Data Center Air Cooling Using Outside Air and Server Waste Heat
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Solution Overview
Problem
Data centers face increased power consumption and costs due to inefficient cooling methods, particularly as the number of servers grows, with conventional Computer Room Air Conditioners (CRACs) recirculating warm air and increasing energy usage.
Innovation Solution
A data center design that utilizes external air for cooling, incorporating a chiller that captures heat generated by servers through an adsorption or absorption process, and an evaporative cooling system to reduce power consumption by activating cooling only when necessary, with thermal storage units and sensors to optimize energy use.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If a CRAC circulates and recirculates air within the data center, then the air is cooled and servers are maintained at operational temperatures, but power consumption increases and cooling efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the harmful recirculation loop by introducing fresh outside air into the data center cooling system. Instead of continuously recirculating warm return air through the CRAC, the system brings in cooler outside air directly, eliminating the need to re-cool already-warmed air and significantly reducing CRAC power consumption while maintaining server operating temperatures
Solution Approach 2:
The CRAC unit performs multiple functions: it cools both the incoming outside air and the return air from servers, while also serving as a heat exchanger that can transfer heat between different air streams. This multi-functionality allows the system to optimize cooling efficiency by utilizing the temperature differential between outside air and server return air, reducing overall energy consumption
2Productivity
If the number of servers in a data center increases, then computing capacity improves, but power consumption for cooling increases commensurately
Solution Approach 1:
The invention converts the harmful effect of hot server return air into a beneficial cooling resource. By using the temperature differential between outside air and server return air, the system creates a natural heat exchange mechanism where the coldest air (outside air) contacts the hottest surfaces (server exhaust areas), maximizing heat transfer efficiency and reducing the energy needed to cool additional servers as computing capacity scales
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 approach reduces power usage for cooling servers by leveraging external air and efficient heat management, minimizing energy consumption and costs while maintaining effective cooling.
Implementation Method 1
By using the captured heat in an adsorption process or in an absorption process, the chiller produces a refrigerant
Implementation Method 2
By using the captured heat in an adsorption process or in an absorption process, the chiller produces a refrigerant
Implementation Method 3
an evaporative cooling system receives air from the air supply unit and evaporatively cools the air before it reaches the air handling unit
Implementation Method 4
the chiller produces a refrigerant, which is received by an evaporator and used to generate a chilled fluid
Data Source
AI summary
To reduce power consumption and more efficiently cool computing devices in a data center, an air supply unit supplies air from outside the data center to an air handling unit, which cools servers within the data center using the supplied air. Using air from outside the data center, rather than recirculating and cooling air from within the data center, reduces the power consumption of the data center. In an embodiment, a chiller and/or an evaporative cooling system are coupled to the air supply unit to allow further cooling of the outside air before it is circulated. Heat generated by the servers within the data center is collected, for example using thermal pathways coupled to server components, and used by the chiller in an absorption or adsorption process to further reduce power consumption of the data center and allow the air handling unit to further cool the outside air.