Multi-mode cooling system and method with evaporative cooling
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Data centers face inefficiencies in waste heat removal due to non-uniform waste heat generation across racking systems and varying outside air quality, which can lead to ineffective cooling, especially during temperature and humidity fluctuations.
Innovation Solution
A multi-mode cooling system that integrates a mechanical cooling section with a direct evaporative cooling section, allowing operation in adiabatic, hybrid, economizer, free cooling, and mechanical modes based on ambient temperature and supply air enthalpy conditions, using a controller to selectively engage or bypass components for optimal heat removal.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a mechanical cooling system is sized for cooler, drier times of year, then it fails to provide adequate cooling in hot, humid weather, but if sized for hot, humid summer months, then the system is significantly oversized for cooler, drier times of year
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling system is segmented into two distinct components: an evaporative cooling system and a mechanical cooling system. The evaporative cooling system handles the majority of cooling demand during cooler, drier periods, while the mechanical cooling system provides supplemental cooling during hot, humid conditions. This segmentation allows each component to be appropriately sized for its specific function, eliminating the need for the mechanical system to be oversized for all conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes operating parameters based on environmental conditions by using a controller to monitor temperature and humidity levels. When humidity is low, the evaporative cooling system operates at higher capacity. When humidity increases, the mechanical cooling system engages to maintain proper cooling. This dynamic parameter adjustment allows optimal performance across varying weather conditions without requiring excessive mechanical cooling capacity.
2Use of energy by moving object
If outside air is used as a cooling source, then cooling capacity varies with environmental conditions, but system performance becomes unreliable during temperature and humidity fluctuations
Solution Approach 1:
The evaporative cooling system acts as an intermediary between the outside air and the data center equipment. It pre-cools the outside air by evaporating water into it, reducing the temperature before the air enters the mechanical cooling system or is supplied to the data center. This intermediary process stabilizes the cooling effect and reduces the impact of outdoor temperature and humidity fluctuations on overall system performance.
Solution Approach 2:
The evaporative cooling system performs preliminary cooling of outside air before it reaches the mechanical cooling system or data center. By removing heat through evaporation in advance, the mechanical system only needs to handle the remaining cooling load, which is more manageable and less sensitive to outdoor condition variations. This preliminary action ensures more consistent and reliable cooling performance across different environmental conditions.
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 enhances cooling efficiency, reduces energy consumption, and optimizes system design by adapting to varying conditions, ensuring effective heat management across data centers regardless of ambient changes.
Implementation Method 1
a direct evaporative cooling section downstream from the mechanical cooling section that evaporates water into the cooling air
Implementation Method 2
The adiabatic mode includes channeling cooling air through the direct evaporative cooling section to evaporate water into the cooling air
Data Source
AI summary
An air channeling sub-system may include a mechanical cooling section and a direct evaporative cooling section. The direct evaporative cooling section may be downstream from the mechanical cooling section. Cooling air is channeled through the air channeling sub-system and into the room. If a first set of control conditions is met, the air channeling sub-systems is operated in an adiabatic mode. The adiabatic mode includes channeling cooling air through the direct evaporative cooling section to evaporate water into the cooling air. If a second set of control conditions is met, the air channeling sub-system is operated in a hybrid mode. The hybrid mode includes channeling cooling air through the mechanical cooling section to remove heat from the cooling air and channeling the cooling air through the direct evaporative cooling section to evaporate water into the cooling air.