Energy reclamation from fluid-moving systems

• US 9,567,866 B2
• Filed: 03/11/2016
• Issued: 02/14/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Gardner, Brock Robert, Czamara, Michael P.
• Primary Examiner(s): TA, THO DAC
• Application Number:
  US15/068,527
• Publication Number:
  US 20160194975A1
• Time in Patent Office: 340 Days
• Field of Search: 290/52, 290/54
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 15/08 Adaptations for driving, or combinations with, pumps
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 15/10 Adaptations for driving, or combinations with, electric generators
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 5/02 Blade-carrying members, e.g. rotors rotors of non-bladed type F01D1/34; stators F01D9/00 ; selecting particular materials F01D5/28
• CPC Class Codes: F03B 13/00 Adaptations of machines or engines for special use; Combinations of machines or engines with driving or driven apparatus if the apparatus aspects are predominant, see the relevant subclasses for such apparatus, e.g. H02K7/18; Power stations or aggregates incorporating only machines or engines of positive-displacement type F03C; hydraulic engineering aspects E02B; combinations with wind energy converters F03D9/008
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2220/20 within closed fluid conduits, e.g. pipes
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2220/602 with energy recovery turbines
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2220/30 in turbines
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 5/0035 using evaporation
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20745 within rooms for removing heat from cabinets, e.g. by air conditioning device
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 10/50 Hydropower in dwellings

Abstract

A system includes a building, a fluid-moving system, and a turbine system. The fluid-moving system includes one or more conduits in or coupled to the data center and a pump. The pump moves fluid through the conduits. The turbine system includes a turbine and generator. The turbine has a runner in a flow of fluid in one of the conduits. The generator produces electricity from rotation of the runner.

Claims

1. A data center, comprising:

a plurality of computing devices;

a fluid-moving system, comprising an elevated reservoir configured to collect liquid from a subsystem of the fluid-moving system at an elevated location in the data center;

a turbine system at a lower elevation in the data center than the elevated location; and

one or more conduits connecting the elevated reservoir and the turbine system, wherein the turbine system comprises;

a turbine comprising one or more runners in a flow of liquid in at least one of the conduits; and

a generator configured to produce electricity from rotation of at least one of the runners in the flow of liquid.

2. The data center of claim 1, wherein the fluid-moving system comprises a steam subsystem, and wherein the elevated reservoir of the fluid-moving system is configured to collect condensed steam from the steam subsystem.

3. The data center of claim 1, wherein the fluid-moving system comprises an evaporative cooling subsystem, and wherein the elevated reservoir of the fluid-moving system is configured to collect water from the evaporative cooling subsystem.

4. The data center of claim 1, wherein the fluid-moving system comprises a cooling tower subsystem, and wherein the elevated reservoir of the fluid-moving system is configured to collect water that has passed through the cooling tower subsystem.

5. The data center of claim 1, wherein the fluid-moving system further comprises:

a pump; and

one or more additional conduits,

wherein the pump is configured to cause liquid to flow from a lower elevation in the data center to a higher elevation in the data center via the one or more additional conduits,

wherein the higher elevation in the data center is at an elevation in the data center greater than or equal to the elevated location of the elevated reservoir.

6. The data center of claim 1, wherein the fluid-moving system further comprises:

a control unit; and

one or more flow control mechanisms,

wherein the control unit is configured to cause the one or more flow control mechanisms to move to adjust the flow of liquid through the turbine.

7. The data center of claim 1, further comprising:

an energy storage system configured to store electricity produced by the generator.

8. The data center of claim 7, wherein the energy storage system comprises an uninterruptible power supply configured to provide uninterruptible power support to at least some of the plurality of computing devices of the data center.

9. A system, comprising:

a building;

a fluid-moving system comprising an elevated reservoir configured to collect a liquid from a subsystem of the fluid moving system at an elevated location in the building;

a turbine system at a lower elevation in the building than the elevated location; and

one or more conduits connecting the elevated reservoir and the turbine system, wherein the turbine system comprises;

a turbine comprising one or more runners in a flow of liquid in at least one of the one or more conduits; and

a generator configured to produce electricity from rotation of at least one of the one or more runners in the flow of liquid;

a control unit; and

one or more flow control mechanisms,

wherein the control unit is configured to cause the one or more flow control mechanisms to move to adjust the flow of liquid through the turbine.

10. The system of claim 9, further comprising an energy storage device configured to store electrical energy produced by the generator, wherein the energy storage device provides back-up electrical power for a cooling system of the building.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the fluid-moving system comprises an evaporative cooling subsystem, and wherein the elevated reservoir of the fluid-moving system is configured to collect water from the evaporative cooling subsystem.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the fluid-moving system comprises a steam subsystem, and wherein the elevated reservoir of the fluid-moving system is configured to collect condensed steam from the steam subsystem.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the fluid-moving system comprises a cooling tower subsystem, wherein the elevated reservoir of the fluid-moving system is configured to collect water that has passed through the cooling tower subsystem.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the control unit is configured to control a rate of release of liquid from the elevated reservoir.

15. A system comprising:

an elevated liquid collection reservoir configured to collect liquid from a subsystem of a fluid-moving system;

a turbine system at lower elevation than the elevated liquid collection reservoir; and

one or more conduits connecting the elevated liquid collection reservoir and the turbine system, wherein the turbine system comprises;

a turbine comprising one or more runners in a flow of liquid in at least one of the conduits;

a generator configured to produce electricity from rotation of at least one of the runners in the flow of liquid;

a control unit; and

one or more flow control mechanisms,

wherein the control unit is configured to cause the one or more flow control mechanisms to move to adjust the flow of liquid through the turbine.

16. The system of claim 15 further comprising:

an energy storage device configured to store electricity produced by the generator.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the one or more flow control mechanisms are mounted upstream of the turbine.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the one or more flow control mechanisms comprise one or more variable nozzles.

19. The system of claim 15, further comprising a fluid-moving system, wherein the liquid collection reservoir is a part of the fluid-moving system, and wherein the control unit is configured to adjust a quantity of a liquid circulating through the fluid-moving system that is diverted to flow through the turbine.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the quantity of the liquid that is diverted to flow through the turbine is discharged from the fluid-moving system subsequent to flowing through the turbine.