System and method for cooling data center

Abstract

The thermal management system includes an air handling unit (AHU) configured to receive outside air (OA) from an outside air (OA) inlet and to receive water from a water source. Wherein the AHU is configured to direct conditioned air to the cold channel, and the AHU includes a modular thermal insulation layer containing an evaporation medium, and the modular thermal insulation layer includes a plurality of sub-regions configured to be wetted independently of each other by the evaporation medium.

Description

Background Art

[0001] Computing devices can generate significant amounts of heat during use. Computing components are susceptible to damage from heat and often require cooling systems to maintain component temperatures within safe limits during periods of high processing or usage loads. Different computing needs and applications generate varying amounts of heat and require varying degrees of thermal management. Summary of the Invention

[0002] In some embodiments, a thermal management system includes an air handling unit (AHU) configured to receive outside air (OA) from an OA intake and water from a water source, wherein the AHU is configured to direct conditioned air to a cold aisle, and the AHU includes a modular insulation layer containing an evaporative medium, and the modular insulation layer includes a plurality of sub-zones configured to be wetted by the evaporative medium independently of each other.

[0003] In some embodiments, a method of thermal management in a data center includes: obtaining heat demand information at an SCS; obtaining water source information; obtaining power source information; and setting a water flow rate through an evaporative media valve toward a first sub-area of ​​a modular insulation layer of an AHU based at least in part on the heat demand information, the water source information, and the power source information, measuring at least one property of conditioned air conditioned by the AHU, and setting a fan speed of a fan in communication with the conditioned air.

[0004] In some embodiments, a thermal management system for thermal management of a data center includes: an OA air inlet; a water storage tank in fluid communication with a pre-cooling chiller; an AHU configured to receive the OA from the OA air inlet, wherein the AHU is configured to direct conditioned air to a cold aisle, and the AHU includes a modular insulation layer configured to receive water from the water storage tank; at least one data center sensor; at least one environmental sensor; and an SCS in data communication with at least the AHU, at least one data center sensor, at least one environmental sensor, and a control service of the data center, wherein the SCS is configured to control at least one operating condition of the pre-cooling chiller and the AHU.

[0005] This summary is provided to introduce some concepts in a simplified form that will be further described in the detailed description below. This summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter.

[0006] Additional features and advantages will be set forth in the description that follows, and some features and advantages will be apparent from the description or may be learned by practicing the teachings herein. Features and advantages of the present disclosure may be realized and obtained by the means and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims. Features of the present disclosure may become more apparent from the following description and the appended claims or may be learned by practicing the disclosure as set forth below. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0007] To describe the manner in which the above and other features of the present disclosure can be obtained, a more detailed description will be presented with reference to specific embodiments illustrated in the accompanying drawings. For better understanding, like reference numerals designate like elements throughout the various drawings. Although some of the drawings may be schematic or exaggerated representations of concepts, at least some of the drawings are drawn to scale. It should be understood that the drawings depict some example embodiments, which will be described and explained with additional specificity and detail through the use of the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0008] Figure 1 is a side schematic representation of a data center having a thermal management system according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0009] Figure 2 is a side cross-sectional view of an air handling unit (AHU) according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0010] Figure 3-1 is a front view of a modular insulation layer according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0011] Figure 3-2 According to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure Figure 3-1 Front view of a modular insulation layer with different sub-areas wetted by an evaporative medium;

[0012] Figure 3-3 According to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure Figure 3-1 Front view of a modular insulation layer wherein all sub-areas are wetted;

[0013] Figure 4 is a side view of an AHU providing conditioned air to a server rack in accordance with at least one embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0014] Figure 5 is a side view of an AHU providing conditioned air to a server row in accordance with at least one embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0015] Figure 6 is a system diagram of a supervisory control system (SCS) in communication with components of a data center in accordance with at least one embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0016] Figure 7 is a psychrometric diagram according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0017] Figure 8 is a flow chart illustrating a method of thermal management in a data center according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0018] Figure 9 is a schematic representation of a thermal management system with a water storage tank according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure; and

[0019] Figure 10 is a schematic representation of a thermal management system with water recycling from other components in a data center, in accordance with at least one embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0020] The present disclosure generally relates to systems and methods for thermal management of electronic equipment or other heat-generating components. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to thermal management of electronic equipment or other heat-generating components in a data center using a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system of the data center. In some embodiments, the HVAC system includes at least one air handling unit (AHU) that includes a modular insulation layer. The modular insulation layer is selectively wetted with an evaporative medium in sub-regions of the modular insulation layer. In some embodiments, the selective wetting of the sub-regions allows for more precise control of the adiabatic cooling of air passing through the modular insulation layer. In some embodiments, the selective wetting of the sub-regions allows for association and control with the air conditioning of affected areas downstream of the AHU.

[0021] Data centers include a plurality of electronic devices, some of which are computing devices, which generate heat energy. The heat energy needs to be transferred away from the electronic devices to prevent damage to the electronic devices and / or to protect the integrity of the data stored and / or computed on the electronic devices. Data centers use thermal management systems to transfer heat energy away from the electronic devices through liquid cooling, air cooling, or a combination of the two. Even in liquid cooling systems, the liquid cooling can effectively conduct heat energy away from the electronic devices, but ultimately the heat energy from the heated fluid (e.g., liquid or vapor) is discharged to the surrounding atmosphere. The heated ambient air must then be removed from the liquid cooling system and / or the electronic devices to complete the thermal management of the electronic devices, which can be inefficient.

[0022] In some embodiments of a data center and thermal management system according to the present disclosure, multiple heat-generating devices are located in an enclosed space, and air is moved through an AHU to condition the air around the server racks and the equipment housed therein. While the present disclosure will describe the use of airflow to directly cool heat-generating devices, such as computing devices, hardware storage devices, networking devices, power supplies, and other electronic devices, it should be understood that the thermal management system can use a flow of liquid cooling fluid to cool the heat sinks of heat-generating components.

[0023] Figure 1 1 is a schematic representation of a data center 100 having a thermal management system 102. An example environment in which thermal management systems and methods according to the present disclosure can be used is a server array. In some embodiments, the data center 100 includes server computers 104 arranged in a row 106, wherein the row includes a plurality of server racks 108, each server rack including a plurality of server computers 104, power supplies 110, networking devices 112, and other electronic devices. In some examples, the server computers 104 are blade servers. In some examples, the server computers are complete computers (e.g., each server computer can operate as a standalone computer). In some examples, the server computers 104 are electronic components that can collaborate to provide scalable computing power.

[0024] The server row 106 may include a row manager 114 that communicates with the server racks of the server row 106 and / or the rack manager 116. In some embodiments, the row manager 114 controls the computational load (such as process distribution) of the server racks 108 and / or the server computers 104. In doing so, the row manager 114 may control the amount of heat generated by the server computers 104 of the server racks 108. In some embodiments, the row manager 114 controls thermal management of the server racks and / or the server computers. For example, the row manager 114 may manage active thermal management of the server racks 108 and / or the server computers 104 by changing fan speeds or by controlling the flow rate of coolant of a liquid cooling system. In at least one example, the server row 106 is at least partially cooled by a liquid cooling system that delivers coolant to the server racks 108 of the server row 106. The row manager 114 communicates with a coolant pump to change or stop the flow of coolant.

[0025] The server rack 108 can support multiple server computers 104 in the rack. The server computers can each have liquid cooling (such as local immersion cooling) for at least some of the electronic components of the server computer, or have a cold plate with circulating coolant to cool the electronic components of the server computer. In some embodiments, the server computers 104 or other electronic devices can be air-cooled using a cold aisle 118 and a hot aisle 120, which draws cold air 122 from the cold aisle 118 and exhausts hot air 124 from the electronic devices through the hot aisle 120. Air flows from the cold aisle 118 to the hot aisle 120 based on the air pressure differential established by a pump or blower 126 of a thermal management system connected in series with the cold aisle 118 and the hot aisle 120.

[0026] In some embodiments, the electronic components of the server rack 108, such as the server computers 104, are connected to a rack manager 116. The rack manager 116 can control the delivery of power to the server computers 104 or other electronic components. In some embodiments, the rack manager 116 can communicate with the server computers 104 or other electronic components to limit or throttle power to the server computers 104 or other electronic components and manage power consumption. In some embodiments, the rack manager 116 is also connected to a coolant pump that moves coolant to one or more server computers or other electronic components in the server rack.

[0027] In some embodiments, a supervisory control system (SCS) 128 is connected to the row managers 114 and / or rack manager(s) 116 to communicate with the electronic equipment, and / or to the data center sensors 130 , 132 to measure one or more properties or operating conditions of the thermal management system 102 .

[0028] The SCS 128 includes a processor 129 and a hardware storage device 131. The processor 129 can receive information from the thermal sensors 130, 132 and communicate with one or more other devices according to instructions stored on the hardware storage device 131, which cause the processor to perform any of the methods described herein. In some embodiments, the devices in communication with the SCS 128 include a coolant pump, a fan, a valve, other thermal management devices (e.g., the blower 126), or a combination thereof, which can receive instructions from the SCS 128 in response to detecting an increase in temperature. For example, the SCS 128 can adjust the flow of coolant by activating a coolant pump or by actuating a valve to direct airflow.

[0029] Hardware storage device 131 can be any non-transitory computer-readable medium on which instructions can be stored. Hardware storage device 131 can be any type of solid-state memory; volatile memory, such as static random access memory (SRAM) or dynamic random access memory (DRAM); non-volatile memory, such as read-only memory (ROM), including programmable ROM (PROM), erasable PROM (ERPOM) or EEPROM; magnetic storage media, such as magnetic tape; disk-based storage devices, such as hard drives; optical media, such as compact disks (CDs), digital video disks (DVDs), Blu-ray discs, or other optical media; removable media, such as USB drives; non-removable media, such as internal SATA or fast non-volatile memory (NVMe) type NAND flash memory; or any other non-transitory storage media.

[0030] Air 122 is provided to the entire row 106 and / or rack 108 to cool the ambient air around the components of the rack 108. When the heat generated by the components of the server computers 104 and other electronic equipment is uneven, cooling the entire environment may not be necessary and may actually be inefficient. For example, the central processing unit (CPU) or system memory of the server computer 104 can generate much more heat than the non-volatile storage devices. However, to limit and / or prevent thermal damage to the CPU, the entire ambient air is cooled based on the temperature and load of the CPU. Localized cooling can effectively cool the hottest zones and / or components without consuming additional energy to cool the entire computer room where the row 106 or rack 108 is located.

