On-Floor Data Center Cooling for Low PUE Without Chillers
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Solution Overview
Problem
Data centers face high operational costs due to both the energy required to power electronic equipment and the additional energy needed for cooling, as the heat generated by thousands of microprocessors necessitates extensive use of energy-intensive cooling systems like chillers and cooling towers.
Innovation Solution
A method and system for cooling data centers that involves monitoring outside and inside temperatures to adjust the temperature setpoints, using cooler water when outside temperatures are low and warmer water when high, with a focus on minimizing the use of expensive chillers and optimizing the flow of water through on-floor cooling units, allowing the internal temperature to rise temporarily to reduce cooling demands.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If energy-intensive cooling systems (chillers, cooling towers) are used to remove heat from data centers, then the temperature control and reliability of electronic equipment is improved, but the power consumption and operational cost increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the operating temperature parameters of the data center from conventional low temperatures (e.g., 20°C) to elevated temperatures (e.g., 30-40°C or higher). This parameter change allows the use of passive cooling methods and natural convection instead of energy-intensive active cooling systems, thereby reducing power consumption while maintaining equipment reliability within acceptable ranges
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts and removes the energy-intensive chiller and cooling tower components from the cooling system. By eliminating these high-power consumption devices and replacing them with simpler, passive cooling mechanisms, the system achieves temperature control with significantly reduced energy usage
2Object-generated harmful factors
If more cooling capacity is deployed to handle heat from thousands of microprocessors, then the heat removal effectiveness is improved, but the complexity and cost of the cooling system increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes complex active cooling components (chillers, pumps, fans, control systems) from the cooling infrastructure and replaces them with passive cooling elements that rely on natural convection, radiation, and conduction, thereby simplifying the overall system while maintaining heat removal capability
Solution Approach 2:
The cooling system is designed to operate autonomously using passive cooling principles where the data center structure itself facilitates heat dissipation through natural air currents and thermal radiation, eliminating the need for complex active control systems and mechanical components
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 the power usage effectiveness of data centers, minimizes the need for energy-intensive cooling components, and extends the lifetime of electronic equipment by limiting the duration of elevated temperatures, while also reducing water usage and operational costs.
Implementation Method 1
maintaining the leaving air temperature below an inside setpoint by causing water to flow through the on-floor cooling unit
Implementation Method 2
flowing water through the on-floor cooling unit
Implementation Method 3
monitoring a temperature of water supplied from a cooling tower
Data Source
AI summary
A system for providing cooled air to electronic equipment includes a data center having electronic equipment in operation, a plurality of on-floor cooling units, and a cooling water source. The on-floor cooling units cool air warmed by the electronic equipment. The cooling water source is configured to supply cooling water that reduces a temperature of the on-floor cooling units. The power usage effectiveness (“PUE”) of the system is less than 1.3, wherein the PUE is defined by energy used to operate the data center divided by energy used to run the electronic equipment.