Modular data center water mist refrigerant air conditioner and related data center

Abstract

The present invention relates to a modular data center water mist refrigerant air conditioner and its data center. The modular data center water mist refrigerant air conditioner of the present invention includes a housing and an air conditioning system, and the air conditioning system includes a heat exchanger, a mist device, an air circulation side fan and a mist side fan, the heat exchanger has a bilateral bidirectional multi-row microchannel, the mist device and the pressure regulating device cooperate to form mist, the mist side fan forms negative pressure, the mist in the heat exchanger evaporates along the CD direction under negative pressure to absorb heat and perform cooling, the air circulation side fan draws the air in the space to be cooled into the microchannel of the heat exchanger along the AB direction, the air completes heat exchange in the microchannel and then discharges into the space to be cooled. Its beneficial effects are as follows: using water mist as the refrigerant, it can evaporate and cool with a slight negative pressure, the cooling device does not need to be driven by a compressor to circulate the refrigerant, and the complexity of the equipment is greatly reduced, the structure is simple, the energy consumption is low, the cost is low, the cooling efficiency is high, and the manufacturing cost and the operating cost are reduced.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of data center air conditioners, and more particularly to a modular data center water mist refrigerant air conditioner and the data center. [Background technology]

[0002] In the fields of communications and information technology, a data center is a computer room housing servers. With the rapid development of modern computer and Internet technology, data centers play an important role in all fields. Data centers have complex internal structures, and information systems consisting of servers and network equipment consume electrical energy to complete computing tasks and generate heat. The heat dissipation and cooling of servers and other equipment in computer rooms consumes a large amount of electrical energy. The energy consumption problem has led to the emergence of the concept of a green data center. High energy consumption has become a bottleneck in the environmentally friendly and sustainable development of data centers. Energy consumption from air conditioning systems accounts for a large portion of a data center's total energy consumption, and reducing this energy consumption is a key part of data centers' efforts to improve their electrical energy usage efficiency.

[0003] Currently, air conditioning systems used in data centers generally use a vapor compression cooling system, circulating a refrigerant through a compressor. The cooling system mainly consists of a compressor, condenser, throttle device, and evaporator. During cooling, the compressor extracts refrigerant from the evaporator, compresses it, and then sends it to the condenser where it is cooled and condensed. The condenser then releases the heat released by the refrigerant into the air, causing the refrigerant to change from a gas to a liquid. After the refrigerant is throttled by the throttle device in the condenser, its pressure drops sharply. The liquid refrigerant turns into a gas as it flows through the evaporator, absorbing a large amount of heat from the air. As the compressor continues to operate, the refrigerant continuously absorbs heat from one end of the evaporator, then sends it to the condenser to release it into the air. During this cycle, the refrigerant absorbs heat indoors and releases it outdoors, lowering the indoor temperature. This cooling method has the drawback of high energy consumption. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Therefore, the motivation for the present invention is to provide a modular water mist refrigerant air conditioner for data centers that has a simple structure, low energy consumption, low cost, and high cooling efficiency, and a data center using the same.

[0005] To overcome the deficiencies of the prior art, the present invention aims to provide a modular water mist refrigerant air conditioner for data centers that has a simple structure, low energy consumption, low cost, and high cooling efficiency. Another object of the present invention is to provide a water mist refrigerant air conditioner for data centers that requires a small installation area, is easy to install, and is safe and reliable to operate by eliminating the effects of external temperature and humidity. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The technical solution of the modular water mist refrigerant air conditioner for data centers provided by the present invention is as follows: A modular data center water mist refrigerant air conditioner includes a housing and an air conditioning system. The air conditioning system includes a heat exchanger, an atomized water device, an air circulation fan, and a mist fan. The heat exchanger has bidirectional multi-row microchannels extending in both directions along the AB direction and the CD direction. The mist fan is located outside the housing. The atomized water device is located on one side of the heat exchanger and includes a pressure regulator. The atomized water device and the pressure regulator work together to form mist. The mist fan generates negative pressure, and the mist evaporates and absorbs heat within the heat exchanger under the negative pressure along the CD direction to perform cooling. The air circulation fan draws air from the space to be cooled into the microchannels of the heat exchanger along the AB direction. After heat exchange within the microchannels is completed, the air is discharged into the space to be cooled.

[0007] Specifically, the heat exchanger is a dividing wall heat exchanger or a shell and tube heat exchanger.

[0008] Specifically, the pressure inside the atomized water device cavity is more than 20 Pa lower than the ambient atmospheric pressure.

[0009] Specifically, the pressure regulator is an electric air valve and a negative pressure sensor.

