Cold Aisle Cooling Wall Layout for Low-Pressure Airflow
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cooling arrangements for data centers and computer rooms face inefficiencies in energy usage and flow conditions due to high pressure losses caused by fans, particularly in designs with hollow floors and radial fans.
Innovation Solution
The method involves integrating fans directly into the boundary wall, forming a cooling wall with heat exchangers, where cold aisles emanate from the wall, allowing warm air to pass through the heat exchangers and be sucked in by fans positioned on the pressure side within the cold aisle, eliminating the need for a cavity floor and enabling the use of axial fans with large impellers for high energy efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If radial fans are used in hollow floor cooling arrangements, then cooling capability is achieved, but pressure losses are high and energy efficiency is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the conventional cooling arrangement by placing the fan on the pressure side within the cold aisle rather than using a hollow floor with radial fans. This inversion allows the use of axial fans with large impellers that have lower pressure losses and higher energy efficiency while still achieving effective cooling of the cold aisle.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the fan from the hollow floor structure and relocates it to the boundary wall opening. This extraction eliminates the need for a complex hollow floor system and allows direct integration of the fan into the wall structure, simplifying the overall system while improving energy efficiency.
2Area of stationary object
If fans are integrated into the boundary wall, then installation area is compact and maintenance is easy, but structural complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the fan integration directly into the boundary wall structure, combining multiple functions (structural support, cooling air supply, and fan housing) into a single integrated component. This merging reduces the overall installation area while the modular design keeps maintenance straightforward.
3Productivity
If cold aisles emanate directly from the boundary wall, then flow conditions are optimized and energy efficiency improves, but the system becomes more sensitive to installation precision
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by creating direct connections between the cold aisle and the boundary wall at specific locations, optimizing airflow patterns where needed most. This localized approach improves energy efficiency by reducing unnecessary airflow paths while the modular nature of the direct connections makes them relatively tolerant to installation variations.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This configuration achieves high energy efficiency with low pressure losses, optimal flow conditions, and easy maintenance, as the cooling system components can be accessed from a separate maintenance corridor, while maintaining a compact installation area.
Implementation Method 1
at least one area of the boundary wall is partially configured as a cooling wall by at least one heat exchanger
Implementation Method 2
at least one fan via the at least one heat exchanger cooled air is supplied to the at least one cold aisle
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
AI summary
The invention relates to a method and to an arrangement for air-conditioning at least one cold aisle (10, 12, 14) which is at least partially bounded by heat-producing devices and is arranged in a warm space (40), wherein the warm space is separated from a second space (44) by means of a boundary wall (42) and at least one region of the boundary wall is formed by a heat exchanger (70, 72, 74, 76, 78, 80), and wherein air which is made to pass via the heat exchanger by means of the fan (88, 90, 92) is supplied to the cold aisle. In that context, at least one opening (82, 84, 86) is present in the boundary wall (42), this opening being assigned the fan (88, 90, 92). The cold aisle (10, 12, 14) is connected to the boundary wall such that the cold aisle surrounds the opening.