System and method for data center cooling with carbon dioxide
AssigneeNooter/Eriksen, Inc.
InventorsGlen L. Bostick, Piero Scapini
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system for cooling a plurality of processors in a data center is disclosed. The cooling system includes a refrigeration system having a compressor for compressing a carbon dioxide (CO2) working fluid, an air cooled heat exchanger downstream from the compressor and located out-of-doors for cooling the working fluid, an expansion device downstream from the heat exchanger, a cooling device located within the data center in which the working fluid is expanded to cool the processors by circulating the cooled air around the processors, and a return line for the return of the working fluid from the cooling device to the compressor.
Claims30
A system for cooling a plurality of processors within a data center in a building or enclosed space with ambient air located outside of said building or enclosed space, said processors being arranged in a plurality of racks that are arranged in rows within the building or enclosed space, said system configured to circulate cooled air around said processors for cooling the processors, said system comprising:
- a compressor for compressing a CO2 working fluid;
- an air cooled heat exchanger downstream from said compressor, said air cooled heat exchanger located in an ambient atmosphere out-of-doors for cooling the CO2 working fluid, the ambient atmosphere out-of-doors having said ambient air;
- an expansion device downstream from said air cooled heat exchanger;
- a cooling device adapted to be located in proximity to said processors in which said CO2 working fluid can be expanded for cooling of air and for discharging said air as said cooled air around said processors for cooling said processors;
- and
- a return line for returning said CO2 working fluid from the cooling device to said compressor.
A system for cooling a plurality of processors within a data center in a building or enclosed space with ambient air located outside of said building or enclosed space, said processors being arranged in a plurality of racks that are arranged in rows within the building or enclosed space, said system being configured to circulate cooled air around said processors for cooling the processors, said system comprising:
- a compressor for compressing a CO2 working fluid;
- an air cooled heat exchanger for cooling the CO2 working fluid, said air cooled heat exchanger located downstream from said compressor in an ambient outdoor atmosphere, the ambient atmosphere out-of-doors having said ambient air;
- an expansion device downstream from said air cooled heat exchanger;
- a cooling device located within the data center in which said CO2 working fluid can be expanded for cooling of air and for circulating said air as said cooled air around said processors for cooling said processors;
- and
- a return line for returning said CO2 working fluid from the cooling device to said compressor;
- wherein a state of said CO2 working fluid is configured to be actively controlled at a location of said compressor so as to optimize power usage by said compressor by changing a pressure of the CO2 working fluid so as to maintain the CO2 working fluid in either a supercritical state or a liquid state;
- and
- wherein said system is configured to control a temperature of the CO2 working fluid exiting said compressor to be at a higher temperature than a temperature of the outside ambient air so that the CO2 working fluid can be cooled by said outside ambient air in said air cooled heat exchanger.
A system for cooling a plurality of processors within a data center in a building or enclosed space with ambient air located outside of said building or enclosed space, said processors being arranged in a plurality of racks that are arranged in rows within the building or enclosed space, said system being configured to circulate cooled air around said processors for cooling the processors, said system comprising:
- a compressor for compressing a CO2 working fluid;
- an air cooled heat exchanger downstream from said compressor, said air cooled heat exchanger located in an ambient atmosphere out-of-doors for cooling the CO2 working fluid, the ambient atmosphere out-of-doors having said ambient air;
- an expansion device downstream from said air cooled heat exchanger;
- a cooling device located within the data center in which said CO2 working fluid can be expanded for cooling of air and for circulating said air as said cooled air around said processors for cooling said processors;
- and
- a return line for returning said CO2 working fluid from the cooling device to said compressor;
- wherein a state of said CO2 working fluid is capable of being actively controlled at a location of said compressor so as to optimize power usage by said compressor by changing a pressure of the CO2 working fluid so as to maintain the CO2 in either a supercritical state or a cooled liquid state, and such that a temperature of the CO2 working fluid exiting said compressor can be higher than a temperature of the ambient air, and the state of said CO2 working fluid is configured to be controlled at the location of said compressor so as to maintain the CO2 working fluid in either the supercritical state or the cooled liquid state;
- and
- wherein the state of said CO2 working fluid is capable of being controlled by a combination of said compressor and said expansion device so as to maintain the CO2 working fluid in either the supercritical state or the cooled liquid state.
A method of cooling a plurality of processors within a data center in a building or enclosed space, ambient air being located outside of said building or enclosed space, said processors being arranged in a plurality of racks that are arranged in rows within the building or enclosed space, said method being configured to circulate cooled air around said processors for cooling the processors, said method comprising steps of:
- a. compressing a CO2 working fluid in a compressor;
- b. cooling said CO2 working fluid in an air cooled heat exchanger downstream from said compressor, said air cooled heat exchanger located in an ambient atmosphere out-of-doors, the ambient atmosphere out-of-doors having said ambient air;
- c. flowing said CO2 working fluid through an expansion device downstream from said air cooled heat exchanger;
- d. expanding said CO2 working fluid in a cooling device located within the data center to cool air, and circulating said air as said cooled air around said processors for cooling said processors;
- and
- e. returning said CO2 working fluid via a return line from the cooling device to said compressor.
A method for cooling a plurality of processors within a data center in a building or enclosed space, said processors being arranged in a plurality of racks that are arranged in rows within the building or enclosed space, said system method being adapted to circulate cooled air around said processors for cooling the processors, said method comprising steps of:
- a. compressing a CO2 working fluid;
- b. cooling said CO2 working fluid in an air cooled heat exchanger downstream from said compressor, said air cooled heat exchanger located in an ambient atmosphere out-of-doors, the ambient atmosphere out-of-doors having ambient air;
- c. passing said CO2 working fluid in an expansion device downstream from said air cooled heat exchanger;
- d. expanding said CO2 working fluid in a cooling device located in proximity to said processors and discharging said cooled air from said cooling device such that the cooled air is circulated around said processors for cooling said processors;
- and
- e. returning said CO2 working fluid to said compressor via a return line;
- f. wherein a state of said CO2 working fluid is configured to be actively controlled at a location of said compressor so as to optimize power usage by said compressor by changing the pressure of the CO2 working fluid so as to maintain the CO2 working fluid in either a supercritical state or a liquid state;
- and
- g. wherein the temperature of the CO2 working fluid exiting said compressor can be higher than a temperature of the ambient air.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.