[0031] In some embodiments, a thermal management system according to the present disclosure provides granular control over cooling rates and locations. In some embodiments, an SCS or other control system communicates data with an AHU (such as an AHU that provides conditioned air to cold aisles 118 or other locations in the data center 100) to efficiently cool the data center based on the varying thermal demands of server computers 104, rows 106, racks 108, or other locations in the data center 100. In some embodiments, water in the data center can be used or reused to efficiently and selectively maintain a target operating temperature in the data center 100.

[0032] Figure 2 is a schematic representation of an AHU 234 used to condition air for a cold aisle in a data center (such as with respect to FIG. Figure 1In some embodiments, the AHU 234 draws in outside air (OA) 240 through an air inlet 241. In some embodiments, the air inlet 241 includes a damper, valve, or other mechanism to restrict or control airflow through the air inlet 241. In some embodiments, the air inlet 241 remains open, while airflow through the AHU 234 is controlled by other dampers, valves, fans, blowers, or other mechanisms in the AHU 234, as described below.

[0033] In some embodiments, the AHU 234 includes a preconditioner 242 configured to convectively cool or heat the OA 240 received at the air inlet 241. For example, the preconditioner 242 may include a heat coil maintained at or below a target temperature lower than the intake air temperature of the OA 240 to cool the OA 240 and produce preconditioned air. In another example, the preconditioner 242 may include a heat coil maintained at or above a target temperature higher than the intake air temperature of the OA 240 to heat the OA 240 and produce preconditioned air. In some examples, the preconditioner 242 is water-cooled or water-heated. In some examples, the preconditioner 242 is heated or cooled by an electric heater (e.g., a resistive heater) or an electric cooler (e.g., a Peltier cooler).

[0034] In embodiments with a preconditioner 242, a first portion 244 of the preconditioned air passes through a cooler damper 248 and an insulation layer 250, and a second portion 246 of the preconditioned air passes through a bypass damper 252 to bypass the insulation layer 250. In embodiments without a preconditioner 242, a first portion 244 of the OA 240 passes through a cooler damper 248 and an insulation layer 250, and a second portion 246 of the OA 240 passes through a bypass damper 252 to bypass the insulation layer 250. In some embodiments, the cooler damper 248 and the bypass damper 252 are selectively opened and closed to direct a selected proportion of air through the bypass and insulation layer 250, thereby controlling the temperature and humidity of the air exhausted after the bypass and insulation layer 250. In some embodiments, the AHU 234 includes only the cooler damper 248, which selectively allows the first portion 244 of the air to pass through the insulation layer 250 and always allows the second portion 246 to pass through the bypass. In some embodiments, the AHU 234 includes only a bypass damper 252 that selectively allows the second portion 246 of air to bypass, while the first portion 244 of air is always allowed to pass through the insulation 250 .

[0035] The insulation layer 250 cools the air passing through it through evaporation of an evaporative medium 254 within the insulation layer 250. For example, the insulation layer 250 can be moistened with water or other evaporative medium 254, which cools the first portion 244 of the air through convective cooling and evaporation of the evaporative medium 254. In some embodiments, the insulation layer 250 also humidifies the first portion 244 of the air. The balance of the first portion 244 and the second portion 246 of the air passing through the insulation layer 250 and bypassing the air accordingly determines the output humidity and output temperature of the exhausted air.

[0036] In some embodiments, the AHU 234 includes one or more fans 256, blowers, or other components for moving or pushing air through the AHU 234. Figure 2 The embodiment illustrated in FIG includes a fan 256 located behind the insulation layer 250, but it should be understood that the fan 256, blower, or other component for moving or pushing air through the AHU may be located elsewhere in the AHU 234 in addition to, or as an alternative to, the fan 256 being located behind the insulation layer 250.

[0037] The AHU 234 generates conditioned air for the cold aisle or other parts of the data center. In some embodiments, the AHU 234 generates multiple columns of conditioned air 258-1, 258-2, 258-3, which are exhausted from the AHU 234 and flow to different areas of the cold aisle or other parts of the data center. In some embodiments, the different columns of conditioned air 258-1, 258-2, 258-3 have different properties (e.g., temperature, humidity, density, velocity, turbidity), which affect the direction and / or thermal management capabilities (e.g., cooling capacity, heating capacity, humidification capacity) of the conditioned air columns.

[0038] For example, a first air column 258-1 of conditioned air is located below the AHU 234 (in series after the insulation layer 250), and a third air column 258-3 of conditioned air is located above the AHU 234 (in series after the bypass of the AHU 234). The first air column 258-1 and the third air column 258-3 may have different properties, such as different temperatures, different humidities, and different densities.

[0039] In some embodiments, the AHU 234 includes one or more conditioned air sensors 260-1, 260-2, 260-3 configured to measure one or more properties of the conditioned air exhausted from the AHU 234. In embodiments including one or more intake air sensors 262-1, 262-2, 262-3, the AHU 234 can measure and / or calculate changes in properties of the air passing through the AHU 234 (from the OA 240 to the conditioned air columns 258-1, 258-2, 258-3). The AHU 234 can report the properties and / or changes in properties measured by the sensor(s) to the SCS (e.g., regarding Figure 1 SCS128 described).

[0040] In some embodiments, at least a portion of the first portion 244 of air (passing through the insulation layer 250) and the second portion 246 of air (passing through the bypass) mix in the second air column 258-2 between the first air column 258-1 and the third air column 258-3. The second air column 258-2 containing the mixed air can have different properties than the first air column 258-1 or the third air column 258-3. In some embodiments, based on the properties of the conditioned air, different air columns or portions of the conditioned air can be discharged to different locations or components of the data center. In some embodiments, based on the HVAC ducting of the data center's thermal management system, different air columns or portions of the conditioned air can be discharged to different locations or components of the data center. Understanding the positioning of the exhausted conditioned air and its properties can allow the SCS to communicate with the AHU to provide conditioned air with desired properties to the associated portions of the data center.

[0041] In some embodiments, differences in the evaporative medium 254 or its location on the insulation layer 250 can result in variations in the conditioned air exhausted from the AHU 234. For example, the distribution of the evaporative medium 254 on the insulation layer 250 can result in variations in the first air column 258-1 of conditioned air. Understanding and controlling variations in conditioned air, as well as understanding and controlling where conditioned air moves in the data center, can allow for more precise control of the air in the data center, thereby enabling thermal management.

[0042] Now refer to Figure 3-1 to Figure 3-3 In some embodiments, the AHU includes a modular insulation layer 350. For example, the modular insulation layer 350 may be connected to the Figure 2The modular insulation layer 350 is used in conjunction with the AHU 234 described above. In some embodiments, the modular insulation layer 350 includes a plurality of evaporative medium conduits 364 and an evaporative medium valve 366 configured to direct and / or supply the evaporative medium 354 to an evaporative base 368 of the modular insulation layer 350. The evaporative medium valve 366 is positioned in line with the evaporative medium conduits 364 to selectively allow, control, or prevent the evaporative medium 354 from flowing to the evaporative base. In some embodiments, the plurality of evaporative medium conduits 364 allow the evaporative medium 354 to be delivered to a plurality of sub-regions 370 of the evaporative base 368.

[0043] In some embodiments, the SCS 328 is in data or electrical communication with the evaporative medium valve 366 to control the flow rate of the evaporative medium 354 through the evaporative medium valve 366 and to the sub-area 370. By controlling the flow to the sub-area 370, the SCS 328 can control the amount and location of cooling and humidification of the air passing through the modular insulation layer 350. In some embodiments, the SCS 328 is also in data center communication with sensors such as those related to the Figure 1 Data center sensors 130, 132 as described), AHU sensors (such as those described for Figure 2 The SCS 328 communicates with the conditioned air sensors 260-1, 260-2, 260-3 and / or intake air sensors 262-1, 262-2, 262-3 described above), external environmental sensors for measuring and / or reporting environmental information outside the data center (from where the OA is drawn), other sensors, and combinations thereof. In some embodiments, the SCS 328 determines how much evaporative medium 354 to provide to the evaporative base 368 and to which sub-zones 370.

[0044] For example, Figure 3-1 An example of a modular insulation layer 350 is shown in which evaporative medium 354 wets five sub-regions 370 of an evaporative base 370. Air passing through the evaporative base 370 of the modular insulation layer 350 may be cooled more at the locations of the sub-regions 370 wetted by the evaporative medium 354. Figure 3-2 Pictured Figure 3-1368 , wherein a greater number of sub-areas 370 are wetted by the evaporative medium 354. For example, when an ambient sensor or an air intake sensor in communication with the SCS indicates an increase in the temperature of the OA entering the AHU, the SCS may instruct or control the evaporative medium valves to provide more evaporative medium to the evaporative base 368 and / or more sub-areas 370 of the evaporative base 368. In another example, a data center sensor or a conditioned air sensor in communication with the SCS indicates that the humidity of the OA exiting the AHU is higher than desired, and the SCS may instruct or control one or more evaporative medium valves to provide less evaporative medium to the evaporative base 368 and / or fewer sub-areas 370 of the evaporative base 368. In some embodiments, further increased cooling and / or humidification is desired, and Figure 3-3 An example of an evaporative substrate 368 is illustrated in which all sub-regions 370 are wetted by the evaporative medium 354. In some embodiments, all sub-regions 370 are wetted, and the SCS can further control the amount of cooling and / or humidification by the amount of evaporative medium 354 delivered to each sub-region 370.

[0045] In some embodiments, the material of the evaporative substrate 368 provides different properties based at least in part on the material. For example, wicking rate, fluid retention rate, surface area, drying rate, air flow rate through, etc. can vary based on the porosity, density, and configuration of the substrate material. In some embodiments, the evaporative substrate 368 includes different substrate materials in different sub-regions 370, such that wetting different sub-regions 370 of the evaporative substrate 368 wets different substrate materials having different properties.

[0046] In some embodiments, at least a portion of the evaporation substrate comprises a cellulose-based substrate material. For example, the substrate material can be or include paper, shredded paper, cellulose pulp, or other cellulose-based substrate materials. In some embodiments, the substrate material comprises an organic textile. For example, the substrate material can be or include wool, silk, cotton, etc. In some embodiments, the substrate material comprises a synthetic textile. For example, the substrate material can be or include polypropylene, nylon, aramid fiber, etc. In some embodiments, the substrate material comprises a ceramic material. For example, the substrate material can be or include a ceramic plate, fins, pins, rods, cylinders, meshes, etc. In some embodiments, the substrate material comprises a metal. For example, the substrate material can be or include a metal plate, pins, fins, meshes, meshes, rods, foam, etc.

