Using liquid to air membrane energy exchanger for liquid cooling

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11815283-B2
Application number	US-202117466603-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 3, 2021
Priority date	May 15, 2015
Publication date	Nov 14, 2023
Grant date	Nov 14, 2023

Abstract

Systems and methods for controlling conditions in an enclosed space, such as a data center, or for providing cooling to a device, can include using a Liquid-to-Air Membrane Energy Exchanger (LAMEE) as an evaporative cooler. The LAMEE or exchanger can cool water to the outdoor air wet bulb temperature in a cooling system disposed outside of the enclosed space or device. The reduced-temperature water can be delivered to the enclosed space or device or can cool a coolant that is delivered to the enclosed space or device. The air in the enclosed space, or one or more components in the enclosed space, can be cooled by delivering the reduced-temperature water or coolant to the enclosed space, rather than moving the supply air from the enclosed space to the cooling system. In an example, the cooling system can include one or more cooling coils, upstream or downstream of the LAMEE.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A conditioning system for controlling conditions in an enclosed space, the conditioning system comprising:
a first cooling system disposed outside of the enclosed space, the first cooling system comprising:
a scavenger air plenum having an air inlet and outlet, the plenum configured to direct scavenger air in an air flow path from the air inlet to the air outlet;
a liquid to air membrane energy exchanger (LAMEE) arranged inside the plenum in the air flow path, the LAMEE comprising a cooling fluid flow path separated from the air flow path by a membrane, the LAMEE configured to use the scavenger air to evaporatively cool a cooling fluid in the cooling fluid flow path, a temperature of the cooling fluid at a fluid outlet of the LAMEE is lower than a temperature of the cooling fluid at a fluid inlet of the LAMEE; and
a first cooling unit arranged inside the plenum downstream of the LAMEE and configured to reduce a temperature of the cooling fluid using the scavenger air before the cooling fluid enters the LAMEE at the fluid inlet;
a second cooling system disposed inside the enclosed space; and
a cooling fluid circuit connected to the cooling fluid flow path of the LAMEE and to the second cooling system, the second cooling system providing cooling to the enclosed space using the cooling fluid without moving air from the enclosed space through the first cooling system.

2. The conditioning system of claim 1 further comprising a second cooling unit arranged inside the plenum upstream of the LAMEE, the second cooling unit configured to condition the scavenger air prior to the scavenger air entering the LAMEE.

3. The conditioning system of claim 2 wherein the second cooling unit is configured to receive reduced-temperature cooling fluid from the LAMEE to condition the scavenger air.

4. The conditioning system of claim 1 wherein the cooling fluid circuit includes a liquid to liquid heat exchanger (LLHX), and wherein the cooling fluid from the LAMEE passes through the LLHX to reduce a temperature of a second cooling fluid used in the second cooling system.

5. The conditioning system of claim 4 wherein the second cooling system includes direct cooling from the second cooling fluid to one or more components in the enclosed space.

6. The conditioning system of claim 4 wherein the second cooling system includes sensible cooling of air in the enclosed space using the second cooling fluid.

7. The conditioning system of claim 1 wherein:
the cooling fluid is water; and
the second cooling system uses reduced-temperature water from the LAMEE to provide cooling to the enclosed space.

8. The conditioning system of claim 7 wherein the reduced-temperature water directly cools one or more components in the enclosed space.

9. The conditioning system of claim 7 wherein the second cooling system includes a cooling coil configured to receive the reduced-temperature water and sensibly cool air in the enclosed space that passes over the cooling coil.

10. The conditioning system of claim 1 wherein the second cooling system includes at least one of a cooling coil, a rear door heat exchanger, a cooling distribution unit (CDU), a cold plate, and a liquid cooling bath.

11. The conditioning system of claim 1 wherein the cooling fluid in the cooling fluid flow path of the LAMEE is water.

12. The conditioning system of claim 1 wherein the cooling fluid circuit includes a tank for storing the cooling fluid from the LAMEE and a pump to deliver the cooling fluid to the enclosed space.

13. The conditioning system of claim 12 further comprising a supplemental cooling system configured to provide additional cooling to the cooling fluid in the tank.

14. The conditioning system of claim 13 wherein the supplemental cooling system is a direct exchange coil located inside the tank.

15. The conditioning system of claim 1 wherein the cooling fluid circuit is connected from a fluid outlet of the second cooling system to a fluid inlet of the first cooling unit to direct increased-temperature cooling fluid from the second cooling system through the first cooling unit.

16. A method of controlling conditions in an enclosed space comprises:
directing scavenger air through a liquid to air membrane energy exchanger (LAMEE) and a cooling unit arranged inside a scavenger air plenum disposed outside of the enclosed space, the scavenger air entering the plenum at an air inlet and exiting the plenum at an air outlet, the scavenger air plenum, the LAMEE, and the cooling unit forming a cooling system disposed outside of the enclosed space;
directing a cooling fluid through the LAMEE, the LAMEE comprising a cooling fluid flow path separate from an air flow path, the LAMEE configured to evaporatively cool the cooling fluid using the scavenger air;
directing the cooling fluid through the cooling unit, the cooling unit arranged between the LAMEE and the air outlet and configured to reduce a temperature of the cooling fluid before the cooling fluid enters the LAMEE at a fluid inlet;
delivering the cooling fluid in a cooling fluid circuit to the enclosed space, the cooling fluid circuit connected to a liquid outlet of the cooling fluid flow path of the LAMEE; and
providing cooling to the enclosed space with the cooling fluid and without moving air from the enclosed space through the cooling system.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein delivering the cooling fluid in the cooling fluid circuit to the enclosed space comprises delivering the cooling fluid to a second cooling system arranged inside the enclosed space.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein providing cooling to the enclosed space comprises directing the cooling fluid through the second cooling system to directly cool one or more components in the enclosed space.

19. The method of claim 17 , wherein providing cooling to the enclosed space comprises directing the cooling fluid through the second cooling system to sensibly cool air in the enclosed space using the cooling fluid.

20. The method of claim 17 , wherein the second cooling system includes at least one of a cooling coil, a rear door heat exchanger, a cooling distribution unit (CDU), a cold plate, and a liquid cooling bath.

21. The method of claim 16 , wherein delivering the cooling fluid in the cooling fluid circuit to the enclosed space comprises delivering the cooling fluid through a liquid to liquid heat exchanger (LLHX) to reduce a temperature of a second cooling fluid.

Assignees

• Nortek Air Solutions Canada Inc

Inventors

• Ghadiri Moghaddam Davood
• Lepoudre Philip Paul
• Gerber Manfred

Classifications

• F24F12/00 Primary

  Use of energy recovery systems in air conditioning, ventilation or screening (with both heat and humidity transfer between supplied and exhausted air F24F3/147) · CPC title

• F24F3/1411 Primary

  by absorbing or adsorbing water, e.g. using an hygroscopic desiccant · CPC title

• F24F5/0003

  Exclusively-fluid systems · CPC title

• F24F5/0035

  using evaporation · CPC title

• F24F11/46

  Improving electric energy efficiency or saving · CPC title