- Apr 30, 2001
- 8,691
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I'm confused...
http://gigaom.com/cleantech/google-to-switch-on-worlds-first-seawater-cooled-data-center-this-fall/
I don't understand the significance of using seawater as a coolant, if the coolant is being returned to the source at the same temperature as it was first taken. I thought the whole point of using the ocean as a coolant source would be to suck in an endless supply of cold water, use it to absorb heat, then pump out warm water. Rinse and repeat, right?
If they are going to go through all the trouble of pumping water around a facility and then cool it back to its start temperature, why not just close the loop and use purified water to begin with?
Or maybe even a more efficient non-corrosive coolant?
The heat transfer units are the heart of the cooling system, and the seawater pumps into the heat transfer system, cools the data center, and then the water itself is cooled slightly before being pumped back out to sea. Google wanted the water that was pumped back out to sea to be similar in temperature to the water that entered the system, as to have as little impact as possible on the surrounding ecosystem. It was the right thing to do, says Kava.
http://gigaom.com/cleantech/google-to-switch-on-worlds-first-seawater-cooled-data-center-this-fall/
I don't understand the significance of using seawater as a coolant, if the coolant is being returned to the source at the same temperature as it was first taken. I thought the whole point of using the ocean as a coolant source would be to suck in an endless supply of cold water, use it to absorb heat, then pump out warm water. Rinse and repeat, right?
If they are going to go through all the trouble of pumping water around a facility and then cool it back to its start temperature, why not just close the loop and use purified water to begin with?
Or maybe even a more efficient non-corrosive coolant?