Power supply system and method of managing the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9655285-B2
Application number	US-201414555799-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 28, 2014
Priority date	Nov 28, 2014
Publication date	May 16, 2017
Grant date	May 16, 2017

Abstract

A power supply system for a data center includes a cooling circuit, an electrochemical power generator, a sensor, and a processor. The cooling circuit includes a fluid configured to receive heat energy generated by a server located in the data center. The electrochemical power generator is configured to receive and/or generate the fluid of the cooling circuit and to generate electrical energy for the server using the fluid. The sensor is configured to obtain data regarding the server. The processor is configured to control an amount of heat energy transferred from the server to the fluid based on the data.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A power supply system for a data center, comprising:
a cooling circuit including a fluid, the cooling circuit configured to receive at least a portion of heat energy generated by a server located in the data center;
an electrochemical power generator configured to receive the fluid of the cooling circuit and to generate electrical energy for the server using the fluid; and
a processor configured to control an amount of heat energy transferred from the server to the fluid based on data relating to the server.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the data includes a temperature of the server.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the data includes a power demand of the server.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the data includes a power delivery rate from the electrochemical power generator.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the data includes a usage level of the server.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the data includes a temperature of the fluid after receiving heat energy from the server.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the data includes a temperature change of the fluid after receiving heat energy from the server.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the data is indicative of a temperature of the server, and wherein the processor is configured to increase the amount of heat energy transferred to the fluid when the temperature exceeds a threshold value.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the data is indicative of a temperature of the server, and wherein the processor is configured to decrease the amount of heat energy transferred to the fluid when the temperature is below a threshold value.

10. A power supply system for a data center, comprising:
a cooling circuit configured to exchange heat energy between a server located in the data center and a fluid being circulated in the cooling circuit such that at least a portion of the heat energy released by the server is absorbed by the fluid; and
an electrochemical power generator configured to receive the fluid from the cooling circuit and to generate electrical energy for the server using the fluid.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the fluid is a reactant for the electrochemical power generator.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the reactant includes a fuel for the electrochemical power generator.

13. The system of claim 11 , wherein the reactant includes an oxidant for the electrochemical power generator.

14. The system of claim 10 , wherein the cooling circuit includes a heat transfer device configured to exchange heat energy between the server and the fluid using conduction.

15. The system of claim 10 , wherein the cooling circuit includes a heat pipe configured to exchange heat energy between the server and the fluid.

16. The system of claim 10 , wherein the fluid in the cooling circuit is received from a storage tank.

17. The system of claim 10 , wherein the electrochemical power generator is configured to generate a by-product from an electrochemical reaction.

18. The system of claim 17 , further comprising a regeneration system configured to regenerate the by-product into a reactant using electricity received from a power source.

19. The system of claim 10 , wherein the electrochemical power generator is a flow battery.

20. The system of claim 10 , wherein the electrochemical power generator is a fuel cell.

21. A system for a data center, comprising:
a cooling circuit including a fluid, the cooling circuit configured to receive at least a portion of heat energy generated by a server located in the data center;
an electrochemical power generator configured to receive the fluid of the cooling circuit and to generate power for the server using the fluid; and
a processor configured to:
receive power demand data regarding a power demand of the server;
control an amount of electrical energy generated by the electrochemical power generator based on the power demand data; and
control an amount of heat energy transferred to the fluid from the server based on the power demand data.

22. The system of claim 21 , wherein the processor is configured to increase the amount of heat energy transferred to the fluid when the power demand of the server increases.

23. The system of claim 21 , wherein the processor is configured to decrease the amount of heat energy transferred to the fluid when the power demand of the server decreases.

24. The system of claim 21 , wherein the fluid is a reactant for the electrochemical power generator.

25. The system of claim 21 , wherein the fluid is a first fluid, and wherein the cooling circuit includes a heat transfer device having a second fluid separate from the first fluid such that the heat energy is transferred from the server to the first fluid via the second fluid.

26. The system of claim 21 , wherein the cooling circuit includes a heat transfer device, and wherein the heat transfer device is configured to receive heat energy from the server using conduction.

27. The system of claim 21 , wherein the cooling circuit includes a heat pipe configured to receive heat energy from the server.

28. The system of claim 27 , wherein the processor is configured to adjust a thermal conductivity of the heat pipe to control the amount of heat energy transferred from the server to the fluid.

29. The system of claim 21 , wherein the cooling circuit includes a heat exchanger configured to receive heat energy from the server.

30. The system of claim 29 , wherein the heat exchanger is further configured to deliver heat energy to the fluid.

31. The system of claim 30 , wherein the processor is configured to control an area of contact between the fluid and the heat exchanger to control the amount of heat energy transferred from the server to the fluid.

32. The system of claim 30 , wherein the heat exchanger includes an intermediate fluid, and wherein the processor is configured to adjust a flow rate of the intermediate fluid to control the amount of heat energy transferred from the server to the fluid.

33. The system of claim 30 , further comprising a valve configured to divert a portion of the fluid to or away from the heat exchanger to control the amount of heat energy transferred to the fluid.

34. The system of claim 21 , wherein the processor is configured to adjust a flow rate of the fluid to control the amount of heat energy transferred from the server to the fluid.

35. The system of claim 21 , wherein the fluid in the cooling circuit is received by a storage tank.

Assignees

• Elwha Llc

Inventors

• Belady Christian L
• Carmean Douglas M
• Gates William
• Harris Shaun L
• Hyde Roderick A
• Ishikawa Muriel Y
• James Sean M
• Janous Brian A
• Kare Jordin T
• Liu Jie
• Mankin Max N
• Mcknight Gregory J
• Mundie Craig J
• Myhrvold Nathan P
• Pan Tony S
• Tegreene Clarence T
• Urzhumov Yaroslav A
• Whitmer Charles
• Wood Jr Lowell L
• Wood Victoria Y H

Classifications

• H01M8/18

  Regenerative fuel cells, e.g. redox flow batteries or secondary fuel cells · CPC title

• H05K7/20836

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

• H01M8/20

  Indirect fuel cells, e.g. fuel cells with redox couple being irreversible (H01M8/18 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H05K7/20763 Primary

  Liquid cooling without phase change · CPC title

• G06F1/26

  Power supply means, e.g. regulation thereof (for memories G11C) · CPC title