Container Skin Heat Exchanger for Free Cooling Data Centers
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Solution Overview
Problem
Containerized data centers face challenges in remote and extreme locations due to their reliance on less efficient air-cooled chillers for cooling, leading to rising operational costs.
Innovation Solution
A system utilizing finned piping embedded in the corrugated external skin of the container for heat transfer, leveraging the container's surface area and thermal conductivity to reduce dependency on air-cooled chillers by employing a free cooling process that maximizes heat transfer performance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If air-cooled chillers are used for cooling in remote locations, then the data center can operate under extreme conditions, but the cooling efficiency decreases and operational costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the cooling function from the air-cooled chiller system and relocates it to the container's external skin through integrated heat exchanger fins. This separates the cooling capability from the traditional chiller equipment, allowing the container to utilize its own surface area for heat rejection directly to the ambient environment, thereby improving cooling efficiency while maintaining operational adaptability in remote locations
Solution Approach 2:
The container's external skin is given multiple functions: it serves as both the structural enclosure and as a heat rejection surface through integrated fins. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate cooling equipment in many cases, improving energy efficiency while maintaining the ability to operate in various remote locations
2Reliability
If air-cooled chillers are used for cooling, then the data center can maintain operation under extreme conditions, but the power consumption and cooling loads increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the heat rejection function with the container's external skin by integrating heat exchanger fins directly into the container structure. This combination allows the container to passively reject heat to the ambient environment without requiring additional power-consuming equipment, thereby maintaining reliable operation while significantly reducing power consumption and cooling loads
Solution Approach 2:
The container's external skin with integrated fins serves as a self-service cooling system that utilizes ambient environmental conditions to reject heat. The system automatically adapts to environmental temperatures without requiring active control or additional energy input, reducing power consumption while maintaining continuous operation capability
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 solution allows for partial or full cooling using outside environmental conditions, significantly reducing the power and cooling load on air-cooled chillers, especially when temperatures drop below 35°F, and provides varying levels of pre-cooling between 35°F and 55°F, thereby lowering operational costs.
Implementation Method 1
A free cooling process... is described. Finned piping is embedded in an insulation layer, within the corrugated external skin of the container, to facilitate this process.
Implementation Method 2
using the surface area of the container for heat transfer to the outside
Implementation Method 3
an insulating material disposed between the outer surface of the container and an inner area of the container
Data Source
AI summary
A heat exchanger system having a container having an inner chamber containing the media from which heat is to be pulled, and further having an outer surface to which is attached corrugated columns of thermally conducting material, cooling fluid conduits through the corrugated columns supplied with cooling water, at least the outer surface of the container and the corrugated columns is composed of metal and the outer surface of the container is separated from the inner surface by insulator material. It also contains a temperature monitor and controller for controlling the cooling system based upon the environment temperature to save energy.