Cooling computing devices in a data center with ambient air cooled using heat from the computing devices
First Claim
1. A data center system comprising:
- a structure including plurality of servers within the structure;
an air supply unit having an input opening for receiving air from an environment external to the structure;
a chiller thermally coupled to the plurality of servers by a return line to receive a fluid that captures heat generated by operation of the plurality of servers, the chiller configured to cool a refrigerant using the captured heat in an absorption or adsorption process, wherein the fluid is a liquid;
a supply line coupled to the chiller, coupled to the return line and adjacent to exhaust openings of the plurality of servers, the supply line configured to direct the fluid from the chiller to a location proximate to the plurality of servers and to the return line, wherein the fluid directed via the supply line is warmed by capturing heat expelled from an exhaust opening of a server from the plurality of servers during operation and is then further warmed by capturing heat generated from an exhaust opening of a different server from the plurality of servers during operation before the supply line directs the fluid to the return line;
one or more thermal pathways coupled to the supply line and to one or more components within a server of the plurality of servers, the one or more thermal pathways capturing heat generated by the one or more components during operation and communicating the captured heat to the fluid in the supply line wherein the one or more thermal pathways comprise one or more carbon nanotubes; and
an air handling unit coupled to receive air from the environment external to the structure via the air supply unit and to receive a refrigerant from the chiller, the air handling unit configured to cool the received air from the environment external to the structure via the air supply unit using the refrigerant and to direct the cooled received air toward the plurality of severs.
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Accused Products
Abstract
To reduce power consumption and more efficiently cool computing devices in a data center, an air supply unit supplies air from outside the data center to an air handling unit, which cools servers within the data center using the supplied air. Using air from outside the data center, rather than recirculating and cooling air from within the data center, reduces the power consumption of the data center. In an embodiment, a chiller and/or an evaporative cooling system are coupled to the air supply unit to allow further cooling of the outside air before it is circulated. Heat generated by the servers within the data center is collected, for example using thermal pathways coupled to server components, and used by the chiller in an absorption or adsorption process to further reduce power consumption of the data center and allow the air handling unit to further cool the outside air.
28 Citations
34 Claims
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1. A data center system comprising:
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a structure including plurality of servers within the structure; an air supply unit having an input opening for receiving air from an environment external to the structure; a chiller thermally coupled to the plurality of servers by a return line to receive a fluid that captures heat generated by operation of the plurality of servers, the chiller configured to cool a refrigerant using the captured heat in an absorption or adsorption process, wherein the fluid is a liquid; a supply line coupled to the chiller, coupled to the return line and adjacent to exhaust openings of the plurality of servers, the supply line configured to direct the fluid from the chiller to a location proximate to the plurality of servers and to the return line, wherein the fluid directed via the supply line is warmed by capturing heat expelled from an exhaust opening of a server from the plurality of servers during operation and is then further warmed by capturing heat generated from an exhaust opening of a different server from the plurality of servers during operation before the supply line directs the fluid to the return line; one or more thermal pathways coupled to the supply line and to one or more components within a server of the plurality of servers, the one or more thermal pathways capturing heat generated by the one or more components during operation and communicating the captured heat to the fluid in the supply line wherein the one or more thermal pathways comprise one or more carbon nanotubes; and an air handling unit coupled to receive air from the environment external to the structure via the air supply unit and to receive a refrigerant from the chiller, the air handling unit configured to cool the received air from the environment external to the structure via the air supply unit using the refrigerant and to direct the cooled received air toward the plurality of severs. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A data center system comprising:
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a structure including plurality of servers arranged within the structure; an air supply unit having an input opening for receiving air from an environment external to the structure; a supply line adjacent to exhaust openings of the plurality of servers, configured to direct a fluid to a location proximate to the plurality of servers, where the fluid absorbs heat generated by operation of the plurality of servers to produce a warmed fluid and the fluid is a liquid; one or more thermal pathways coupled to the supply line and to one or more components within a server in the structure, the one or more thermal pathways capturing heat generated by the one or more components during operation and communicating the captured heat to the fluid in the supply line wherein the one or more thermal pathways comprise one or more carbon nanotubes; a return line coupled to the supply line for receiving the warmed fluid, wherein the fluid from the supply line is warmed by capturing heat expelled from an exhaust opening of a server from the plurality of servers during operation and is then further warmed by capturing heat generated from an exhaust opening of a different server from the plurality of servers during operation before the supply line directs the fluid to the return line; a chiller coupled to provide the fluid to the supply line and to received the warmed fluid from the return line, the chiller configured to use heat from the warmed fluid to cool a coolant; and an air handling unit coupled to the chiller and to receive air from the environment external to the structure via the air supply unit, the air handling unit configured to receive air from the air supply unit, cool the air using the coolant from the chiller, and direct the cooled received air toward the plurality of severs. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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29. A method comprising:
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operating a plurality of servers arranged in a structure, the plurality of servers generating heat during operation; capturing at least a portion of the heat generated during operation of the plurality of servers to produce a heated fluid by directing heat from one or more components included in a server to a supply line adjacent to exhaust opening of the plurality of servers, the supply line including a fluid using a thermal pathway coupled to the one or more components and to the supply line, wherein the fluid directed via the supply line is a liquid and is warmed by capturing heat expelled from an exhaust opening of a server from the plurality of servers during operation and is then further warmed by capturing heat generated from an exhaust opening of a different server from the plurality of servers during operation before the supply line directs the fluid to a return line wherein the thermal pathway comprise one or more carbon nanotubes; cooling a refrigerant in an absorption or adsorption process using energy from the heated fluid; receiving ambient air from a source external to the structure; cooling the ambient air using a heat exchange process between the ambient air received from the source external to the structure and the cooled refrigerant; and directing the cooled air to the plurality of servers to cool the servers. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32, 33, 34)
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Specification