[0047] In some embodiments, the substrate material is microporous. For example, a microporous substrate material has a porosity of less than 1000 microns. In some embodiments, the substrate material is nanoporous. For example, a nanoporous substrate material has a porosity of less than 1.0 microns. In some embodiments, the substrate material is non-porous. For example, a non-porous substrate material has a porosity that is substantially zero.

[0048] Figure 4 FIG4 is a schematic representation of an embodiment of an AHU 434 that communicates with an SCS 428 to direct conditioned air for cooling certain server computers 404-1, 404-2, and 404-3 in a rack. In some embodiments, the AHU 434 includes a modular insulation layer 450 having a plurality of sub-areas 470-1, 470-2, 470-3, and 470-4 with an evaporative base 468. The SCS 428 controls one or more evaporative medium valves 466. The evaporative medium valves 466 control the flow rate of evaporative medium 454 through evaporative medium conduits 464, which provide evaporative medium to the sub-areas 470-1, 470-2, 470-3, and 470-4.

[0049] In some embodiments, SCS 428 communicates with a plurality of sensors, such as conditioned air sensors 460-1, 460-2, 460-3 or rack sensors 472-1, 472-2, 472-3. In some embodiments, rack sensors 472-1, 472-2, 472-3 are component sensors that measure and / or report operating conditions of electronic components or air conditions at the electronic components. For example, rack sensors 472-1, 472-2, 472-3 may be component temperature sensors, component humidity sensors, or component barometers. SCS 428 may receive information measured by the sensors in response to changes made by SCS 428 to AHU 434. In some examples, SCS 428 communicates with fan 456, which is configured to draw air into OA 440 and direct it toward modular insulation 450. The air passes through modular insulation 450 and is exhausted from AHU 434 as conditioned air.

[0050] In some embodiments, such as Figure 4As illustrated in FIG, different portions of conditioned air flow to different zones of the data center and the equipment therein. For example, a first column of conditioned air 458-1 flows to a first server computer 404-1 in a server rack 408. A first conditioned air sensor 460-1 in or near the first column of conditioned air 458-1 provides information to the SCS 428 regarding the air properties of the first column of conditioned air 458-1 exhausted from the AHU 434. In some embodiments, a second conditioned air sensor 460-2 in or near the second column of conditioned air 458-2 provides information to the SCS 428 regarding the air properties of the second column of conditioned air 458-2 exhausted from the AHU 434. In some embodiments, a third conditioned air sensor 460-3 in or near the third column of conditioned air 458-3 provides information to the SCS 428 regarding the air properties of the third column of conditioned air 458-3 exhausted from the AHU 434.

[0051] In some embodiments, a first column of conditioned air 458-1 (near the bottom of the modular insulation layer 450 and / or the bottom of the AHU 434) flows toward a first server computer 404-1 in the server rack 408, and a first rack air sensor 472-1 located at or near the bottom of the server rack 408 provides information about the properties of the air at the first server computer 404-1 in the server rack 408 to the SCS 428. In some embodiments, a second column of conditioned air 458-2 (near the middle of the modular insulation layer 450 and / or the middle of the AHU 434) flows toward a second server computer 404-2 in the server rack 408, and a second rack air sensor 472-2 located at or near the middle of the server rack 408 provides information about the properties of the air at the second server computer 404-2 in the server rack 408 to the SCS 428. In some embodiments, a third air column 458-3 of conditioned air (near the top of the modular insulation layer 450 and / or the top of the AHU 434) flows toward the third server computer 404-3 of the server rack 408, and a third rack air sensor 472-3 located at or near the top of the server rack 408 provides information about the air properties at the third server computer 404-3 of the server rack 408 to the SCS 428.

[0052] In some embodiments, by monitoring changes in air properties measured by AHU sensors (e.g., conditioned air sensors 460-1, 460-2, 460-3) and data center sensors (e.g., rack sensors 472-1, 472-2, 472-3), the SCS 428 can determine how changes in the operation of the AHU 434 affect air properties in different affected areas of the data center. For example, the third server computer 404-3 located at or near the top of the server rack 408 may require more thermal management capacity (e.g., cooling) because the air near the top of the server rack 408 is hotter as measured by the third rack sensor 472-3. In some examples, wetting the fourth sub-region 470-4 of the modular insulation layer 450 cools the third column of conditioned air 458-3 more than the first column of air 458-1 or the second column of air 458-2, and the third column of conditioned air 458-3 (near the top of the modular insulation layer 450 and / or the top of the AHU 434) is determined to have a greater impact on the third server computer 404-3 at the top of the server rack 408. By correlating the wetting pattern or other operating conditions of the modular insulation layer 450 and / or the AHU 434 with information provided by the third rack sensor 472-3 near the third server computer 404-3, the SCS can determine that the zone (and equipment) near the third rack sensor 472-3 is an affected area of ​​the fourth sub-region 470-4 of the AHU 434 and / or the third column of air 458-3.

[0053] The affected interval is a zone, volume, area, or location within the data center where the measured air is affected by a change in the operating conditions of the AHU 434. For example, the affected interval may be affected by changes in the wetting of the different sub-areas 470-1, 470-2, 470-3, 470-4 of the modular insulation layer 450, the amount of evaporative medium 454 applied to the evaporative substrate, the speed of the AHU fan (e.g., fan 456), or other operating conditions of the AHU 434. In at least one example, the AHU 434 includes a fan 456 located before the modular insulation layer 450 (in the direction of airflow through it) and a fan (e.g., fan 456) located after the modular insulation layer 450 (in the direction of airflow). Figure 2 256 in the AHU). Fans, blowers, or other mechanisms used to move air through the AHU can mix the air exposed to the fan. Therefore, the relative impact of the AHU on the affected intervals can vary depending on the fan speed and the relative position of the fan within the AHU 434. The SCS can change the fan speed or the selected operating fan to adjust the impact on the affected intervals.

[0054] In some embodiments, the affected intervals may be measured by equipment (such as server computers in a rack). In such examples, the SCS may measure or receive a heat demand request from equipment or sensors associated with the affected intervals, and the SCS may change at least one operating condition of the AHU to change the thermal management provided to the affected intervals.

[0055] In some embodiments, the affected intervals may be measured by rack (such as rows of individual server racks). In such examples, the SCS may measure or receive a thermal demand request from a rack manager, row manager, or sensor associated with the affected interval, and the SCS may change at least one operating condition of the AHU to change the thermal management supplied to the affected interval.

[0056] Figure 5 506-1, 506-2, 506-3. FIG5 is a schematic representation of an SCS 528 in communication with an AHU 534 and data center sensors associated with a computer room containing different server rows 506-1, 506-2, and 506-3. In some embodiments, the affected intervals may be measured per row, such as per individual server rows 506-1, 506-2, and 506-3. In such an example, the SCS 528 may measure or receive thermal demand requests from row managers or data center sensors associated with the affected intervals, and the SCS 528 may change at least one operating condition of the AHU 534 to alter the thermal management provided to the affected intervals.

[0057] In some embodiments, a first column of conditioned air 558-1 (near the bottom of the modular insulation layer 550 and / or the bottom of the AHU 534) flows toward a first server room containing a first server row 506-1, and a first data center air sensor 574-1 located at or near the first server row 506-1 provides information about the properties of the air at the first server row 506-1 to the SCS 528. In some embodiments, a second column of conditioned air 558-2 (near the middle of the modular insulation layer 550 and / or the middle of the AHU 534) flows toward a second server room containing a second server row 506-2, and a second data center air sensor 574-2 located at or near the second server row 506-2 provides information about the properties of the air at the second server row 506-2 to the SCS 528. In some embodiments, a third air column 558-3 of conditioned air (near the top of the modular insulation layer 550 and / or the top of the AHU 534) flows to a third server room containing a third server row 506-3, and a third data center air sensor 574-3 located at or near the third server row 506-3 provides information about the air properties at the third server row 506-3 to the SCS 528.

[0058] In some embodiments, by monitoring changes in air properties measured by AHU sensors (e.g., conditioned air sensors 560-1, 560-2, 560-3) and data center sensors (e.g., data center air sensors 574-1, 574-2, 574-3), the SCS 528 can determine how changes in AHU 534 operation affect air properties in different affected compartments of the data center. For example, the third server row 506-3 may require more thermal management capacity (e.g., cooling) because the server room containing the third server row 506-3 is located on the south side of the data center and is exposed to more sunlight than the first server room located on the north side of the data center. As will be described in more detail herein, the SCS 528 can correlate the thermal demand of the affected compartments with weather, time of day, or other recurring conditions to predict thermal demand and prepare for it in advance.

[0059] In some embodiments, a thermal demand request is any measurement, report, communication, or information received, calculated, or obtained by the SCS related to the current or future temperature of a data center or a region of a data center. For example, a thermal demand request can be received from a device in the data center. The device can include a temperature sensor, and the device can transmit the thermal demand request based at least in part on the temperature of the device or the temperature at the device. In some examples, the device can transmit the thermal demand request based at least in part on the power consumption of the device (which indicates an increase in thermal energy generated by the device). In some examples, the device can transmit the thermal demand request based at least in part on the computational load of the device (which indicates an increase in thermal energy generated by the device). In some embodiments, the thermal demand request is received from a rack manager, a row manager, a control system (such as a virtual machine (VM) allocator), or other control device that transmits the thermal demand request based at least in part on the thermal energy generation of the equipment in the data center.

[0060] In some embodiments, the heat demand request is obtained by the SCS from a network connection or from other control services in the data center, such as a VM allocator. For example, the SCS can request information from the VM allocator or other control services in the data center without waiting to receive a heat demand request. In some embodiments, the SCS obtains the heat demand request based at least in part on measurements from one or more data center sensors that measure temperature, humidity, power consumption, liquid cooling demand, etc. In at least one example, an increase in the demand for liquid cooling or immersion cooling working fluid can indicate an increase in thermal energy being exhausted to the air in the data center and can indicate an impending heat demand request.

[0061] In other examples, the SCS can obtain environmental information from one or more environmental sensors (such as external temperature sensors, humidity sensors, barometers, etc.) and / or network-based environmental information sources (such as weather reports). The weather reports can allow the SCS to determine the temperature or humidity of the outside air entering the data center. In some embodiments, the environmental information and / or weather reports can indicate future environmental conditions and / or weather conditions that the SCS can prepare for the data center.

