Water Heater With Integrated Computing Servers for Waste Heat Recovery
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Solution Overview
Problem
Data centers and computing devices generate significant waste heat, contributing to environmental footprints and energy inefficiencies, while traditional cooling methods are not optimized for energy harvesting.
Innovation Solution
A pumpless liquid direct cooling system for computing servers integrated into water heaters, where the heat generated by servers is transferred to a dielectric liquid in a heat exchanger, which then heats water in a tank, optimizing energy use and reducing operational costs by merging two large sources of energy consumption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If traditional cooling methods are used for computing devices, then computing devices can operate, but significant waste heat is generated contributing to environmental footprint
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts the harmful waste heat generated by computing devices into a beneficial resource by using it to heat water through a heat exchanger system. The cooling system captures thermal energy that would otherwise be discarded and transfers it to a water tank, simultaneously cooling the computing devices and producing hot water for household use, thereby eliminating the environmental harm while creating utility.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges two previously separate systems - the computing device cooling system and the water heating system - into a single integrated unit. The computing devices are housed within or adjacent to a water heater, with heat exchangers positioned to capture heat from the computing devices and transfer it directly to the water storage tank, combining cooling and heating functions in one location.
2Power
If data centers are built to meet computational demand, then computational power increases, but energy consumption and operational costs increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the computing system multi-functional by enabling it to perform both computational tasks and water heating. The same infrastructure that provides computational power - the computing devices and their power supply - also serves as a heat source for domestic hot water production, allowing a single system to fulfill multiple functions and reduce overall energy consumption in the household.
Solution Approach 2:
The system provides self-service by using its own waste heat to meet part of its water heating needs. The computing devices generate heat during operation, and this heat is captured and used to maintain the water tank temperature, allowing the system to serve its own thermal requirements without external energy input for heating.
3Productivity
If computing devices are concentrated in data centers, then computational tasks can be handled, but heat harvesting opportunities are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the computing infrastructure from centralized data centers and distributes computing devices to individual households. Each household hosts its own computing devices within or near the water heater, enabling localized heat harvesting. This segmentation allows each unit to independently capture and utilize its own waste heat, transforming previously lost energy into useful domestic hot water.
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 reduces the carbon footprint of data centers and water heating systems by utilizing waste heat to produce hot water, achieving high net electrical efficiency and decentralizing computing power through a distributed edge data center architecture.
Implementation Method 1
the heat generated by servers is transferred to a dielectric liquid in a heat exchanger
Implementation Method 2
which then heats water in a tank
Data Source
Figure 1A
Figure 1B
Figure 2
AI summary
An electric water heater with a computing device used to heat water from a residential or industrial water tank while executing useful computational tasks for a network. It includes a water tank, a heat exchanger, a computing device, a connectivity system to connect the computing device to a network, the network supplying computing tasks to the computing device, such that running the computing tasks results in a heat production, and a temperature control system to control the heat production from the computing device responsive to the water and heat exchanging fluid temperatures. The computational tasks are defined by one or more network user.