Closed loop data center and organic life ecosystem

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9812925-B2
Application number	US-201414335874-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 18, 2014
Priority date	Jul 18, 2014
Publication date	Nov 7, 2017
Grant date	Nov 7, 2017

Abstract

Processing units and electrical power generation are integrated with a botanical environment to form a closed loop system whereby the outputs of one component serve as the inputs of another. Additionally, humans can be added to the system while maintaining the closed loop nature. Heat generated by the electrical power generation and processing units aids in the growth of botanicals and in the conversion of waste organic materials into both fertilizer and fuel for the electrical power generation. Additionally, carbon dioxide output by the electrical power generation is consumed by the botanicals, which, in turn, output oxygen consumed by the electrical power generation. Water is obtained by passing the exhaust of the electrical power generation across condenser coils, and is utilized for adiabatic cooling, as well as a heat transfer medium. Water is also consumed by the botanicals, aiding their growth.

First claim

We claim:

1. A system comprising:
one or more electrical generators consuming fuel and oxygen and generating a first heat, electricity, carbon dioxide and water;
one or more processing units contained within one or more computing devices, the one or more processing units consuming the electricity generated by the one or more electrical generators and generating processing output and a second heat; and
botanicals consuming the water and the carbon dioxide generated by the one or more electrical generators and generating the oxygen consumed by at least some of the one or more electrical generators and waste organics, the botanicals being warmed by one or more of the first heat or the second heat;
wherein the fuel consumed by at least some of the one or more electrical generators is produced from one or more of the first heat or the second heat being applied to the waste organics.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the system is a closed-loop system receiving only sunlight as external input.

3. The system of claim 1 , further comprising one or more humans providing control to the one or more processing units and tending the botanicals and consuming the processing output generated by the one or more processing units and food generated by the botanicals; wherein the botanicals further generate the food.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein at least some of the one or more electrical generators are fuel cells.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the fuel is dried waste organics and wherein further the one or more electrical generators produce the electricity by burning the dried waste organics.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the fuel is biogas produced by operation of microbes consuming the waste organics, the microbes being aided by the application of the first heat or the second heat to the waste organics.

7. The system of claim 1 , further comprising piping through which liquid flows, the liquid absorbing at least some of the first heat or at least some of the second heat and providing the absorbed heat to the botanicals.

8. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a liquid storage tank for retaining the absorbed heat for subsequent provision.

9. The system of claim 1 , further comprising ductwork for delivering, to the botanicals, air heated by at least some of the first heat or at least some of the second heat.

10. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a conveyor belt for transporting the waste organics through air heated by at least some of the first heat or at least some of the second heat.

11. The system of claim 1 , further comprising an adiabatic cooler.

12. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more electrical generators are physically located in between multiple greenhouses housing the botanicals.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein at least some of the multiple greenhouses also house at least some of the one or more processing units.

14. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processing units are contained within one or more server computing devices, wherein the one or more computing devices are server devices.

15. The system of claim 1 , wherein the water is generated by cooling an exhaust of at least some of the one or more electrical generators below its dew point.

16. The system of claim 1 , further comprising electrically-powered light sources, the electrically-powered light sources consuming the electricity generated by the one or more electrical generators and generating light for the botanicals therefrom.

17. A method comprising the steps of:
providing electrical power generated by an electrical generator to a processing unit contained within a computing device;
providing fuel and oxygen generated by botanicals to the electrical generator;
providing carbon dioxide and water generated by the electrical generator to the botanicals;
providing heat generated by at least one of the processing unit or the electrical generator to the botanicals; and
generating the fuel by heating waste organics produced by the botanicals utilizing the heat generated by at least one of the processing unit or the electrical generator.

18. The method of claim 17 , further comprising the steps of:
providing the oxygen and food generated by the botanicals to a human;
providing the water generated by the electrical generator to the human; and
providing the heat generated by at least one of the processing unit or the electrical generator to the human.

19. The method of claim 17 , wherein the method is performed by a closed-loop system receiving only sunlight as external input.

20. The method of claim 17 , wherein the computing device is a server computing device.

Assignees

• Microsoft Corp
• Microsoft Technology Licensing Llc

Inventors

• Belady Christian L
• Janous Brian
• James Sean

Classifications

• B64G7/00

  Simulating cosmonautic conditions, e.g. for conditioning crews · CPC title

• F03G7/00

  Mechanical-power-producing mechanisms, not otherwise provided for or using energy sources not otherwise provided for · CPC title

• H02K7/18 Primary

  Structural association of electric generators with mechanical driving motors, e.g. with turbines · CPC title

• B64G1/48 Primary

  for treatment of the atmosphere (B64G1/50 takes precedence) · CPC title