초록 ▼

A method of fabricating a cooling unit is provided to facilitate cooling coolant passing through a coolant loop. The cooling unit includes one or more heat rejection units and an elevated coolant tank. The heat rejection unit(s) rejects heat from coolant passing through the coolant loop to air passi

A method of fabricating a cooling unit is provided to facilitate cooling coolant passing through a coolant loop. The cooling unit includes one or more heat rejection units and an elevated coolant tank. The heat rejection unit(s) rejects heat from coolant passing through the coolant loop to air passing across the heat rejection unit. The heat rejection unit(s) includes one or more heat exchange assemblies coupled to the coolant loop for at least a portion of coolant to pass through the one or more heat exchange assemblies. The elevated coolant tank, which is elevated above at least a portion of the coolant loop, is coupled in fluid communication with the one or more heat exchange assemblies of the heat rejection unit(s), and facilitates return of coolant to the coolant loop at a substantially constant pressure.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A method of fabricating a cooling unit for a data center, the method comprising: providing at least one heat rejection unit configured to reject heat from coolant passing through a coolant loop to air passing across the at least one heat rejection unit, the at least one heat rejection unit compri

1. A method of fabricating a cooling unit for a data center, the method comprising: providing at least one heat rejection unit configured to reject heat from coolant passing through a coolant loop to air passing across the at least one heat rejection unit, the at least one heat rejection unit comprising at least one heat exchange assembly configured to couple to the coolant loop for at least a portion of the coolant to pass therethrough; andproviding an elevated coolant tank coupled in fluid communication with the at least one heat exchange assembly of the at least one heat rejection unit, the elevated coolant tank facilitating return of coolant to the coolant loop at a substantially constant pressure, wherein the elevated coolant tank is elevated above at least a portion of the coolant loop. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one heat exchange assembly comprises at least one vertically-oriented heat exchange assembly. 3. The method of claim 2, wherein the elevated cooling tank is elevated above the at least one vertically-oriented heat exchange assembly. 4. The method of claim 2, wherein the at least one heat rejection unit is free-standing from the elevated coolant tank. 5. The method of claim 2, wherein one heat exchange assembly of the at least one heat exchange assembly of the at least one heat rejection unit comprises an array of multiple heat exchangers coupled for at least a portion of the coolant of the coolant loop to pass therethrough. 6. The method of claim 5, wherein the array of multiple heat exchangers of the one heat exchange assembly comprises multiple columns of heat exchangers, the multiple columns being coupled in series fluid communication, each column of heat exchangers of the multiple columns of heat exchangers comprising at least two heat exchangers coupled in parallel, fluid communication. 7. The method of claim 2, wherein one heat exchange assembly of the at least one heat exchange assembly of the at least one heat rejection unit is rotatably mounted to a support structure, and wherein the cooling unit further comprises a controller coupled to automatically rotate at least a portion of the one heat exchange assembly responsive to a change in direction of ambient airflow at the one heat exchange assembly to facilitate rejection of heat to air passing across the one heat exchange assembly. 8. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing multiple heat rejection units configured to reject heat from the coolant passing through the coolant loop to air passing across the multiple heat rejection units, each heat rejection unit of the multiple heat rejection units comprising a heat exchange assembly, each heat exchange assembly comprising at least one heat exchanger coupled for at least a portion of the coolant of the coolant loop to pass therethrough. 9. The method of claim 8, wherein one heat rejection unit of the multiple heat rejection units is coupled in fluid communication with the elevated coolant tank upstream of the elevated coolant tank, and another heat rejection unit of the multiple heat rejection units is coupled in fluid communication with the elevated coolant tank downstream of the elevated coolant tank. 10. The method of claim 8, wherein at least two heat rejection units of the multiple heat rejection units are coupled in parallel-fluid communication, and in fluid communication with the elevated coolant tank upstream of the elevated coolant tank, and at least two other heat rejection units of the multiple heat rejection units are coupled in parallel-fluid communication, and in fluid communication with the elevated coolant tank downstream of the elevated coolant tank. 11. The method of claim 10, wherein the multiple heat rejection units are disposed radially about the elevated coolant tank, and are free-standing from the elevated coolant tank, each heat exchange assembly of the multiple heat rejection units comprising a vertically-oriented heat exchange assembly, and wherein the elevated coolant tank is elevated above the multiple heat exchange assemblies of the multiple heat rejection units. 12. The method of claim 1, wherein one heat rejection unit of the at least one heat rejection unit further comprises at least one air-moving device associated with the heat exchange assembly thereof and configured to provide airflow across the heat exchange assembly, the at least one air-moving device being automatically controlled by a controller of the cooling unit. 13. The method of claim 1, wherein the cooling unit is coupled in fluid communication with a facility coolant loop coupled to at least one coolant distribution unit of a data center, the data center comprising a plurality of liquid-cooled electronics racks and a system coolant loop which facilitates rejecting heat from the plurality of liquid-cooled electronics racks to facility coolant in the facility coolant loop via the at least one coolant distribution unit, and wherein the cooling unit is disposed external to the data center and rejects heat from the facility coolant passing through the facility coolant loop. 14. The method of claim 1, wherein the cooling unit is coupled in fluid communication with a condenser-side coolant loop of a refrigeration chiller unit for rejecting heat from a condenser-side coolant of the refrigeration chiller unit to the air passing across the at least one heat rejection unit. 15. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing multiple heat rejection units configured to reject heat from the coolant passing through the coolant loop to air passing across the multiple heat rejection units, each heat rejection unit of the multiple heat rejection units comprising a heat exchange assembly, each heat exchange assembly comprising at least one heat exchanger coupled for at least a portion of the coolant of the coolant loop to pass therethrough, wherein at least two heat rejection units of the multiple heat rejection units are coupled in parallel-fluid communication, and in fluid communication with the elevated coolant tank upstream of the elevated coolant tank, and at least two other heat rejection units of the multiple heat rejection units are coupled in parallel-fluid communication, and in fluid communication with the elevated coolant tank downstream of the elevated coolant tank, and wherein the multiple heat rejection units are disposed radially about the elevated coolant tank, and are free-standing from the elevated coolant tank, each heat exchange assembly of the multiple heat rejection units comprising a vertically-oriented heat exchange assembly, and wherein the elevated coolant tank is elevated above the multiple heat exchange assemblies of the multiple heat rejection units.