Heat Wheel Cooling for Data Center Recirculation Air
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current cooling methods in data centers using recirculation air are inefficient, leading to high energy consumption, environmental impact, and limited equipment capacity due to the use of complex cooling units and refrigerants, as well as issues with air mixing and humidity control.
Innovation Solution
Employing a rotary air-to-air heat exchanger, or heat wheel, to cool recirculated air in data centers, which eliminates the need for refrigerants and intermediate cooling liquids, allowing for efficient heat transfer and maintaining optimal humidity and temperature, thereby reducing energy consumption and environmental impact.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Power
If compression cooling units with refrigerant are used to cool recirculation air, then cooling capacity is achieved, but energy consumption increases and environmental impact occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates the refrigerant compression system from the cooling process, replacing it with a direct heat exchange system using the heat wheel that transfers heat from recirculation air to fresh air without requiring compression or phase change of refrigerant
Solution Approach 2:
The heat wheel acts as an intermediary heat exchange medium between the recirculation air and fresh air, enabling thermal energy transfer without direct contact between the air streams and without requiring compression cooling systems
2Power
If compression cooling units with refrigerant are used to cool recirculation air, then cooling capacity is achieved, but environmental impact increases due to refrigerant leakage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the refrigerant system entirely from the cooling process, eliminating the source of environmental harm while maintaining cooling capacity through alternative heat exchange mechanisms
Solution Approach 2:
The patent converts the waste heat from recirculation air into a useful resource by transferring it to fresh air through the heat wheel, thereby cooling the recirculation air without requiring energy-intensive compression systems that use harmful refrigerants
3Ease of operation
If cooled air stream is passed horizontally through equipment in system cabinets, then cooling is provided, but cooled air stream mixes with heated air stream without cooling equipment
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the cooling approach from horizontal air passage through cabinets to vertical heat exchange through the heat wheel, creating separate thermal zones and preventing mixing of cooled and heated air streams through dimensional separation
4Power
If air stream is cooled to temperature considerably lower than operating temperature, then cooling capacity is increased, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies partial cooling action by cooling the recirculation air only to the extent needed to match equipment operating temperature requirements, rather than applying excessive cooling that would require energy-intensive compression to achieve much lower temperatures
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the cooling parameter approach from aggressive temperature reduction via compression to gentle heat exchange that maintains temperature close to operating conditions, thereby reducing energy consumption while maintaining adequate cooling capacity
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
The heat wheel provides a large cooling capacity with minimal energy usage, reduces environmental impact, and maintains air humidity, enabling continuous efficient cooling of data center spaces with reduced operational costs and increased equipment capacity.
Implementation Method 1
a heat wheel and means for supplying recirculation of air heated by the equipment as a first air stream to the heat wheel and the heat wheel being configured to cool the first air stream using a separate second air stream
Data Source
AI summary
A data center comprising an air humidity- and temperature-conditioned space where heat producing ICT and/or telecom equipment is arranged, a heat wheel and means for supplying recirculation of air heated by the equipment as a first air stream to the heat wheel and the heat wheel being configured to cool the first air stream using a separate second air stream.