Thermodynamic analysis for new solutions of data center cooling with adsorption refrigeration and heat pipe

Abstract

This study investigated the potential of integrating separate heat pipe and adsorption refrigeration systems as a data center efficient cooling system. Compared to water-cooled data centers, this approach demonstrates improved heat transfer efficiency and reduced energy consumption. The effectiveness of heat transfer in this approach is illustrated by applying exergy and entranspy theories. By conducting numerical simulations across five representative Chinese cities with different climates, both Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) and key cooling system performance indicators are assessed. The analysis reveals that all cities can achieve a PUE below 1.095, realized a 65.87 % and 13.60 % reduction in cooling system energy consumption and entransy dissipation, respectively. Data centers using mechanical chiller cooling cause a high energy consumption. This paper indicates the benefits of integrating heat pipe and adsorption refrigeration systems in reducing energy consumption and optimizing overall data center performance.