System and method for cooling fluid distribution

Abstract

A system for distributing a cooling fluid in a room containing at least one heat generating component includes a primary heat exchanger having an inlet for receiving the cooling fluid, a heat exchange section configured to facilitate exchange of heat between airflow in the room and the cooling fluid, and an outlet for exhausting heated cooling fluid from the heat exchange section. The system also includes a secondary heat exchanger having a receiving section connected to the second section of a cooling fluid line for receiving heated cooling fluid, a heat exchange section configured to facilitate exchange of heat between the at least one heat generating component and the heated cooling fluid, and an exhaust section configured to exhaust secondarily heated cooling fluid.

1 . A system for distributing a cooling fluid in a room containing at least one heat generating component, said system comprising:
 a primary heat exchanger having an inlet for receiving the cooling fluid, a heat exchange section configured to facilitate exchange of heat between airflow in the room and the cooling fluid, and an outlet for exhausting heated cooling fluid from the heat exchange section;   a cooling fluid line having a first section and a second section, said first section being connected to the outlet of the primary heat exchanger; and   a secondary heat exchanger having a receiving section connected to the second section of the cooling fluid line for receiving the heated cooling fluid, a heat exchange section configured to facilitate exchange of heat between the at least one heat generating component and the heated cooling fluid from the primary heat exchanger, and an exhaust section configured to exhaust secondarily heated cooling fluid from the secondary heat exchanger.   
     
     
         2 . The system according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a cooling apparatus for cooling at least one of the heated cooling fluid from the primary heat exchanger and the secondarily heated cooling fluid from the secondary heat exchanger.   
     
     
         3 . The system according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a plurality of secondary heat exchangers having receiving sections, wherein the cooling fluid line is split into a plurality of sub-lines, each of said plurality of sub-lines being connected to a receiving section of a respective secondary heat exchanger, and wherein the plurality of secondary heat exchangers are arranged in a parallel relationship with respect to each other along the plurality of sub-lines.   
     
     
         4 . The system according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a plurality of secondary heat exchangers arranged in a serial configuration with respect to each other along the cooling fluid line.   
     
     
         5 . The system according to  claim 1 , wherein the primary heat exchanger comprises one of a floor based and a ceiling based air conditioning unit. 
     
     
         6 . The system according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least one heat generating component is housed in a rack having an inlet for receiving airflow and an outlet for exhausting airflow, and wherein the secondary heat exchanger is configured to be positioned in at least one of the inlet and the outlet of the rack to cool airflow that is one of supplied into and exhausted from the rack. 
     
     
         7 . The system according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least one heat generating component is housed in a rack, and wherein the secondary heat exchanger is configured to be positioned within the rack. 
     
     
         8 . The system according to  claim 7 , wherein the secondary heat exchanger comprises a plurality of heat exchange sections, said plurality of heat exchange sections being configured to be positioned to cool a plurality of heat generating components contained in the rack. 
     
     
         9 . The system according to  claim 7 , wherein the heat exchange section of the secondary heat exchanger comprises at least one cold plate configured to be positioned in thermal contact with the at least one heat generating component. 
     
     
         10 . The system according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least one heat generating component is housed in a rack having an inlet for receiving airflow and an exhaust for exhausting airflow, and wherein the primary heat exchanger is configured to be positioned in the inlet to cool airflow supplied into the rack and wherein the secondary heat exchanger is configured to be positioned within the rack to directly cool the at least one heat generating component housed in the rack. 
     
     
         11 . The system according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least one heat generating component is housed in a rack having an inlet for receiving airflow and an exhaust for exhausting airflow, and wherein the primary heat exchanger is configured to be positioned in the inlet to cool airflow supplied into the rack and wherein the secondary heat exchanger is configured to be positioned in the to exhaust to cool airflow exhausted from the rack. 
     
     
         12 . The system according to  claim 1 , further comprising a tertiary heat exchanger containing a separate cooling fluid, wherein the heat exchange section of the secondary heat exchanger is configured to facilitate heat transfer from the separate cooling fluid contained in the tertiary heat exchanger and the heated cooling fluid. 
     
     
         13 . The system according to  claim 1 , wherein the cooling fluid comprises one of the group consisting of chilled water, R134a, and ethylene glycol mixture. 
     
     
         14 . A method of distributing cooling fluid in a room, said method comprising:
 supplying a primary heat exchanger with cooled cooling fluid from a cooling apparatus, wherein the primary heat exchanger comprises a heat exchange section that cools airflow supplied into the room thereby causing the cooling fluid to become heated; and   conveying the heated cooling fluid from the primary heat exchanger to a secondary heat exchanger, said secondary heat exchanger being configured to facilitate heat exchange between at least one heat generating component housed in the room and the heated cooling fluid, thereby causing the heated cooling fluid to become secondarily heated.   
     
     
         15 . The method according to  claim 14 , further comprising:
 conveying at least one of the heated cooling fluid and the secondarily heated cooling fluid to the cooling apparatus.   
     
     
         16 . A data center comprising:
 at least one heat generating component;   a cooling fluid distribution system for cooling the at least one heat generating component, said cooling fluid distribution system comprising,
 a primary heat exchanger having an inlet for receiving the cooling fluid, a heat exchange section configured to facilitate exchange of heat between airflow in the data center and the cooling fluid, and an outlet for exhausting heated cooling fluid from the heat exchange section; 
 a cooling fluid line having a first section and a second section, said first section being connected to the outlet of the primary heat exchanger; and 
 a secondary heat exchanger having a receiving section connected to the second section of the cooling fluid line for receiving the heated cooling fluid, a heat exchange section configured to facilitate exchange of heat between the at least one heat generating component and the heated cooling fluid from the primary heat exchanger, and an exhaust section configured to exhaust secondarily heated cooling fluid from the secondary heat exchanger. 
   
     
     
         17 . The data center according to  claim 16 , further comprising:
 at least one rack having an inlet for receiving airflow and an exhaust for exhausting airflow, wherein the at least one heat generating component is housed in the at least one rack, and wherein the secondary heat exchanger is positioned on at least one of the inlet and the exhaust of the rack.   
     
     
         18 . The data center according to  claim 16 , further comprising:
 at least one rack, wherein the at least one heat generating component is housed in the at least one rack, and wherein the secondary heat exchanger is positioned within the rack and configured to directly cool the at least one heat generating component.   
     
     
         19 . The data center according to  claim 16 , further comprising:
 at least one rack having an inlet for receiving airflow and an exhaust for exhausting airflow, wherein the at least one heat generating component is housed in the at least one rack, and wherein the primary heat exchanger is positioned in the inlet to cool airflow supplied into the rack and wherein the secondary heat exchanger is positioned within the rack to directly cool the at least one heat generating component housed in the rack.   
     
     
         20 . The data center according to  claim 16 , further comprising:
 at least one rack having an inlet for receiving airflow and an exhaust for exhausting airflow, wherein the at least one heat generating component is housed in the at least one rack, and wherein the primary heat exchanger is positioned in the inlet to cool airflow supplied into the rack and wherein the secondary heat exchanger is positioned in the exhaust to cool airflow exhausted from the rack.