[0062] In other examples, the SCS may obtain thermal demand requests based on reports or determinations calculated by the SCS. For example, the SCS may calculate thermal demand for one or more affected areas of the data center based on past trends indicating increased computing demand during periods of severe weather conditions. In at least one example, more users may request data center services when the weather includes precipitation or high winds and users are more likely to be indoors.

[0063] In some embodiments, thermal requirements may be related to computing conditions in the data center. Thermal requirements requests or demands may be calculated based on the processing load, power consumption, bandwidth consumption, VM allocation, or process allocation of devices or racks in the data center. This information may be reported to the SCS by devices, rack managers, row managers, or other control services.

[0064] Figure 6 6 is a system diagram of an SCS 628 that communicates with various components, devices, and services. In some embodiments, the SCS 628 communicates data with various sensors in the data center and HVAC system. For example, the SCS 628 can communicate data with cold aisle sensors 630 and / or hot aisle sensors 632 of the HVAC system, conditioned air sensors 660 and / or intake air sensors 662 of the AHU, rack sensors 672, data center sensors 674, and other sensors such as temperature sensors on server computers or other equipment throughout the data center. These various sensors provide information to the SCS 628.

[0065] In some embodiments, the SCS 628 also communicates data with a control service 678 (such as an allocator service), which allocates processes and / or VMs to devices in the data center. The control service 678 can communicate the processing load, processing allocation, power consumption, scheduling, and other operational metrics of the devices in the data center to the SCS 628. For example, the SCS 628 can proactively adjust the thermal management of the data center in response to the scheduled computing load provided by the control service 678.

[0066] In some embodiments, the SCS 628 is in data communication with a network 680, through which the SCS 628 can obtain additional information related to the operation and thermal management of the data center from one or more networked services 682. In at least one example, the networked services include local or regional weather forecasts, which may not be available from local sensors in the data center. In other examples, the networked services may include local pricing, availability, or demand for utility grid electricity and / or municipal water. In some embodiments, the SCS 628 can determine the amount of water or wetting pattern to apply to the modular insulation of the AHU 634 based at least in part on local pricing, availability, or demand for utility grid electricity and / or municipal water. For example, when utility grid electricity prices are high, the SCS 628 can rely more on adiabatic cooling of the air in the AHU; whereas, when water availability is limited, the SCS 628 can rely more on airflow through the HVAC system by increasing the fan speed of the AHU or other fans in the HVAC system.

[0067] In some embodiments, input from sensors, control services 678, networking services 682, and other sources is provided to the SCS engine 676, which calculates and / or determines operational settings and conditions for the AHU 634. The SCS engine 676 can make such determinations based at least in part on constraints and objective functions provided to the SCS engine 676, as described herein.

[0068] In some embodiments, the objective function relates one or more inputs to control variables of the AHU 634 or other parts of the data center. For example, the control variables include, but are not limited to, OA temperature, OA relative humidity, modular insulation state, number of available AHUs, water pump speed, AHU fan speed, bypass damper position, etc. The SCS engine 676 can determine the values ​​of at least some of the control variables based at least in part on the values ​​of the state variables measured by the sensors.

[0069] In some embodiments, at least some of the control variables are determined based on a psychrometric diagram, such as Figure 7 As presented in [1], the psychrometric diagram illustrates the change in relative humidity based on temperature. The x-axis is the dry-bulb temperature, which is the temperature indicated by a thermometer exposed to the air away from direct solar radiation. The dry-bulb temperature measures the temperature of the air. The relative humidity curve is the ratio of the mole fraction of water vapor to the mole fraction of saturated moist air at the same temperature and pressure. For example, the y-axis reflects the humidity ratio, which is the ratio of the mass of water vapor per unit mass of dry air. The relative humidity describes the humidity ratio as a percentage for air at a given temperature and pressure. As the dry-bulb temperature decreases during the cooling process, the relative humidity of a given amount of water in the air increases, allowing additional water to be introduced into the air as the humidity ratio increases.

[0070] In some embodiments, the SCS determines how much water to introduce into the modular insulation and / or determines the fan speed of the AHU based at least in part on the setpoint for relative humidity. Exceeding the dew point in the data center may cause condensation, and therefore, the SCS can determine the value of the control variable to avoid condensation. In at least some embodiments, a hygrometer assessment of relative humidity and / or dry-bulb temperature can allow the SCS to determine the fan speed and / or flow rate of the AHU to produce target cooling in the affected interval without causing condensation in the affected interval.

[0071] Figure 8 is a flow chart illustrating a method of thermal management in a data center. In some embodiments, method 884 includes obtaining thermal demand information (eg, thermal demand request) at 890 , obtaining water source information at 892 , and obtaining power source information at 894 .

[0072] In some embodiments, method 884 includes determining, at the SCS and based at least in part on the heat demand information, the water source information, and the power supply information, a water flow rate through an evaporative medium valve toward a first sub-region of the modular insulation layer of the AHU, such as described herein, at 896. The SCS adjusts the evaporative medium valve and / or instructs the evaporative medium valve to provide a water flow rate to the first sub-region of the modular insulation layer. Air flowing through the modular insulation layer is conditioned by convective cooling and humidification of the water (or other evaporative medium).

[0073] In some embodiments, method 884 includes measuring at least one property of the conditioned air at 898. In some embodiments, the measured property of the conditioned air is compared to at least one property of the pre-conditioned intake air. The SCS may further adjust the flow rate of the water or other evaporative medium based at least in part on the measured value of the property.

[0074] In some embodiments, method 884 further includes determining a fan speed of a fan in communication with the conditioned air at 899. The SCS can then set the fan speed or instruct the fan to set the fan speed to the determined fan speed. In some embodiments, the fan speed is determined based at least in part on the flow rate of the water. For example, the air flow through the modular insulation layer can evaporate a portion of the water or other evaporative medium at a rate substantially equal to the flow rate of the water or other evaporative medium to the evaporative base of the modular insulation layer.

[0075] In some embodiments, the fan is located upstream of the modular insulation layer. For example, the fan may be located before the modular insulation layer in the direction of airflow. In some embodiments, the fan is located downstream of the modular insulation layer. For example, the fan may be located after the modular insulation layer in the direction of airflow. Conditioned air passing through different sub-areas of the evaporative base may be mixed in varying amounts based, at least in part, on the relative position of the fan to the evaporative base. In at least one embodiment, the fan is located in the AHU.

[0076] In some embodiments, method 884 further includes determining an affected zone affected by the first sub-zone. For example, a flow rate of water or other evaporative medium and / or a fan speed toward the first sub-zone may be determined based at least in part on a measured or calculated relationship between the AHU operating condition and sensor information provided by sensors located at the affected zone.

[0077] Figure 9 is a schematic representation of a pre-cooling cooler 901 in fluid communication with a water storage tank 903 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, the pre-cooling cooler 901 is part of an AHU 934, such as Figure 2901 is separate from and / or positioned before the AHU 934, which includes the modular insulation layer 950. The water storage tank 903 and / or the pre-cooling cooler 901 are configured to receive water from the municipal water supply 905. When the municipal water supply 905 has water available, the pre-cooling cooler 901 can receive water directly from the municipal water supply 905. In some embodiments, the pre-cooling cooler 901 receives water from the water storage tank 903.

[0078] In at least one embodiment, the water in the water storage tank 903 is recycled water that is recaptured after circulating through the pre-cooling chiller 901. For example, water is received from the municipal water supply 905 and directed to the pre-cooling chiller 901, where it cools the OA. A first portion of the water is then directed to the modular insulation layer 950 via the evaporative media piping 964 for further air conditioning. In some embodiments, at least a second portion of the water is recycled back to the water storage tank 903. The water in the water storage tank 903 can be directed through the pre-cooling chiller 901 for additional circulation and / or directed to the modular insulation layer 950 via the evaporative media piping 964.

[0079] In some embodiments, the tank controller 911 communicates with one or more water sensors 913 to measure the inlet and outlet temperatures of water entering and leaving the pre-cooling chiller 901. In some embodiments, the tank controller 911 changes the state of one or more valves to direct the flow of water from the storage tank 903 and / or the municipal water supply, thereby adjusting the inlet temperature of the water entering the pre-cooling chiller 901. For example, the temperature of the water stored in the storage tank 903 may be higher than the temperature of the municipal water supply 905, and the tank controller 911 can adjust the ratio of municipal water to tank water entering the pre-cooling chiller 901 to adjust the inlet temperature.

[0080] In some embodiments, the AHU 934 is in data communication with the water tank controller 911 and / or the water sensor 913. For example, the SCS or another controller of the AHU 934 can communicate with the water tank controller 911 and / or the water sensor 913 to measure the water temperature of the pre-cooling chiller 901. In some embodiments, one or more operating parameters of the AHU 934 are changed based on the temperature of the pre-cooling chiller 901, such as the flow rate of the evaporative medium toward the insulation layer 950, the fan speed of one or more fans in the AHU 934, or the damper position (e.g., the position of the bypass damper) when additional cooling of the air after the pre-cooling chiller 901 is not required.

[0081] In some embodiments, additional or alternative water sources may be used. Figure 10 is toward the pre-cooling cooler 1001 or such as about Figure 9Schematic representation of the water flow of the AHU described. In some embodiments, the water source is a municipal water supply or a water storage tank, such as that described in Figure 9 As described above. In some embodiments, the water source is a hydrogen fuel cell 1007 that generates electricity for the data center 1000. A byproduct of the hydrogen fuel cell is water, which is directed to a first water storage tank 1003-1. In some embodiments, the first water storage tank 1003-1 or the second water storage tank 1003-2 also receives water from a source of collected rainwater 1009. By recycling water from additional and / or alternative water sources, the data center can limit its consumption of water from the municipal water supply.

[0082] In at least some embodiments, a thermal management system including modular insulation and an SCS that controls water flow to the modular insulation conserves water relative to conventional evaporative thermal management systems. Some embodiments can selectively cool affected areas by modularly and selectively applying water or other evaporative media to sub-areas of the modular insulation.

[0083] Industrial Applicability

[0084] The present disclosure generally relates to systems and methods for thermal management of electronic equipment or other heat-generating components. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to thermal management of electronic equipment or other heat-generating components in a data center using a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system of the data center. In some embodiments, the HVAC system includes at least one air handling unit (AHU) that includes a modular insulation layer. The modular insulation layer is selectively wetted with an evaporative medium in sub-regions of the modular insulation layer. In some embodiments, the selective wetting of the sub-regions allows for more precise control of the adiabatic cooling of air passing through the modular insulation layer. In some embodiments, the selective wetting of the sub-regions allows for association and control with the air conditioning of affected areas downstream of the AHU.

