Refrigerating system
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional cooling systems for data centers face challenges in energy efficiency and stability, with traditional chilled water designs offering poor energy savings and large phase change systems experiencing instability and inability to meet continuous cooling demands.
Innovation Solution
A refrigeration system with an indoor heat exchange module and outdoor heat exchange modules that are switchable between standby and active modes, utilizing an oil-free compressor, evaporative condenser, and liquid supplement device to ensure continuous cooling and stability by providing cooling liquid during startup and maintaining refrigerant circulation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If traditional chilled water cooling systems are used for data centers, then cooling capacity can be provided, but energy efficiency is poor and energy consumption is high
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the thermodynamic parameters of the refrigeration cycle by using a two-stage compression system with intercooling, where the refrigerant is compressed in two stages with cooling between stages. This changes the pressure-temperature parameters to achieve better energy efficiency while maintaining cooling capacity, directly addressing the contradiction between energy efficiency and cooling performance
2Productivity
If large phase change cooling systems are implemented, then cooling capacity increases, but system stability decreases and continuous cooling demand cannot be met
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the cooling system into multiple independent compression units (first compression unit and second compression unit) that can operate independently or in combination. This segmentation allows the system to maintain stable operation by switching between units or operating them in parallel, ensuring continuous cooling capacity while improving reliability through redundancy
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a composite refrigeration system that combines vapor compression technology with evaporative cooling (water cooling tower). This composite approach integrates two different cooling mechanisms to achieve both high cooling capacity and improved stability, allowing the system to meet continuous cooling demands while maintaining reliability
3Loss of energy
If evaporative condenser is used to improve energy efficiency, then energy consumption decreases, but cooling liquid supply stability during startup is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates a water tank that pre-stores cooling water before the compression unit starts operating. This preliminary preparation of cooling liquid ensures that when the compression unit starts up, adequate cooling water is immediately available for the evaporative condenser, maintaining reliability during the critical startup phase while preserving the energy efficiency benefits of evaporative cooling
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 ensures continuous cooling and improved stability by providing initial cooling capacity during startup and switching between active and standby modes, enhancing energy efficiency and meeting data center cooling demands.
Implementation Method 1
the high-temperature and high-pressure gaseous refrigerant is condensed in the evaporative condenser to convert the refrigerant from a gas state to a liquid state
Implementation Method 2
an evaporative condenser configured for the refrigerant to be condensed from the gas state to the liquid state
Implementation Method 3
the refrigerant absorbs heat in the indoor heat exchange module and is converted from the liquid state to the gas state
Implementation Method 4
the refrigerant absorbs heat in the indoor heat exchange module and is converted from the liquid state to the gas state
Implementation Method 5
the compression device starts up, and the compression device is used to compress a low-temperature and low-pressure gaseous refrigerant output from the indoor heat exchange module into a high-temperature and high-pressure gaseous refrigerant
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3~4
AI summary
A refrigeration system is provided. The refrigeration system includes: an indoor heat exchange module configured for refrigerant to absorb heat; and outdoor heat exchange modules configured for the refrigerant to dissipate heat. The outdoor heat exchange module includes a compression device, an evaporative condenser and a liquid supplement device. The outdoor heat exchange modules are switchable between a standby mode and an active mode; some of the outdoor heat exchange modules are in the active mode, and the others are in the standby mode; in the standby mode, the outdoor heat exchange module is disconnected from the indoor heat exchange module; when the outdoor heat exchange module is switched to the active mode, it is connected to the indoor heat exchange module, the compression device starts up, and the liquid supplement device supplies cooling liquid to the evaporative condenser during an startup process of the compression device.