WO2011135375A1 - Appareil et procédé d'évacuation de chaleur à partir d'un centre de données - Google Patents

Appareil et procédé d'évacuation de chaleur à partir d'un centre de données Download PDF

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Publication number
WO2011135375A1
WO2011135375A1 PCT/GB2011/050850 GB2011050850W WO2011135375A1 WO 2011135375 A1 WO2011135375 A1 WO 2011135375A1 GB 2011050850 W GB2011050850 W GB 2011050850W WO 2011135375 A1 WO2011135375 A1 WO 2011135375A1
Authority
WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
room
heat
data centre
cooling unit
agricultural process
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/GB2011/050850
Other languages
English (en)
Inventor
Nicholas John Cecil Stubbs
John Philip Rich
Original Assignee
Regeneration Works Ltd
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Regeneration Works Ltd filed Critical Regeneration Works Ltd
Publication of WO2011135375A1 publication Critical patent/WO2011135375A1/fr

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Classifications

    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H05—ELECTRIC TECHNIQUES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • H05K—PRINTED CIRCUITS; CASINGS OR CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF ELECTRIC APPARATUS; MANUFACTURE OF ASSEMBLAGES OF ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS
    • H05K7/00—Constructional details common to different types of electric apparatus
    • H05K7/20—Modifications to facilitate cooling, ventilating, or heating
    • H05K7/20709—Modifications to facilitate cooling, ventilating, or heating for server racks or cabinets; for data centers, e.g. 19-inch computer racks
    • H05K7/20718—Forced ventilation of a gaseous coolant
    • H05K7/20745—Forced ventilation of a gaseous coolant within rooms for removing heat from cabinets, e.g. by air conditioning device
    • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
    • E04—BUILDING
    • E04H—BUILDINGS OR LIKE STRUCTURES FOR PARTICULAR PURPOSES; SWIMMING OR SPLASH BATHS OR POOLS; MASTS; FENCING; TENTS OR CANOPIES, IN GENERAL
    • E04H5/00—Buildings or groups of buildings for industrial or agricultural purposes
    • E04H2005/005—Buildings for data processing centers