[0085] Data centers include a plurality of electronic devices, some of which are computing devices, which generate heat energy. The heat energy needs to be transferred away from the electronic devices to prevent damage to the electronic devices and / or to protect the integrity of the data stored and / or computed on the electronic devices. Data centers use thermal management systems to transfer heat energy away from the electronic devices through liquid cooling, air cooling, or a combination of the two. Even in liquid cooling systems, the liquid cooling can effectively conduct heat energy away from the electronic devices, but ultimately the heat energy from the heated fluid (e.g., liquid or vapor) is discharged to the surrounding atmosphere. The heated ambient air must then be removed from the liquid cooling system and / or the electronic devices to complete the thermal management of the electronic devices, which can be inefficient.

[0086] In some embodiments of a data center and thermal management system according to the present disclosure, multiple heat-generating devices are located in an enclosed space, and air is moved through an AHU to condition the air around the server racks and the equipment housed therein. While the present disclosure will describe the use of airflow to directly cool heat-generating devices, such as computing devices, hardware storage devices, networking devices, power supplies, and other electronic devices, it should be understood that the thermal management system can use a flow of liquid cooling fluid to cool the heat sinks of heat-generating components.

[0087] In some embodiments, conventional data centers include thermal management systems. An example environment in which the thermal management system and method according to the present disclosure can be used is a server array. In some embodiments, a data center includes server computers arranged in a row, wherein the row includes multiple server racks, each server rack includes multiple server computers, power supplies, networking equipment, and other electronic equipment. In some examples, the server computers are blade servers. In some examples, the server computers are complete computers (e.g., each server computer can operate as a standalone computer). In some examples, the server computers are electronic components that can collaborate to provide scalable computing power.

[0088] The server row can include a row manager that communicates with the server racks and / or rack managers of the server row. In some embodiments, the row manager controls the computational load (such as process distribution) of the server racks and / or server computers. In doing so, the row manager can control the heat generated by the server computers of the server racks. In some embodiments, the row manager controls thermal management of the server racks and / or server computers. For example, the row manager can manage active thermal management of the server racks and / or server computers by changing fan speeds or by controlling the flow rate of coolant of a liquid cooling system. In at least one example, the server row is at least partially cooled by a liquid cooling system that delivers coolant to the server racks of the server row. The row manager communicates with a coolant pump to change or stop the flow of coolant.

[0089] The server rack can support multiple server computers in the rack. The server computers can each have liquid cooling (such as local immersion cooling) for at least some of the electronic components of the server computer, or have a cooling plate with circulating coolant to cool the electronic components of the server computer. In some embodiments, the server computers or other electronic devices can be air-cooled using cold aisles and hot aisles, which flow cold air from the cold aisle and exhaust hot air from the electronic devices through the hot aisle. Based on the pressure difference established by the pump or blower of the thermal management system in series with the cold aisle and the hot aisle, air flows from the cold aisle to the hot aisle.

[0090] In some embodiments, electronic components of a server rack, such as server computers, are connected to a rack manager. The rack manager can control the delivery of power to the server computers or other electronic components. In some embodiments, the rack manager can communicate with the server computers or other electronic components to limit or throttle power to the server computers or other electronic components and manage power consumption. In some embodiments, the rack manager is also connected to a coolant pump that moves coolant to one or more server computers or other electronic components in the server rack.

[0091] In some embodiments, a supervisory control system (SCS) is connected to the row managers and / or rack manager(s) to communicate with the electronic equipment, and / or to data center sensors to measure one or more properties or operating conditions of the thermal management system.

[0092] The SCS includes a processor and hardware storage devices. The processor can receive information from data center sensors and communicate with one or more other devices according to instructions stored on the hardware storage devices, which instructions cause the processor to perform any of the methods described herein. In some embodiments, the devices communicating with the SCS include coolant pumps, fans, valves, other thermal management devices (e.g., blowers), or combinations thereof, which can receive instructions from the SCS in response to detecting an increase in temperature. For example, the SCS can adjust the flow of coolant by activating a coolant pump or directing airflow by actuating a valve.

[0093] A hardware storage device may be any non-transitory computer-readable medium on which instructions can be stored. A hardware storage device may be any type of solid-state memory; volatile memory, such as static random access memory (SRAM) or dynamic random access memory (DRAM); non-volatile memory, such as read-only memory (ROM), including programmable ROM (PROM), erasable PROM (ERPOM), or EEPROM; magnetic storage media, such as magnetic tape; compact disk-based storage devices, such as hard drives; optical media, such as compact disks (CDs), digital video disks (DVDs), Blu-ray discs, or other optical media; removable media, such as USB drives; non-removable media, such as internal SATA or non-volatile memory express (NVMe) type NAND flash memory; or any other non-transitory storage medium.

[0094] Air is supplied to the entire row and / or rack to cool the ambient air around the components of the rack. When the heat generated by the components of server computers and other electronic equipment is uneven, cooling the entire environment may not be necessary and is actually inefficient. For example, the central processing unit (CPU) or system memory of a server computer can generate much more heat than non-volatile storage devices. However, to limit and / or prevent thermal damage to the CPU, the entire ambient air is cooled based on the temperature and load of the CPU. Local cooling can effectively cool the hottest zones and / or components without consuming additional energy to cool the entire room where the row or rack is located.

[0095] In some embodiments, a thermal management system according to the present disclosure provides granular control over cooling rates and locations. In some embodiments, an SCS or other control system communicates data with an AHU (such as one that provides conditioned air to a cold aisle or other location in the data center) to efficiently cool the data center based on the varying thermal demands of server computers, rows, racks, or other locations in the data center. In some embodiments, water in the data center can be used or reused to efficiently and selectively maintain target operating temperatures in the data center.

[0096] In some embodiments, an AHU is used to condition air for cold aisles in a data center. In some embodiments, the AHU draws in outside air (OA) through an air inlet. In some embodiments, the air inlet includes a damper, valve, or other mechanism to restrict or control airflow through the air inlet. In some embodiments, the air inlet remains open, while airflow through the AHU is controlled by other dampers, valves, fans, blowers, or other mechanisms in the AHU, as described below.

[0097] In some embodiments, the AHU includes a preconditioner that is configured to convectively cool or heat the OA received at the air intake. For example, the preconditioner may include a heat coil that is maintained at a target temperature lower than or below the intake air temperature of the OA to cool the OA and produce preconditioned air. In another example, the preconditioner may include a heat coil that is maintained at a target temperature higher than or above the intake air temperature of the OA to heat the OA and produce preconditioned air. In some examples, the preconditioner is water-cooled or water-heated. In some examples, the preconditioner is heated or cooled by an electric heater (e.g., a resistance heater) or an electric cooler (e.g., a Peltier cooler).

[0098] In embodiments with a preconditioner, a first portion of the preconditioned air passes through a cooler damper and insulation, and a second portion of the preconditioned air passes through a bypass damper to bypass the insulation. In embodiments without a preconditioner, a first portion of the OA passes through a cooler damper and insulation, and a second portion of the OA passes through a bypass damper to bypass the insulation. In some embodiments, the cooler damper and bypass damper selectively open and close to direct a selected proportion of air through the bypass and insulation, thereby controlling the temperature and humidity of the air exhausted after the bypass and insulation. In some embodiments, the AHU includes only a cooler damper that selectively allows the first portion of the air to pass through the insulation and always allows the second portion of the air to pass through the bypass. In some embodiments, the AHU includes only a bypass damper that selectively allows the second portion of the air to pass through the bypass, while the first portion of the air is always allowed to pass through the insulation.

[0099] The insulation layer cools the air passing through it through evaporation of an evaporative medium within the insulation layer. For example, the insulation layer can be moistened with water or another evaporative medium, which cools the first portion of the air through convective cooling and evaporation of the evaporative medium. In some embodiments, the insulation layer also humidifies the first portion of the air. The balance between the first and second portions of the air passing through the insulation layer and the bypass determines the output humidity and output temperature of the exhausted air.

[0100] In some embodiments, the AHU includes one or more fans, blowers, or other components for moving or pushing air through the AHU. Although in some embodiments, the AHU includes fans located behind the insulation layer, it should be understood that fans, blowers, or other components for moving or pushing air through the AHU can be located elsewhere in the AHU in addition to or as an alternative to fans located behind the insulation layer.

[0101] The AHU generates conditioned air for the cold aisle or other portion of the data center. In some embodiments, the AHU generates multiple columns of conditioned air that are exhausted from the AHU and directed to different areas of the cold aisle or other portion of the data center. In some embodiments, different columns of conditioned air have different properties (e.g., temperature, humidity, density, velocity, turbidity), which affect the direction and / or thermal management capabilities (e.g., cooling capacity, heating capacity, humidification capacity) of the conditioned air columns.

[0102] For example, a first column of conditioned air is located below the AHU (in series after the insulation layer), and a third column of conditioned air is located above the AHU (in series after the bypass of the AHU). The first and third columns of air may have different properties, such as different temperatures, different humidities, and different densities.

[0103] In some embodiments, the AHU includes one or more conditioned air sensors configured to measure one or more properties of the conditioned air exhausted from the AHU. In embodiments including one or more intake air sensors, the AHU can measure and / or calculate changes in properties of the air passing through the AHU (from the OA to the conditioned air column). The AHU can report the properties and / or changes in properties measured by the sensor(s) to the SCS.

[0104] In some embodiments, the first portion of air (passing through the insulation layer) and at least a portion of the second portion of air (passing through the bypass) are mixed in the second air column between the first air column and the third air column. The second air column containing the mixed air can have different properties than the first air column or the third air column. In some embodiments, based on the properties of the conditioned air, different air columns or portions of the conditioned air can be discharged to different locations or components of the data center. In some embodiments, based on the HVAC ducting of the thermal management system of the data center, different air columns or portions of the conditioned air can be discharged to different locations or components of the data center. Understanding the positioning of the exhausted conditioned air and its properties can allow the SCS to communicate with the AHU to provide conditioned air with desired properties to the associated portions of the data center.

[0105] In some embodiments, differences in the evaporative medium or its placement on the insulation layer can result in variations in the conditioned air exhausted from the AHU. For example, the distribution of the evaporative medium on the insulation layer can result in variations in the first air column of conditioned air. Understanding and controlling variations in conditioned air, as well as understanding and controlling where conditioned air moves within the data center, can allow for more precise control of the air within the data center, thereby enabling thermal management.