[0010] Specifically, the atomized water device is a high-pressure pump atomization device, or compressed air atomizer, Alternatively, it is an ultrasonic atomization device.

[0011] Specifically, a water softener is provided in the pipe that supplies water to the atomized water device.

[0012] A modular container-type data center includes modular containers that have spaces for accommodating servers and are connected to each other by air ducts, and an air conditioner, wherein the air conditioner is the modular data center water mist refrigerant air conditioner described above.

[0013] Specifically, the air conditioner includes a first heat exchanger and a second heat exchanger, which are fixed to the ceiling of the modular container by a first atomized water device and a second atomized water device, respectively. A mist-side fan installed outside the housing draws in the mist through an air duct, and an air circulation fan installed at the bottom of the heat exchanger draws the air inside the modular container into the microchannels of the heat exchanger to perform heat exchange.

[0014] Specifically, the data center includes N modular containers, and the atomizing water devices in the N modular containers are supplied with water by water supply pipes, and the other side of the atomizing water devices is connected to the atomizing air fan outside the enclosure by an air duct; All surfaces in the data center are covered with heat insulation boards.

[0015] Specifically, the data center includes a liquid injection carbon dioxide gas fire fighting system, the liquid injection carbon dioxide gas fire fighting system includes a liquid reservoir for storing liquid carbon dioxide and a liquid carbon dioxide fire fighting pipeline, the liquid carbon dioxide fire fighting pipeline is connected to each modular container, A T-shaped pipe is installed at the ceiling fan's outlet to recover waste heat. [Effects of the Invention]

[0016] The implementation of the present invention includes the following technical advantages: In the modular data center water mist refrigerant air conditioner of this invention, the water mist refrigerant is a mixed gas formed from water and air under slight negative pressure. On the negative pressure mist side, atomized water droplets generated by the atomizing device are formed into mist through the cooperation of the mist-side fan and pressure regulator. As they pass through the microchannels of the heat exchanger, they evaporate and cool without boiling in a slight negative pressure environment where the pressure is more than 20 Pa lower than the ambient atmospheric pressure. Specifically, each microdroplet continuously absorbs heat through radiation or conduction. The dual effects of negative pressure and radiation allow the surface water molecules of the microdroplets to easily escape from their internal forces, evaporating and absorbing heat under negative pressure, or the larger atomized water droplets break down into smaller droplets and absorb heat, thereby cooling the hot air. On the air circulation side, the air circulation fan draws air from the space to be cooled into the air-side microchannels of the heat exchanger, completing heat exchange within the air-side microchannels, and then expelling the air from the other side of the microchannels into the space to be cooled, thereby achieving cooling.

[0017] The water mist refrigerant air conditioner of the present invention has a simple structure, low energy consumption, low cost, high cooling efficiency, and can avoid the impact of outdoor temperature and humidity on the indoor air. The present invention uses water as the refrigerant, atomizing the water and mixing it with air to form mist, which evaporates and cools with slight negative pressure. This cooling device does not require a compressor to circulate the refrigerant (vapor compression circulating cooling), and the PUE (Power Usage Effectiveness) value of the data center can be as low as 1.05. The complexity of the equipment is greatly reduced, reducing manufacturing and operating costs. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0018] [Figure 1] 1 is a front view of a modular water mist refrigerant air conditioner for a data center according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. [Figure 2] 1 is a side view of a modular water mist refrigerant air conditioner for a data center according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. [Figure 3] 3 is a schematic diagram of the connection structure between the heat exchanger and the atomized water device. FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a structural schematic diagram of a heat exchanger. [Figure 5] FIG. 1 is a front structural schematic diagram of a modular container-type data center according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] FIG. 1 is a side view of a modular container-type data center according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a local three-dimensional structure of a modular container-type data center according to an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0019] The present invention will be described in detail below in conjunction with examples and drawings, and the examples described herein have no limiting effect and are merely used to understand the present invention.

