High pressure, energy efficient data center
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Solution Overview
Problem
Data centers face challenges in efficiently managing heat generated by high-power servers, leading to increased energy consumption and the need for expensive cooling solutions like liquid cooling, which are often error-prone and costly.
Innovation Solution
A system involving hermetically sealed containers that maintain a high-pressure atmosphere, typically twice standard pressure, to enhance thermal conductivity and reduce server fan power by increasing the efficiency of heat transfer without requiring additional expensive hardware.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If traditional air cooling with fans and heat sinks is used, then the system is simple and inexpensive, but heat transfer efficiency is insufficient for high-power servers
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the physical parameter of atmospheric pressure from standard pressure to high pressure (e.g., 2-10 times standard atmospheric pressure). This parameter change increases the density of air molecules, enhancing thermal conductivity and convective heat transfer coefficients, thereby improving heat transfer efficiency without requiring additional cooling hardware or increasing fan power consumption
2Temperature
If liquid cooling circuits or liquid immersion baths are implemented, then heat transfer efficiency improves, but system cost and complexity increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of changing the cooling medium from air to liquid (which would increase complexity), the patent changes the pressure parameter of the existing air cooling system. This approach achieves enhanced heat transfer efficiency while maintaining the simplicity of air cooling infrastructure, avoiding the need for liquid cooling circuits, pumps, and immersion tanks
3Temperature
If high pressure atmosphere is created, then heat transfer capability increases, but energy consumption for pressure maintenance increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-pressurizing the enclosure to the desired high pressure level before operation. Once pressurized, the system maintains this pressure state with minimal energy input, as the sealed enclosure preserves the high pressure atmosphere. The enhanced thermal conductivity and heat transfer capabilities are immediately available upon pressurization, providing continuous cooling efficiency improvement without ongoing high energy consumption
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 improves thermal management in data centers by increasing heat transfer efficiency and reducing server fan power consumption, potentially replacing costly cooling solutions with a more energy-efficient method.
Implementation Method 1
A hermetically sealed container system that maintains a high-pressure atmosphere, typically twice standard pressure, to enhance thermal conductivity
Implementation Method 2
increase the efficiency of heat transfer
Data Source
AI summary
According to some embodiments, a hermetically sealed container may have sides defining an interior portion that is able to hold gas at high pressure, such as at least substantially 2 times standard atmospheric pressure. One or more data center computer servers may be located within the interior portion and the high pressure may improve heat transfer for a data center. At least one side of the container may include a hermetically sealed electrical and/or optical feed-through providing an ability to connect the computer server to an element outside of the interior portion (e.g., a power source and/or another data center computer server) and a mechanism to remove heat from the container, such as a liquid loop heat exchanger, etc.