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Title: Data center coolant switch

Abstract

A data center cooling system is operated in a first mode; it has an indoor portion wherein heat is absorbed from components in the data center, and an outdoor heat exchanger portion wherein outside air is used to cool a first heat transfer fluid (e.g., water) present in at least the outdoor heat exchanger portion of the cooling system during the first mode. The first heat transfer fluid is a relatively high performance heat transfer fluid (as compared to the second fluid), and has a first heat transfer fluid freezing point. A determination is made that an appropriate time has been reached to switch from the first mode to a second mode. Based on this determination, the outdoor heat exchanger portion of the data cooling system is switched to a second heat transfer fluid, which is a relatively low performance heat transfer fluid, as compared to the first heat transfer fluid. It has a second heat transfer fluid freezing point lower than the first heat transfer fluid freezing point, and the second heat transfer fluid freezing point is sufficiently low to operate without freezing when the outdoor air temperature drops below a first predetermined relationship with the first heat transfermore » fluid freezing point.

Inventors:
; ;
Issue Date:
Research Org.:
International Business Machines Corp., Armonk, NY (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE
OSTI Identifier:
1222634
Patent Number(s):
9151543
Application Number:
13/184,239
Assignee:
International Business Machines Corporation (Armonk, NY)
Patent Classifications (CPCs):
F - MECHANICAL ENGINEERING F25 - REFRIGERATION OR COOLING F25B - REFRIGERATION MACHINES, PLANTS OR SYSTEMS
F - MECHANICAL ENGINEERING F28 - HEAT EXCHANGE IN GENERAL F28D - HEAT-EXCHANGE APPARATUS, NOT PROVIDED FOR IN ANOTHER SUBCLASS, IN WHICH THE HEAT-EXCHANGE MEDIA DO NOT COME INTO DIRECT CONTACT
DOE Contract Number:  
EE0002894
Resource Type:
Patent
Resource Relation:
Patent File Date: 2011 Jul 15
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION

Citation Formats

Iyengar, Madhusudan K., Parida, Pritish R., and Schultz, Mark D. Data center coolant switch. United States: N. p., 2015. Web.
Iyengar, Madhusudan K., Parida, Pritish R., & Schultz, Mark D. Data center coolant switch. United States.
Iyengar, Madhusudan K., Parida, Pritish R., and Schultz, Mark D. Tue . "Data center coolant switch". United States. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1222634.
@article{osti_1222634,
title = {Data center coolant switch},
author = {Iyengar, Madhusudan K. and Parida, Pritish R. and Schultz, Mark D.},
abstractNote = {A data center cooling system is operated in a first mode; it has an indoor portion wherein heat is absorbed from components in the data center, and an outdoor heat exchanger portion wherein outside air is used to cool a first heat transfer fluid (e.g., water) present in at least the outdoor heat exchanger portion of the cooling system during the first mode. The first heat transfer fluid is a relatively high performance heat transfer fluid (as compared to the second fluid), and has a first heat transfer fluid freezing point. A determination is made that an appropriate time has been reached to switch from the first mode to a second mode. Based on this determination, the outdoor heat exchanger portion of the data cooling system is switched to a second heat transfer fluid, which is a relatively low performance heat transfer fluid, as compared to the first heat transfer fluid. It has a second heat transfer fluid freezing point lower than the first heat transfer fluid freezing point, and the second heat transfer fluid freezing point is sufficiently low to operate without freezing when the outdoor air temperature drops below a first predetermined relationship with the first heat transfer fluid freezing point.},
doi = {},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {2015},
month = {10}
}

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