Economizer Heat Exchangers for Edge Data Center Cooling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Edge data centers face high energy consumption for cooling IT equipment due to mechanical-based cooling systems, which is inefficient and extensive in terms of power usage.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of an economizer system with internal and external heat exchangers in edge data centers, which activates heat/cooling transfer between internal and external environments based on environmental conditions to reduce mechanical cooling power consumption, utilizing a cumulative environmental operation range and operational limits of data center equipment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If mechanical-based cooling systems are used to cool IT equipment in edge data centers, then the equipment can be maintained at safe operational temperatures, but energy consumption for cooling becomes excessively high
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses waste heat from IT equipment exhaust air to pre-cool incoming air through heat exchangers, allowing the cooling system to serve itself partially by recovering and reusing its own waste thermal energy, thereby reducing the energy required for active cooling
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the temperature parameter of incoming air by using heat exchangers to pre-cool it with external air or water, reducing the temperature differential that mechanical cooling systems must bridge and thereby lowering their energy consumption
2Use of energy by moving object
If economizer with heat exchangers is activated to transfer heat/cooling between internal and external environments, then mechanical cooling power consumption is reduced, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The heat exchanger system serves multiple functions: it can cool incoming air during hot conditions, recover heat during cold conditions, and integrate with existing mechanical cooling systems, allowing a single added component to provide multiple cooling strategies
Solution Approach 2:
The heat exchangers act as intermediary components that facilitate heat transfer between internal exhaust air and external air or water, enabling thermal energy exchange without direct mixing of air streams and simplifying control logic
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 energy consumption for cooling IT equipment by optimizing heat/cooling transfer, minimizing mechanical cooling power usage, and maintaining environmental conditions within safe operational ranges for the equipment.
Implementation Method 1
an economizer comprising an internal heat exchanger and an external heat exchanger, where the economizer is activated to increase a transfer of heat/cooling between an internal environment of the edge container and an external environment
Data Source
AI summary
Described is an edge container of an edge data center that includes information technology (IT) racks holding IT equipment. Furthermore, the edge container includes at least one air conditioning unit configured to provide cool air to an aisle which enters an inlet side of the IT racks. Additionally, the edge container includes an economizer that includes an internal and an external heat exchanger. The economizer is then activated to increase a transfer of heat/cooling between an internal environment of the edge container and an external environment in response to a reading of an environmental condition being below a temperature of exhaust air in a hot aisle of the edge container which exits an outlet side of the IT racks. If, however, the reading of the external environmental condition is not below the temperature of the exhaust air in the hot aisle of the edge container, then the economizer is deactivated.