Modular Data Center Cooling Units for Dynamic Heat Load Adaptation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing data center cooling systems face challenges in accurately sizing cooling equipment to match the evolving heat loads over the lifetime of data center operations, as electronics platforms undergo multiple generations and refreshes, making it difficult to ensure proper cooling capacity both initially and in the future.
Innovation Solution
A data center cooling system with a server rack frame assembly that includes bays sized to enclose server racks, featuring a cooling unit that circulates heated airflow, cools it using an air-to-liquid heat exchanger, and returns the cooled airflow, with the ability to adjust cooling capacity based on changing power density by adding or removing cooling units or server racks, allowing for incremental deployment and redeployment to match heat loads.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If cooling equipment is sized for current heat load, then initial cooling capacity is adequate, but future cooling capacity becomes insufficient after electronics refreshes
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling system is divided into multiple modular cooling units that can be independently deployed. Each cooling unit corresponds to a specific bay configuration and can be added or removed based on the actual heat load requirements at different time periods, allowing the system to adapt to electronics refreshes without replacing the entire cooling infrastructure.
Solution Approach 2:
The cooling system is designed to be dynamic rather than static. Cooling units can be incrementally deployed or removed based on the power density of electronics in each bay, allowing the cooling capacity to evolve alongside the electronics platforms throughout the data center's operational lifetime.
2Adaptability or versatility
If cooling equipment is oversized for future heat load, then future cooling capacity is adequate, but initial cooling capacity is excessive and inefficient
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of deploying full cooling capacity immediately, the system uses partial action by deploying only the number of cooling units needed for the current heat load. Additional cooling units are added later as electronics are refreshed and heat loads increase, avoiding the energy waste of running excessive cooling equipment at low load conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The cooling system evolves dynamically from a smaller initial configuration to a larger future configuration. This dynamic approach allows the system to match cooling capacity with actual heat load at each stage, maximizing energy efficiency while ensuring adequate cooling capacity when needed.
3Ease of manufacture
If fixed cooling capacity is installed, then initial deployment is simple, but future reconfiguration becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling system is segmented into standardized modular units that can be independently deployed in different bay configurations. This segmentation enables simple initial deployment using only the required number of modules while maintaining the flexibility to add or reconfigure modules later as electronics are refreshed or relocated.
Solution Approach 2:
The modular cooling units are designed with universal characteristics that allow them to function in various bay configurations and serve different cooling requirements. This universality enables both simple initial deployment and flexible future reconfiguration without requiring custom-designed cooling equipment.
4Adaptability or versatility
If modular cooling units are deployed, then adaptability to heat load changes is improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
While segmentation into modular units does increase structural complexity, it simplifies the overall system management by creating standardized, interchangeable components. Each module is independently controllable and can be deployed in various combinations, reducing the complexity of matching cooling capacity to heat load compared to a monolithic cooling system.
Solution Approach 2:
The system manages complexity by changing the parameter of cooling unit quantity rather than redesigning the entire cooling system. This allows adaptability to heat load changes while maintaining relatively simple individual module designs and control logic.
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 ensures a match or substantial match of cooling capacity to heat load, operates at high efficiency, reduces electrical power and cost, and allows for flexible deployment and rearrangement of cooling equipment, accelerating data center start-up and enabling efficient use of workspace while accommodating power-dense technologies.
Implementation Method 1
cooling unit sized for a bay of the plurality of bays of the server rack frame assembly and configured to circulate a heated airflow from an open back side of the at least one server rack, cool the heated air, and circulate a cooling airflow through an open front side of the at least one server rack
Data Source
Figure 1A
Figure 1B
Figure 1C
AI summary
A data center cooling system includes a server rack frame assembly that includes a plurality of bays defined along a lengthwise dimension of the frame assembly, each bay including a volume defined at least in part by a specified height that is orthogonal to the lengthwise dimension and a specified width that is parallel to the lengthwise dimension and sized to at least partially enclose at least one server rack configured to support a plurality of data center computing devices; and at least one cooling unit sized for a bay of the plurality of bays of the server rack frame assembly and configured to circulate a heated airflow from an open back side of the at least one server rack, cool the heated air, and circulate a cooling airflow through an open front side of the at least one server rack.