Project Work Plan
Work Package Description
WP 1. | Conceptual development
Based on the proposed targets for the LHP-C-H-PLATE-4-DC and the results developed from the previous studies by the host staff and the researcher, schematic drawings of the system components and integrated unit will be generated. A list of components will be proposed, each of which will be preliminary assessed in terms of its likely geometrical sizes and material types, as well as potential performance data likely to be achieved. Furthermore, the research questions and items (e.g., size, efficiency, heat removal and recovery capacity, data centre cooling load reduction etc) will be identified, thus formulating the foundation for the follow-on WP tasks.
WP 2. | Computer modelling, characterisation and optimisation of the LHP-C-H-PLATE-4-DC
Based on the outcomes of WP1, WP2 will firstly analyze the porous-material-containing liquid (water) layer. By using the latest fractal theory and associated research outcomes, the number of the pores can be expressed as the functions of the pores’ fractal diameter and length scale of the wicked area. Furthermore, the correlations between the fractal dimension and the porosity of the porous media and between the fractal dimension, averaged tortuosity and averaged pore & capillary diameter (or size) will be established. By treating the wicked surface of the heat pipe wall as a bundle of tortuous capillary tubes with variable cross- sectional area, the total volumetric flow rate of water, which is the sum of the flow rate through all the individual capillaries, will be calculated. By applying the Darcy’s law, the equation for calculating the permeability and effective thermal conductivity of the wicked heat pipe will be established. On this basis, the interface between the porous-material-containing water layer and vapour layer within the LHP will be identified, thus giving the boundary conditions for both regions. Assuming that heat transfer is two-dimensional, i.e., normal to the heat transfer surface and along with the fluid flow direction, the evaporator & condenser channels will be divided into numerous micro computational cells; while the heat transfer, interface friction and fluid exchange will take place between the adjacent cells. For the cells within the same phase region (either liquid or vapour), heat transfer is driven by the temperature difference, and thus, the temperature-difference-driven heat transfer differential equations will be applied. On the interface between the liquid and vapour phases, the energy & mass transfers are driven by the enthalpy difference between the two phase fluids, and thus, the enthalpy-difference-driven heat and mass transfer differential equations will be applied. After completing the model set-up, simulation will be undertaken one cell after another, leading to the solutions to the pressure, temperature and velocity of the vapour and liquid phase fluids within the whole heat transfer channels (in both the evaporator and condenser). Based on the above simulation results, the criteria parameters for the vapour and liquid phased fluids, including Re number, Pr number and Nu number, will be calculated and their correlations will then be established. Based on these, the macroscopic heat transfer equations relating to the micro-channels evaporator and condenser and whole LHP-C-H-PLATE-4-DC will be obtained; these can be used to calculate the heat transfer rate and pressure loss of the fluid under different operational conditions and geometrical parameters recommended by WP1. Analysis of the results will lead to (1) determination of the system’s optimal geometrical size; (2) determination of the system’s performance data; and (3) identification of the potential increase in heat removal rate and energy efficiency factor relative to the existing data centre equipment cooling and heat removal and recovery systems.
WP 3. | Experimental testing and computer model validation/refinement
WP3 will examine whether or not the modelling- derived performance data can be realised and suggest associated follow-on measures. Based on the results obtained from WPs 1&2, a LHP-C-H-PLATE-4-DC prototype will be designed and constructed. The prototype will then be tested at the Energy Technologies Research Unit (ETRU) at the UHULL. During testing, various parameters including surface temperature and energy input of the simulated data centre equipment (most likely to be an electrical heating object), ambient temperature, and temperatures of the evaporator and condenser of the LHP etc, will be monitored and recorded. All the measurement data will be logged into a computer, and used to assess the performance of the LHP-C-H-PLATE-4-DC under various operational conditions, in particular, to determine its heat removal/recovery rate and cooling load reduction ratio. The performance data will be verified or modified based on the comparison between the computer prediction and experiment, thus giving the actual figures of the system’s performance. On this basis, a verified/modified computer simulation model will be established.
WP 4. | Economic and environmental performance analysis
WP4 will examine the cost target and other social-economic measures relating to the LHP-C-H-PLATE-4-DC. This will involve (1) calculating the energy, economic, environmental and life-cycle data relating to the new heat removal and recovery system, by using the EnergyPlus and LCA methodology, and (2) evaluation of the economic and environmental impacts of the new technology to Europe, by taking a parallel comparison of the performance data for the data centre cooling systems with/without the LHP-C-H-PLATE-4-DC. The performance of the data centre cooling system with the LHP-C-H-PLATE-4-DC at different European regions (four regions preliminarily defined) will be estimated according to the local climatic conditions and the system’s performance data. The new system’s capital cost and annual running cost at different European regions will be calculated. The results will also be compared with the cooling systems without the LHP-C-H-PLATE-4-DC, and the differences in capital cost and savings in operational cost will be calculated taking into account the European climatic data, forecast inflation and discount rates, and energy prices in the near and medium terms. The estimated payback period of the new system relative to existing cooling systems will be obtained, while environmental benefit of the system will be examined in terms of the reduced CO2 emission.
WP 5. | Project management and researcher career training
This WP will involve: (1) planning/management of the research activities; (2) organisation of the researcher’s training and secondment activities; (3) administrative and financial coordination; and (4) project progress assessment and risk management. Arrangement for these is shown in the work plan
WP 6. | Communication, public engagement, dissemination and exploitation
WP6 is concerned with the dissemination, communication, exploitation, outreach and public engagement issues relating to the proposed programme. Detailed arrangement for these activities and associated evaluation metrics are presented in the work plan.