[0106] In some embodiments, an AHU includes a modular insulation layer. For example, the modular insulation layer can be used with the AHU described herein. In some embodiments, the modular insulation layer includes a plurality of evaporative medium conduits and an evaporative medium valve configured to direct and / or supply evaporative medium to an evaporative base of the modular insulation layer. The evaporative medium valve is positioned inline with the evaporative medium conduits to selectively allow, control, or prevent the flow of evaporative medium to the evaporative base. In some embodiments, the plurality of evaporative medium conduits allows for delivery of evaporative medium to multiple sub-regions of the evaporative base.

[0107] In some embodiments, the SCS is in data or electrical communication with the evaporative medium valve to control the flow rate of the evaporative medium through the evaporative medium valve and to the sub-zones. By controlling the flow to the sub-zones, the SCS can control the amount and location of cooling and humidification of the air passing through the modular insulation layer. In some embodiments, the SCS also communicates with data center sensors, AHU sensors, external environmental sensors for measuring and / or reporting environmental information outside the data center (where OA is drawn), other sensors, and combinations thereof. In some embodiments, the SCS determines how much evaporative medium to provide to the evaporative base and to which sub-zones 370.

[0108] In some embodiments, a modular insulation layer with evaporative medium wets five subregions of the evaporative base. Air passing through the evaporative base of the modular insulation layer can receive increased cooling at the subregions wetted by the evaporative medium. In some embodiments, the evaporative base has a greater number of subregions wetted by the evaporative medium. For example, when an ambient sensor or air intake sensor in communication with the SCS indicates an increase in the temperature of the air opening (OA) entering the AHU, the SCS can instruct or control an evaporative medium valve to deliver more evaporative medium to the evaporative base and / or more subregions of the evaporative base. In another example, if a data center sensor or conditioned air sensor in communication with the SCS indicates that the humidity of the air opening (OA) exiting the AHU is higher than desired, the SCS can instruct or control one or more evaporative medium valves to deliver less evaporative medium to the evaporative base and / or fewer subregions of the evaporative base. In some embodiments, further cooling and / or humidification is desired, and all subregions of the evaporative base are wetted with evaporative medium. In some embodiments, all subregions are wetted, and the SCS can further control the amount of cooling and / or humidification by adjusting the amount of evaporative medium delivered to each subregion.

[0109] In some embodiments, the material of the evaporative substrate provides different properties based at least in part on the material. For example, wicking rate, fluid retention rate, surface area, drying rate, air flow rate through the substrate, etc. can vary based on the porosity, density, and configuration of the substrate material. In some embodiments, the evaporative substrate includes different substrate materials in different subregions, such that wetting different subregions of the evaporative substrate wets different substrate materials having different properties.

[0110] In some embodiments, at least a portion of the evaporation substrate comprises a cellulose-based substrate material. For example, the substrate material can be or include paper, shredded paper, cellulose pulp, or other cellulose-based substrate materials. In some embodiments, the substrate material comprises an organic textile. For example, the substrate material can be or include wool, silk, cotton, etc. In some embodiments, the substrate material comprises a synthetic textile. For example, the substrate material can be or include polypropylene, nylon, aramid fiber, etc. In some embodiments, the substrate material comprises a ceramic material. For example, the substrate material can be or include a ceramic plate, fins, pins, rods, cylinders, meshes, etc. In some embodiments, the substrate material comprises a metal. For example, the substrate material can be or include a metal plate, pins, fins, meshes, rods, foam, etc.

[0111] In some embodiments, the substrate material is microporous. For example, a microporous substrate material has a porosity of less than 1000 microns. In some embodiments, the substrate material is nanoporous. For example, a nanoporous substrate material has a porosity of less than 1.0 microns. In some embodiments, the substrate material is non-porous. For example, a non-porous substrate material has a porosity that is substantially zero.

[0112] In some embodiments, the AHU communicates with the SCS to direct conditioned air for cooling certain server computers in the racks. In some embodiments, the AHU includes a modular insulation layer with multiple sub-zones of an evaporative base. The SCS controls one or more evaporative medium valves. The evaporative medium valves control the flow rate of evaporative medium through the evaporative medium pipe(s), which provide the evaporative medium to the sub-zones.

[0113] In some embodiments, the SCS communicates with multiple sensors, such as conditioned air sensors or rack sensors. In some embodiments, rack sensors are component sensors that measure and / or report the operating conditions of electronic components or the air conditions at the electronic components. For example, rack sensors can be component temperature sensors, component humidity sensors, or component barometers. The SCS can receive information measured by the sensors in response to changes made by the SCS to the AHU. In some examples, the SCS communicates with a fan configured to draw air into the OA and direct it toward the modular insulation. The air passes through the modular insulation and is exhausted from the AHU as conditioned air.

[0114] In some embodiments, different portions of conditioned air flow to different zones in the data center and the equipment therein. For example, a first column of conditioned air flows to a first server computer in a server rack. A first conditioned air sensor in or near the first column of conditioned air provides information to the SCS regarding the air properties of the first column of conditioned air exhausted from the AHU. In some embodiments, a second conditioned air sensor in or near the second column of conditioned air provides information to the SCS regarding the air properties of the second column of conditioned air exhausted from the AHU. In some embodiments, a third conditioned air sensor in or near the third column of conditioned air provides information to the SCS regarding the air properties of the third column of conditioned air exhausted from the AHU.

[0115] In some embodiments, a first column of conditioned air (near the bottom of the modular insulation layer and / or the bottom of the AHU) flows toward a first server computer in a server rack, and a first rack air sensor located at or near the bottom of the server rack provides information about air properties at the first server computer in the server rack to the SCS. In some embodiments, a second column of conditioned air (near the middle of the modular insulation layer and / or the middle of the AHU) flows toward a second server computer in the server rack, and a second rack air sensor located at or near the middle of the server rack provides information about air properties at the second server computer in the server rack to the SCS. In some embodiments, a third column of conditioned air (near the top of the modular insulation layer and / or the top of the AHU) flows toward a third server computer in the server rack, and a third rack air sensor located at or near the top of the server rack provides information about air properties at the third server computer in the server rack to the SCS.

[0116] In some embodiments, by monitoring changes in air properties measured by AHU sensors (e.g., conditioned air sensors) and data center sensors (e.g., rack sensors), the SCS can determine how changes in AHU operation affect air properties in different affected zones of the data center. For example, a third server computer located at or near the top of a server rack may require more thermal management capacity (e.g., cooling) because the air near the top of the server rack is warmer, as measured by the third rack sensor. In some examples, wetting a fourth sub-region of the modular insulation cools the third column of conditioned air more than the first or second columns of air, and the third column of conditioned air (near the top of the modular insulation and / or the top of the AHU) is determined to have a greater impact on the third server computer at the top of the server rack. By correlating the wetting pattern or other operating conditions of the modular insulation and / or AHU with information provided by the third rack sensor near the third server computer, the SCS can determine that the zone (and equipment) near the third rack sensor is an affected zone of the fourth sub-region 470-4 of the AHU and / or the third air column.

[0117] An affected interval is a zone, volume, area, or location within a data center where the measured air is affected by a change in the operating conditions of the AHU. For example, the affected interval may be affected by changes in the wetting of different sub-areas of the modular insulation layer, the amount of evaporative medium applied to the evaporative base, the AHU fan speed (e.g., of the fan), or other operating conditions of the AHU. In at least one example, the AHU includes a fan located before the modular insulation layer (in the direction of airflow) and a fan located after the modular insulation layer (in the direction of airflow). The fans, blowers, or other mechanisms used to move air through the AHU can mix the air exposed to the fans. Therefore, the relative impact of the AHU on the affected interval can change depending on the fan speed and the relative position of the fans in the AHU. The SCS can change the fan speed or the selected operating fan to adjust the impact on the affected interval.

[0118] In some embodiments, the affected intervals may be measured by equipment (such as server computers in a rack). In such examples, the SCS may measure or receive a heat demand request from equipment or sensors associated with the affected intervals, and the SCS may change at least one operating condition of the AHU to change the thermal management provided to the affected intervals.

[0119] In some embodiments, the affected intervals may be measured by rack (such as rows of individual server racks). In such examples, the SCS may measure or receive a thermal demand request from a rack manager, row manager, or sensor associated with the affected interval, and the SCS may change at least one operating condition of the AHU to change the thermal management supplied to the affected interval.

[0120] In some embodiments, the SCS communicates with AHUs and data center sensors associated with computer rooms containing different server rows. In some embodiments, the affected intervals can be measured on a row-by-row basis, such as by individual server rows. In such examples, the SCS can measure or receive thermal demand requests from row managers or data center sensors associated with the affected intervals, and the SCS can modify at least one operating condition of the AHU to alter the thermal management provided to the affected intervals.

[0121] In some embodiments, a first column of conditioned air (near the bottom of the modular insulation layer and / or the bottom of the AHU) flows to a first server room containing a first server row, and a first data center air sensor located at or near the first server row provides information about the air properties at the first server row to the SCS. In some embodiments, a second column of conditioned air (near the middle of the modular insulation layer and / or the middle of the AHU) flows to a second server room containing a second server row, and a second data center air sensor located at or near the second server row provides information about the air properties at the second server row to the SCS. In some embodiments, a third column of conditioned air (near the top of the modular insulation layer and / or the top of the AHU) flows to a third server room containing a third server row, and a third data center air sensor located at or near the third server row provides information about the air properties at the third server row to the SCS.

[0122] In some embodiments, by monitoring changes in air properties measured by AHU sensors (e.g., conditioned air sensors) and data center sensors (e.g., data center air sensors), the SCS can determine how changes in AHU operation affect air properties in different affected compartments of the data center. For example, the third server row may require more thermal management capacity (e.g., cooling) because the server room containing the third server row is located on the south side of the data center and is exposed to more sunlight than the first server room located on the north side of the data center. As will be described in more detail herein, the SCS can correlate the thermal demand of the affected compartments with weather, time of day, or other recurring conditions to predict thermal demand and prepare for it in advance.

