An Energy and Exergy Analysis of Economizer-Based Data Centers

Electrical consumption for data centers is on the rise as more and more of them are being built. Data center owners and operators are looking for methods to reduce energy consumption and electrical costs. One method of reducing facility costs for a chilled water plant is by adding an economizer. Most studies concerning economizer systems are largely conducted by looking at energy alone since the primary focus has reducing electrical costs. However, little research has been published that examines exergy destruction for these types of systems based on varying outdoor air conditions by locale. The purpose of this study has been to develop energy and exergy-based models of each of the most common economizer systems. In this paper, a normal chiller plant without an economizer and a chiller plant with an indirect wet-side economizer (the most common type of economizer system) are compared. A method for simulating a mechanical cooling system is provided and results show outdoor conditions influence facility energy consumption and exergy destruction.