E3S Web of Conferences 194, 01027 (2020) https://doi.org/10.

1051/e3sconf/202019401027
ICAEER 2020

Performance of an internet data center refrigeration system using

an evaporative cooler
Shibo Zhao1, Yonghui Zhang1, Yunqi Nie2, Pengyu Qu3, and Wenqiang Sun1,4*
1Department of Thermal Engineering, Northeastern University, Shenyang 110819, China
2School of Resources and Civil Engineering, Northeastern University, Shenyang 110819, China
3Foreign Studies College, Northeastern University, Shenyang 110819, China
4SEP Key Laboratory of Eco-Industry, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Shenyang 110819, China

Abstract. The traditional refrigeration method of internet data center (IDC) is mostly air refrigeration,
which has undesired cooling effect and high power consumption. This study addresses this problem and
proposes an evaporative air cooler (EAC) suitable for IDC. Given the high specific heat capacity of water,
the evaporative condensing coil and spray device are added to the evaporative cooler to enhance the heat
transfer effect. Heat and mass transfer mathematical models are established to analyze the heat transfer
performance. The mathematical model is used to simulate the profile of the heat and mass transfer
coefficient of the EAC with the amount of spray water and air flow. The results show that when the air flow
changes from 10 to 20 kg/s, the air equivalent heat transfer coefficient increases by about 41%. When the air
flow rate is 20 kg/s and the spray water volume is 0.00124 kg/(mꞏs), the total heat transfer coefficient is
increased by about 308% compared with the case without spray water.

costly, and difficult to maintain, but it can meet the

1 Introduction cooling and energy saving needs of large data centers. In
addition, evaporative cooling technology has been
The internet data center (IDC) is an important guarantee developed relatively mature, but it has not been widely
for the realization of emerging technologies, such as used for IDC refrigeration [4].
smart manufacturing, Internet +, Internet of Things and In order to solve the problems of low refrigeration
big data. IDC operates 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. efficiency, high energy consumption and large heat
The annual electricity consumption data of IDCs in China transfer area of traditional coolers [5], this research
is estimated to reach the total annual power generation applies evaporative cooling technology to traditional air
capacity of the Three Gorges Power Station [1]. Among coolers and transforms traditional coolers. Evaporative
the huge energy consumption of data center infrastructure, air cooler (EAC) integrates the advantages of air cooling
the energy consumption of cooling equipment usually and water cooling, which can improve efficiency and
accounts for about 60% of the energy consumption of the reduce energy consumption.
server room, and the cost caused by high energy
consumption exceeds 50% of the entire operation and
maintenance of the computer room [2]. In the next period 2 System design
of time, the scale of IDC will increase exponentially,
posing greater challenges to power, cooling and other The EAC is a heat exchanger that integrates a
computer room infrastructure. Energy demand is also water-cooled cooler and a cooling tower. It consists of
increasing. heat exchange coil, axial fan, circulating water pump,
At present, the refrigeration method of IDC is mainly spray device and other main components [6]. The main
air refrigeration. The air passes through the cooler under operation principle of the EAC is to use two cooling
the action of the fan, and exchanges sensible heat with media, water and air, and use the latent heat of
the working fluid flowing in the heat exchange tube of vaporization generated by the evaporation of the water
the air cooler. This refrigeration method has a natural film outside the tube bundle and the sensible heat of
cooling function and is easy to operate and maintain. No forced convection exchange between the tube bundles.
water needed, but the energy efficiency of refrigeration The air and water film transfer the heat in the heat
is relatively low, and the coverage area is large [3]. exchange coil. The process fluid is cooled [7].
There is also a water-cooled refrigeration method that Theoretically, the temperature of the working fluid in the
uses water to exchange heat of the working fluid. This coil can be reduced to close to the ambient temperature
type of air conditioning system is more complex, more or the ambient wet bulb temperature. Its cooling
temperature is 8-11 °C lower than that of air-cooled
* Corresponding author: [email protected]