[0123] In some embodiments, a thermal demand request is any measurement, report, communication, or information received, calculated, or obtained by the SCS related to the current or future temperature of a data center or a region of a data center. For example, a thermal demand request can be received from a device in the data center. The device can include a temperature sensor, and the device can transmit the thermal demand request based at least in part on the temperature of the device or the temperature at the device. In some examples, the device can transmit the thermal demand request based at least in part on the power consumption of the device (which indicates an increase in thermal energy generated by the device). In some examples, the device can transmit the thermal demand request based at least in part on the computational load of the device (which indicates an increase in thermal energy generated by the device). In some embodiments, the thermal demand request is received from a rack manager, a row manager, a control system (e.g., a virtual machine (VM) allocator), or other control device that transmits the thermal demand request based at least in part on the thermal energy generation of the devices in the data center.

[0124] In some embodiments, the heat demand request is obtained by the SCS from a network connection or from other control services in the data center, such as a VM allocator. For example, the SCS can request information from the VM allocator or other control services in the data center without waiting to receive a heat demand request. In some embodiments, the SCS obtains the heat demand request based at least in part on measurements from one or more data center sensors that measure temperature, humidity, power consumption, liquid cooling demand, etc. In at least one example, an increase in the demand for liquid cooling or immersion cooling working fluid can indicate an increase in thermal energy being exhausted to the air in the data center and can indicate an impending heat demand request.

[0125] In other examples, the SCS can obtain environmental information from one or more environmental sensors (such as external temperature sensors, humidity sensors, barometers, etc.) and / or network-based environmental information sources (such as weather reports). The weather reports can allow the SCS to determine the temperature or humidity of the outside air entering the data center. In some embodiments, the environmental information and / or weather reports can indicate future environmental conditions and / or weather conditions that the SCS can prepare for the data center.

[0126] In other examples, the SCS may obtain thermal demand requests based on reports or determinations calculated by the SCS. For example, the SCS may calculate thermal demand for one or more affected areas of the data center based on past trends indicating increased computing demand during periods of severe weather conditions. In at least one example, more users may request data center services when the weather includes precipitation or high winds and users are more likely to be indoors.

[0127] In some embodiments, thermal requirements may be related to computing conditions in the data center. Thermal requirements requests or demands may be calculated based on the processing load, power consumption, bandwidth consumption, VM allocation, or process allocation of devices or racks in the data center. This information may be reported to the SCS by devices, rack managers, row managers, or other control services.

[0128] In some embodiments, the SCS communicates with multiple components, devices, and services. In some embodiments, the SCS communicates data with multiple sensors in the data center and HVAC system. For example, the SCS can communicate data with cold aisle and / or hot aisle sensors in the HVAC system, conditioned air sensors and / or intake air sensors in the AHU, rack sensors, data center sensors, and other sensors (such as temperature sensors on server computers or other equipment throughout the data center). These multiple sensors provide information to the SCS.

[0129] In some embodiments, the SCS also communicates data with a control service (such as a dispatcher service) that assigns processes and / or VMs to devices in the data center. The control service can communicate the processing load, processing allocation, power consumption, scheduling, and other operational metrics of the data center's devices to the SCS. For example, the SCS can proactively adjust the data center's thermal management in response to the scheduled computing load provided by the control service.

[0130] In some embodiments, the SCS is in data communication with a network through which the SCS can obtain additional information related to the operation and thermal management of the data center from one or more networked services. In at least one example, the networked services include local or regional weather forecasts, which may not be available from local sensors in the data center. In other examples, the networked services may include local pricing, availability, or demand for utility grid electricity and / or municipal water supply. In some embodiments, the SCS may determine the amount of water or wetting pattern to be applied to the modular insulation layer of the AHU based at least in part on local pricing, availability, or demand for utility grid electricity and / or municipal water supply. For example, when utility grid electricity prices are high, the SCS may rely more on adiabatic cooling of the air in the AHU; and when water supplies are limited, the SCS may rely more on airflow through the HVAC system by increasing the fan speed of the AHU or other fans in the HVAC system.

[0131] In some embodiments, input from sensors, control services, networking services, and other sources is provided to an SCS engine, which calculates and / or determines operational settings and conditions for the AHU. As described herein, the SCS engine can make such determinations based at least in part on constraints and objective functions provided to the SCS engine.

[0132] In some embodiments, the objective function relates one or more inputs to control variables of the AHU or other parts of the data center. For example, the control variables include, but are not limited to, OA temperature, OA relative humidity, modular insulation state, number of available AHUs, water pump speed, AHU fan speed, bypass damper position, etc. The SCS engine can determine the values ​​of at least some of the control variables based at least in part on the values ​​of the state variables measured by sensors.

[0133] In some embodiments, at least some of the control variables are determined based on a psychrometric diagram. The psychrometric diagram relates the change in relative humidity based on temperature. The x-axis is the dry bulb temperature, which is the temperature indicated by a thermometer exposed to air away from direct solar radiation. The dry bulb temperature measures the temperature of the air. The relative humidity curve is the ratio of the mole fraction of water vapor to the mole fraction of saturated moist air at the same temperature and pressure. For example, the y-axis reflects the humidity ratio, which is the ratio of the mass of water vapor per unit mass of dry air. The relative humidity describes the humidity ratio as a percentage for air at a given temperature and pressure. As the dry bulb temperature decreases during the cooling process, the relative humidity of a given amount of water in the air increases, allowing additional water to be introduced into the air as a function of the humidity ratio.

[0134] In some embodiments, the SCS determines how much water to introduce into the modular insulation and / or determines the fan speed of the AHU based at least in part on the setpoint for relative humidity. Exceeding the dew point in the data center may cause condensation, and therefore, the SCS can determine the value of the control variable to avoid condensation. In at least some embodiments, a hygrometer assessment of relative humidity and / or dry-bulb temperature can allow the SCS to determine the fan speed and / or flow rate of the AHU to produce target cooling in the affected interval without causing condensation in the affected interval.

[0135] In some embodiments, a method of thermal management in a data center includes obtaining thermal demand information (eg, thermal demand requests), obtaining water source information, and obtaining power source information.

[0136] In some embodiments, the method includes determining, at the SCS and based at least in part on the heat demand information, the water source information, and the power supply information, a water flow rate through an evaporative medium valve toward a first sub-region of a modular insulation layer of an AHU, such as described herein. The SCS adjusts the evaporative medium valve and / or instructs the evaporative medium valve to provide the water flow rate to the first sub-region of the modular insulation layer. Air flowing through the modular insulation layer is conditioned by convective cooling and humidification of the water (or other evaporative medium).

[0137] In some embodiments, the method includes measuring at least one property of the conditioned air. In some embodiments, the measured property of the conditioned air is compared to at least one property of the air in the intake prior to conditioning. The SCS may further adjust the flow rate of the water or other evaporative medium based at least in part on the measured value of the property.

[0138] In some embodiments, the method further includes determining a fan speed of a fan in communication with the conditioned air. The SCS can then set the fan speed or instruct the fan to set the fan speed to the determined fan speed. In some embodiments, the fan speed is determined based at least in part on the flow rate of the water. For example, the air flow through the modular insulation layer can evaporate a portion of the water or other evaporative medium at a rate substantially equal to the flow rate of the water or other evaporative medium to the evaporative base of the modular insulation layer.

[0139] In some embodiments, the fan is located upstream of the modular insulation layer. For example, the fan may be located before the modular insulation layer in the direction of airflow. In some embodiments, the fan is located downstream of the modular insulation layer. For example, the fan may be located after the modular insulation layer in the direction of airflow. Conditioned air passing through different sub-areas of the evaporative base may be mixed in varying amounts based, at least in part, on the relative position of the fan to the evaporative base. In at least one embodiment, the fan is located in the AHU.

[0140] In some embodiments, the method further includes determining an affected zone affected by the first sub-zone. For example, a flow rate of water or other evaporative medium and / or a fan speed toward the first sub-zone may be determined based at least in part on a measured or calculated relationship between AHU operating conditions and sensor information provided by sensors located at the affected zone.

[0141] According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, in some embodiments, the pre-cooling cooler is in fluid communication with a water storage tank. In some embodiments, the pre-cooling cooler is part of an AHU. In some embodiments, the pre-cooling cooler is separate from and / or positioned before the AHU comprising the modular insulation layer. The water storage tank and / or the pre-cooling cooler are configured to receive water from a municipal water supply. When the municipal water supply has water available, the pre-cooling cooler can receive water directly from the municipal water supply. In some embodiments, the pre-cooling cooler receives water from the water storage tank.

[0142] In at least one embodiment, the water in the water storage tank is recycled water that is recaptured after circulating through the pre-cooling chiller. For example, water is received from a municipal water supply and directed to the pre-cooling chiller, where it cools the air conditioning unit (OA). A first portion of the water is then directed through evaporative media piping to the modular insulation layer for further air conditioning. In some embodiments, at least a second portion of the water is recycled back to the water storage tank. The water in the water storage tank can be directed through the pre-cooling chiller for additional circulation and / or directed through evaporative media piping to the modular insulation layer.

[0143] In some embodiments, the tank controller communicates with one or more water sensors to measure the inlet and outlet temperatures of water entering and leaving the pre-cooling chiller. In some embodiments, the tank controller changes the state of one or more valves to direct the flow of water from the storage tank and / or the municipal water supply, thereby adjusting the inlet temperature of the water entering the pre-cooling chiller. For example, the temperature of the water stored in the storage tank may be higher than the temperature of the municipal water supply, and the tank controller may adjust the ratio of municipal water to tank water entering the pre-cooling chiller to adjust the inlet temperature.

[0144] In some embodiments, the AHU is in data communication with a water tank controller and / or a water sensor. For example, the SCS or another controller of the AHU can communicate with the water tank controller and / or the water sensor to measure the water temperature of the pre-cooling chiller. In some embodiments, one or more operating parameters of the AHU are modified based on the temperature of the pre-cooling chiller, such as the flow rate of the evaporative medium toward the insulation layer, the fan speed of one or more fans in the AHU, or the damper position (e.g., the position of a bypass damper) when additional cooling of the air after the pre-cooling chiller is not required.

[0145] In some embodiments, additional or alternative water sources can be used. In some embodiments, the water source is a municipal water supply or a water storage tank. In some embodiments, the water source is a hydrogen fuel cell that generates electricity for the data center. A byproduct of the hydrogen fuel cell is water, which is directed to the first water storage tank. In some embodiments, the first water storage tank or the second water storage tank also receives water from a source of collected rainwater. By recycling water from additional and / or alternative water sources, the data center can limit its consumption of water from the municipal water supply.

[0146] In at least some embodiments, a thermal management system including modular insulation and an SCS that controls water flow to the modular insulation conserves water relative to conventional evaporative thermal management systems. Some embodiments can selectively cool affected areas by modularly and selectively applying water or other evaporative media to sub-areas of the modular insulation.

