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US 8,553,416 B1Granted
Electronic device cooling system with storage
AssigneeExaflop LLC
InventorsAndrew B. Carlson, William Hamburgen, Donald L. Beaty, Robert Wasilewski
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Cooling systems for providing cooled air to electronic equipment are described. The systems can include large storage tanks or waste treatment systems to improve the efficiency of the plant and reduce impact on the environment.
Claims13
A system for providing cooled air to electronic equipment in a data center, comprising:
- a cooling tower operable to receive heated water and output cooled water;
- a water storage tank fluidly coupled to the cooling tower and storing the cooled water received from the cooling tower;
- an air-to-water heat exchanger positioned to receive heated air from a group of electronic devices;
- and
- a controller that monitors a current temperature of the water in the water storage tank, wherein when detecting that the current temperature of the water in the water storage tank is below a pre-determined threshold value, the controller routes the heated water received from the air-to-water heat exchanger to the water storage tank bypassing the cooling tower, while routing a mixture of the cooled water in the water storage tank and the heated water received from the air-to-water exchanger back to the air-to-water exchanger, and
- based on detecting that the current temperature of the water in the water storage tank is above the pre-determined threshold value and a volume of water in another water storage tank is above a threshold volume associated with a power usage of the data center, the controller routes water from the water storage tank and water from the other water storage tank to the air-to-water heat exchanger, and
- based on detecting that the current temperature of the water in the water storage tank is above the pre-determined threshold value and the volume of water in the another water storage tank is below the threshold volume associated with the power usage of the data center, the controller routes a mixture of chilled water circulated from a chiller with the cooled water from the water storage tank to the air-to-water heat exchanger.
4 more elements
A temperature controlled data center comprising:
- a cooling tower operable to receive heated water and output cooled water;
- a water storage tank fluidly coupled to the cooling tower and storing the cooled water received from the cooling tower;
- an air-to-water heat exchanger positioned to receive heated air from a group of electronic devices;
- a controller that monitors a current temperature of the water in the water storage tank, wherein when detecting that the current temperature of the water in the water storage tank is below a pre-determined threshold value, the controller routes heated water received from the air-to-water heat exchanger to the water storage tank bypassing the cooling tower, while routing a mixture of the cooled water in the water storage tank and the heated water received from the air-to-water exchanger back to the air-to-water exchanger, and based on detecting that the current temperature of the water in the water storage tank is above the pre-determined threshold value and a volume of water in another water storage tank is above a threshold volume associated with a power usage of the data center, the controller routes water from the water storage tank and water from the other water storage tank to the air-to-water heat exchanger, and based on detecting that the current temperature of the water in the water storage tank is above the pre-determined threshold value and the volume of water in the another water storage tank is below the threshold volume associated with the power usage of the data center, the controller routes a mixture of chilled water circulated from a chiller with the cooled water from the water storage tank to the air-to-water heat exchanger;
- and
- a building housing the group of electronic devices, the electronic devices comprising computing systems, wherein, when in operation, the computing systems raise the temperature of air within the building, and water flowing through the air-to-water heat exchanger lowers the temperature of air within the building.
3 more elements
A method of providing cooled air to electronic equipment, comprising:
- allowing water in a cooling tower to cool through evaporative cooling;
- flowing the cooled water from the cooling tower to a water storage tank and storing the cooled water from the cooling tower in the water storage tank;
- monitoring a current temperature of the water in the water storage tank;
- and
- based on detecting that the current temperature of the water in the water storage tank is below a pre-determined threshold value, routing heated water from an air-to-water heat exchanger to the water storage tank bypassing the cooling tower, while routing a mixture of the cooled water in the water storage tank and the heated water from the air-to-water exchanger back to the air-to-water exchanger;
- cooling, by the mixture of cooled and heated water routed to the air-to-water heat exchanger, air surrounding the air-to-water heat exchanger that has been heated by a group of electronic devices;
- based on detecting that the current temperature of the water in the water storage tank is above the pre-determined threshold value and a volume of water in another water storage tank is above a threshold volume associated with a power usage of the data center, routing water from the water storage tank and water from the other water storage tank to the air-to-water heat exchanger;
- and
- based on detecting that the current temperature of the water in the water storage tank is above the pre-determined threshold value and the volume of water in the another water storage tank is below the threshold volume associated with the power usage of the data center, routing a mixture of chilled water circulated from a chiller with the cooled water from the water storage tank to the air-to-water heat exchanger.
6 more elements
A method of providing cooled air to electronic equipment, comprising:
- allowing water in a cooling tower to cool through evaporative cooling;
- flowing the cooled water from the cooling tower to a water storage tank and storing the cooled water from the cooling tower in the water storage tank;
- monitoring a current temperature of the water in the water storage tank;
- based on detecting that the current temperature of the water in the water storage tank is below a pre-determined threshold value, routing heated water from a water-to-water heat exchanger to the water storage tank bypassing the cooling tower, while routing a mixture of the cooled water in the water storage tank and the heated water from the water-to-water exchanger back to the water-to-water exchanger;
- based on detecting that the current temperature of the water in the water storage tank is above the pre-determined threshold value and a volume of water in another water storage tank is above a threshold volume associated with a power usage of the data center, routing water from the water storage tank and water from the other water storage tank to an air-to-water heat exchanger;
- based on detecting that the current temperature of the water in the water storage tank is above the pre-determined threshold value and the volume of water in the another water storage tank is below the threshold volume associated with the power usage of the data center, routing a mixture of chilled water circulated from a chiller with the cooled water from the water storage tank to the air-to-water heat exchanger;
- cooling, by the mixture of cooled and heated water routed to the water-to-water exchanger, heated water from the air-to-water heat exchanger;
- isolating the water flowing through the air-to-water heat exchanger from the water from the water storage tank;
- and
- cooling, with the water flowing through the air-to-water heat exchanger, air surrounding the air-to-water heat exchanger that has been heated by a group of electronic devices.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.