Slidable Air-Cooling Wall Panels for Data Center Heat Extraction
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Solution Overview
Problem
The increasing power dissipation in integrated circuit chips poses a cooling challenge, particularly in data centers where traditional air-cooling methods are insufficient, leading to recirculation of hot air and inefficient use of air-conditioning resources.
Innovation Solution
An air-cooling apparatus featuring an air-permeable wall with slidable air-to-liquid heat exchangers positioned separately from electronics racks to extract heat from airflow, reducing recirculation and enhancing cooling efficiency by integrating with a coolant distribution system.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If greater airflow rates are used to cool high-powered modules, then cooling effectiveness is improved, but the heat load on room air-conditioning systems increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts heat from the airflow exiting electronics racks using air-to-liquid heat exchangers positioned at rack outlets or inlined in airflow paths. This removes thermal energy from the air stream before it enters the room air-conditioning system, thereby maintaining effective cooling of high-powered modules while reducing the heat load on central air-conditioning equipment
Solution Approach 2:
The invention introduces air-to-liquid heat exchangers as intermediary devices between the electronics racks and the room air-conditioning system. These heat exchangers act as mediators that transfer heat from the air stream to a liquid coolant, decoupling the cooling demand at rack level from the room air-conditioning load
2Productivity
If liquid-cooling is implemented to manage higher heat fluxes, then cooling efficiency is improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention segments the cooling system into modular air-to-liquid heat exchanger units that can be independently installed at individual rack outlets or inline with airflow paths. Each heat exchanger operates as a discrete module with its own liquid coolant circuit, allowing incremental deployment and simplified maintenance without requiring complete system overhaul
Solution Approach 2:
The air-to-liquid heat exchangers are designed to be universally applicable to standard electronics rack configurations. The same heat exchanger design can be installed at rack outlets or inlined in airflow paths, and the liquid coolant system can serve multiple racks simultaneously, reducing overall system complexity through component standardization
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 solution effectively lowers the temperature of recirculating airflow and reduces the heat load on air-conditioning units, improving cooling efficiency and energy utilization in data centers.
Implementation Method 1
The at least one air-to-liquid heat exchanger extracts heat from air passing thereacross
Data Source
AI summary
An air-cooling apparatus is provided which includes an air-cooling wall cooling airflow passing through an electronics rack(s) of a data center. The air-cooling wall is disposed separate from and in spaced relation to the air inlet or air outlet side(s) of the electronics rack(s), and includes a wall panel support structure disposed separate from the electronics rack(s), which supports one or more slidable wall panels. The slidable wall panel(s) includes an air-to-liquid heat exchanger slidably supported and disposed in spaced relation to the air outlet or air inlet side of the electronics rack(s). The heat exchanger extracts heat from air passing across the heat exchanger and is slidable within the support structure in a direction transverse to the direction of airflow through the rack(s). Slidable support of the heat exchanger by the support structure facilitates access to the air outlet or air inlet sides of the electronics rack(s).