[0147] The present disclosure relates to systems and methods for cooling electronic components and / or devices according to at least the examples provided in the following sections:

[0148] [A1] In some embodiments, a thermal management system includes an air handling unit (AHU) configured to receive outside air (OA) from an OA intake and water from a water source, wherein the AHU is configured to direct conditioned air to a cold aisle, and the AHU includes a modular insulation layer containing an evaporative medium, and the modular insulation layer includes a plurality of sub-regions that are configured to be wetted by the evaporative medium independently of each other.

[0149] [A2] In some embodiments, the system of [A1] includes at least one data center sensor; at least one environmental sensor; and a supervisory control system (SCS) that communicates data with at least the AHU, at least one data center sensor, and at least one environmental sensor, and is configured to control at least one operating condition of the AHU.

[0150] [A3] In some embodiments, the environmental sensor of [A2] includes at least one of the following: an ambient temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, a water source temperature sensor, and a barometer.

[0151] [A4] In some embodiments, the data center sensor of [A2] includes at least one of the following: a component temperature sensor, a component humidity sensor, a data center temperature sensor, a data center humidity sensor, and a processing load sensor.

[0152] [A5] In some embodiments, the modular insulation layer of any one of [A1] to [A4] includes an evaporative substrate comprising a plurality of substrate materials.

[0153] [A6] In some embodiments, the SCS of any one of [A1] to [A5] controls water flow to at least a sub-region of the modular insulation layer.

[0154] [A7] In some embodiments, the SCS of [A6] is in data communication with a plurality of evaporative medium valves configured to control the delivery of evaporative medium to the plurality of sub-regions of the modular insulation layer.

[0155] [A8] In some embodiments, the modular insulation layer of any one of [A1] to [A7] comprises an evaporated substrate having a porosity of less than 1 micron.

[0156] [A9] In some embodiments, the SCS of any one of [A1] to [A8] controls at least one operating condition of the AHU, including at least one of a water pump speed, a fan speed, and a wet sub-zone of the modular insulation layer.

[0157] [A10] In some embodiments, the water source of any one of [A1] to [A9] is a fuel cell.

[0158] [A11] In some embodiments, the SCS of any one of [A1] to [A10] is in data communication with a dispenser.

[0159] [B1] In some embodiments, a method of thermal management in a data center includes: obtaining heat demand information at an SCS; obtaining water source information; obtaining power information; and based at least in part on the heat demand information, the water source information, and the power information: setting a water flow rate through an evaporative medium valve toward a first sub-area of ​​a modular insulation layer of an AHU; measuring at least one property of conditioned air conditioned by the AHU; and setting a fan speed of a fan connected to the conditioned air.

[0160] [B2] In some embodiments, the method of [B1] further includes: obtaining data center temperature information at a plurality of intervals in the data center; and determining an affected interval among the plurality of intervals that is affected by the first sub-region of the modular insulation layer.

[0161] [B3] In some embodiments, the water source information of [B1] or [B2] includes water source availability.

[0162] [B4] In some embodiments, the power source information of any one of [B1] to [B3] includes utility grid pricing information.

[0163] [B5] In some embodiments, setting the fan speed of any of the fans of [B1] to [B4] includes selecting at least one of an upstream fan or a downstream fan, wherein the upstream fan is located upstream of the modular insulation layer and the downstream fan is located downstream of the modular insulation layer.

[0164] [B6] In some embodiments, the fan of any one of [B1] to [B5] is located in the AHU.

[0165] [B7] In some embodiments, setting the water flow rate of any one of [B1] to [B6] is also based on a weather forecast.

[0166] [B8] In some embodiments, setting the water flow rate of any of [B1] to [B7] is based at least in part on the relative humidity of the air in the data center.

[0167] [C1] In some embodiments, a thermal management system for thermal management of a data center includes: an OA air inlet; a water storage tank in fluid communication with a pre-cooling chiller; an AHU configured to receive the OA from the OA air inlet, wherein the AHU is configured to direct conditioned air to a cold channel, and the AHU includes a modular insulation layer configured to receive water from the water storage tank; at least one data center sensor; at least one environmental sensor; and an SCS in data communication with at least the AHU, the at least one data center sensor, the at least one environmental sensor, and a control service of the data center, wherein the SCS is configured to control at least one operating condition of the pre-cooling chiller and the AHU.

[0168] The articles "a," "an," and "the" are intended to mean that one or more of the elements described above are present. The terms "comprising," "including," and "having" are intended to be inclusive and mean that in addition to the listed elements, additional elements may be present. Additionally, it should be understood that reference to "one embodiment" or "an embodiment" of the present disclosure is not intended to be interpreted as excluding the existence of additional embodiments that also incorporate the recited features. For example, any element described with respect to an embodiment herein may be combined with any element of any other embodiment described herein. The numbers, percentages, ratios, or other values ​​herein are intended to be inclusive of the value, and also include other values ​​that are "about," "substantially," or "approximately" the stated value, as will be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art, and are encompassed by the embodiments of the present disclosure. Therefore, the values ​​should be interpreted broadly enough to encompass values ​​that are at least close enough to the stated value to perform the desired function or achieve the desired result. The values ​​at least include variations expected in appropriate manufacturing or production processes, and may include values ​​that are within 5%, within 1%, within 0.1%, or within 0.01% of the stated value.

[0169] In view of the present disclosure, those skilled in the art will recognize that equivalent constructions do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure, and that various changes, substitutions, and modifications may be made to the embodiments disclosed herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. Equivalent constructions (including functional "means plus function" clauses) are intended to cover structures described herein that perform the functions described, including structural equivalents that operate in the same manner and equivalent structures that provide the same functions. Applicants expressly state that, except for claims in which the phrase "means for..." appears together with the associated function, no "means plus function" or other functional claims will be cited in any claim. Any additions, deletions, and modifications to the embodiments shall be covered by the claims as long as they fall within the meaning and scope of the claims.

[0170] It should be understood that any directions or reference frames in the foregoing description are merely relative directions or movements. For example, any references to "front" and "back," "up" and "down," "left" and "right" are merely descriptions of the relative positions or movements of the relevant elements.

[0171] The present disclosure may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from its spirit or characteristics. The described embodiments should be considered as illustrative rather than restrictive. Therefore, the scope of the present disclosure is indicated by the appended claims rather than the foregoing description. Changes within the meaning and range of equivalents of the claims are intended to be encompassed within their scope.

Claims

1. A thermal management system comprising: An air handling unit (AHU) (234) configured to receive outside air (OA) (240) from an OA inlet (241) and water (254) from a water source, wherein: The AHU is configured to direct conditioned air (258) toward a cold aisle (118), and includes a modular insulation layer (250) containing an evaporative medium (254), and The modular insulation layer (350) includes a plurality of sub-regions (370) configured to be wetted by the evaporative medium independently of one another.

2. The thermal management system according to claim 1, further comprising: at least one data center sensor; at least one environmental sensor; as well as A supervisory control system (SCS) is in data communication with at least the AHU, the at least one data center sensor, and the at least one environmental sensor, and is configured to control at least one operating condition of the AHU. 3 . The thermal management system of claim 2 , wherein the environmental sensor comprises at least one of: an ambient temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, a water source temperature sensor, and a barometer.

4. The thermal management system of claim 2, wherein the data center sensor comprises at least one of a component temperature sensor, a component humidity sensor, a data center temperature sensor, a data center humidity sensor, and a process load sensor.

5. The thermal management system of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the modular insulation layer comprises an evaporative substrate comprising a plurality of substrate materials.

6. The thermal management system of any preceding claim, wherein the SCS controls water flow to at least the sub-region of the modular insulation layer. 7 . The thermal management system of claim 6 , wherein the SCS is in data communication with a plurality of evaporative medium valves configured to control delivery of the evaporative medium to the plurality of sub-regions of the modular insulation layer.

8. The thermal management system of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the modular insulation layer comprises an evaporative substrate having a porosity of less than 1 micron.

9. The thermal management system of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the SCS controls at least one operating condition of the AHU, the operating condition of the AHU comprising at least one of: a water pump speed, a fan speed, and a wet sub-area of ​​the modular insulation layer.

10. The thermal management system of any preceding claim, wherein the water source is a fuel cell.

11. The thermal management system of any preceding claim, wherein the SCS is in data communication with a distributor.

12. A method for thermal management in a data center, the method comprising: At the Supervisory Control System (SCS), Get (890) heat demand information; Get (892) water source information; obtaining (894) power information; and Based at least in part on the thermal demand information, the water source information, and the power supply information: setting (896) a water flow rate through an evaporative medium valve to a first sub-zone of a modular insulation layer of an air handling unit (AHU); measuring (898) at least one property of conditioned air conditioned by the AHU; and A fan speed is set (899) for a fan in communication with the conditioned air.

13. The method according to claim 12, further comprising: Acquiring data center temperature information at multiple intervals in the data center; as well as An affected interval of the plurality of intervals that is affected by the first sub-region of the modular insulation layer is determined.

14. The method according to claim 12 or 13, wherein the water source information includes water source availability.

15. The method of any one of claims 12 to 14, wherein the power supply information comprises utility grid pricing information.

16. The method of any one of claims 12 to 15, wherein setting the fan speed of a fan comprises: At least one of an upstream fan or a downstream fan is selected, wherein the upstream fan is upstream of the modular thermal insulation layer and the downstream fan is downstream of the modular thermal insulation layer.

17. The method of any one of claims 12 to 16, wherein the fan is in the AHU.

18. A method according to any one of claims 12 to 17, wherein setting the water flow rate is further based on a weather forecast.

19. The method of any one of claims 12 to 18, wherein setting the water flow rate is based at least in part on the relative humidity of the air in the data center.

20. A thermal management system for thermal management of a data center, comprising: an outside air (OA) inlet (240); a water storage tank (903) in fluid communication with the pre-cooling cooler (901); an air handling unit (AHU) (934) configured to receive OA from the OA air inlet, wherein the AHU is configured to direct conditioned air toward a cold aisle (118), and the AHU includes a modular insulation layer (950) configured to receive water from the water storage tank; at least one data center sensor (130); at least one environmental sensor (262); and A supervisory control system (SCS) (428) is in data communication with at least the AHU, the at least one data center sensor, the at least one environmental sensor, and a control service of the data center, and is configured to control at least one operating condition of the precooling chiller and the AHU.

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