Data center cooling system
A data center cooling system configured to cool one or more components of a data center thereby enabling a data center to be maintained at a higher overall temperature while still providing sufficient cooling to the components housed in the data center is disclosed. By maintaining the data center at a higher overall temperature, significant operational costs are realized due to savings in power costs. The data center cooling system may include one or more turbo-expanders having a rotary turbine positioned within a turbo-expander housing in which compressed air expands and drives the rotary turbine. The cooled expanded air is heated passing through a thermal transfer system that pulls heat from the data center component. The air is further heated passing through a brake system that generates heat by applying resistance to a shaft coupled to the rotary turbine. The heated air is exhausted outside of the data center.
1. A data center cooling system, comprising:
at least one turbo-expander comprising
a turbo-expander housing;
a rotary turbine coupled to a shaft and positioned within an expansion chamber in the turbo-expander housing;
an inlet in fluid communication with the expansion chamber;
a brake system coupled to the shaft and offset from the rotary turbine and the expansion chamber; and
wherein the rotary turbine and the brake system are separated from each other via at least one thermal transfer system.
2. The data center cooling system of claim 1 , further comprising at least one adjustable inlet valve in fluid communication with the inlet.
3. The data center cooling system of claim 2 , further comprising a control system having an adjustable inlet valve control module configured to control the at least one adjustable inlet valve based upon operating temperatures of a data center component in communication with the data center cooling system.
4. The data center cooling system of claim 1 , further comprising at least one exhaust system extending from the turbo-expander housing and configured to exhaust outside of a data center.
5. The data center cooling system of claim 4 , further comprising at least one exhaust evacuation system configured to reduce pressure within the exhaust system.
6. The data center cooling system of claim 5 , further comprising an exhaust fan in communication with the turbo-expander housing to reduce pressure within the turbo-expander housing downstream of the rotary turbine.
7. The data center cooling system of claim 6 , further comprising at least one pressure sensor for determining pressure within the turbo-expander housing downstream of the rotary turbine.
8. The data center cooling system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one thermal transfer system separating the rotary turbine from the brake system includes a plurality of heat transfer fins.
9. The data center cooling system of claim 1 , wherein the brake system further comprises at least one heat transfer screen positioned within an internal fluid flowpath.
10. The data center cooling system of claim 1 , further comprising at least one compressor for compressing air to supply compressed air to the rotary turbine of the at least one turbo-expander.
11. The data center cooling system of claim 1 , further comprising a resonance control system configured to limit resonance frequencies within the data center cooling system.
12. The data center cooling system of claim 11 , wherein the resonance control system comprises the turbo-expander housing having a radially tapered inner surface moving downstream from the rotary turbine to the brake system.
13. The data center cooling system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one thermal transfer system includes a device connection configured to be in contact with a data center component to be cooled.
14. A data center cooling system, comprising:
at least one turbo-expander comprising a turbo-expander housing;
a rotary turbine coupled to a shaft and positioned within an expansion chamber in the turbo-expander housing;
an inlet in fluid communication with the expansion chamber; at least one adjustable inlet valve in fluid communication with the inlet; a control system having an adjustable inlet valve control module configured to control the at least one adjustable inlet valve based upon operating temperatures of a data center component in communication with the data center cooling system;
a brake system coupled to the shaft and offset from the rotary turbine and the expansion chamber;
wherein the rotary turbine and the brake system are separated from each other via at least one thermal transfer system; and
at least one exhaust system extending from the turbo-expander housing and configured to exhaust outside of a data center.
15. The data center cooling system of claim 14 , further comprising at least one exhaust evacuation system configured to reduce pressure within the exhaust system.
16. The data center cooling system of claim 15 , further comprising an exhaust fan in communication with the turbo-expander housing to reduce pressure within the turbo-expander housing downstream of the rotary turbine and at least one pressure sensor for determining pressure within the turbo-expander housing downstream of the rotary turbine.
17. The data center cooling system of claim 14 , further comprising a resonance control system configured to limit resonance frequencies within the data center cooling system and wherein the resonance control system comprises the turbo-expander housing having a radially tapered inner surface moving downstream from the rotary turbine to the brake system.
18. The data center cooling system of claim 14 , wherein the at least one thermal transfer system includes a device connection configured to be in contact with a data center component to be cooled.
19. A data center, comprising:
a room containing at least one electrical component to be cooled; a data center cooling system, comprising: at least one turbo-expander comprising a turbo-expander housing;
a rotary turbine coupled to a shaft and positioned within an expansion chamber in the turbo-expander housing;
an inlet in fluid communication with the expansion chamber; at least one exhaust system extending from the turbo-expander housing and configured to exhaust outside of the data center;
a brake system coupled to the shaft and offset from the rotary turbine and the expansion chamber;
wherein the rotary turbine and the brake system are separated from each other via at least one thermal transfer system; and
wherein the at least one thermal transfer system is configured to cool the at least one electrical component to be cooled; and
at least one compressor for compressing air to supply compressed air to the rotary turbine of the at least one turbo-expander.
20. The data center of claim 19 , further comprising at least one adjustable inlet valve in fluid communication with the inlet and a control system having an adjustable inlet valve control module configured to control the at least one adjustable inlet valve based upon operating temperatures of a data center component in communication with the data center cooling system.
21. The data center of claim 19 , wherein the at least one thermal transfer system includes a device connection configured to be in contact with a data center component to be cooled.