Endothermic Reaction Apparatus for Removing Excess Heat in a Datacenter

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention generally provide for a system that removes excess thermal energy from a datacenter. In one embodiment, the system includes a holding container with highly thermally conductive surfaces installed in the warmest area(s) of the datacenter. Two substances are released into the holding container and are mixed creating a liquid solution and causing an endothermic reaction. The resulting reaction transfers thermal energy from the datacenter air to the new solution. The liquid solution is then pumped out of the datacenter, where it can be passed through a dialyzing membrane or an evaporation chamber, which separates the liquid solution into its two original substances.

1 . A datacenter system comprising:
 a cooling solution further comprising a first substance and a second substance, wherein the combination of the first substance and the second substance create an endothermic reaction;   a holding container positioned above a floor of said datacenter system and configured to mix said first substance and said second substance to form said cooling solution;   a fan connected to a datacenter vent system which forces air through said holding container; and   a separation unit configured to separate the cooling solution into the first substance and the second substance;   wherein said holding container is coupled to a first substance transport and a second substance transport, the first and second substance transports transporting said first and second substance, respectively, through the floor from said separation unit to said holding container, and wherein said holding container is further coupled to a cooling solution transport, the cooling solution transport transporting said cooling solution through the floor from said holding container to said separation unit.   
     
     
         2 . The datacenter system of  claim 1 , wherein said fan is positioned in an opening in said floor, said fan drawing air from a cavity under said floor. 
     
     
         3 . The datacenter system of  claim 1 , wherein said fan forces air through an array of thin planar member in said holding container. 
     
     
         4 . The datacenter system of  claim 1 , wherein the separation unit comprises a dialyzing membrane configured to separate the cooling solution into the first substance and the second substance. 
     
     
         5 . The datacenter system of  claim 1 , wherein said first substance is water and said separation unit comprises an evaporation chamber for evaporating said first substance. 
     
     
         6 . The datacenter system of  claim 1 , wherein the holding container is designed to maximize surface area. 
     
     
         7 . The datacenter system of  claim 1 , wherein the holding container is composed of a thermally conductive material selected from a group consisting of copper and aluminum. 
     
     
         8 . The datacenter system of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a computer:
 wherein the computer is coupled to one or more CRAC units cooling a datacenter including the datacenter system; 
 wherein the computer is coupled to one or more pumps configured to circulate the cooling solution; and 
 wherein the computer is configured to control cooling solution circulation via the one or more pumps based on CRAC status data received from the one or more CRAC units. 
   
     
     
         9 . The datacenter system of  claim 8 , wherein the computer is further configured to initiate cooling solution circulation if the CRAC status data indicates that CRAC usage is above a predefined threshold. 
     
     
         10 . The datacenter system of  claim 8 , wherein the computer is further configured to initiate cooling solution circulation if CRAC status data indicates that at least one of the one or more CRAC units has failed. 
     
     
         11 . The datacenter system of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a plurality of temperature sensors;
 wherein the plurality of temperature sensors are configured to collect temperature data from a datacenter including the datacenter system; and 
   a flow controller coupled to the plurality of temperature sensors and to one or more holding containers;
 wherein the flow controller is configured to receive temperature data from the plurality of temperatures sensors; and 
 wherein the flow controller is configured to direct the flow of the first substance and the second substance to the one or more holding containers based on the received temperature data. 
   
     
     
         12 . The data center system of  claim 11 , wherein the flow controller is configured to increase the flow of the first substance and the second substance to holding containers located in warmer areas of the data center. 
     
     
         13 . The datacenter system of  claim 1 , wherein the holding container is a detachable modular unit. 
     
     
         14 . A datacenter system comprising:
 a holding container positioned above a floor of said datacenter system;
 wherein the holding container is composed of a thermally conductive material selected from a group consisting of copper and aluminum; 
 wherein the holding container is configured to configured to mix a first substance and a second substance to form a cooling solution, the first substance and second substance creating an endothermic reaction when mixed; and 
   a fan connected to a datacenter vent system which forces air through said holding container; and   a separation unit configured to separate the cooling solution into the first substance and the second substance;
 wherein the separation unit ( 1 ) receives the cooling solution from the holding container, ( 2 ) separates the cooling solution into the first substance and the second substance, and ( 3 ) circulates the first substance and the second substance to the holding container; 
 wherein said holding container is coupled to a first substance transport and a second substance transport, the first and second substance transports transporting said first and second substance, respectively, through the floor from said separation unit to said holding container, and wherein said holding container is further coupled to a cooling solution transport, the cooling solution transport transporting said cooling solution through the floor from said holding container to said separation unit. 
   
     
     
         15 . The datacenter system of  claim 14 , wherein said fan is positioned in an opening in said floor, said fan drawing air from a cavity under said floor. 
     
     
         16 . A datacenter system comprising:
 a cooling solution further comprising a first substance and a second substance, wherein the combination of the first substance and the second substance create an endothermic reaction;   a holding container positioned above a floor of said datacenter system and configured to mix said first substance and said second substance to form said cooling solution;   a fan connected to a datacenter vent system which forces air through said holding container;   a separation unit configured to separate the cooling solution into the first substance and the second substance;   wherein said holding container is coupled to a first substance transport and a second substance transport, the first and second substance transports transporting said first and second substance, respectively, through the floor from said separation unit to said holding container, and wherein said holding container is further coupled to a cooling solution transport, the cooling solution transport transporting said cooling solution through the floor from said holding container to said separation unit; and   a computer;
 wherein the computer is coupled to one or more CRAC units cooling a datacenter including the datacenter system; 
 wherein the computer is coupled to one or more pumps configured to circulate the cooling solution; 
 wherein the computer is configured to control cooling solution circulation via the one or more pumps based on CRAC status data received from the one or more CRAC units; and 
 wherein the computer is further configured to initiate cooling solution circulation upon identifying from the CRAC status data a CRAC unit failure or a CRAC unit fault. 
   
     
     
         17 . The datacenter system of  claim 16 , wherein said fan is positioned in an opening in said floor, said fan drawing air from a cavity under said floor.