DATA CENTER COOLANT SWITCH

摘要

A data center cooling system 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 a first mode. When an appropriate time has been reached to switch from the first mode to a second mode, 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 (compared to the first fluid). It has a second heat transfer fluid freezing point, lower than the first heat transfer fluid freezing point, and 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.

主权项

1. A data center cooling system comprising:
an indoor portion wherein heat is absorbed from components in said data center; an outdoor heat exchanger portion wherein outside air is used to cool a first heat transfer fluid present in at least said outdoor heat exchanger portion of said cooling system during a first mode of operation, said first heat transfer fluid being a relatively high performance heat transfer fluid, said first heat transfer fluid having a first heat transfer fluid freezing point; and a coolant switch arrangement configured to switch said outdoor heat exchanger portion of said data cooling system to a second heat transfer fluid during a second mode of operation, said second heat transfer fluid being a relatively low performance heat transfer fluid, said second heat transfer fluid having a second heat transfer fluid freezing point lower than said first heat transfer fluid freezing point, said second heat transfer fluid freezing point being sufficiently low to operate said outdoor heat exchanger portion of said data center cooling system without freezing when said outdoor air temperature drops below a first predetermined relationship with said first heat transfer fluid freezing point.