Integrated Multi-Stage Absorption Chiller for Data Center Heat
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional air cooling and single-stage absorption chillers are insufficient for efficiently managing the high heat generated by modern data center servers, requiring additional heaters and reducing efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A multi-stage absorption chiller system with multiple absorber/generator stages, condensers, pressure regulators, and evaporators, utilizing water and lithium bromide solution to efficiently manage heat without heaters, by leveraging low-grade thermal energy for improved efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If traditional air cooling or single-stage absorption chillers are used, then the system structure is simple, but the cooling efficiency is insufficient for modern data center servers
Solution Approach 1:
The absorption chiller is divided into multiple stages (first absorption stage, second absorption stage, etc.), where each stage handles a portion of the cooling load. This segmentation allows the system to achieve higher overall cooling efficiency by processing heat in manageable increments rather than relying on a single oversized stage, thereby resolving the contradiction between cooling efficiency and system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediate pressure level between the low pressure of the first absorber and the high pressure of the second absorber. This additional pressure dimension enables the system to efficiently transfer heat across different temperature levels, improving cooling efficiency without requiring a single complex high-pressure stage, thus balancing performance and structural complexity.
2Loss of energy
If single-stage absorption chillers are used, then the device complexity is low, but additional heaters are required which reduce efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The system converts the waste heat from data center servers, which would otherwise be harmful, into a useful resource by using it as the driving force for the absorption chiller. The heat from servers is utilized to generate the pressure differential needed for refrigerant circulation, eliminating the need for additional heaters and improving overall energy efficiency by turning a harmful byproduct into a beneficial input.
Solution Approach 2:
The absorption chiller system is designed to be self-driven by the heat it needs to reject. The waste heat from data center servers provides the necessary thermal energy to operate the absorption cycle, eliminating the need for external energy inputs such as heaters. This self-service capability improves energy efficiency while maintaining relatively simple system structure.
3Productivity
If multi-stage absorption chillers are used, then the cooling efficiency is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling system is segmented into multiple absorption stages that operate in sequence, with each stage handling a specific temperature range or heat load portion. This segmentation improves cooling efficiency by optimizing heat transfer at different stages while keeping each individual stage relatively simple, thereby balancing overall system performance with structural complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system introduces intermediate pressure levels between the low pressure stage and high pressure stage, creating an additional pressure dimension that enables efficient heat transfer across different temperature ranges. This intermediate pressure dimension allows the multi-stage system to achieve high cooling efficiency without requiring excessive complexity in any single stage.
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
The system effectively cools data centers using low-grade thermal energy, enhancing efficiency and reducing complexity and cost compared to single-stage systems.
Implementation Method 1
absorb cooled vapor by a concentrated solution to create a diluted solution
Implementation Method 2
heat the diluted solution to produce a vapor refrigerant
Implementation Method 3
heat the diluted solution to produce a vapor refrigerant
Implementation Method 4
condense the vapor refrigerant to a cooled high pressure liquid
Implementation Method 5
regulate the cooled high pressure liquid from the condenser to a low pressure mixture of liquid and vapor
Implementation Method 6
cool and evaporate the vapor from the low pressure mixture of liquid and vapor
Data Source
AI summary
A multi-stage absorption chiller may include one or more of a plurality of absorber/generator stages, each stage configured to absorb cooled vapor by a concentrated solution to create a diluted solution and heat the diluted solution to produce a vapor refrigerant and the concentrated solution, a condenser, configured to condense the vapor refrigerant to a cooled high pressure liquid, a pressure regulator, configured to regulate the cooled high pressure liquid from the condenser to a low pressure mixture of liquid and vapor, and an evaporator, configured to cool and evaporate the vapor from the low pressure mixture of liquid and vapor and provide the cooled vapor to the plurality of absorber/generator stages.