Cooling system with desiccant dehumidification

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9459668-B2
Application number	US-201313895607-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 16, 2013
Priority date	May 16, 2013
Publication date	Oct 4, 2016
Grant date	Oct 4, 2016

Abstract

A system for removing heat from electrical systems includes a dehumidification device including a desiccant, an evaporative cooling device, air moving devices, and an air flow control devices. The air moving device moves air through the dehumidification device, the evaporative cooling device, and the electrical systems. The air flow control device controls a rate of flow through the dehumidification device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A data center, comprising:
a plurality of electrical devices comprising heat producing components; and
a cooling system, comprising:
one or more desiccant wheels;
one or more evaporative cooling devices downstream from at least one of the desiccant wheels, wherein the one or more evaporative cooling devices are configured to evaporate a liquid into a stream of air flowing through the one or more evaporative cooling devices to cool the stream of air;
one or more air moving devices; and
one or more air flow control devices;

wherein at least one of the air moving devices is configured to move air through at least one of the desiccant wheels, at least of the one or more evaporative cooling devices, and at least one of the heat producing components of the electrical devices,
wherein the cooling system is configured such that at least a portion of the stream of air that flows through the one or more evaporative cooling devices flows through at least one of the desiccant wheels upstream of the one or more evaporative cooling devices and at least another portion of the stream of air that flows through the one or more evaporative cooling devices bypasses the at least one of the desiccant wheels upstream of the one or more evaporative cooling devices;
wherein at least one of the air flow control devices is configured to adjust the at least a portion of the stream of air that flows through the at least one of the desiccant wheels.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the cooling system is configured to move air through at least one of the one or more desiccant wheels to reactivate the desiccant wheel, wherein the cooling system is configured to transfer heat from the electrical devices to at least a portion of the air being supplied to the at least one desiccant wheel to promote reactivation of the at least one desiccant wheel.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more desiccant wheels comprise two or more desiccant wheels, wherein each of at least two of the desiccant wheels is configured to dehumidify a different stream of air.

4. A system for removing heat from electrical systems, comprising:
one or more dehumidification devices comprising a desiccant;
one or more evaporative cooling devices configured to evaporate a liquid into a stream of air flowing through the one or more evaporative cooling devices to cool the stream of air;
one or more air moving devices; and
one or more air flow control devices;
wherein at least one of the air moving devices is configured to move air through at least one of the dehumidification devices, at least of the one or more evaporative cooling devices, and one or more of the electrical systems,
wherein the system is configured such that at least a portion of the stream of air that flows through the one or more evaporative cooling devices flows through at least one of the one or more dehumidification devices upstream of the one or more evaporative coolers and at least another portion of the stream of air that flows through the one or more evaporative cooling devices bypasses the at least one dehumidification device; and
wherein at least one of the air flow control devices is configured to adjust the at least a portion of the stream of flow air that flows through the at least one of the dehumidification devices.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein at least one of the dehumidification devices comprises a desiccant wheel.

6. The system of claim 4 , wherein the at least one airflow control device comprises one or more sets of dampers, wherein the at least one airflow control device is configured to open and close at least one of the dampers to change a rate of air flow through the at least one dehumidification device.

7. The system of claim 4 , further comprising one or more ducts configurable to bypass at least one of the dehumidification devices.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the at least one air flow control device comprises a controller, wherein the controller is configured to control a rate of flow of air through the at least one of the dehumidification devices.

9. The system of claim 8 , further comprising one or more temperature sensors coupled to the control system, wherein the control system is configured to control an air stream in the one or more ducts based at least in part on information from at least one of the temperature sensors.

10. The system of claim 8 , further comprising one or more humidity sensors coupled to the control system, wherein the control system is configured to control an air stream in the one or more ducts based at least in part on information from at least one of the humidity sensors.

11. The system of claim 4 , further comprising a mixing plenum, wherein the system is configured to mix outside air with air modified by at least one of the dehumidification devices.

12. The system of claim 4 , wherein the one or more dehumidification devices comprises two or more desiccant wheels, wherein each of at least two of the desiccant wheels is configured to dehumidify air in a different stream of air.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the one or more air flow control devices comprise two or more air flow control devices, wherein each of at least two of the air flow control devices is configurable to control a rate of air flow through a different one of the desiccant wheels.

14. The system of claim 4 , further comprising a constricted section in a duct upstream from at least one of the dehumidification devices, wherein at least one of the air moving devices is configured to move air through the constricted section of the duct such that at least some water in the air is converted from water vapor to water droplets.

15. The system of claim 4 , wherein the electrical devices are in a data center, wherein the system is configured to move heated air from the electrical devices in the data center through at least one of the desiccant wheels, wherein the heated air promotes reactivation of the desiccant wheel.

16. The system of claim 4 , further comprising a solar heating device configured to heat air, wherein the system is configured to move at least a portion of the air heated by the solar heating device through at least one of the desiccant wheels to promote reactivation of the desiccant wheel.

17. The system of claim 4 , further comprising a heat exchanger configured to transfer heat from a first stream of air heated by the electrical systems to a second stream of air, wherein the system is configured to move at least a portion of the air from the second stream of air through at least one of the desiccant wheels to reactivate the desiccant wheel.

18. The system of claim 4 , further comprising one or more venturi sections in at least one of the ducts, wherein the venturi section is configured to reduce pressure in at least a portion of the air being used to reactivate at least one of the desiccant wheels.

19. A method of removing heat from electrical systems, comprising:
controlling a rate of a flow of one or more streams of air;
moving at least a portion of at least one of the streams of air across a desiccant to remove water vapor from the air;
combining the portion of the at least one stream of air that moves across the desiccant with another portion of the at least one stream of air that bypasses the desiccant;
moving at least a portion of the combined stream of air through a wetted media; and
removing heat from one or more electrical systems using at least a portion of the air from the wetted media.

20. The method of clai

Assignees

• Amazon Tech Inc

Inventors

• Towner Richard Chadwick
• Eichelberg John William
• Czamara Michael Phillip
• Morales Osvaldo P

Classifications

• H05K7/20618

  Air circulating in different modes under control of air guidance flaps · CPC title

• H05K7/20836 Primary

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

• F24F5/0035

  using evaporation · CPC title

• H05K7/20745

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

• F24F6/02

  by evaporation of water in the air · CPC title