Data center cooler with chiller and cooling tower
View Patent ↗The invention is a cooling module for one or more data centers. The cooling module accepts coolant from a data center, chills the coolant, then returns the coolant to the data center. The coolant is subject to cooling via a free cooling system and a then chiller. The chiller includes a bypass. The free cooling system and the chiller are fluidly connected in a second cooling loop that includes a dry cooling tower. A pump maintains pressure at a predetermined level.
1. A cooling apparatus, comprising:
an outlet that supplies a chilled liquid to a data center;
an inlet that receives return chilled liquid from the data center;
a heat exchanger arranged downstream of the inlet that provides first cooling to the return chilled liquid;
a chiller unit with an evaporator and a condenser, the evaporator arranged downstream of the heat exchanger with respect to the chilled liquid flow, the chiller unit configured to further cool the return chilled liquid to a predetermined temperature;
a pressure difference sensor that measures a pressure difference between the chilled liquid supplied at the outlet and the return chilled liquid received at the inlet;
a pump coupled between the heat exchanger and the evaporator that is configured to maintain a predetermined pressure difference between the chilled liquid supplied at the outlet and the return chilled liquid received at the inlet;
a bypass line that connects the outlet of the evaporator to the inlet of the pump;
control logic that is configured to control the chiller unit such that the return chilled liquid exiting the chiller unit is maintained at the predetermined temperature; and
a liquid cooling loop that circulates a coolant; said cooling loop connecting the heat exchanger, the condenser, and a dry cooling tower in series; said cooling loop further comprising a bypass line arranged in parallel to the condenser.
2. The cooling apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the pressure difference sensor further comprises:
a pressure sensor in proximity to the inlet;
a pressure sensor in proximity to the outlet; and
control logic that determines the pressure difference, the control logic being configured to control the pump to maintain the predetermined pressure difference.
3. The cooling apparatus of claim 1 wherein the chiller unit is only operated when it is determined that a temperature of the first cooled return chilled liquid is above the predetermined temperature.
4. The cooling apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the cooling apparatus is configured to supply a variable amount of the chilled liquid at a constant supply temperature.
5. The cooling apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the cooling apparatus is configured to supply a variable amount of the chilled liquid at a constant return temperature.
6. The cooling apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the chilled liquid is any one of water, brine, or refrigerant.
7. A facility comprising:
one or more data center modules, each data center module having one or more cooling elements requiring a supply of a chilled liquid through a distribution pipework; and
one or more modular cooling modules removably connected to the distribution pipework,
wherein each of the one or more modular cooling modules comprises:
an outlet that supplies a chilled liquid to at least one data center module;
an inlet that receives return chilled liquid from the at least one data center module;
a heat exchanger arranged downstream of the inlet that provides first cooling to the return chilled liquid;
a chiller unit with an evaporator and a condenser, the evaporator arranged downstream of the heat exchanger with respect to the chilled liquid flow, the chiller unit configured to further cool the return chilled liquid to a predetermined temperature;
a pressure difference sensor that measures a pressure difference between the chilled liquid supplied at the outlet and the return chilled liquid received at the inlet;
a pump coupled between the heat exchanger and the evaporator that is configured to maintain a predetermined pressure difference between the chilled liquid supplied at the outlet and the return chilled liquid received at the inlet;
a bypass line that connects the outlet of the evaporator to the inlet of the pump;
control logic that is configured to control the chiller unit such that the return chilled liquid exiting the chiller unit is maintained at the predetermined temperature; and
a liquid cooling loop that circulates a coolant; said cooling loop connecting the heat exchanger, the condenser, and a dry cooling tower in series; said cooling loop further comprising a bypass line arranged in parallel to the condenser.
8. The facility of claim 7 , wherein:
the distribution pipework includes a first isolation valve and a second isolation valve;
the outlet is removably connectable to the first isolation valve; and
the inlet is removably connectable to the second isolation valve.
9. The facility of claim 7 , wherein the predetermined pressure difference is set individually for each of the one or more modular cooling modules.
10. The facility of claim 7 , wherein:
the evaporator bypass comprises a valve controlled by a controller.
11. The cooling apparatus of claim 1 ,
wherein the condenser bypass line
feeds the further cooled return chilled liquid back to the input of the condenser; or
bypasses the input of the condenser when a temperature of the condenser is below a predetermined temperature.
12. The cooling apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the predetermined temperature is based on a current cooling load.
13. The facility of claim 1 , wherein the predetermined temperature is based on a current cooling load.
14. A method of cooling a data center comprising:
supplying a chilled liquid to a data center via an outlet;
receiving return chilled liquid from the data center via an inlet;
providing first cooling to the return chilled liquid via a heat exchanger arranged downstream of the inlet;
providing second cooling to the return chilled liquid via a chiller unit that comprises an evaporator and a condenser, the evaporator arranged downstream of the heat exchanger with respect to the chilled liquid flow, the second cooling chilling the return chilled liquid to a predetermined temperature;
measuring a pressure difference between the chilled liquid supplied at the outlet and the return chilled liquid received at the inlet with a pressure difference sensor;
pumping the chilled liquid with a pump coupled between the heat exchanger and the evaporator;
maintaining a predetermined pressure difference between the chilled liquid supplied at the outlet and the return chilled liquid received at the inlet by controlling the pump;
controlling a bypass line that connects the outlet of the evaporator to the inlet of the pump;
maintaining the return chilled liquid at the predetermined temperature with the application of preconfigured control logic;
circulating a coolant in a liquid cooling loop that connects the heat exchanger, the condenser, and a dry cooling tower in series;
controlling a coolant bypass line arranged in parallel to the condenser.
15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the pressure difference sensor comprises:
a pressure sensor in proximity to the inlet;
a pressure sensor in proximity to the outlet; and
control logic that determines the pressure difference, the control logic being configured to control the pump to maintain the predetermined pressure difference.
16. The method of claim 14 , wherein the chiller unit is only operated when it is determined that a temperature of the first cooled return chilled liquid is above the predetermined temperature.
17. The method of claim 14 , further comprising supplying a variable amount of the chilled liquid at a constant supply temperature.
18. The cooling apparatus of claim 14 , further comprising feeding a variable amount of the chilled liquid at a constant return temperature.
19. The method of claim 14 , wherein the chilled liquid is any one of water, brine, or refrigerant.