Electronics Rack Air Cooling with Inlet Dehumidification
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
The increasing power dissipation of integrated circuit chips poses a cooling challenge in data centers, as traditional air-cooling methods struggle to manage high heat fluxes, leading to potential condensation and corrosion issues due to high humidity levels, which can damage electronic components.
Innovation Solution
A dehumidifying and re-humidifying cooling apparatus is introduced, featuring a dehumidifying air-to-liquid heat exchanger at the air inlet side and a condensate evaporation system at the air outlet side, which uses a coolant loop to dehumidify incoming air, collect condensate, and re-humidify outgoing air, thereby mitigating condensation risks and maintaining optimal humidity levels.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If traditional air-cooling methods are used to manage high heat fluxes, then cooling capability is improved, but humidity levels increase leading to condensation and corrosion risks
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the harmful moisture component from the air stream by introducing a dehumidifying heat exchanger that removes water vapor from the cooled air before it reaches electronic components. This separates the cooling function from the harmful humidification effect, allowing temperature reduction without the associated condensation risk.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a dehumidifying heat exchanger as an intermediary component between the air cooling system and the electronic equipment. This mediator removes excess moisture from the air stream while allowing the cooling function to continue, thereby preventing condensation and corrosion without compromising temperature control.
2Productivity
If air flow rates are increased to cool high power modules, then cooling efficiency is improved, but sensible heat load on room air-conditioning increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent recovers the sensible heat load that would otherwise be lost to the room environment by capturing it in the air outlet stream and using it to pre-condition incoming air or to drive the dehumidification process. This transforms a waste energy stream into a useful resource, reducing the overall energy burden on the air-conditioning system.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If dehumidifying heat exchanger is added to remove moisture, then condensation risk is reduced, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The dehumidifying heat exchanger is designed to perform multiple functions: it cools the air stream, removes excess moisture through condensation, and can potentially serve as a pre-cooler for the main cooling system. By combining these functions in a single component, the patent reduces the need for separate dedicated devices, thereby limiting the increase in overall system complexity.
4Temperature
If liquid coolant is used to absorb heat from high heat flux components, then heat transfer efficiency is improved, but risk of water condensation and corrosion increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts moisture from the air stream using a dehumidifying heat exchanger positioned in the air cooling path. This removes the water vapor that would otherwise condense on the cold surfaces of liquid-cooled components, thereby protecting against corrosion while maintaining the high heat transfer efficiency of liquid cooling.
Solution Approach 2:
The dehumidifying heat exchanger serves as an intermediary between the liquid cooling system and the ambient air, creating a protective barrier by removing moisture from the air before it can contact the liquid-cooled components. This mediator prevents the harmful interaction between moisture and cold surfaces while allowing the liquid cooling system to operate at full efficiency.
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 the risk of water condensation near electronic components, ensuring reliable operation by maintaining air humidity within safe limits and enhancing cooling efficiency, thus protecting sensitive equipment from corrosion and short circuits.
Implementation Method 1
the dehumidifying air-to-liquid heat exchanger with the chilled coolant passing therethrough dehumidifies air ingressing into the electronics rack to lower a dew point temperature of the air flowing through the electronics rack
Implementation Method 2
The condensate evaporation system is disposed at the air outlet side of the electronics rack and humidifies air egressing from the electronics rack
Implementation Method 3
a dehumidifying air-to-liquid heat exchanger configured to reside at an air inlet side of the electronics rack
Data Source
AI summary
Dehumidifying and re-humidifying cooling apparatus and method are provided for an electronics rack. The apparatus includes a dehumidifying air-to-liquid heat exchanger disposed at an air inlet side of the rack and a re-humidifying air-to-liquid heat exchanger disposed at an air outlet side of the rack. The heat exchangers are in fluid communication with a coolant loop for passing chilled coolant through the heat exchangers, and the dehumidifying heat exchanger dehumidifies ingressing air to the electronics rack to reduce a dew point of air flowing through the rack. A condensate collector disposed at the air inlet side collects liquid condensate from the dehumidifying of ingressing air, and a condensate delivery mechanism delivers the condensate to the re-humidifying heat exchanger to humidify air egressing from the electronics rack.