Sealed Rack Aisle Cooling With Bleed Flow Direction Sensing
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Data centers face inefficiencies in cooling systems due to arbitrary airflow around and into racks, leading to increased energy consumption and reduced cooling efficiency, as existing methods do not effectively manage the flow of cooling media within aisles between racks.
Innovation Solution
A rack system with sealed aisles and bleeding openings to control the flow direction of cooling media, using sensors to determine medium flow direction and adjust parameters like temperature, humidity, and flow rate to optimize cooling efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If climate control systems supply cooled air to racks in data centres, then the temperature of equipment is maintained below critical levels, but the cooling efficiency decreases and electrical power consumption increases due to arbitrary flow patterns and mixing of ambient medium with cooling medium
Solution Approach 1:
The aisle is segmented into a sealed cooling zone and an unsealed ambient zone using a sealing profile at the aisle entrance. This segmentation prevents mixing of cooling medium and ambient medium, ensuring that cooled air flows directionally through the racks without being contaminated by warmer ambient air, thereby maintaining cooling efficiency
Solution Approach 2:
A bleeding opening with an adjustable closing element acts as an intermediary mechanism to control the exchange between the sealed cooling zone and the ambient zone. This allows precise regulation of the cooling medium flow rate through the racks, optimizing the balance between cooling effectiveness and energy consumption
2Loss of energy
If climate control systems increase the flow rate of cooling medium to improve cooling efficiency, then cooling performance increases, but electrical power consumption of the climate control system increases
Solution Approach 1:
A sensor detects the actual flow rate of cooling medium through the racks and provides feedback to the control mechanism. The control mechanism adjusts the closing element of the bleeding opening to optimize the flow rate, ensuring efficient cooling while minimizing the electrical power required to drive the climate control system
Solution Approach 2:
The closing element of the bleeding opening is made adjustable to dynamically control the flow rate of cooling medium. This dynamic adjustment allows the system to optimize cooling efficiency at different operating conditions without requiring excessive electrical power input
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 enhances cooling efficiency by ensuring all cooling media pass through racks, reducing energy consumption by dynamically controlling cooling medium parameters based on sensed climate conditions, maintaining optimal temperatures and humidity levels within the aisles.
Implementation Method 1
a first sensor for determining a medium flow direction through the bleeding opening
Implementation Method 2
the aisle is sealed such that essentially all of a cooling medium in the form of air supplied to the aisle passes through the racks
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
A rack system (100) comprises a plurality of racks (105) arranged to form at least one aisle (120) between them. The aisle (120) is sealed such that essentially all of a cooling medium supplied to the aisle (120) passes through the racks (105). A bleeding opening is provided for enabling a bleeding of the cooling medium out of the aisle (120) and an entering of an ambient medium into the aisle (120). A sensor (such as a temperature sensor) is arranged to determine a medium flow direction through the bleeding opening. In one embodiment, a signal generated by the sensor is used to control at least one parameter of the cooling medium supplied to the aisle (120).