© The Authors, published by EDP Sciences. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution
License 4.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
E3S Web of Conferences 194, 01027 (2020) https://doi.org/10.1051/e3sconf/202019401027
ICAEER 2020

coolers and 3-10 °C lower than that of the water-cooled represents the micro-element change along the height of
cooling system [8]. the EAC.
This research proposes that on the basis of the
existing IDC air-cooled chillers, an EAC will replace the
dry cooler as an application method for the natural
cooling module, as shown in Fig. 1. The natural cooling
module is composed of plate heat exchanger, water
pump, EAC, etc. In actual operation, the natural cooling
module is mostly operated in winter, and the mechanical
cooling module is operated in conjunction with the
spring and autumn transition seasons. Compared with
dry coolers, EACs have the advantages of lower cooling
temperature and more energy saving. The evaporative air
cooler mainly uses the vaporization latent heat of water
to dissipate the heat. The outlet temperature of the
working fluid in the tube can theoretically reach the wet
bulb temperature of the air, which is lower than the Fig. 2. Schematic heat and mass transfer of the EAC
theoretical outlet temperature of the dry cooler, i.e., the Assuming that the working fluid flow, air flow and
dry bulb temperature [9].Using the EAC as a natural spray water flow at the inlet and outlet are evenly
cooling module can extend the use time during the distributed, the entire heat and mass transfer process can
transition season and reduce the power consumption of be regarded as one-dimensional. The parameters only
the compressor. The dry cooler mainly blows in air change in the vertical direction of the heat exchanger,
continuously through the fan to take away the heat of the and the horizontal parameters can be regarded as
fluid in the heat exchange coil, and the fan has a large consistent [12]. The assumptions for the EAC are made
output power. Although the EAC also needs a fan, under as follows:
the same cooling capacity, its power is about 1/3 of that (1) The air and the working fluid in the pipe flow
of a dry cooler, saving more than 30% of electricity [10]. steadily.
The use of EACs instead of dry coolers in IDC (2) The heat and mass transfer interface is in
air-cooled chillers has important practical significance. equilibrium, and the heat and mass transfer process only
occurs in the cooler.
(3) In the temperature range of this study, the specific
heat at constant pressure (cp) of liquid water, water vapor,
and air is a stationary number.
In Fig. 2, taking the height of the element dx as the
research object, the heat and mass transfer analyses are
carried out, and the heat transfer equation between the
cooling water in the tube and the water film outside the
tube is:
 dQ ko  tf  ts  sdxα  (1)
where ko is the total heat transfer coefficient from the
fluid in the tube to the water film outside the tube,
W/(m2ꞏK); tf is the temperature of the working fluid in
the tube, K; ts is the temperature of the spray water
Fig. 1. Schematic diagram of the refrigeration system of outside the tube, K; s is the cross-sectional area of the
IDCs using an EAC tube, m2; α′ is the heat exchange area per unit volume of
the heat exchange tube, m2/m3.
The heat transfer equation between the water film
3 Mathematical model outside the tube and the air:
The working fluid flow in the tube, the water flow dQ   hm  ts  t  sdxα   k m  w  w  sdxα r (2)
outside the tube and the air flow outside the tube of the where hm is the convective heat transfer coefficient
EAC are counter-current flow as a whole [11]. The between the air and the water film outside the tube,
structures of EAC are various, and the water flow and air W/(m2ꞏK); t is the air temperature, K; km is the
flow outside the tube are in a variety of mutual flow convective mass transfer coefficient between the air and
modes, but the essence of the heat and mass transfer the water film outside the tube, kg/(m2ꞏs); w′′ is the
process is basically the same, as shown in Fig. 2. The moisture content of saturated air at the temperature of
qm,f, qm,w and qm,a shown in Fig. 2 are the flow rates of the water film outside the tube, kg/kg-dry air; w′ is the
the working fluid in the tube, the spray water outside the moisture content of the air, kg/kg-dry air; r is the latent
tube, and the air flow outside the tube, respectively; tf, ts heat of vaporization of water at the temperature, kJ/kg.
and ta represent the temperature of the fluid in the tube, For air-water systems, the Lewis relation [13] applies.
the spray water outside the tube, and the air, respectively; So hm/km = cp,a holds and Eq. (2) can be rewritten as:
Q represents the heat transfer in the entire process; dx

