An integrated chiller using magnetic-bearing compressor with thermosyphon for year-round cooling of internet data centres: feasibility analysis.

Energy consumption for year-round cooling of Internet Data Centres (IDCs) is growing rapidly. In this study, an integrated air-cooled chiller, by adopting magnetic-bearing centrifugal compressor and sharing heat exchangers, is proposed to supply chilled water for IDCs. The integrated chiller can automatically work in three modes (vapour compression, mechanically driven heat pipe, and thermosyphon) according to ambient temperature. To analyze energy performance and feasibility of the chiller, an hourly energy consumption model is developed. Then, the energy performance of the integrated chiller located in four typical cities in north China (Harbin, Shenyang, Beijing, and Jinan) are investigated. Additionally, an economic analysis is also carried out. The results show that the energy saving effect is significant, especially in colder regions, and the proposed chiller is economically feasible.