Cooling systems for electrical equipment

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9282684-B2
Application number	US-201213596798-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 28, 2012
Priority date	Jun 23, 2010
Publication date	Mar 8, 2016
Grant date	Mar 8, 2016

Abstract

A space-saving, high-density modular data center and an energy-efficient cooling system for a modular data center are disclosed. The modular data center includes a first cooling circuit including a primary cooling device and a plurality of modular data pods. Each modular data pod includes a plurality of servers, a heat exchange member coupled to the first cooling circuit and a second cooling circuit coupled to the heat exchange member and configured to cool the plurality of servers, the second cooling circuit including a secondary cooling device configured to cool fluid flowing through the second cooling circuit. Each modular data pod also includes an auxiliary enclosure containing at least a portion of a distributed mechanical cooling system, which is configured to trim the cooling performed by a central free-cooling system.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A cooling system for electrical equipment, comprising:
a first cooling circuit including a primary cooling device;
a heat exchange member in thermal communication with the electrical equipment and coupled to the first cooling circuit; and
a second cooling circuit coupled to the heat exchange member, the second cooling circuit including a secondary cooling device that cools fluid flowing through the second cooling circuit,
wherein the first cooling circuit includes two supply lines and two return lines in a reverse-return configuration.

2. The cooling system according to claim 1 , wherein the secondary cooling device cools a portion of a heat load associated with the electrical equipment that the primary cooling device cannot cool.

3. The cooling system according to claim 1 , wherein the secondary cooling device cools a portion of a heat load associated with the electrical equipment as a function of atmospheric conditions.

4. The cooling system according to claim 1 , further comprising primary cooling coils in thermal communication with the electrical equipment.

5. The cooling system according to claim 1 , wherein the secondary cooling device operates to cool the electrical equipment when a wet bulb temperature of the atmosphere associated with the environment of the electrical equipment exceeds a predetermined wet bulb temperature.

6. The cooling system according to claim 1 , wherein the fluid flowing through the first cooling circuit is a glycol solution or water and wherein the fluid flowing through the second cooling circuit is a refrigerant.

7. The cooling system according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a second heat exchange member in thermal communication with the electrical equipment and coupled to the first cooling circuit; and
a third cooling circuit coupled to the second heat exchange member, the third cooling circuit including a second secondary cooling device that cools fluid flowing through the third cooling circuit.

8. The cooling system according to claim 7 , further comprising secondary cooling coils in thermal communication with the electrical equipment.

9. The cooling system according to claim 1 , wherein the primary cooling device is a free-cooling device.

10. The cooling system according to claim 9 , wherein the free-cooling device includes a fluid cooler.

11. A cooling system for electrical equipment, comprising:
a first cooling circuit including a primary cooling device;
a heat exchange member in thermal communication with the electrical equipment and coupled to the first cooling circuit;
a second cooling circuit coupled to the heat exchange member, the second cooling circuit including a secondary cooling device that cools fluid flowing through the second cooling circuit; and
a third cooling circuit coupled to the second cooling circuit, the third cooling circuit including a cooling fluid source and an expansion tank.

12. The cooling system according to claim 1 , wherein the heat exchange member is a condenser.

13. The cooling system according to claim 10 , wherein the fluid cooler is a cooling tower.

Assignees

• Keisling Earl
• Costakis John
• Mcdonneli Gerald
• Inertech Ip Llc

Inventors

• Keisling Earl
• Costakis John
• Mcdonneli Gerald

Classifications

• F25D17/00

  Arrangements for circulating cooling fluids; Arrangements for circulating gas, e.g. air, within refrigerated spaces · CPC title

• F28D15/00

  Heat-exchange apparatus with the intermediate heat-transfer medium in closed tubes passing into or through the conduit walls {; Heat-exchange apparatus employing intermediate heat-transfer medium or bodies (F28D17/00, F28D19/00, F28D20/00 take precedence)} · CPC title

• H05K7/20218

  using a liquid coolant without phase change in electronic enclosures (in cabinets of standardized dimensions H05K7/20536; in server cabinets H05K7/20709; in vehicle electronic casings H05K7/20845; in power control electronics H05K7/2089; in displays H05K7/20954) · CPC title

• H05K7/20827 Primary

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

• G06F1/20

  Cooling means · CPC title