Experimental Study on the Performance of a Novel Data Center Air Conditioner Combining Air Cooling and Evaporative Cooling

Abstract

Addressing challenges of high-temperature shutdowns, low energy efficiency, and limited natural cooling utilization in data center air conditioning, a novel hybrid air cooling and evaporative cooling air-conditioning(ACEC-AC) system has been developed. The system is well-suited for application in data centers located in regions with high outdoor temperatures and large dry-bulb to wet-bulb temperature differences during summer. Experimental evaluations in an enthalpy difference laboratory revealed that the hybrid system's performance in wet mode (combining air cooling and evaporative cooling) significantly outperforms its dry mode (solely air cooling) and traditional cooling units. At an outdoor temperature of 35.60°C dry-bulb and 29.95°C wet-bulb, the system achieved a COP of 3.85, a 21.45% improvement over dry mode and 16.16% higher than conventional Packaged computer room air conditioning (CRAC). Notably, the system maximizes its benefits in regions like Guangzhou, where the temperature difference between the dry bulb and wet bulb is significant, resulting in an annual operational cost savings of over 34.16%. In conclusion, the hybrid air cooling and evaporative cooling system represents an effective energy-saving technology with great potential to enhance data center performance and reduce energy consumption.