Evaporative induction cooling system for a data center

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11240938-B2
Application number	US-201916593240-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 4, 2019
Priority date	Apr 16, 2010
Publication date	Feb 1, 2022
Grant date	Feb 1, 2022

Abstract

A data center cooling system includes an evaporative cooling system. The evaporative cooling system includes fans configured to circulate outside air at ambient conditions through an entry zone of a data center, and atomizers positioned upstream of the entry zone configured to spray atomized water into the circulating outside air. The atomized water evaporates in an evaporation zone and cools the outside air to produce cooled air, which is directed through racks of computers positioned downstream of the evaporation zone.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for cooling a data center comprising:
drawing outside air at ambient conditions into an entry zone of the data center;
spraying atomized water into the outside air downstream of the entry zone;
providing an evaporation zone where the atomized water evaporates and cools the outside air to cool air;
directing the cool air into at least one air-to-air heat exchanger that is positioned between the evaporation zone and a rack zone, the at least one air-to-air heat exchanger comprising:
one or more heat wheels;
a first conduit positioned on an evaporation zone-side of the one or more heat wheels to receive the cool air and direct the cool air through the one or more heat wheels; and
a second conduit positioned on a rack zone-side of the one or more heat wheels to receive hot air from the rack zone and direct the hot air through the one or more heat wheels to cool the hot air;

directing the hot air from the rack zone of the data center into the at least one air-to-air heat exchanger and cooling the hot air to cooled air; and
recirculating the cooled air from the at least one air-to-air heat exchanger back into the rack zone, where the rack zone comprises a plurality of computer racks arranged in a plurality of substantially parallel rows.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
before recirculating the cooled air into the rack zone, spraying the cooled air with additional atomized water to further cool the cooled air and then recirculating the further cooled air back into the rack zone.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
circulating the cool air in a first vertical direction through the first conduit and through the one or more heat wheels; and
circulating the hot air in a second vertical direction through the second conduit and through the one or more heat wheels, the second vertical direction opposite the first vertical direction.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining the temperature, humidity level and flow rate of the cooled air being recirculated back to the rack zone; and
controlling the flow rate of water to a plurality of atomizers generating the spray of atomizing water based on the determinations and on a temperature and humidity set point for the rack zone.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining the temperature and humidity level of the cooled air being recirculated back into the rack zone; and
controlling the flow rate of water to a plurality of atomizers generating the spray of atomizing water based on the determinations and on a maximum allowable temperature and humidity level for the rack zone.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining at least one measurement of a temperature or humidity level of the cooled air being recirculated back into the rack zone;
based on the determined at least one measurement, activating a supplemental cooling system for the data center to cool the rack zone, the supplemental cooling system comprising:
a cooling tower;
a water-to-water heat exchanger in fluid communication with the cooling tower; and
an air-to-water heat exchanger in fluid communication with the water-to-water heat exchanger and positioned to receive hot air from the rack zone.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein activating the supplemental cooling system for the data center to cool the rack zone comprises:
flowing a first cooling liquid from the cooling tower to the water-to-water heat exchanger;
cooling a second cooling liquid in the water-to-water heat exchanger with the first cooling liquid;
flowing the second cooling liquid from the water-to-water heat exchanger to the air-to-water heat exchanger; and
cooling the hot air from the rack zone in the air-to-water heat exchanger with the second cooling liquid.

8. The method of claim 6 , wherein the supplemental cooling system further comprises a chiller in fluid communication with the air-to-water heat exchanger, the method further comprising:
based on the determined at least one measurement, selectively activating the chiller to cool the rack zone.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first and second conduits are thermally coupled and fluidly decoupled.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising fluidly coupling the rack zone with the second conduit with a cooling air outlet positioned at a bottom portion of the second conduit.

11. The method of claim 1 , further comprising fluidly coupling the first conduit with an ambient atmosphere with a vent.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising circulating air from the one or more heat wheels through the vent, through the first conduit, and to the ambient atmosphere.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein circulating air from the one or more heat wheels through the vent comprises circulating the air from the one or more heat wheels through the vent with a fan positioned in or adjacent the vent.

14. The system of claim 12 , further comprising circulating the hot air from the rack zone to the second conduit with at least one a data center fan.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein each of the one or more heat wheels comprise a heat transfer media.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the heat transfer media is coated with a desiccant.

17. The method of claim 1 , further comprising maintaining fluid separation of the cool air from the evaporation zone and the hot air from the rack zone in the air-to-air heat exchanger.

18. The method of claim 17 , further comprising:
determining the temperature, humidity level and flow rate of the cooled air being recirculated back to the rack zone; and
controlling the flow rate of water to a plurality of atomizers generating the spray based on the determinations and on a temperature and humidity set point for the rack zone.

19. The method of claim 17 , further comprising:
determining the temperature and humidity level of the cooled air being recirculated back into the rack zone; and
controlling the flow rate of water to a plurality of atomizers generating the spray based on the determinations and on a maximum allowable temperature and humidity level for the rack zone.

20. A method for cooling a data center comprising:
drawing outside air at ambient conditions into an entry zone of the data center;
spraying atomized water into the outside air downstream of the entry zone;
providing an evaporation zone where the atomized water evaporates and cools the outside air to cool air;
directing the cool air into at least one air-to-air heat exchanger that is positioned between the evaporation zone and a rack zone;
directing hot air from the rack zone of the data center into the at least one air-to-air heat exchanger and cooling the hot air to cooled air; and
recirculating the cooled air from the at least one air-to-air heat exchanger back into the rack zone, where the rack zone comprises a plurality of computer racks arranged in a plurality of substantially parallel rows; and
before recirculating the cooled air into the rack zone, spraying the cooled air with additional atomized water to further cool the cooled air and then recirculating the further cooled air back into the rack zone.

21. The method of claim 20 , further comprising:
determining the temperature, humidity level and flow rate of the cooled air being recirculated back to the rack zone; and
controlling the flow rate of water to a plurality of atomizers generating the spray of atomizing water based on the determinations and on a temperature a

Assignees

• Google Llc

Inventors

• Carlson Andrew B
• Malone Christopher Gregory
• Clidaras Jimmy

Classifications

• H05K7/20836

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

• F24F1/0007

  Indoor units, e.g. fan coil units (self-contained units F24F1/02) · CPC title

• F24F1/0071

  with means for purifying supplied air (perfuming or deodorising means F24F1/008) · CPC title

• F28D5/00

  Heat-exchange apparatus having stationary conduit assemblies for one heat-exchange medium only, the media being in contact with different sides of the conduit wall, using the cooling effect of natural or forced evaporation · CPC title

• H05K7/20827 Primary

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