Definitions

  • This invention relates to an apparatus and method for removing heat from a data centre.
  • Data centres have become increasingly common as electronic equipment has become used ever more widely.
  • modules of electrically powered electronic equipment being computer equipment such as equipment for data communications (including data
  • racks A typical data centre will have racks arranged side by side in several rows with each row containing several racks. Since the equipment is electrically powered and so many modules of equipment are provided a substantial amount of heat can be generated and a substantial amount of power consumed. It has been recognised that it is desirable to cool the equipment mounted in the racks and a wide variety of cooling arrangements for cooling equipment mounted in racks have been used. Generally, these rely on passing air, which may have been cooled to below room temperature through the racks.
  • the warm air that is generated is either passed out to the environment, or is passed to a cooling, unit before being returned to pass through the racks again.
  • Proposals for arrangements for cooling data centres are prevalent. For example US 6859366B and GB 2464284A describe such arrangements.
  • a method of removing heat from a room containing a data centre including the steps of providing a data centre in a first room and using a heat transfer system to transfer heat from the first room to a second room in which an agricultural process is carried out, wherein a product of the agricultural process is used to generate energy which is used to provide at least some of the electrical power for the data centre.
  • the present invention identifies the special match that exists between the requirements of a data centre and the requirements of agricultural processes and sites those two very different technologies at a common location enabling a special symbiotic relationship to be created between them.
  • data centres can be located on land of relatively low value and away from city or town centres and there are also many occasions where agricultural processes may be improved or made more productive by providing warmth, but the warmth is generally not required to be very hot.
  • the present invention recognises this special relationship and that by
  • a product of the agricultural process is used to generate energy which is used to provide at least some of the electrical power for the data centre.
  • the agricultural process preferably comprises growth of algae.
  • the algae are grown in
  • the photobioreactors may be disposed in racks which may be disposed in the second room.
  • the photobioreactors may be integrated into translucent walls or a translucent ceiling of the second room.
  • the term "ceiling" as used herein may refer to: the uppermost part of a room, for example, a roof, which may or may not itself be waterproof and if not waterproof, may have a waterproof covering below it; or to a structure extending across the interior of a room near the top thereof but beneath an outermost structure which may be, for example, a
  • the method may be carried out in the vicinity of seawater; the seawater may be used as a feedstock for the algae; clean water may be generated by the algae.
  • the agricultural process may alternatively or
  • the fungi growth may take place in a darker location than the algae growth; for example, the fungi growth may take place below the algae growth, either in the same room as the algae growth or in a further room which may advantageously be disposed below the room in which algae is grown.
  • the "second" room may comprise more than one room.
  • a product of the agricultural process is processed to generate a fuel.
  • a product of the agricultural process is anaerobically digested to generate a fuel.
  • the fuel may for example, be biogas, which may be used to power a generator to produce
  • the product of the agricultural process that is anaerobically digested may, for example, be an
  • agricultural crop and/or may comprise microalgae waste.
  • the fuel generated by the agricultural process may comprise biodiesel.
  • the biodiesel may for example be generated from processing of microalgae. At least some of the biodiesel may be used to power a generator to produce electricity.
  • the generator may be located in the second room or in a further room separate from the second room. At least some of the electricity is preferably used to power the data centre.
  • waste material from the algae growth may be employed as a feedstock for the anaerobic digestion process.
  • the fuel generated by the agricultural process may additionally or alternatively comprise gas.
  • the gas may be used to fuel a gas turbine.
  • the turbine may be located in the second room or in a further room separate from the second room.
  • carbon dioxide and/or heat produced by the gas turbine may be used in the method of the invention; more generally, generation of the energy may also generate carbon dioxide which may be passed into the second room; such carbon dioxide may serve to increase the productivity of an agricultural process carried out in the second room; similarly, heat produced during generation of the electrical energy may be used to heat the second room.
  • oxygen When oxygen is produced in the agricultural process and a gas turbine is employed, the oxygen may be fed to the gas turbine to enhance the combustion in the turbine.
  • the oxygen may be fed in a substantially pure form, but it may be preferred to feed oxygen enriched air, which may be a direct product of the agricultural process.
  • the heat transfer system may transfer heat from the first room to the second room by transferring a warm fluid, for example air, from the first room- to the second room.
  • a warm fluid for example air
  • the warm fluid may be cooled in a cooling unit prior to it passing through the data centre.
  • the cooling unit may receive warm fluid from the first room and return cooler fluid to the first room.
  • the cooling unit may supply heat from the cooling of the warm fluid to the second room.
