Using waste heat for climate control in rack

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10264715-B1
Application number	US-201715839752-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Dec 12, 2017
Priority date	Dec 12, 2017
Publication date	Apr 16, 2019
Grant date	Apr 16, 2019

Abstract

A data center includes a rack computer system, a tape library rack module and a heat exchange circuit. The rack computer system is positioned inside the data center and is operable to provide computing capacity and generate waste heat within a first environment. The tape library rack module is positioned within the data center and comprises an enclosure that encompasses its interior, a rack within the interior, at least one tape library unit mounted on the rack within a second environment that is environmentally isolated from the first environment. The heat exchange circuit comprises a pump to circulate heat transfer fluid, a first heat exchanger that receives waste heat in the first environment from the rack computer system to warm heat transfer fluid and a second heat exchanger that releases heat from warmed heat transfer fluid into the second environment to help control the temperature and/or relative humidity of the second environment.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A data center, comprising:
a rack computer system positioned inside the data center, the rack computer system being operable to provide computing capacity and generating waste heat within a first environment;
a tape library rack module positioned inside the data center and comprising:
an enclosure that encompasses an interior of the tape library rack module;
a rack within the interior of the tape rack module;
at least one tape library unit with tape cartridges mounted on the rack to store data within a second environment that is environmentally isolated from the first environment; and

a heat exchange circuit comprising a pump to circulate heat transfer fluid, a first heat exchanger configured to receive waste heat from the rack computer system in the first environment to warm heat transfer fluid, and a second heat exchanger configured to release heat from warmed heat transfer fluid into the second environment to help control at least one of the temperature and the relative humidity of the second environment.

2. The data center of claim 1 , further comprising a controller linked to the pump and operable to cause the pump to operate based on a predetermined condition.

3. The data center of claim 2 , wherein the pump is configured to operate at a variable pump rate, and wherein the controller controls the pump rate based on a temperature, a pressure, or a relative humidity within the second environment.

4. The data center of claim 1 , further comprising a fan positioned to increase airflow through the second heat exchanger to increase release of heat from the exchange fluid to the second environment.

5. The data center of claim 1 , wherein the tape library rack module comprises a humidifier unit operable to control a relative humidity of the second environment, and wherein operation of the heat exchange circuit is coordinated with operation of the cooling unit.

6. A method of using waste heat, comprising:
using waste heat generated by first computing equipment, in a first space in a data center, operating at first predetermined environmental conditions to transfer heat via a heat exchange in which a source of heat is a liquid warmed in the first space by the first computing equipment;
circulating the warmed liquid from the first space to a heat exchanger in a second space separated from the first space, the second space being within the data center and environmentally isolated from the first space, the second space housing second computing equipment; and
releasing heat from the heat exchanger to the second space to warm the second space or decrease a relative humidity of the second space such that the second space is maintained at second predetermined environmental conditions different from the first predetermined environmental conditions.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the second computing equipment comprises tape drives and tapes with computer data, further comprising maintaining an air temperature in the second space within a range from 16° C. to 25° C.

8. The method of claim 6 , wherein the second computing equipment comprises tape drives and tapes with computer data, further comprising maintaining a relative humidity within the second space within a range from 20% to 50%.

9. The method of claim 6 , wherein the second computing equipment comprises tape drives and tapes with computer data, further comprising maintaining a maximum wet bulb temperature of air in the second space at 26° C. or less.

10. The method of claim 6 , wherein the second computing equipment comprises tape drives and tapes with computer data, further comprising maintaining a rate of temperature change within the second space at 2° C. or less per hour.

11. The method of claim 6 , wherein the second computing equipment comprises tape drives and tapes with computer data, further comprising maintaining a rate of relative humidity change within the second space at 5% or less per hour.

12. An apparatus, comprising:
a rack computer system for positioning within a first environment, the rack computer system being operable to provide computing capacity;
a climate-controlled rack module for positioning within the first environment, the climate-controlled rack module having an enclosure that defines a second environment environmentally isolated from the first environment; and
a heat exchange circuit thermally linking the rack computer system and the climate-controlled rack module, the heat exchange circuit comprising a pump to circulate heat transfer fluid, a first heat exchanger configured to receive thermal energy in the first environment from the rack computer system to warm or cool heat transfer fluid and a second heat exchanger configured to receive the warmed or cooled heat transfer fluid to release heat into or cool the second environment to help control at least one environmental condition therein.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the heat transfer fluid is a heat transfer liquid, and wherein the first and second heat exchangers comprise respective first and second liquid-air heat exchangers each having a liquid side through which the heat transfer liquid is circulated and an air side by which heat is transferred to and from the heat transfer liquid, respectively.

14. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the enclosure of the climate-controlled rack module within which the second environment is defined comprises a partition separating the second environment from another space within the climate-controlled rack module.

15. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the rack computer system and the climate-controlled rack module are positioned adjacent each other and separated by at least one layer of insulation.

16. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the rack computer system and the climate-controlled rack module are spaced apart from each other, and wherein the heat exchange circuit comprises fluid lines interconnecting the first heat exchanger positioned closer to the rack computer system and the second heat exchanger positioned in the second environment.

17. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the heat exchange circuit comprises a sensor to detect a temperature, a pressure, or a relative humidity of the second environment.

18. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the heat exchange circuit is linked to a controller via a control circuit, and wherein the controller is configured to controllably operate the heat exchange circuit to maintain the environmental condition in the second environment within a predetermined range.

19. The data center of claim 12 , wherein the climate-controlled rack module comprises a cooling unit operable to cool the second environment, and wherein operation of the heat exchange circuit is coordinated with operation of the cooling unit.

20. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the first heat exchanger is configured to receive heat in the first environment and to transfer heat to the second environment, further comprising a third heat exchanger positioned in the first environment and configured to provide cooling to the second environment.

Assignees

• Amazon Tech Inc

Inventors

• Ortega Gutierrez Felipe Enrique

Classifications

• H05K7/20836 Primary

  Thermal management, e.g. server temperature control · CPC title

• H05K7/20781

  within cabinets for removing heat from server blades · CPC title

• H05K7/20736

  within cabinets for removing heat from server blades · CPC title

• H05K7/20745

  within rooms for removing heat from cabinets, e.g. by air conditioning device · CPC title