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ICAEER 2020

 km  c p ts  wr    c p t  wr   sdxα

dQ  (3) the process fluid in the tube, W/(mꞏK); Prf is the Prandtl
number of the process fluid in the tube, Prf = μfꞏcp,f/λf; μf
 k m  i  i  sdxα 
dQ  (4) is the dynamic viscosity of the process fluid in the tube,
where cpts+w′′r = i′′ is the specific enthalpy of saturated Paꞏs; f is the resistance coefficient of turbulent flow in
wet air at the spraying water temperature outside the the tube, f = (1.82lgRe–1.64)-2. In this study, the working
pipe, kJ/kg; cpts+w′r = i′ is the specific enthalpy of the air medium flows uniformly in the tube, so for liquids, ct =
outside the tube, kJ/kg. (Prf/Prw)0.01 = 1, and Prw is the Prandtl number of the
The heat balance of cooling water in pipe is: fluid at the pipe wall.
q m ,f c p ,f d t f   ko  tf  ts  sdxα  (5) The convective heat transfer coefficient between the
spray water and the outer wall of the pipe can be
where qm,f is the mass flow rate of cooling water in the calculated by:
pipe, kg/s; cp,f is the specific heat at constant pressure of
αw  2012.9  m d o 
1/3
the cooling water in the pipe, kJ/(kgꞏK). (13)
The heat balance of the spray water outside the pipe where m is the mass flow rate of spray water outside the
is: pipe of unit width, kg/(mꞏs), and m = qm,w/(NL), N is the
qm ,w c p ,w dt w  ko  tf  ts  sdxα   k m  i  i  sdxα  (6) number of coils per row; L is the length of the heat
exchange coil, m.
where qm,w is the mass flow rate of spray water outside
the pipe, kg/s; cp,w is the specific heat at constant Parkel and Treybal show that the correlation of the
mass transfer coefficient km of the air-side water film to
pressure of the spray water outside the pipe, kJ/(kgꞏK).
the air is [15]:
The heat balance of the air outside the tube is: 0.905
q m ,a d i    k m  i  i  sdxα  (7)  km 0.0493 G 1  wvav   (14)
where qm,a is the mass flow rate of air outside the pipe, where 0.68<G<5 and G is the mass flow of the minimum
kg/s. heat transfer section of the flow, kg/(m2ꞏs); wvav is the
ko sα ko sα km sα average mass fraction of water vapor in the air.
Let  a1 ,  a2 ,  a3 , Heat is transferred from inner cooling water to air,
qm,f c p ,f qm ,w c p ,w qm ,w c p ,w
including heat transfer from inner cooling water to outer
ko A water film and heat and mass transfer from outer water
NTU=  a1  x , Eqs. (5)-(7) can be expressed as:
qm ,f c p ,f film to outer air. In order to facilitate the calculation of
dtf EAC, some scholars proposed to replace the mass
=   t f  ts  (8) transfer coefficient of the process from the water film
dNTU
outside the pipe to the air outside the pipe with the
dt w a a
= 2  tf  ts   3  i  i  (9) equivalent air heat transfer coefficient [10]:
dNTU a1 a1 Aβw αα  i  im 
di a αj  (15)
=  4  i  i  (10) c p ,a  ts  tm 
dNTU a1
where A′ is the coefficient related to water film
The total heat transfer coefficient from the inner cooling temperature; βw is the water film fluctuation coefficient;
water to the outer water film is: cp,a is the specific heat of air at constant pressure,
1 1 do δ do 1 kJ/(kgꞏK); αa is the convective heat transfer coefficient
=     (11)
k o αf d i λ d m α w of air flowing through the cluster of smooth tubes,
where dm = (do–di)/ln(do/di) is the logarithmic average W/(m2ꞏK); im is the average enthalpy of the air outside
diameter of the tube; αf is the convection heat transfer the tube, kJ/kg; tm is the average temperature of the air
coefficient of the working fluid in the tube and the inner outside the tube, K; and
wall of the tube, W/(m2ꞏK); αw is the convection heat cλ Rem Pr 0.3
transfer coefficient between the outer wall of the pipe
αα =0.88 a a a (16)
do
and the spray water outside the pipe, W/(m2ꞏK); do and di
where λa is the thermal conductivity of air; Rea the
are the outer diameter and the inner diameter of the heat
Reynolds number of air; Pra is the Prandtl number for the
exchange tube, respectively, m; λ is the thermal
air; c and m are the correlation constants.
conductivity of the tube, W/(mꞏK); δ is the thickness of
Then the total heat transfer coefficient of cooling
the pipe wall, m.
water to air in the pipe is
When the internal cooling water Reynolds number
Ref > 2300, the correlation equation of the heat transfer 1 1 do δ  do  1 1
=       (17)
coefficient of the turbulent forced convection in the tube ko αf di λ  d m  αw α j
is [14]:
f
 Ref  1000  Prf   d 2 3  4 Results and discussion
Nu f 8
 1     ct (12)
f   l  
1  12.7
8
 f 
Pr 23
 1  Outside the EAC tube is spray water and air flow, while
inside the tube flows cooling water. Therefore, the
where Nuf is the Nussel number of the process fluid in thermal performance of EAC is co-influenced by spray
the tube, Nuf = αfꞏdi/λf; λf is the thermal conductivity of water, air flow and inner cooling water [16]. In this study,