[0020] As shown in Figures 1 to 4, the modular data center water mist refrigerant air conditioner provided in this embodiment includes a housing 1 and an air conditioning system. The air conditioning system includes a heat exchanger 4, an atomized water device 5, an air circulation fan 2, and a mist side fan 3. The heat exchanger 4 has bidirectional multi-row microchannels extending in both directions AB and CD. The mist side fan 3 is installed outside the housing 1. The atomized water device 5 is installed on one side of the heat exchanger 4 and includes a pressure regulator 6. The atomized water device 5 and the pressure regulator 6 work together to form mist. The mist side fan 3 creates negative pressure so that the mist evaporates and absorbs heat within the heat exchanger 4 in the CD direction, thereby providing cooling. The air circulation fan 2 draws air from the space to be cooled into the microchannels of the heat exchanger 4 in the AB direction. After heat exchange within the microchannels is completed, the air is discharged into the space to be cooled. In this example, the CD direction and the AB direction are described as being distributed on different sides, with each side having multiple rows of microchannels, and the CD direction and the AB direction are simply used to easily describe the solution, and the mist direction and air direction may be straight, oblique, or curved. In the modular data center water mist refrigerant air conditioner of this invention, the water mist refrigerant is a mixed gas formed from water and air under slight negative pressure. On the negative pressure mist side, atomized water droplets generated by the atomizing water device 5 are formed into mist by the cooperation of the mist-side fan 3 and pressure regulator 6. As they pass through the microchannels of the heat exchanger 4, they evaporate and cool without boiling under a slight negative pressure that is more than 20 Pa lower than the ambient atmospheric pressure. Specifically, each microdroplet continuously absorbs heat through radiation or conduction. The dual effects of negative pressure and radiation allow the surface water molecules of the microdroplets to easily escape from their internal forces, evaporating and absorbing heat under the negative pressure, or the larger atomized water droplets further break down into smaller droplets and absorb heat, thereby cooling the heated air. On the air circulation side, the air circulation fan 2 draws air from the space to be cooled into the air-side microchannels of the heat exchanger 4, where heat exchange is completed and the air is discharged from the other side of the microchannels into the space to be cooled, thereby achieving cooling.

[0021] Specifically, the heat exchanger 4 is a partition-type heat exchanger or a shell-and-tube heat exchanger. The heat exchanger 4 has horizontal and vertical intersecting microchannels, with the horizontal and vertical microchannels separated by fins. The horizontal and vertical microchannels exchange energy only, without exchanging mist or other substances, thereby preventing the indoor temperature and humidity from being affected. The pressure within the cavity of the atomized water device 5 is at least 20 Pa lower than the ambient atmospheric pressure. The pressure regulator 6, consisting of an electric air valve and a negative pressure sensor, cooperates with the mist-side fan 3 to create a predetermined negative pressure. When the air conditioning system is operating, a small amount of outdoor air enters the cavity of the atomized water device 5 through the electric air valve, causing the atomized water within the cavity to form mist, accelerating the flow and evaporating the atomized water, which then causes the large atomized water droplets to break down into smaller droplets. Both evaporation and decomposition of the droplets absorb heat.

[0022] In one example, the atomized water device 5 is a high-pressure pump atomizer, in which high-pressure water generated by a high-pressure water pump is atomized through a nozzle. In another example, the atomized water device 5 is an ultrasonic atomizer, which includes an ultrasonic atomization sheet that atomizes water in cooperation with ultrasound. In a third example, the atomized water device 5 is a compressed air atomizer, in which water and air are mixed in the spray head and then sprayed into the spray chamber as water mist. The spray head is connected to an air compressor via an air compressor connection port and to a water storage device via a water supply port, and the water is atomized by the action of high-pressure gas generated by the air compressor. A water softener is installed in the water supply pipe to the atomized water device 5, so that the softened water can prevent scale formation. The water atomizer 5 further includes a water supply pipe that is connected to a water tank or a water pipe to continuously supply water into the closed housing. The water supply pipe may be a single straight pipe, or two or more pipes may be arranged side by side, or may be arranged in a disk shape surrounded by a single pipe. A plurality of water atomizers 5 are provided scattered within the closed housing.

[0023] As shown in Figures 5 and 6, the modular container-type data center provided in this embodiment includes modular containers and air conditioners, with spaces for accommodating servers provided within the modular containers. The modular containers are connected by air ducts, and the air conditioner is the above-mentioned modular data center water mist refrigerant air conditioner. The air ducts and the air conditioning system form a complete negative pressure evaporative cooling system. The data center of the present invention greatly improves space utilization, saves construction costs, speeds up construction, and realizes standardization and centralization of construction.

[0024] As shown in Figures 1, 2, 5, and 6, the air conditioner includes a first heat exchanger and a second heat exchanger, which are fixed to the ceiling of the modular container by a first atomized water device and a second atomized water device, respectively. A mist-side fan 3 installed outside the housing 1 sucks mist through an air duct 7, and an air circulation fan 2 installed at the bottom of the heat exchanger 4 draws air from the modular container into the microchannels of the heat exchanger 4 for heat exchange. As shown in Figures 5 and 6, the data center includes N modular containers, each equipped with a heat exchanger 4. The atomized water devices 5 in the N modular containers are supplied with water through a water supply pipe, and the mist discharge side of the heat exchanger 4 is connected to the mist-side fan 3 outside the housing 1 by an air duct 7. As shown in Figure 7, the air duct 7 includes horizontal and vertical air ducts, forming a series or parallel connection. The data center's surfaces are all equipped with heat insulation panels to prevent the effects of external heat sources and impurities, and the cooling amount is calculated based on the heat generated by the servers, ensuring accurate temperature control. T-shaped pipes are installed at the outlets of the ceiling fans to recover waste heat. Temperature sensors are installed inside the modular containers to detect the temperature inside the container and control the amount of cooling.

