Feedback from the experts panel of group n° 086
Expert Number 1 :Nicolas Quarello
Situation: Student in master of Thermal engineering and energy
After a brief on our project, the expert indicate us the best way to use the heat produced by datacenter: The heat pump. The principle is simple, the heat produced is captured on the ceiling by the system and it warms the refrigerant and by a process of compression and decompression the heat is evacuated in a kind of condenser and this heat can be used.
At this point we envisaged two uses of this heat. Either this heat is used to produce electricity and therefore reduces consumption or this heat is simply used to warm (habitation, water) The first point, converted the heat into electricity, according our expert seems complicated. Indeed, the heat produced by servers is approximately 70° in an intensive use. And the point is that to convert heat into electricity, we have to warm water to steam and use this stream to activate an alternator. The problem is that to transform water to stream, the temperature needed is 100 degree at normal pressure condition. This is not the case with this application. That’s why it seems complicated to produce electricity with the heat produced by datacenter. However the expert told us that is it possible to transform water to steam under 100 degree by reducing the pressure where the water is located. So, according the expert the expert it would be possible to use a vacuum pump. Though a such installation would cost lots of money with uncertain results and generate new electric consumption (compressor , vaccum pump… ) that’s why the expert not recommend this solution.
The first point, and therefore the easier, is to use the heat produced by servers and computers directly to warm habitation, hot water circuit, soilless crops…. Including the loss due to transfer of energy (from air to water circuit), the temperature would be enough (about 55 degree) to warm for civil use. For example our expert told us it would permits to warm a swimming pool ( about 28 degree) or warm habitations ( 22 degree ).
