Indirect Evaporative Ventilation for Data Center Heat Rejection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Data centers face challenges in efficiently and economically cooling servers due to increasing heat generation, with existing cooling methods requiring substantial refrigeration, filtration, and maintenance, and being less effective under hot and humid conditions.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of Indirect Evaporative Cooling technology using Indirect Air-Side Economizers (IASEs) with air-to-air heat exchangers, which recirculate clean, humidity-controlled air, reducing the need for refrigeration and filtration, and eliminating complex dampers and controls, while maintaining server inlet temperatures within recommended ranges.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If traditional refrigeration-based cooling is used to cool servers, then server inlet air temperature can be maintained at 55°F to 65°F, but the system consumes excessive power and requires substantial refrigeration capacity
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the temperature parameter of the cooling system by using evaporative cooling to pre-cool air to 50-70°F instead of traditional refrigeration, thereby reducing power consumption while maintaining effective server cooling
Solution Approach 2:
The invention introduces an intermediary evaporative cooling system between the ambient air and the servers, using water evaporation as a heat transfer medium to pre-cool air before it enters the server racks, reducing the load on refrigeration systems
2Reliability
If air-conditioned refrigerated air is delivered to cool each computer server, then individual server cooling is achieved, but the system becomes increasingly costly and complex as server banks increase in size
Solution Approach 1:
The invention segments the cooling system into two distinct zones: cold aisles with low temperature (50-70°F) for server intakes and hot aisles with high temperature (70-90°F) for exhausts, using physical barriers to maintain segregation and simplify the overall cooling architecture
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses cold aisle containment and hot aisle containment as intermediary structures that organize and direct air flows, simplifying the cooling system by creating defined pathways rather than relying on complex individual server cooling mechanisms
3Stability of the object's composition
If cold air supply aisles and hot air return aisles are segregated within data centers, then cold and hot air are kept separate, but the construction becomes more complex and costly
Solution Approach 1:
The invention divides the data center into distinct cold aisle and hot aisle zones using physical containment structures, maintaining stable air pathway segregation while using modular construction approaches to reduce manufacturing complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The invention inverts the traditional approach by containing cold air in defined aisles rather than allowing hot air to be managed, which simplifies the overall system design and construction while achieving effective air pathway segregation
4Use of energy by moving object
If outdoor air is used for free cooling when ambient conditions favor it, then refrigeration capacity is reduced, but the system cannot be used under hot or humid ambient conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the operating parameters by using evaporative cooling to extend the effective operating range of the free cooling system, allowing operation in hotter and more humid conditions than traditional air-side economizers by maintaining lower supply air temperatures through evaporation
Solution Approach 2:
The invention introduces evaporative cooling as an intermediary system that bridges the gap between outdoor air free cooling and refrigeration, allowing the system to operate in a wider range of ambient conditions by pre-cooling outdoor air through evaporation before it enters the data center
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 solution effectively reduces refrigeration capacity, minimizes filtration needs, and decreases power consumption, providing efficient and economical cooling by recirculating air within data centers, even under diverse ambient conditions, with reduced maintenance requirements and improved air quality.
Implementation Method 1
an air-to-air heat exchanger that receives hot aisle air and delivers cooled recirculated air to the cold aisle
Implementation Method 2
Indirect Evaporative Cooling technology using Indirect Air-Side Economizers (IASEs)
Data Source
AI summary
A ventilation device is provided for use in conjunction with systems and methods provided for cooling data centers. A Make-Up Air Dehumidification/Humidification Unit for the introduction of ventilation air and control of humidity within the enclosed space is provided to support other system components. An objective of the systems and methods according to this disclosure is to provide the necessary rejection of heat while providing a capability to limitedly add ventilation air and control of the absolute moisture content of the air within a data center.