RENEWABLE ENERGY BASED DATACENTER COOLING

摘要

A data center is cooled through hydronic convection mechanisms, geothermal mechanisms or combinations thereof. The individual computing devices of such a data center are cooled through a thermally conductive interface with a liquid. The liquid's container can extend to a cooling apparatus located physically above such computing devices to provide hydronic convection cooling, or it can extend into the earth, either in the form of a heat pipe, or in the form of conduits through which the liquid is actively pumped. The hydronic convection cooling and geothermal heat pipe cooling operate via temperature differentials and consume no external electrical power. Geothermal cooling avoids heat soak by utilizing multiple different sets of conduits extending into the earth, where at least some of those sets of conduits are not utilized for a period of time. Combinations of hydronic convection mechanisms and geothermal cooling can also be utilized.

主权项

1. A system for simultaneously cooling multiple computing devices, the system comprising:
a heat pipe extending below ground into the earth, the heat pipe comprising a liquid that evaporates to absorb thermal energy and then condenses to release the thermal energy, the release of the thermal energy of the heat pipe being into the earth below ground; a surface that is thermally coupled to the heat pipe such that thermal energy is passed through the surface into the heat pipe, thereby causing the liquid in the heat pipe to evaporate, the surface comprising at least one of a cold floor or a cold wall; and a thermal coupling between the multiple computing devices and the surface, the multiple computing devices being arranged so as to facilitate the thermal coupling between them and the surface.