Plate Heat Exchanger Cooling for Leak-Safe Data Center Air
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current data center cooling systems using thermal recovery wheels face inefficiencies due to air leakage and exchange, which reduces cooling effectiveness and complicates fire safety installations, and are susceptible to wind and wear-related issues.
Innovation Solution
A plate heat exchanger system with separate ducts for recirculation paths within the data center and environment, featuring a mixing valve to prevent air mixing and leakage, and a control system to adjust airflow based on pressure and temperature differences, ensuring efficient cooling and reduced energy consumption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by stationary object
If a thermal recovery wheel is used to cool the space, then active high-energy consuming cooling devices are eliminated, but air leakage and exchange occur which reduces cooling effectiveness
Solution Approach 1:
A fire safety installation is introduced as an intermediary component between the thermal recovery wheel and the space. This mediator captures and recirculates air that would otherwise leak through the heat exchanger, preventing direct exchange between the space and environment while maintaining the energy-efficient thermal recovery wheel operation.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of discarding the air that leaks through the thermal recovery wheel, the system recovers it by routing it through the fire safety installation and recirculating it back into the space. This transforms a harmful leakage into a useful recirculation path that maintains cooling effectiveness.
2Device complexity
If a thermal recovery wheel is used for heat exchange, then cooling is achieved without active cooling devices, but the fire safety installation must be larger to compensate for air leakage
Solution Approach 1:
The fire safety installation is designed to serve multiple functions: it maintains fire safety by managing oxygen levels and potentially extinguishing fires, while simultaneously recovering and recirculating leaked air to maintain cooling effectiveness. This multi-functionality reduces the need for oversized components.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback control where the fire safety installation monitors air composition and flow, adjusting its operation to optimize both fire safety and cooling effectiveness. This feedback mechanism allows the system to adapt to varying leakage conditions without requiring excessive safety margins.
3Temperature
If air is exchanged through the heat exchanger, then heat transfer occurs, but oxygen level control for fire safety is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The air flow path is segmented into separate zones: the primary cooling path through the thermal recovery wheel, and a secondary recirculation path through the fire safety installation. This segmentation allows independent optimization of heat transfer efficiency and oxygen level control without interference between the two functions.
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 solution enhances cooling efficiency by minimizing air leakage and exchange, reduces the size of fire safety installations, and simplifies maintenance, while adapting to changing conditions and leakage, thereby improving overall energy efficiency and reliability.
Implementation Method 1
a plate heat exchanger system with separate ducts for recirculation paths within the data center and environment
Implementation Method 2
A plate heat exchanger system with separate ducts for recirculation paths within the data center and environment, featuring a mixing valve to prevent air mixing and leakage
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to an apparatus for cooling of a substantially closed space, in particular a data centre, where continuous or intermittent heat is produced by at least one heat source, with recirculation air, comprising a heat exchanger with a first set of ducts and a second set of ducts, each set of ducts having an in- and outlet, wherein the in- and outlet of the first set of ducts are connected to the space to form a first recirculation path, and the in- and outlet of the second set of ducts are connected to an environment of the space to form a second recirculation path, and wherein the heat exchanger is a plate heat exchanger.