heat pump subsystem. Outdoor fresh air is drawn in by the first fresh air fan 7 of the fresh air regeneration channel 8, flows through the filter 30, and enters the dehumidifier 9, where a dehumidification heat exchanger is regenerated. The copper pipes of the dehumidification heat exchanger are circulated with hot water produced by the condenser 16 to enhance the regeneration process. The fresh air becomes high-temperature, high-humidity exhaust air, which is then discharged outdoors through the exhaust channel 13. The higher-temperature return air from the machine room is drawn in by the return air fan 11 of the return air channel 12, flows through the evaporator 14 of the heat pump subsystem arranged in the channel to cool it down, and then connects with the second fresh air fan 7. Fan 10 draws in another stream of fresh air, which mixes with the air flowing through filter 30, and enters dehumidifier 9. The air then flows through another dehumidifying heat exchanger for dehumidification. The copper pipes of this heat exchanger are filled with chilled water from chiller unit 1 to remove adsorbed heat and improve dehumidification performance. The low-humidity air enters air conditioning room 24, where air conditioning unit 5 adjusts its temperature before sending it into underfloor air duct 6. This low-temperature, low-humidity air then enters machine room 25 for cooling. After a period of operation, the two three-way valves in the dehumidifier 9 are switched, changing the flow path of hot water and chilled water. The dehumidifying heat exchanger that was previously in regeneration begins dehumidification, while the other dehumidifying heat exchanger enters regeneration accordingly. This cycle ensures continuous and stable operation. During this process, the heat pump subsystem recovers waste heat from the machine room return air at evaporator 14 and efficiently produces regenerated hot water at condenser 16 via heat pump circulation. Compared to the commonly used electric heating regeneration method in rotary dehumidifiers, this significantly reduces energy consumption.

[0044] When solar irradiance is good, the heat pump subsystem shuts down. One inlet of the first hot water three-way valve 22 and one outlet of the second hot water three-way valve 23 are connected to the hot water storage tank 19 of the solar collector subsystem. The air flow path in the system is the same as the above operating state. At this time, the regenerated hot water is produced by the solar collector 18. The regeneration energy consumption is only the pumping power of the hot water pump 20, and the energy saving effect is significant.

[0045] Example 2

[0046] The present invention proposes a data center solar energy and waste heat recovery dehumidification system, such as... Figure 2 As shown, this embodiment has the same components and connection method as that described in Embodiment 1. The difference lies in the arrangement of the heat pump subsystem: its evaporator 14 is arranged on the high-temperature cooling water return pipe of the chiller unit 1 to recover the waste heat of the high-temperature cooling water and produce regenerated hot water at the condenser 16.

[0047] When the dehumidification system operates under conditions of moderate solar radiation and low hot water temperature in the hot water storage tank 19, one inlet of the first hot water three-way valve 22 and one outlet of the second hot water three-way valve 23 are connected to the condenser 16 of the heat pump subsystem. Outdoor fresh air is drawn in by the first fresh air fan 7 of the fresh air regeneration channel 8, flows through the filter 30, and enters the dehumidifier 9 to regenerate a dehumidification heat exchanger. The copper pipes of the dehumidification heat exchanger are circulated with hot water produced by the condenser 16 to enhance the regeneration process. The fresh air becomes high-temperature and high-humidity exhaust air, which is then discharged outdoors through the exhaust channel 13. The higher-temperature return air from the machine room is drawn in by the return air fan 11 of the return air channel 12, and is drawn in by the second fresh air fan 10 and flows through the filter. Another stream of fresh air from unit 30 mixes with the dehumidifier 9 and flows through another dehumidifying heat exchanger for dehumidification. The copper pipes of this heat exchanger are filled with chilled water from chiller unit 1 to remove adsorbed heat and improve dehumidification performance. The low-humidity air enters air conditioning room 24, where air conditioning unit 5 adjusts the temperature before sending it into underfloor air duct 6. The low-temperature, low-humidity air then enters machine room 25 for cooling. After a period of operation, the two three-way valves in the dehumidifier 9 are switched, changing the flow path of hot water and chilled water. The dehumidifying heat exchanger previously in regeneration begins dehumidification, while the other dehumidifying heat exchanger correspondingly enters regeneration. This cycle ensures continuous and stable operation. During this process, the heat pump subsystem recovers waste heat from the high-temperature cooling water of the chiller unit at evaporator 14 and efficiently produces regenerated hot water at condenser 16 via heat pump circulation. Compared to the commonly used electric heating regeneration method in rotary dehumidifiers, this significantly reduces energy consumption.

