Study on distributed cooling system for data centers

Proposes a distributed cooling system for thermal management of data center based on the analysis using least dissipation theory and match principle of heat exchange. Designs an internally cooled rack with multi-stage heat pipe loops to eliminate undesired air mixing. Further improvement of energy performance can be achieved by the combined water loop, which dynamically and effectively adjusts cooling load distribution among chillers and the cooling tower, according to the outdoor environment conditions, and makes full use of free cooling potentials. The measurement results of a retrofitted data center show a uniform indoor temperature and humidity distribution and reduced energy consumption by over 40%.