Systems and methods for providing resources such as cooling and secondary power to electronics in a data center

Abstract

Systems and methods for providing operational resources such as cooling and secondary electrical power to electronics in server racks in data centers is provided. Pressurized air is provided in a closed loop that is routed through each of the servers to a heat exchanger. The electronics in the servers are in thermal contact with the closed loop via a heat sink such that heat from the electronics is transferred to the closed loop. The heated pressurized air travels from the server racks to the heat exchanger which removes the heat from the air and exhausts it to the atmosphere. The pressurized air in the closed loop may be cooled through the use of chilled water, stored water, or both, in which case the closed loop passes through the water prior to traveling to the heat sinks.

1 . A method for providing operational resources to data center electronics, said method comprising: 
 providing pressurized air in a closed loop;    routing said pressurized air in thermal contact with said electronics such that heat from said electronics is transferred to said pressurized air which heats said pressurized air; and    directing said heated pressurized air to a system heat exchanger which changes said heated pressurized air to unheated pressurized air.    
     
     
         2 . The method defined in  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 generating secondary power by using said pressurized air to drive a turbine in the event of a fluctuation in power from a primary power source.    
     
     
         3 . The method defined in  claim 2 , wherein generating comprises: 
 providing heated pressurized air to said turbine to drive said turbine.    
     
     
         4 . The method defined in  claim 2 , wherein generating comprises: 
 providing pressurized air to said turbine to drive said turbine which causes said turbine to exhaust cool air that provides cooling to said electronics.    
     
     
         5 . The method defined in  claim 1 , wherein providing comprises: 
 driving said pressurized air with a sealed pump so that it flows in a cyclic manner through said closed loop.    
     
     
         6 . The method defined in  claim 1 , wherein routing comprises: 
 physically coupling at least one heat sink to said electronics; and    directing said pressurized air through said heat sink.    
     
     
         7 . The method defined in  claim 1 , wherein routing comprises: 
 locating at least one local heat exchanger in proximity to said electronics; and    directing said pressurized air through said local heat exchanger; and    using blowers to transfer heat from said electronics to said local heat exchanger.    
     
     
         8 . The method defined in  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 cooling said pressurized air prior to routing said pressurized air.    
     
     
         9 . The method defined in  claim 8 , wherein cooling comprises: 
 providing chilled water from a chiller plant; and    locating a portion of said closed loop within said chilled water.    
     
     
         10 . The method defined in  claim 9 , wherein cooling further comprises: 
 providing water in a water tank, said water being at a temperature that is lower than said pressurized air prior to said pressurized air being routed; and    locating a portion of said closed loop within said water tank.    
     
     
         11 . The method defined in  claim 9 , wherein cooling further comprises: 
 providing water in a water tank, said water, for a first portion of a twenty-four hour period, being at a temperature that is lower than said pressurized air prior to said pressurized air being routed, and said water, for a second portion of said twenty-four hour period, being at a temperature that is higher than said pressurized air prior to said pressurized air being routed; and    locating a portion of said closed loop within said water tank.    
     
     
         12 . The method defined in  claim 8 , wherein cooling comprises: 
 providing water in a water tank; and    locating a portion of said closed loop within said water tank.    
     
     
         13 . The method defined in  claim 1 , wherein directing comprises: 
 directing said heated pressurized air to said system heat exchanger that extracts heat from said heated pressurized air and exhausts said heat into said atmosphere.    
     
     
         14 . The method defined in  claim 2 , wherein generating comprises: 
 utilizing an electrical device to provide extremely short-term bridging power as a portion of said secondary power;    rotating a turbine using said heated pressurized air, said rotation generating electrical power; and    providing said generated electrical power as a portion of said secondary power.    
     
     
         15 . The method defined in  claim 14 , wherein said electrical device is a capacitor.  
     
     
         16 . The method defined in  claim 14 , further comprising: 
 operating a backup generator to provide secondary power in the event of a long-term disruption in primary power.    
     
     
         17 . A method for providing operational resources to data center electronics, said method comprising: 
 maintaining pressurized air in a closed loop;    passing said pressurized air in thermal contact with said electronics to transfer heat from said electronics to said pressurized air; and    utilizing a system heat exchanger to remove heat from said heated pressurized air prior to passing said pressurized air in thermal contact with said electronics.    
     
     
         18 . The method defined in  claim 17 , further comprising: 
 generating secondary power, if needed due to a fluctuation in primary power, by extracting at least a portion of said pressurized air and driving a turbine with said extracted air.    
     
     
         19 . The method defined in  claim 18 , wherein generating comprises: 
 extracting heated pressurized air to drive said turbine.    
     
