Bin Zhang

Bin Zhang


Research Focus & Metrics

Academic Career Length

3Years (2024-Present)

(Calculated once Scilit publication data is synced: current year − year of first publication + 1)

Representative Publications

View All Publications
14 November 2024 in Buildings
Verified
Journal Article
Open access
PDF file
WQWei Qian
Wei Qian
Jun LuJun Lu
Jun Lu
XXXiaoping Xia
Xiaoping Xia
BZBin Zhang
Bin Zhang
XYXiang Ying
Xiang Ying
LLLeihong Li
Leihong Li
Indirect evaporative cooling (IEC), which utilizes natural cooling sources, is an advanced and promising technology to reduce the energy consumption of cooling systems in a data center (DC). This study presents a model of an IEC air-conditioning unit in a DC using TRNSYS simulation software validated using actual operational data to investigate the adaptability of IEC units in data centers located in regions with varying humidity levels, providing a reference for their application and promotion in DCs. Based on this premise, the authors analyzed the meteorological characteristics of Urumqi (a dry region), Beijing (a region with medium humidity), and Shanghai (a region with high humidity), which are representative cities in different humidity zones. The analysis identified the annual operating hours of the unit’s three operation modes, including fresh-air indirect heat transfer (FAIHT), IEC, and hybrid. Simultaneously, the authors conducted a simulation of the unit’s yearly energy consumption and determined time change curves for annual energy consumption, hourly coefficient of performance (COP) throughout the year, and mechanical cooling in various locations. The results indicate that IEC air-conditioning systems are highly effective in promoting the efficiency of data centers in various humidity regions. Dry locations demonstrate the greatest adaptability, followed by regions with medium humidity and, finally, regions with high humidity. The findings indicate that IEC units provide significant energy efficiency and cost-effectiveness when deployed in typical urban DCs across various humidity zones in China. The average annual power-usage effectiveness (PUE) of each city’s DC utilizing the unit is less than 1.3, and the unit’s annual operational cost savings exceed 30%.