Immersion Cooling Vapor Compression for Waste Heat Reuse
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Solution Overview
Problem
High-performance computing systems, such as those used in Bitcoin mining and AI computing, face inefficiencies in repurposing thermal energy due to its low temperature, leading to significant energy waste and limited practical methods for offsetting energy costs.
Innovation Solution
Repurpose thermal energy by compressing vapor-phase working fluid to increase temperature and pressure, then using the high-temperature fluid to drive commercial processes through a heat exchanger, such as boiling water or sensible heating, thereby offsetting energy costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If thermal energy is rejected directly to the surrounding environment, then the cooling function is achieved, but the thermal energy cannot be efficiently repurposed due to its low temperature
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by compressing the vapor-phase working fluid to increase its temperature and pressure. This transforms the low-temperature thermal energy into high-temperature thermal energy that can drive commercial processes, directly resolving the contradiction between energy waste and temperature utility
Solution Approach 2:
The patent converts the previously wasted thermal energy into a beneficial resource by using it to drive commercial processes. The low-temperature thermal energy that was simply rejected is now compressed and utilized to perform useful work, transforming a harmful waste into a beneficial asset
2Power
If a heat engine is used to extract enthalpy from waste thermal energy, then mechanical work can be produced, but the efficiency is very low due to the temperature difference
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of using a heat engine with low efficiency, the patent changes the temperature parameter of the thermal energy through compression. By increasing the temperature of the working fluid vapor, the system can directly drive commercial processes without relying on inefficient heat engine conversion
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical heat engine system with a direct thermal compression approach. Rather than converting thermal energy to mechanical work and back to thermal energy through a heat engine, the system directly compresses the vapor to achieve the desired temperature for driving commercial processes
3Loss of energy
If thermal energy is rejected by heat transfer to the surrounding environment, then the cooling function is achieved, but additional energy is required to drive pumps and cooling fans
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the thermal energy rejection system multi-functional by simultaneously achieving cooling and energy utilization. The compressed vapor drives commercial processes while still maintaining the cooling function, eliminating the need for separate energy-consuming pumps and cooling fans
Solution Approach 2:
The patent converts the harmful waste thermal energy into a beneficial resource that can drive commercial processes. This eliminates the need for additional energy-consuming equipment like pumps and cooling fans, as the thermal energy itself becomes the driving force
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
Efficiently utilizes otherwise wasted thermal energy to drive commercial processes, providing revenue and reducing energy costs in high-performance computing environments.
Implementation Method 1
compressing the vapor, before the thermal energy is extracted
Implementation Method 2
energy is added to the working fluid vapor by compressing the vapor
Implementation Method 3
the thermal energy from this vapor can be more efficiently utilized by first increasing the temperature and pressure by vapor-phase compression of the working fluid to a higher temperature and pressure. The higher temperature of the working fluid can then be used to transfer thermal energy using heat transfer through a heat exchanger
Implementation Method 4
The dielectric fluid undergoes a phase change from a saturated liquid to a saturated vapor
Implementation Method 5
The saturated vapor is condensed back into the liquid by removing thermal energy
Data Source
AI summary
The inventive subject matter provides for repurposing otherwise wasted thermal energy to drive a commercial process. Thermal energy from a two-phase immersion-cooling system containing a computer system is operably coupled with a compressor, heat exchanger, pressure regulator, and controller, to provide thermal energy at an elevated temperature to drive the commercial process. The immersion-cooling system can advantageously be used to cool computer systems, including Bitcoin miners, crypto miners, high-performance computers, AI computers, or other thermal energy producing devices. The system operates by extracting vapor of the working fluid residing in the headspace of the immersion-cooling system, increasing the pressure and temperature of the extracted vapor by compression, and then passing this vapor to a heat exchanger, thereby providing thermal energy to drive a commercial process. The pressure of the working fluid is reduced, and returned to the tank of the immersion-cooling system.