[0048] When solar irradiance is good, the heat pump subsystem shuts down. One inlet of the first hot water three-way valve 22 and one outlet of the second hot water three-way valve 23 are connected to the hot water storage tank 19 of the solar collector subsystem. The air flow path in the system is the same as the above operating state. At this time, the regenerated hot water is produced by the solar collector 18. The regeneration energy consumption is only the pumping power of the hot water pump 20, and the energy saving effect is significant.

[0049] This invention proposes a data center solar energy and waste heat recovery dehumidification system that fully utilizes solar energy and waste heat from the return air or cooling water in the data center to efficiently dehumidify and cool the supply air. It can effectively meet the air supply requirements of data centers in high humidity areas and effectively reduce system energy consumption. In addition, the system has a high degree of integration, is safe and reliable in operation, is flexible and convenient to use, and has low manufacturing and maintenance costs.

[0050] The preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above. It should be understood that those skilled in the art can make numerous modifications and variations based on the concept of the present invention without creative effort. Therefore, all technical solutions that can be obtained by those skilled in the art based on the concept of the present invention through logical analysis, reasoning, or limited experimentation on the basis of existing technology should be within the scope of protection defined by the claims.

Claims

1. A data center solar energy and waste heat recovery dehumidification system, characterized in that: It includes a dehumidification subsystem, a heat pump subsystem, a solar thermal collector subsystem, a pipeline switching subsystem, and a cooling subsystem; The dehumidification subsystem includes a dehumidifier, a first fresh air fan, a return air fan, and an exhaust duct. The dehumidifier includes a first duct and a second duct. A first dehumidification heat exchanger is installed in the first duct, and a second dehumidification heat exchanger is installed in the second duct. The first fresh air fan and the exhaust duct are respectively connected to the inlet and outlet of the first duct. The return air fan is connected to the inlet of the second duct. The dehumidification subsystem also includes a fresh air regeneration duct and a return air duct. The fresh air regeneration duct connects the first fresh air fan and the inlet of the first duct. The return air duct connects the return air fan and the inlet of the second duct. The dehumidification subsystem also includes a second fresh air fan installed in the return air duct and filters installed in the fresh air regeneration duct and the return air duct. The heat pump subsystem and the solar collector subsystem are switchably connected to the first dehumidifier heat exchanger via a pipeline switching subsystem to provide the dehumidifier with the hot water required for the regeneration process. The heat pump subsystem includes an evaporator, a compressor, a condenser, and an expansion valve connected end to end, and the pipeline switching subsystem is connected to the condenser. The solar collector subsystem includes a solar collector, a hot water storage tank, and a hot water pump connected end to end, and the pipeline switching subsystem is connected to the hot water storage tank. The pipeline switching subsystem includes a regenerated hot water pump, a first hot water three-way valve, and a second hot water three-way valve. The two inlets of the first hot water three-way valve are connected to the outlet of the hot water storage tank and the outlet of the condenser, respectively. The outlet of the first hot water three-way valve is connected to the inlet of the regenerated hot water pump, and the outlet of the regenerated hot water pump is connected to the first dehumidification heat exchanger. The inlet of the second hot water three-way valve is connected to the first dehumidification heat exchanger, and the two outlets of the second hot water three-way valve are connected to the inlet of the hot water storage tank and the inlet of the condenser, respectively. The cooling subsystem includes a chiller unit and an air conditioner. The chiller unit is connected to the second dehumidifier heat exchanger to provide chilled water required for the dehumidification process. The air conditioner receives and cools the air processed by the second channel and provides cooling air to the server racks in the computer room. The cooling subsystem also includes a chilled water pump, a first chilled water three-way valve, and a second chilled water three-way valve. The inlet of the chilled water pump is connected to the chiller unit. One outlet of the first chilled water three-way valve is connected to the inlet of the second dehumidifier heat exchanger. The other outlet of the first chilled water three-way valve is connected to one inlet of the second chilled water three-way valve through the air conditioner circulation pipeline. The other inlet of the second chilled water three-way valve is connected to the outlet of the second dehumidifier heat exchanger. The outlet of the second chilled water three-way valve is connected to the chiller unit.

2. The data center solar energy and waste heat recovery dehumidification system as described in claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes air-conditioned rooms, underfloor air supply ducts, computer rooms, and server racks within the computer rooms. Air conditioners are located in the air-conditioned rooms, and the server racks form alternating closed cold aisles and open hot aisles. The underfloor air supply ducts connect the air conditioner outlets to the cold aisles.

3. The data center solar energy and waste heat recovery dehumidification system as described in any one of claims 1 to 2, characterized in that: The evaporator is located between the return air fan and the inlet of the second channel.

4. The data center solar energy and waste heat recovery dehumidification system as described in any one of claims 1 to 2, characterized in that: The chiller unit is equipped with a cooling water return pipeline, and the evaporator is located on the cooling water return pipeline.

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