Cold energy recovery apparatus for a self-powered data centre

A self-powered data center comprising:

• a plurality of computing units;
• a plurality of air handling units configured to use chilled water to provide cooling to the computing units, in which the chilled water is converted to heated water during the cooling;
• a cold energy recovery apparatus comprising:
• a fluid storage tank having at least a pair of inlet and outlet, the inlet configured to receive the heated water from the plurality of air handling units;
• and
• a heat exchanger arranged in the fluid storage tank, the heat exchanger having an inlet and an outlet, the inlet configured to receive liquefied natural gas, wherein the cold energy recovery apparatus is operable to permit the heated water to flow from the inlet to the outlet of the fluid storage tank causing the heated water to be in fluid contact with the heat exchanger, in which the heated water is progressively cooled to a lower temperature by heat transfer to the liquefied natural gas via fluid contact with the heat exchanger;
• and
• wherein the liquefied natural gas is vaporized into natural gas due to the heat transfer and is directed out from the outlet of the heat exchanger;
• a plurality of liquefied natural gas tanks coupled to the cold energy recovery apparatus to provide liquefied natural gas thereto for cooling the heated water;
• a plurality of vapor compression chillers configured to receive the cooled water from the cold energy recovery apparatus and to further cool the cooled water using seawater to produce the chilled water for provision to the air handling units;
• a plurality of vapor absorption chillers configured to use waste heat energy and seawater to produce the chilled water for provision to the air handling units;
• a plurality of gas engine generators configured to receive natural gas from the cold energy recovery apparatus for power generation, the power generated provided to operate the computing units and/or associated components inside the data center;
• a plurality of waste heat recovery units coupled to the natural gas engine generators to recover waste heat energy generated by the gas engine generators during power generation, the waste heat energy provided to the vapor absorption chillers;
• and
• an integrated power and water management system configured to be electrically coupled to the vapor compression chillers, the vapor absorption chillers, the gas engine generators, and the computing units to enable power and cooling management thereof.