Data Center Liquid Cooling with Dry Cooler and Plate Heat Exchanger

Data Center Liquid Cooling with Dry Cooler and Plate Heat Exchanger

Data center liquid cooling systems that incorporate dry coolers and plate heat exchangers offer efficient and reliable cooling solutions for data center equipment.

Working Principle

Liquid Cooling Loop: In a data center liquid cooling system, a coolant (usually a mixture of water and antifreeze) is circulated through pipes that are in direct contact with the heat - generating components of the servers and other equipment. As the coolant absorbs heat from these components, its temperature rises.

Plate Heat Exchanger: The warm coolant then flows to the plate heat exchanger. This device consists of a series of thin, corrugated plates that are stacked together. The hot coolant from the data center equipment side flows through one set of channels in the plates, while a cooler fluid (usually a secondary coolant or chilled water) flows through the adjacent channels. Heat is transferred across the plates from the hot coolant to the cooler fluid, reducing the temperature of the coolant that circulates through the data center equipment.

Dry Cooler: The cooler fluid that has absorbed heat in the plate heat exchanger is then pumped to the dry cooler. The dry cooler is essentially an air - cooled heat exchanger. It has finned tubes through which the warm fluid flows. A fan blows ambient air over the finned tubes, causing heat to be dissipated from the fluid to the air. The cooled fluid then returns to the plate heat exchanger to repeat the cycle.

Advantages

High Cooling Efficiency: The combination of the plate heat exchanger and dry cooler allows for effective heat transfer. The plate heat exchanger has a large heat transfer area and can achieve a high degree of heat exchange between the two fluids. The dry cooler, with its efficient air - cooling design, helps to reject the heat into the atmosphere, ensuring that the coolant remains at a suitable temperature to effectively cool the data center equipment.

Water Conservation: Compared to traditional water - cooled systems that may use a large amount of water for cooling, the dry cooler in this setup reduces water consumption. It only requires a relatively small amount of water for the secondary coolant loop, and the air - cooling mechanism of the dry cooler helps to minimize water usage. This is particularly beneficial in areas where water is scarce.

Compact Design: Plate heat exchangers and dry coolers are relatively compact in size compared to some other cooling components. They can be installed in a relatively small space, which is advantageous in data centers where space is often at a premium. This allows for more efficient use of the available floor space in the data center.

Reduced Maintenance: The system has fewer components compared to some complex cooling systems, which can lead to reduced maintenance requirements. The dry cooler has no water - related components such as cooling towers that require regular cleaning and maintenance to prevent scale and algae growth. The plate heat exchanger, with its simple design, also requires less maintenance compared to some other types of heat exchangers.

Enhanced Reliability: The use of a liquid cooling system with a dry cooler and plate heat exchanger provides a more reliable cooling solution. The redundant cooling paths and the ability to operate in different ambient conditions ensure that the data center equipment remains within the optimal temperature range, even in the event of a partial system failure or changes in the environmental conditions.