Evaporative Data Center Cooling Using Atomized Outside Air
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Solution Overview
Problem
Data centers face significant energy consumption and costs due to the need for active cooling systems to manage the heat generated by thousands of microprocessors, which can lead to increased errors and failures.
Innovation Solution
An evaporative cooling system is implemented in data centers, utilizing misting nozzles to cool outside air as it enters, with atomized water evaporating to lower the temperature, and a controlled system to direct cooled air into the data center, potentially combined with supplemental cooling systems like chillers and heat exchangers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If traditional active cooling systems (chillers, condensers, pumps, fans, cooling towers) are used to remove heat from data centers, then heat removal effectiveness is improved, but energy consumption and operating costs increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies evaporative cooling where water undergoes phase transition from liquid to vapor, absorbing heat from the air in the process. Atomized water is introduced into the air stream, and as it evaporates, it removes heat from the air passing through the data center, providing cooling without requiring energy-intensive mechanical refrigeration systems
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses the natural evaporative cooling process to cool the air, eliminating or reducing the need for energy-consuming active cooling components like chillers and cooling towers. The water evaporation process itself performs the cooling function without requiring additional energy input beyond the fans needed to move air
2Productivity
If thousands of microprocessors operate at high speed, then computing performance is improved, but heat generation increases leading to more cooling requirements and potential equipment failures
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts the harmful heat generated by microprocessors into a beneficial cooling mechanism. By introducing atomized water that evaporates and absorbs heat from the air, the system uses the heat itself as the driving force for the cooling process, removing the excess heat that would otherwise cause equipment failures while maintaining high computing performance
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 costs by effectively cooling data centers using evaporative methods, while minimizing heat-related issues and equipment failures.
Implementation Method 1
outdoor air may be circulated past the misting nozzles, so that the air is cooled by the heat of evaporation in water or other liquids that may be evaporated into the airflow
Implementation Method 2
the air is cooled by the heat of evaporation in water or other liquids that may be evaporated into the airflow
Data Source
AI summary
A data center cooling system includes an evaporative cooling system. The evaporative cooling system includes fans configured to circulate outside air at ambient conditions through an entry zone of a data center, and atomizers positioned upstream of the entry zone configured to spray atomized water into the circulating outside air. The atomized water evaporates in an evaporation zone and cools the outside air to produce cooled air, which is directed through racks of computers positioned downstream of the evaporation zone.