     
         20 . The method defined in  claim 18 , wherein generating comprises: 
 extracting pressurized air to drive said turbine which causes said turbine to exhaust cool air that provides cooling to said electronics.    
     
     
         21 . The method defined in  claim 17 , wherein maintaining comprises: 
 driving said pressurized air with a sealed pump so that it flows in a cyclic manner through said closed loop.    
     
     
         22 . The method defined in  claim 17 , wherein passing comprises: 
 physically coupling at least one heat sink to said electronics;    inputting said pressurized air into an input on said heat sink; and    outputting said pressurized air from an output on said heat sink, said output pressurized air being heated by said electronics.    
     
     
         23 . The method defined in  claim 17 , further comprising: 
 cooling said pressurized air prior to passing said pressurized air in thermal contact with said electronics.    
     
     
         24 . The method defined in  claim 17 , wherein cooling comprises: 
 causing chilled water to be in thermal contact with said closed loop.    
     
     
         25 . The method defined in  claim 24  further comprising: 
 causing said closed loop to be in thermal contact with water in a water tank that is maintained at a lower temperature than said pressurized air.    
     
     
         26 . The method defined in  claim 24  further comprising: 
 causing said closed loop to be in thermal contact with water in a water tank that, for a first portion of a twenty-four hour period, is maintained at a lower temperature than said pressurized air, and for a second portion of said twenty-four hour period is at a higher temperature than said pressurized air.    
     
     
         27 . The method defined in  claim 18 , wherein generating secondary power comprises: 
 extracting at least a portion of said pressurized air; and    driving a turbine with said pressurized air, said turbine being coupled to a generator that generates said secondary power.    
     
     
         28 . The method defined in  claim 27 , wherein generating secondary power further comprises: 
 providing bridging power to said electronics while said turbine is being started from a capacitor coupled to said electronics.    
     
     
         29 . A method for providing operational resources to data center electronics, said method comprising: 
 providing pressurized air in a closed loop;    locating at least one local heat exchanger in proximity to said electronics;    directing said pressurized air through said local heat exchanger; and    using blowers to transfer heat from said electronics to said local heat exchanger such that heat from said electronics is transferred to said pressurized air which heats said pressurized air; and    moving said heated pressurized air to a system heat exchanger which changes said heated pressurized air to unheated pressurized air.    
     
     
         30 . The method defined in  claim 29  further comprising: 
 generating secondary power by using pressurized air to drive a turbine in the event of a fluctuation in power from a primary power source.    
     
     
         31 . The method defined in  claim 30 , wherein generating comprises: 
 using heated pressurized air from said closed loop to drive said turbine.    
     
     
         32 . The method defined in  claim 29 , wherein providing comprises: 
 causing said pressurized air to flow in a cyclic manner through said closed loop through use of a sealed pump coupled to said closed loop.    
     
     
         33 . A system that provides operational resources to data center electronics comprising: 
 a closed loop of pressurized air;    at least one heat sink coupled to said electronics, said heat sink being in thermal contact with said closed loop; and    at least one heat exchanger coupled to and in thermal contact with said closed loop.    
     
     
         34 . The system defined in  claim 33 , further comprising: 
 at least one turbine coupled to said closed loop; and    a generator coupled to each turbine to be driven by said turbine, said generator being operable to generate secondary power in the event of a fluctuation in power from a primary power source.    
     
     
         35 . The system defined in  claim 34 , wherein said turbine is coupled to said closed loop downstream of said heat exchanger such that heated pressurized air from closed loop can be used to drive said turbine.  
     
     
         36 . The system defined in  claim 33 , further comprising: 
 a sealed pump coupled to said closed loop that drives said pressurized air around said closed loop.    
     
     
         37 . The system defined in  claim 33 , further comprising: 
 a container that holds water cooled by a chiller plant, said closed loop passing through said container prior to being coupled to said at least one heat sink.    
     
     
         38 . The system defined in  claim 33 , further comprising: 
 a water storage tank that holds water at a temperature lower than the temperature of said closed loop, said closed loop passing through said tank prior to being coupled to said at least one heat sink.    
     
     
         39 . The system defined in  claim 33 , further comprising: 
 a water storage tank that, for a first portion of a twenty-four hour period, holds water at a temperature lower than the temperature of pressurized air in said closed loop, and for a second portion of said twenty-four hour period, holds water at a temperature higher than the temperature of pressurized air in said closed-loop, said closed loop passing through said tank prior to being coupled to said at least one heat sink.    
     
     
         40 . The system defined in  claim 34 , further comprising: 
 at least one electronic device that provides bridging power in the event of a fluctuation in primary power prior to secondary power being generated by said at least one generator.    
     