  • the heat may be supplied by the cooling unit supplying warm fluid to the second room, the fluid having been heated directly or indirectly by the warm fluid received from the first room or being fluid that has been received from the first room and further heated.
  • the data centre preferably includes a plurality of racks, each mounting a plurality of electrically powered modules of electronic equipment and fluid is preferably warmed by passing it through at least some of the racks to cool the equipment.
  • a construction including a first room in which a data centre is provided and a second room for carrying out an agricultural process, a heat transfer system for transferring heat from the first room to the second room, and a generator which is arranged to be powered at least partly by a product of the agricultural process and to generate energy which is used to provide at least some of the electrical power for the data centre.
  • first and second rooms prefferably be in the same building, but it will normally be preferred that the first room is in a first building and the second room is in a second building separate from the first.
  • Each building can then be designed according to its own particular needs.
  • the buildings may be adjacent to one another and even
  • any heat transfer path between the buildings may be thermally insulated; for example if a heat transfer fluid is passed through one or more ducts or pipes it may be desirable that those ducts or pipes are thermally insulated.
  • the second room for carrying out an agricultural process may be designed in any appropriate way according to the particular agricultural process (es) being carried out in the room.
  • the second room may have one or more walls and/or a ceiling of which a major part is translucent.
  • the second room may comprise a greenhouse.
  • the room may be arranged to grow a crop in the ground and/or in one or more tiers above ground.
  • One or more photobioreactors may be provided in the second room.
  • the photobioreactors may be integrated into translucent walls or a translucent ceiling of the second room.
  • the construction may further include an anaerobic digester for generating a fuel from the product of the agricultural process.
  • the digester may be located in the second room or in a further room separate from the second room.
  • the generator may be a biodiesel generator.
  • the heat transfer system is preferably arranged to transfer heat from the first room to the second room by transferring a warm fluid from the first room to the second room.
  • the warm fluid will be air.
  • the air may have become warm as a result of being passed through racks in the data centre.
  • Such passage of air through racks may be simply flow of air through free spaces, caused for example by convection or a fan, or it may be partially or fully ducted flow.
  • the warm fluid is not air that has passed through the racks but rather is a fluid that has been warmed by heat from the racks, for example by air that has passed through the racks. In - such a case the fluid may be a liquid.
  • the warm fluid entering the second room may pass through or under the photobioreactors.
  • the warm fluid entering the second room is preferably passed into an open space in the room below the photobioreactors. Another possibility is for it to be guided through one or more conduits below the photobioreactors.
  • warm fluid, for example air from the first room is simply passed to the second room and then passes out of the second room into the exterior surroundings or back into the first room where it is warmed again as it cools the data centre. It is however preferred to provide a cooling unit for cooling the warm fluid prior to it passing through the data centre.
  • the cooling unit is preferably arranged to receive warm fluid from the first room and return cooler fluid to the first room.
  • the cooling unit may comprise any suitable form of heat pump for extracting the heat from the warm fluid.
  • the cooling unit is preferably arranged to supply heat generated from cooling the warm fluid to the second room. That heat can be supplied again as warm fluid, for example air, heated by the operation of the cooling unit; the warm fluid may be fluid that has been removed from the first room and further warmed in the cooling unit and/or it may be separate fluid, for example air taken from the surroundings of the cooling unit .
  • the cooling unit may be located in one of the first and second rooms, or outside them, but it will usually be preferred for it to be inside the first room. It may be in a third room which may be in the first or second building or in a third building.
  • the data centre may include a plurality of racks, each mounting a plurality of. electrically powered modules of equipment.
  • the equipment may be electronic equipment.
  • the equipment may be computer equipment. It may be data communications or telecommunications equipment.
  • the second room for carrying out an agricultural process may be designed in any appropriate way according to the particular agricultural process (es) being carried out in the room.
  • the second room may have walls and/or a ceiling of which a major part is translucent.
  • the second room may comprise a greenhouse.
  • the room may be arranged to grow a crop in the ground and/or in one or more tiers above ground.
  • the present invention has a broadest aspect in which the feature of a product of the agricultural process being used to generate energy which is used to provide at least some of the electrical power for the data centre is merely an optional feature.
  • a construction including a first room in which a data centre is provided and a second room for carrying out an agricultural process, and a heat transfer system for transferring heat from the first room to the second room.
  • a method of removing heat from a room containing a data centre including the steps of providing a data centre in a first room and using a heat transfer system to transfer heat from the first room to a second room for carrying out an agricultural process.
