Continuous cooling capacity regulation using supplemental heating

Abstract

A method of providing variable cooling includes operating a cooling element to cool an air flow by a first cooling capacity, operating a heating element to heat the air flow by a first heating capacity that adjusts the first cooling capacity towards a first desired total cooling capacity, determining a second desired total cooling capacity, controlling the cooling element to cool the air flow by a second cooling capacity that is greater than the second desired total cooling capacity, and controlling the heating element to heat the air flow by a second heating capacity that adjusts the second cooling capacity towards the second desired total cooling capacity. Further embodiments and cooling systems are also disclosed.

1 . A method of providing variable cooling, the method comprising:
 A) operating a cooling element to cool an air flow by a first cooling capacity;   B) operating a heating element to heat the air flow by a first heating capacity that adjusts the first cooling capacity towards a first desired total cooling capacity;   C) determining a second desired total cooling capacity;   D) controlling the cooling element to cool the air flow by a second cooling capacity that is greater than the second desired total cooling capacity; and   E) controlling the heating element to heat the air flow by a second heating capacity that adjusts the second cooling capacity towards the second desired total cooling capacity.   
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the act A comprises cooling a first portion of the air flow, the act B comprises heating a second portion of the air flow, and the method further comprises an act of F) combining the first portion and second portion. 
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising an act of F) directing the air flow to at least one piece of electronic equipment. 
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the act F comprises directing the air flow to a data center room containing the at least one piece of electronic equipment is stored. 
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the act F comprises directing the air flow to an equipment rack containing the at least one piece of electronic equipment is stored. 
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the act D includes operating the cooling element at one of a set of discrete cooling capacities at which the cooling element is capable of operating. 
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the act E includes adjusting the one of the set of discrete cooling capacities by heating the air flow. 
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the cooling element includes at least one compressor having a set of discrete compressor speeds, and wherein the act D includes selecting one of the discrete compressor speeds. 
   
   
       9 . A cooling system comprising:
 a cooling element configured to cool a fluid flow by a variable cooling capacity to lower a temperature of the fluid flow;   a heating element configured to heat the fluid flow by a variable heating capacity to raise the temperature of the fluid flow; and   a controller configured to vary the cooling element and the heating element to generate a variable total cooling capacity corresponding to a combination of the variable cooling capacity and the variable heating capacity.   
   
   
       10 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the cooling element is configured to cool a first portion of the fluid flow, the heating element is configured to heat a second portion of the fluid flow, and the system further comprises a discharge configured to combine the first portion and the second portion. 
   
   
       11 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the cooling element includes at least one compressor configured to move a coolant through a cooling coil at a coolant flow rate that corresponds to a cooling capacity of the cooling element. 
   
   
       12 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the compressor is configured to operate at one of a set of discrete coolant flow rates at which the at least one compressor is configured to operate. 
   
   
       13 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the compressor is configured to operate at a coolant flow rate above a minimum coolant flow rate. 
   
   
       14 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the at least one compressor includes a plurality of compressors. 
   
   
       15 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the cooling system further comprises a discharge configured to direct the fluid flow to at least one piece of electronic equipment. 
   
   
       16 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the discharge includes at least one fan. 
   
   
       17 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the cooling element, heating element and discharge are part of a computer room air conditioning (CRAC) unit. 
   
   
       18 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the heating element is disposed in the fluid flow between the cooling element and an object. 
   
   
       19 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the cooling element is disposed in the fluid flow between the heating element and an object. 
   
   
       20 . A method of providing variable cooling, the method comprising:
 determining a desired total cooling capacity of an air flow;   adjusting a cooling device to produce a variable cooling capacity to the air flow that is at least as great as the desired total cooling capacity; and   in a first mode of operation, if the variable cooling capacity is greater than the desired total cooling capacity, adjusting a heating device to lower the variable cooling capacity towards the desired total cooling capacity.   
   
   
       21 . The method of  claim 20 , further comprising directing the air flow to at least one piece of electronic equipment. 
   
   
       22 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein adjusting a cooling device to provide the variable cooling capacity includes adjusting at least one compressor speed of the cooling device. 
   
   
       23 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein adjusting a heating device to lower the variable cooling capacity towards the desired total cooling capacity includes adjusting a power supplied to a heat exchanger of the heating device. 
   
   
       24 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the desired total cooling capacity includes a cooling capacity that reduces a temperature of the air flow to a target temperature and the variable cooling capacity includes a cooling capacity that reduces the temperature of the air flow to a predetermined temperature that is lower than the target temperature. 
   
   
       25 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the first mode of operation includes when the predetermined temperature differs from the target temperature by at least a threshold amount. 
   
   
       26 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein the threshold amount includes about five degrees Fahrenheit.