     
         41 . The system defined in  claim 40 , wherein said electronic device is a capacitor.  
     
     
         42 . A system that provides operational resources to data center comprising a plurality of server racks which contain electronics, said system comprising: 
 a closed loop of pressurized air, said closed loop being coupled to pass through said plurality of server racks;    a plurality of heat exchangers coupled to and in thermal contact with said closed loop, said heat exchangers being operable to extract heat from pressurized air passing through said closed loop; and    for each server rack in said plurality of server racks:    at least one heat sink coupled to and in thermal contact with said electronics, said heat sink having an input coupled to one portion of said closed loop and an output coupled to another portion such that said closed loop passes through said heat sink.    
     
     
         43 . The system defined in  claim 42 , further comprising: 
 a turbine coupled to said closed loop to receive pressurized air from said closed loop in the event of a fluctuation in power from a primary power source; and    a generator coupled to said turbine, said generator being operable to generate secondary power when driven by said turbine.    
     
     
         44 . The system defined in  claim 43 , wherein said turbine is coupled to said closed loop downstream of said heat sink such that said turbine receives heated pressurized air in the event of a fluctuation in power from said primary power source.  
     
     
         45 . The system defined in  claim 42 , further comprising: 
 a sealed pump coupled to said closed loop that drives said pressurized air around said closed loop.    
     
     
         46 . The system defined in  claim 42 , further comprising: 
 a chiller plant that produces chilled water; and    a container that receives said chilled water, said closed loop passing through said container prior to being coupled in thermal contact with said heat sinks.    
     
     
         47 . The system defined in  claim 42 , further comprising: 
 a storage tank that contains water at a temperature lower than the temperature of pressurized air said closed loop, said closed loop passing through said tank.    
     
     
         48 . The system defined in  claim 42 , further comprising: 
 a storage tank that, for a first portion of a twenty-four hour period, contains water at a temperature lower than the temperature of pressurized air in said closed loop, and for a second portion of said twenty-four hour period, contains water at a temperature higher than pressurized air in said closed loop, said closed loop passing through said tank.    
     
     
         49 . The system defined in  claim 42 , further comprising: 
 for each server rack in said plurality of server racks:    a capacitor that provides bridging power in the event of a fluctuation of power from said primary source of power.    
     
     
         50 . A data center comprising: 
 a plurality of server racks, each server rack containing one or more servers, each server containing one or more processors;    a source of primary power;    an uninterruptible power supply (UPS), coupled to said source of primary power, that controls the quality of power delivered to said plurality of servers; and    a pressurized closed loop air cooling system comprising: 
 at least one heat exchanger; and  
 a closed loop of pressurized air, a portion of said closed loop being in thermal contact with at least one processor in each of said plurality of server racks.  
   
     
     
         51 . The data center defined in  claim 50 , wherein said cooling system further comprises: 
 a sealed pump coupled to said closed loop that drives said pressurized air around said closed loop.    
     
     
         52 . The data center defined in  claim 50 , wherein at least one of said plurality of server racks comprises: 
 a turbine coupled to said closed loop to receive pressurized air from said closed loop in the event of a fluctuation in power from said primary power source; and    a generator coupled to said turbine, said generator being operable to generate secondary power when driven by said turbine    
     
     
         53 . The data center defined in  claim 52 , wherein said turbine is coupled to said closed loop downstream of said processor such that said turbine receives heated pressurized air from said closed loop.  
     
     
         54 . A data center comprising: 
 a plurality of server racks;    a closed loop of pressurized air, said closed loop being coupled to pass in proximity to at least one of said plurality of server racks;    a plurality of system heat exchangers coupled to and in thermal contact with said closed loop, said system heat exchangers being operable to extract heat from pressurized air passing through said closed loop; and    for each server rack in said plurality of server racks: 
 blowers that remove heat from electronics within said server rack; and  
 at least one local heat exchanger coupled to said closed loop that takes at least a portion of said removed heat and utilizes it to heat said pressurized air.  
   
     
     
         55 . The data center defined in  claim 54 , wherein at least one of said plurality of server racks comprises: 
 a turbine coupled to said closed loop to receive pressurized air from said closed loop in the event of a fluctuation in power from said primary power source; and    a generator coupled to said turbine, said generator being operable to generate secondary power when driven by said turbine.    
     
     
         56 . The data center defined in  claim 55 , wherein said turbine is coupled to said closed loop downstream of said local heat exchanger such that said turbine receives heated pressurized air from said closed loop.  
     
     
         57 . The data center defined in  claim 54 , wherein said data center further comprises: 
 at least one sealed pump coupled to said closed loop that drives said pressurized air around said closed loop.