  • Such a method and apparatus of the present invention according to this broadest aspect may include any of the optional features referred to elsewhere in this specification.
  • Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic representation of a basic construction comprising first and second buildings;
  • Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic representation similar to
  • Fig. 1 shows a first building comprising in this example a single room 1 in which four rows of racks 4 are provided.
  • a second building 2 which in this example is also a single room, is designed to suit carrying out certain agricultural processes, typically the growing of one or more crops.
  • a third building houses a cooling unit 3.
  • Each of the racks 4 may be of a construction that is known per se and may, just as one example, be of the form shown in GB2463956A. Such racks, when in use typically mount a number of modules of electrically powered
  • a special air cooling system may be provided in the rack to facilitate cooling, for example by generating flows of air through the racks or the equipment may simply be allowed to transfer heat into its immediate
  • hot air in the first room 1 is taken out of the room, typically through an air duct, as shown
  • FIG. 1 diagrammatically by the arrow 6 in Fig. 1, this arrow also showing that the hot air is transferred to the cooling unit 3.
  • the cooling unit 3 Within the cooling unit 3 is a heat pump or other heat transfer system which extracts heat from the hot air arriving in the cooling unit and returns cool air to the first room 1, typically through an air duct, as shown diagrammatically by the arrow 7 in Fig. 1.
  • a heat pump or other heat transfer system which extracts heat from the hot air arriving in the cooling unit and returns cool air to the first room 1, typically through an air duct, as shown diagrammatically by the arrow 7 in Fig. 1.
  • one or more fans may be provided to create the airflow just described.
  • the cooling unit 3 receives electrical power to support its operation as shown diagrammatically by the arrow 8 in Fig. 1. Heat is generated in the cooling unit, mainly as a result of the removal of heat from the hot air arriving from the first room 1, but also from the power consumed by the cooling unit. That heat is then
  • hot air will be supplied through a duct to the building 2; the temperature of that hot air is higher than ambient temperature but may be higher or lower than the temperature of the hot air arriving in the cooling unit from the first room 1.
  • the hot air supplied to the building 2 may or may not be hot air received from the room 1. If it does include air from the room 1, that hot air may have been heated further by heat from the cooling unit 3, raising its temperature, or may be diluted with air at ambient
  • a product of the agricultural process carried out in the second building 2 is used to generate energy which is used to provide at least some of the electrical power (designated in Fig. 1 by arrow 5) for the data centre in room 1.
  • FIG. 2 the room 1 and the cooling unit 3 of Fig.l are again shown but various other buildings in addition to the second building 2 are shown.
  • Fig. 2 several other such buildings are shown but it should be understood that they are not necessarily all provided; in some cases it may be preferred to select one or more of those other buildings only.
  • different facilities are provided in separate buildings, it is within the scope of the invention for them to be in the same building, for example within the building 2 in the same room or in a separate room.
  • Fig.2 shows several agricultural processes being carried out within the second building 2, the different processes may be carried out in different buildings or some of the processes may not be carried out at all.
  • FIG. 2 there is shown a building housing a turbine room 13, another building housing an anaerobic digester 11 and a further building 24 for treating microalgae biomass.
  • an agricultural crop 18 is shown being grown in a first part of the building; arrays of photobioreactors 15 are shown in tiers in a neighbouring part of the building 2; further photobioreactors 16 are shown integrated into a portion of the roof of the building 2, the whole of the roof being translucent; fungi 17 are shown being grown in the building 2 below photobioreactors 16 which block much of the light from reaching the fungi 17.
  • a room 29 is shown within a lower region of the building 2 and, for example, fungi may be grown in that room, which may have only limited light.
  • line 12 shows gas generated in the digester 11 being passed back to the turbine room 13 to power the turbines;
  • line 14 shows carbon dioxide and/or heat generated in the turbine room 13 being passed into the building 2 (in the example shown the turbine room has a chimney from which the carbon dioxide and/or heat is taken);
  • line 19 shows some heat being lost from the system through the roof of the building 2;
  • line 20 shows digestate from the anaerobic digester 11 being passed into the building 2 to act as a fertiliser for the crop 18, the algae and/or the fungi;
  • line 21 shows seawater being introduced into the photobioreactors to feed the algae; line 22 shows clean water as an output of the algae
  • line 23 shows microalgae biomass passing from the building 2 into a building 24 where it is processed
  • line 25 shows biodiesel fuel being passed from the building 24 to the turbines in the turbine room 13;
  • line 26 shows microalgae waste from the building 24 being passed to the anaerobic digester 11;
  • An installation of the kind described above is suitable for location on poor or contaminated land.
  • the installation is on contaminated land 28.
  • the installation can result in the release to the atmosphere of much less green house gases than does the power generation needed for a conventional data centre and can thereby offer economic advantages by benefiting from incentive schemes and the like.