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E3S Web of Conferences 194, 01027 (2020) https://doi.org/10.1051/e3sconf/202019401027
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parameters influencing the fluid in the EAC, such as heat transfer coefficient between the water film outside
inlet and outlet temperature, remain basically unchanged, the tube and the outer wall of the tube, thus influencing
and their influences on the EAC can be temporarily the thermal performance of the EAC [11]. Eq. (13) is
ignored. The influence of spray water and air flow on its employed to calculate the change of the convective heat
thermal performance is considered. transfer coefficient between the water film outside the
The air mass flow contributes to the convective mass tube and the outer wall of the tube, and Eq. (11) is used
transfer and convective thermal efficiency between the to calculate the change of the total heat transfer
water film outside the tube and the air, and thus it can coefficient between the cooling water inside the tube and
influence the thermal performance of the EAC. Eq. (14) the water film outside the tube, as shown in Figs. 5 and 6.
is employed to calculate the change of mass transfer When the spray water quantity per unit width changes
coefficient from water film outside the tube to air when from 0.002 to 0.006 kg/(m∙s), the convective heat
the mass flow rate of the minimum heat transfer section transfer coefficient from the water film outside the tube
is G = 1.2-5 kg/(m2∙s) [17], as shown in Fig. 3. It can be to the outer wall of the tube increases from 1013 to 1454
seen that there is almost a linear relationship between air W/(m2∙K), and the total heat transfer coefficient ko from
flow and convective mass transfer coefficient, and the cooling water inside the tube to the water film
convective mass transfer coefficient increases with the outside the tube increases from 841 to 1109 W/(m2ꞏK).
increase in air flow. The larger the air flow rate, the Numerically, the local convective heat transfer
stronger the convective heat transfer and convective coefficient is greater than the total heat transfer
mass transfer between the water film outside the tube coefficient. For a certain range of spray water volume,
and the air. with the increase in spray water volume per unit width,
the turbulence of liquid film outside the tube is
intensified, and then, the heat transfer is enhanced.