[0025] Preferably, the data center includes a liquid injection carbon dioxide gas firefighting system, which includes a liquid reservoir for storing liquid carbon dioxide and a liquid carbon dioxide firefighting pipeline (not shown), with the liquid carbon dioxide firefighting pipeline connected to each modular container. The liquid carbon dioxide liquid reservoir is installed under the permafrost layer. Liquid carbon dioxide is used for firefighting and fire suppression, does not cause secondary damage to objects, has natural advantages, and for a storage tank with the same volume, the liquid storage volume is much larger than the gas storage volume, resulting in a larger fire suppression area.

[0026] The water mist refrigerant air conditioner of the present invention has a simple structure, low energy consumption, low cost, high cooling efficiency, and can avoid the impact of outdoor temperature and humidity on the indoor air. The present invention uses water as the refrigerant, atomizing the water and mixing it with air to form mist, which evaporates and cools with slight negative pressure. This cooling device does not require a compressor to circulate the refrigerant (vapor compression circulating cooling), and the PUE (Power Usage Effectiveness) value of the data center can be as low as 1.05. The complexity of the equipment is greatly reduced, reducing manufacturing and operating costs.

[0027] Finally, the above embodiments do not limit the protection scope of the present invention, but are merely intended to illustrate the technical solution of the present invention. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art can understand that modifications or equivalent substitutions can be made to the technical solution of the present invention without departing from the essence and scope of the technical solution of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0028] 1 ···Housing; 2. Air circulation side fan; 3. Mist side fan; 4...heat exchanger; 5...atomization water device; 6 ···Pressure regulator; 7. Air duct.

Claims

1. a modular data center water mist refrigerant air conditioner including a housing and an air conditioning system, the air conditioning system including a heat exchanger, an atomized water device, an air circulation side fan, and a mist side fan, the heat exchanger having bidirectional multi-row microchannels along the A-B direction and the C-D direction, the mist side fan being installed outside the housing, the atomized water device being installed on one side of the heat exchanger and including a pressure adjustment device, the atomized water device and the pressure adjustment device working together to form mist, the mist side fan creating negative pressure, the mist evaporating along the C-D direction under the negative pressure to absorb heat and perform cooling within the heat exchanger, the air circulation side fan drawing air from a space to be cooled into the microchannels of the heat exchanger along the A-B direction, the air completing heat exchange in the microchannels and then being discharged into the space to be cooled; The pressure adjusting device is an electric air valve and a negative pressure sensor, and cooperates with the mist side fan to form a predetermined negative pressure.

2. The modular data center water mist refrigerant air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein the heat exchanger is a partition wall type heat exchanger or a shell and tube type heat exchanger.

3. 2. The modular water-mist refrigerant air conditioner for data centers according to claim 1, wherein the pressure in the cavity of the atomized water device is at least 20 Pa lower than the ambient atmospheric pressure.

4. The atomized water device is a high-pressure pump atomization device; or compressed air atomizer, The modular water mist refrigerant air conditioner for data centers according to claim 1, characterized in that it is an ultrasonic atomization device.

5. 2. The modular water-mist refrigerant air conditioner for data centers according to claim 1, wherein a water softener is provided in the pipe supplying water to the atomized water device.

6. A modular container-type data center comprising modular containers having spaces for accommodating servers and connected to each other by air ducts, and an air conditioner, wherein the air conditioner is a modular data center water mist refrigerant air conditioner as described in any one of claims 1 to 5.

7. The modular container-type data center described in claim 6, characterized in that the air conditioner includes a first heat exchanger and a second heat exchanger, the first heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger being fixed to the ceiling of the modular container by a first atomized water device and a second atomized water device, respectively, a mist-side fan installed outside the housing sucks out the mist through an air duct, and an air circulation-side fan installed at the bottom of the heat exchanger sucks the air inside the modular container into the microchannels of the heat exchanger to perform heat exchange.

8. The modular container-type data center described in claim 6, characterized in that the data center includes N modular containers, the atomizing water devices in the N modular containers are supplied with water by water supply pipes, and the atomizing air discharge side of the heat exchanger is connected to an atomizing air side fan outside the enclosure by an air duct.

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