Abstract

Procédé d'évacuation de chaleur à partir d'une salle contenant un centre (4) de données, le procédé comprenant les étapes consistant à installer un centre (4) de données dans une première salle (1) et à utiliser un système (6,7) de transfert de chaleur pour transférer de la chaleur de la première salle (1) à une deuxième salle (2) dans laquelle un processus agricole est réalisé. Un produit du processus agricole est utilisé pour générer de l'énergie, qui est elle-même utilisée pour assurer au moins une partie de l'alimentation électrique (5) du centre (4) de données.
PCT/GB2011/050850 2010-04-29 2011-04-28 Appareil et procédé d'évacuation de chaleur à partir d'un centre de données WO2011135375A1 (fr)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB1007178.5 2010-04-29
GBGB1007178.5A GB201007178D0 (en) 2010-04-29 2010-04-29 Apparatus and method for removal of heat from a data centre

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
WO2011135375A1 true WO2011135375A1 (fr) 2011-11-03

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WO (1) WO2011135375A1 (fr)

Cited By (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US20140242687A1 (en) * 2013-02-28 2014-08-28 Julian Fiorentino Photobioreactor
US10048732B2 (en) 2016-06-30 2018-08-14 Microsoft Technology Licensing, Llc Datacenter power management system
US10200303B2 (en) 2016-06-30 2019-02-05 Microsoft Technology Licensing, Llc Datacenter byproduct management interface system
US10361965B2 (en) 2016-06-30 2019-07-23 Microsoft Technology Licensing, Llc Datacenter operations optimization system
US10419320B2 (en) 2016-06-30 2019-09-17 Microsoft Technology Licensing, Llc Infrastructure resource management system
WO2023161924A1 (fr) * 2022-02-22 2023-08-31 Shahar Avraham Système de serre intensif en énergie
NO20220668A1 (en) * 2022-06-13 2023-12-14 Green Horizon As Energy system for data centre

Citations (7)

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Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US6859366B2 (en) 2003-03-19 2005-02-22 American Power Conversion Data center cooling system
WO2007139558A1 (fr) * 2006-06-01 2007-12-06 Exaflop Llc Refroidissement d'air chaud pour matériel électronique
WO2008039773A2 (fr) * 2006-09-25 2008-04-03 Rackable Systems, Inc. Centre de données basé dans un contenant
WO2009042801A2 (fr) * 2007-09-25 2009-04-02 Cichanowicz J Edward Intégration d'un centre de données ayant un accès à internet à une centrale thermique et réduction des frais d'exploitation et des émissions de dioxyde de carbone
GB2463956A (en) 2008-05-20 2010-04-07 Semper Holdings Ltd Rack mounted cooling unit
GB2464284A (en) 2008-10-08 2010-04-14 Hewlett Packard Development Co Data Centre Cooling Apparatus and Method
JP2010148382A (ja) * 2008-12-24 2010-07-08 Yahoo Japan Corp データセンター排熱利用植物栽培システム

Patent Citations (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US6859366B2 (en) 2003-03-19 2005-02-22 American Power Conversion Data center cooling system
WO2007139558A1 (fr) * 2006-06-01 2007-12-06 Exaflop Llc Refroidissement d'air chaud pour matériel électronique
WO2008039773A2 (fr) * 2006-09-25 2008-04-03 Rackable Systems, Inc. Centre de données basé dans un contenant
WO2009042801A2 (fr) * 2007-09-25 2009-04-02 Cichanowicz J Edward Intégration d'un centre de données ayant un accès à internet à une centrale thermique et réduction des frais d'exploitation et des émissions de dioxyde de carbone
GB2463956A (en) 2008-05-20 2010-04-07 Semper Holdings Ltd Rack mounted cooling unit
GB2464284A (en) 2008-10-08 2010-04-14 Hewlett Packard Development Co Data Centre Cooling Apparatus and Method
JP2010148382A (ja) * 2008-12-24 2010-07-08 Yahoo Japan Corp データセンター排熱利用植物栽培システム

Cited By (10)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US20140242687A1 (en) * 2013-02-28 2014-08-28 Julian Fiorentino Photobioreactor
US9347030B2 (en) * 2013-02-28 2016-05-24 Julian Fiorentino Photobioreactor
US10160941B2 (en) 2013-02-28 2018-12-25 Julian Fiorentino Photobioreactor
US10048732B2 (en) 2016-06-30 2018-08-14 Microsoft Technology Licensing, Llc Datacenter power management system
US10200303B2 (en) 2016-06-30 2019-02-05 Microsoft Technology Licensing, Llc Datacenter byproduct management interface system
US10361965B2 (en) 2016-06-30 2019-07-23 Microsoft Technology Licensing, Llc Datacenter operations optimization system
US10419320B2 (en) 2016-06-30 2019-09-17 Microsoft Technology Licensing, Llc Infrastructure resource management system
WO2023161924A1 (fr) * 2022-02-22 2023-08-31 Shahar Avraham Système de serre intensif en énergie
NO20220668A1 (en) * 2022-06-13 2023-12-14 Green Horizon As Energy system for data centre
WO2023244120A1 (fr) * 2022-06-13 2023-12-21 Green Horizon As Système énergétique pour centre de données

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