Fig. 3. Influence of air flow on convective mass transfer

coefficient
Eq. (15) is employed to calculate the variation of the
equivalent heat transfer coefficient of air outside the tube Fig. 5. Influence of spraying water on the local heat
when the air flow rate is 10-20 kg/s, as shown in Fig. 4. transfer coefficient for the water side of the
It can be seen that with the increase in air flow rate, the water-tube interface
air equivalent heat transfer coefficient also increases.
When the air flow rate increases from 10 to 20 kg/s, the
air equivalent heat transfer coefficient increases from
33.09 to 46.80 W/(m2∙K).

Fig. 6. Influence of spray water on the total heat transfer

coefficient of the cooling water in the tube to the
water film
In this study, EAC is applied to IDC refrigeration
system instead of dry cooler. EAC removes latent heat of
vaporization by the evaporation of spray water, while dry
Fig. 4. Influence of air flow on equivalent air heat cooler removes heat by the forced air flow across the
transfer coefficient heat exchange tube bundle. The biggest difference
The amount of spray water influences the convective between EAC and dry cooler lies in whether the heat

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ICAEER 2020

exchange tube bundle is sprayed with water [18]. References

Therefore, it is necessary to investigate the heat transfer
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rate of air. The variation of total heat transfer coefficient 23-26,39
under different air flow rates is shown in Fig. 7. With the 2. S. Yuan, S Lu, Y Zhan, et al., Cryog. Supercond. 7
increase in spray water quantity and air flow rate, the (2015) 86-92
total heat transfer coefficient increases. The total heat
3. P. Johnson, T. Marker. Data Center Energy
transfer coefficient without spray water is less than that
Efficiency Product Profile (2009)
with spray water. Therefore, it is verified numerically
that EAC has better heat transfer performance than the 4. G.A. Brady, N. Kapur, J.L. Summers, H.M.
dry cooler. Thompson, Energy Convers. Manage. 76 (2013)
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11. W. Tang, X. Zhang, J. Tongji Univ. 33 7 (2005)
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45-49
5 Conclusion 14. V. Gnielinski, Exp. Therm. Fluid Sci. 1994, 8 1
(1994) 79-90
A new IDC refrigeration system using EAC is proposed 15. R.O. Parker, R.E. Treybal, AIChE Chem. Eng. Prog.
in this study. EAC is applied to IDC air-cooled chiller Symp. Series 32 57 (1961) 138-149
with natural cooling module instead of dry cooler. The
16. W. Zheng, South China Univ. Technol. (2013)
heat and mass transfer models of EAC are established
and the thermal performance is analyzed. 17. L. Xu, D. Zhu, J. Shen, et al., J. Chem. Eng. Chin.
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coefficient and air equivalent heat transfer coefficient 18. J. She, X. Huang, K. Liu, et al., Refrig. 1 (2017)
between spray water and air outside the tube also 60-65
increase. When the air flow rate changes from 10 to 20
kg/s, the air equivalent heat transfer coefficient increases
from 33.1 to 46.8 W/(m2∙K).
With the increase in spray water, the convective
heat transfer coefficient from the outer wall of the tube
to the spray water outside the tube and the total heat
transfer coefficient from the cooling water inside the
tube to the water film outside the tube also increase. The
total heat transfer coefficient of water without spraying
is smaller than that of water with spraying. When the air
flow rate is 20 kg/s, the total heat transfer coefficient is
46.3 W/(m2∙K) without spray water and 188.86 W/(m2∙K)
with spray water volume of 0.00124 kg/(m2∙s).

Acknowledgement
This work was supported by Northeastern University,
China (201145) under the National Training Program of
Innovation and Entrepreneurship for Undergraduates
(202010145047), and the Fundamental Research Funds
for the Central Universities (N182410001).