Data center cooling energy recovery system
AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation
InventorsLevi A. Campbell, Richard C. Chu, Michael J. Ellsworth, JR., Madhusudan K. Iyengar, Robert E. Simons
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Abstract
A method and associated system is provided for cooling of a data center. The method includes providing coolant to multiple cooling elements in the data center using a heat pump refrigeration cycle to cool the coolant and provide a high temperature at the condenser. This allows the reclaiming of at least a portion of the heat removed from the refrigeration cycle using a heat engine. The engine is disposed between the refrigeration condenser and the ambient environment or cooling medium.
Claims20
A system for cooling a computer data center comprising:
- a heat exchanging assembly disposed in thermal communication with data center;
- said heat exchanging assembly having a cold side (evaporator) heat exchanger and a hot side (condenser) heat exchanger in thermal communication with each other via a chiller;
- said heat exchanging assembly also having a heat engine in thermal communication with said condenser;
- at least one pump enabled for supplying and returning coolants to said data center and said heat exchanging assembly;
- said heat exchanger assembly being in thermal communication with ambient environment for containing thermal needs of said data center;
- said heat engine extracting mechanical work from heat transfer process between said condenser and said ambient environment.
A system for cooling a computer data center comprising:
- a chiller and a condenser in thermal communication with one another and enabled to receive a coolant to cool said data center;
- said chiller being in thermal contact with said data center and said condenser;
- said condenser also being in thermal contact with a heat engine connected ultimately to an ambient environment such that when coolant is supplied it circulates in said chiller, cooling said data center directly such that said heat engine extracts mechanical work from heat transfer process between said condenser and said ambient environment.
A method for cooling a data center comprising the steps;
- disposing a heat a heat exchanging assembly disposed in thermal communication with data center;
- said heat exchanging assembly having a heat exchanger and a condenser in thermal communication with each other via a chiller;
- said heat exchanger also having a heat engine in thermal communication with said condenser;
- using a heat pump refrigeration cycle to cool coolants used in said heat exchanger assembly such that it provides a high temperature at said condenser and reclaiming a portion of heat removed from any refrigeration cycle using said heat engine between the refrigeration condenser and an ambient cooling medium also in thermal communication with said assembly;
- and extracting mechanical work via said heat engine from heat transfer process between said condenser and said ambient environment.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.