Sealed Conduit Cooling for Data Center Rack Heat Removal
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Data centers face significant challenges in managing waste heat generated by server components, leading to inefficient thermal regulation and increased costs due to the need for airflow management and filtration to prevent particulate contamination.
Innovation Solution
A conduit-based cooling system that extends into the rack housing, using a fluid with a lower temperature to transfer heat from the interior space, thereby cooling the air and allowing it to be drawn into servers, while sealing the interior space to prevent airflow between the rack and the computing room, thus eliminating the need for airflow and associated costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If cold air aisles and hot air aisles are used for thermal regulation, then heat removal is achieved, but particulate contamination risk increases and filtration costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the cooling system into separate sealed conduits for cold air supply and hot air exhaust, preventing mixing and contamination. Each server rack has dedicated sealed pathways that segment the airflow zones, allowing heat removal without exposing servers to particulate-laden ambient air.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces sealed conduits as intermediary structures that mediate between the ambient contaminated air and the server components. These conduits act as barriers that allow controlled thermal exchange while blocking particulate contamination, eliminating the need for extensive filtration.
2Temperature
If racks are open to both cold and hot air aisles for cooling, then heat dissipation is improved, but airflow management complexity and filtration requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the airflow management complexity from the rack system by implementing sealed, self-contained cooling conduits. The cooling function is taken out from the ambient air aisle system and encapsulated within dedicated pathways, eliminating the need for complex airflow coordination between hot and cold aisles.
Solution Approach 2:
The sealed conduit system provides self-service cooling by automatically directing cold air to servers and capturing hot exhaust without requiring external airflow management. The system self-regulates thermal exchange within sealed boundaries, reducing operational complexity.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If filtration is implemented to remove particulates from air, then contamination is reduced, but cost and management complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts the potentially harmful ambient air into a beneficial sealed cooling medium by directing it through enclosed conduits. The same air that would otherwise carry particulates is transformed into a controlled cooling flow, eliminating the need for filtration while maintaining protective benefits.
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 removes heat from data center racks without relying on airflow, reducing the risk of particulate contamination and allowing for sealed environments, which enhances operational efficiency and reduces management complexities.
Implementation Method 1
heat is transferred from the interior space to the fluid to produce cooled air in the interior space
Data Source
AI summary
A data center can include at least one computing room, and at least one rack system disposed in the computing room. The rack system includes a rack housing that at least substantially encapsulates an interior space, and a plurality of computing devices mounted to the rack in the interior space. The data center can further include a cooling system. The cooling system includes a conduit that is disposed in the interior space of the rack housing and a fluid that flows through the conduit, wherein heat is transferred from air in the interior space to the fluid to produce cooled air in the rack housing.