Sealed Data Center Container Cooling for Easier Submerged Maintenance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Data centers face energy inefficiencies in cooling and maintenance due to complex and expensive cooling arrangements, marine life interference in submerged systems, and the need for regular cleaning, which increases operational costs and downtime.
Innovation Solution
A container system with a closed fluid flow channel for heat transfer, using a positive displacement device to circulate a flowable heat transfer fluid between data centers and a heat exchanger, submerged in water to efficiently remove heat while preventing water ingress, with modular design for easy maintenance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If data centers are submerged in water for cooling, then cooling efficiency is improved, but marine life interference and maintenance complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The data center system is divided into modular container units, each with its own sealed cooling system. This segmentation allows individual modules to be maintained or replaced without affecting the entire data center, reducing maintenance complexity while preserving the energy-efficient submerged cooling approach.
Solution Approach 2:
A sealed container structure acts as an intermediary between the data center equipment and the surrounding water. This barrier prevents marine life from directly contacting and interfering with the equipment while still allowing efficient heat transfer from the equipment to the water through the container walls.
2Reliability
If regular cleaning of submerged data centers is performed, then cooling efficiency is maintained, but operational costs and downtime increase
Solution Approach 1:
The modular container design enables isolated maintenance of individual units. When one module requires cleaning or maintenance, only that specific module needs to be accessed and taken offline, while other modules continue operating normally, significantly reducing overall downtime.
Solution Approach 2:
The sealed container design with integrated heat exchanger systems reduces the frequency and intensity of manual cleaning required. The system is designed to minimize marine life accumulation through its sealed structure, reducing maintenance burden and operational interruptions.
3Temperature
If complex cooling arrangements are used, then cooling performance is improved, but energy efficiency and handling simplicity decrease
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling system is integrated directly into the container structure itself, combining the housing and cooling functions into a single unit. This eliminates the need for separate, complex external cooling arrangements, improving energy efficiency while maintaining effective cooling performance through direct water contact with the heat exchanger surfaces.
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
Enhances energy efficiency by optimizing cooling, reduces maintenance complexity, minimizes downtime, and lowers operational costs by simplifying the handling and servicing of data processing equipment.
Implementation Method 1
a flowable heat transfer fluid can enter the container at the first container inlet port and extract heat from the first data centre before exiting the container at the first container outlet port
Implementation Method 2
the container is configured to be at least partially submerged in water... in use a flowable heat transfer fluid can enter the container at the first container inlet port and extract heat from the first data centre
Data Source
AI summary
A container is for housing a first data center and connecting to a heat exchanger. The container has an outer shell defining an inside and outside of the container. The outer shell has a first container inlet port for receiving a flowable heat transfer fluid from a heat exchanger and a first container outlet port for delivering the flowable heat transfer fluid to the heat exchanger. A means is for holding a first data center at a first location inside the container. A closed fluid flow channel fluidly connects the first container inlet port with the first container outlet port. At least a portion of the closed fluid flow channel is adjacent the first location such that a flowable heat transfer fluid can enter the container at the first container inlet port and extract heat from the first data center before exiting the container at the first container outlet port.