Energy reclamation from air-moving systems

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9438087-B2
Application number	US-201514605818-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 26, 2015
Priority date	Oct 1, 2012
Publication date	Sep 6, 2016
Grant date	Sep 6, 2016

Abstract

A data center includes a computing room, computing devices in the computing room, an air handling system, and a turbine system. Air moved by the air handling system flows across heat producing components in the computing devices in the computing room. A rotor of the turbine system rotates in response to at least a portion of the air moved by the air handling system. The turbine system generates electricity from rotation of the rotor.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A data center, comprising:
a computing room;
a plurality of computing devices in the computing room;
an air handling system configured to move air, wherein at least a portion of the air moved by the air handling system flows across heat producing components in at least some of the computing devices in the computing room; and
a turbine system coupled to the air handling system, wherein the turbine system comprises a rotor configured to rotate in response to at least a portion of the air moved by the air handling system;
wherein the turbine system is configured to:
change an orientation of the rotor relative to an air stream moving across the rotor; and
generate electricity from rotation of the rotor.

2. The data center of claim 1 , wherein to change the orientation of the rotor relative to the air stream moving across the rotor, the turbine system is configured to reposition the turbine system such that the rotor rotates in a natural wind.

3. The data center of claim 1 , wherein to change the orientation of the rotor relative to the air stream moving across the rotor, the turbine system is configured to adjust the orientation of the turbine system about a pitch axis or a yaw axis.

4. The data center of claim 1 , wherein to change the orientation of the rotor relative to the air stream moving across the rotor, the turbine system is configured to adjust between an orientation aligned with a direction of air flowing via the air handling system and an orientation aligned with a direction of air flowing via a natural wind.

5. The data center of claim 1 , further comprising:
a control system configured to operate the turbine system; and
one or more energy storage devices, wherein at least one of the energy storage devices is configured to:
store energy generated by the turbine system; and
supply electrical power to the one or more components in the data center using the stored energy;

wherein the control system is configured to supply electrical power from the energy storage devices based on one or more conditions in the data center.

6. A system, comprising:
one or more rooms;
an air handling system configured to move air through at least one of the one or more rooms; and
a turbine system coupled to the air handling system, wherein the turbine system comprises a rotor, wherein the rotor of the turbine system is configured to rotate in response to at least a portion of the air moved by the air handling system;
wherein the turbine system is configured to:
change an orientation of the rotor relative to an air stream moving across the rotor; and
generate electricity from rotation of the rotor.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein to change the orientation of the rotor relative to the air stream moving across the rotor, the turbine system is configured to reposition the turbine system such that the rotor rotates in a natural wind.

8. The system of claim 6 , wherein to change the orientation of the rotor relative to the air stream moving across the rotor, the turbine system is configured to adjust the orientation of the turbine system about a pitch axis.

9. The system of claim 6 , wherein to change the orientation of the rotor relative to the air stream moving across the rotor, the turbine system is configured to adjust the orientation of the turbine system about a yaw axis.

10. The system of claim 6 , further comprising a ball mount; wherein the turbine system is coupled to the air handling system at least in part by the ball mount; wherein the ball mount is configured to allow adjustment of the turbine system about three or more axes.

11. The system of claim 6 , wherein the rotor of the turbine system is located in an exhaust air flow from the air handling system.

12. The system of claim 6 , wherein to change the orientation of the rotor relative to the air stream moving across the rotor, the turbine system is configured to adjust the orientation of the turbine system between an orientation aligned with a direction of air flowing via the air handling system and an orientation aligned with a direction of air flowing via a natural wind.

13. The system of claim 6 , wherein the turbine system is configured to be manually adjusted to change the orientation of the rotor relative to the air stream moving across the rotor.

14. The system of claim 6 , further comprising one or more energy storage devices, wherein at least one of the energy storage device s is configured to:
store energy generated by the turbine system; and
supply electrical power using the stored energy.

15. The system of claim 14 , further comprising a control system, wherein the control system is configured to operate the turbine system to generate electricity or supply electrical power in response to one or more conditions of the room or the air handling system.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the control system is further configured to adjust the orientation of the turbine system between an orientation aligned with a direction of air flowing via the air handling system and an orientation aligned with a direction of air flowing via a natural wind, in response to the one or more conditions of the room or the air handling system, or in response to one or more conditions of the natural wind.

17. A method, comprising:
moving air through an enclosed space to control conditions of the air in the enclosed space;
moving at least a portion of the air through a rotor of a turbine system such that the rotor of the turbine system rotates;
generating electrical power from rotation of the rotor; and
changing orientation of the rotor relative to an airflow to promote rotation of the rotor and to continue generating electrical power from rotation of the rotor.

18. The method of claim 17 , further comprising adjusting the turbine system between an orientation aligned with the air of the air stream and an orientation aligned with a direction of additional air flowing via a natural wind.

19. The method of claim 17 , further comprising storing at least a portion of the electrical energy generated from the turbine system.

20. The method of claim 19 , further comprising supplying electrical power from the stored electrical energy to a cooling system for the enclosed space.

Assignees

• Amazon Tech Inc

Inventors

• Czamara Michael Phillip
• Gardner Brock Robert
• Morales Osvaldo P

Classifications

• Y02E10/725

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• H02K7/1823 Primary

  structurally associated with turbines or similar engines · CPC title

• F05B2260/24

  for draft enhancement in chimneys, using solar or other heat sources · CPC title

• F03D1/04 Primary

  having stationary wind-guiding means, e.g. with shrouds or channels (F03D9/35 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H05K7/20745

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