Multistage data center cooling system for temperature gradation and matching

Xiaoxuan Chen, Xinyi Wang, Lu Wang, Hong Zheng, Tao Ding and Zhen Li

Applied Energy, 2025, vol. 377, issue PC, No S0306261924019755

Abstract: A prototype of a multistage cooling system with a cooling capacity of 20 kW is assembled and studied. The traditional single-stage system is split into two sub-systems according to the temperature level, which reduces the temperature difference and irreversible heat transfer loss, and further improves the system's energy efficiency. The system mainly features three modes including free-air cooling, refrigeration-based cooling and waste heat recovery, which can achieve efficient cooling while capable of recovering the waste heat to the surrounding heat users. The efficiency of the proposed cooling and heat recovery system was assessed by measuring its energy reuse effectiveness (ERE). The energy savings and environmental benefits of the system were analyzed across five cities in China, each representing different climates. Results indicate that the system achieved an ERE of 0.91 in Beijing, 38.9 % lower than the national average of the city. Additionally, an economic analysis showed a payback period of less than two years for the proposed system across all climates considered, which is 30 % shorter than that of a single-stage cooling system.

Keywords: Data center; Multistage cooling; Structure optimization; Energy-saving; Heat exchanger (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1016/j.apenergy.2024.124592

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