Elevated Coolant Temperature Thermal Management for Data Centers
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current data center thermal management systems require high energy usage and low efficiency due to the need for refrigeration cycles to chill coolants below ambient temperature, especially as waste heat generation increases with computational demands, limiting the ability to operate at elevated coolant temperatures for efficient waste heat recovery.
Innovation Solution
A low energy usage data center cooling system that utilizes a management system and flow controlling elements to maintain coolant temperatures above ambient, allowing for elevated coolant temperatures, thereby eliminating the need for refrigeration cycles and enabling efficient waste heat recovery by operating at or above 55°C.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If refrigeration cycles are used to chill coolant below ambient temperature, then device temperatures can be maintained under maximum limits, but energy consumption increases and efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of cooling the coolant below ambient temperature as in conventional systems, this patent inverts the approach by heating the coolant above ambient temperature (55-95°C) and using ambient air cooling to reject heat from the coolant. This eliminates the need for energy-intensive refrigeration cycles while maintaining effective heat removal from electronic devices.
2Reliability
If coolant temperature is lowered below ambient to remove waste heat, then device operating temperatures are controlled, but waste heat recovery potential is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the temperature parameter of the coolant from conventional sub-ambient temperatures to elevated temperatures (55-95°C). This parameter change enables waste heat recovery processes such as Organic Rankine Cycle and thermoelectric generation to operate efficiently, as these processes require heat sources above 55°C, while still maintaining adequate cooling of electronic devices through ambient air rejection.
3Productivity
If refrigeration cycles are employed to achieve sub-ambient cooling, then heat removal from electronics is effective, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates the refrigeration cycle component from the thermal management system. By using ambient air cooling to reject heat from the coolant, the system removes the complex refrigeration infrastructure (compressors, condensers, expansion devices) while maintaining effective heat removal capability through simplified heat exchanger and fan-based ambient cooling.
4Loss of energy
If coolant operates at higher temperatures, then waste heat recovery processes become more effective, but device temperature control becomes more challenging
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic control of coolant flow rate through a pump and flow controller to maintain stable device temperatures despite the elevated coolant temperature. By dynamically adjusting the flow rate based on thermal load conditions, the system ensures adequate heat removal from electronic devices while maintaining the coolant at optimal temperatures (55-95°C) for waste heat recovery processes.
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 and enhances thermal management efficiency by maintaining coolant temperatures above ambient, allowing for continuous heat rejection and increased utilization of waste heat in data centers, supporting global sustainability and operational reliability.
Implementation Method 1
a first coolant configured to remove heat created by the at least one heat-generating electronic device
Implementation Method 2
at least one component which acts to elevate a pressure of the first coolant
Implementation Method 3
a first heat exchanger interface that is configured to transfer heat out of the first coolant
Data Source
AI summary
A high temperature electronic device thermal management system. Data centers contain many large racks of computer servers with electronic devices that generate heat. For the devices to function properly, they must not exceed a maximum temperature. Typical techniques for thermal management of data center electronics involve using sub-ambient temperature coolants via refrigeration cycles, requiring significant input energy to operate. The present thermal management system includes a flow management system to produce elevated coolant temperatures while sustaining safe device temperatures. This allows the coolant to reject to ambient temperatures globally and year-round, enabling reduced energy usage by no longer requiring refrigeration cycles. Further, operation at or above 55° C. would allow for implementation of additional waste heat recovery processes with increased energy efficiency.