A waterside economizer uses the evaporative cooling capacity of a cooling tower to produce chilled water that can be used instead of a chiller, enabling the cooling of data center equipment without compressors.
When environmental conditions allow, the warm return water from the data center can be routed to the economizer where condenser water accepts the heat and rejects it to the atmosphere via a dry cooler or evaporative tower. The chilled water can then be supplied to the data center air handlers.
Waterside economizers increase energy efficiency by enabling free cooling or partial free cooling in which economizer can replace or supplement costly mechanical cooling.
However, for optimal waterside economizer operations, environmental conditions must be ideal. The outside air must be cold enough to sufficiently cool the condenser water to allow for proper heat exchange between the two loops.
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