Prototype data center on methane
Although the preliminary stage of the project took longer than expected, Microsoft opened the long-awaited zero-carbon data center in Wyoming, USA. Biological gas - in this case, methane is pumped into special fuel cells, which subsequently provide electricity for the data center servers. With this process, there is a completely waste-free generation of electricity, and the excess heat released is sent back to the processing chamber to accelerate anaerobic fermentation.
A 200 kW datacenter consists of a shipping container (ITPAC), servers are located in this container, and a 300 kW fuel cell converts biogas, which is a byproduct of the wastewater treatment process, into electricity, which in turn is used to operate the data center. Monitoring systems are based on Siemens industrial controllers.
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Back in 2012, the Wyoming State Economic Development Agency decided to allocate a grant in the amount of $ 1.5 million to develop the infrastructure for the Microsoft pilot project. The project consisted in this: to show whether the work of the data center is possible in a continuous autonomous mode on electricity, which is generated by the conversion of methane. Methane, in turn, is formed in sewage treatment plants. The goal is to make the data center minimally dependent on unstable electrical networks, and the mechanisms for storing, processing and transmitting data are more environmentally friendly, unlike data centers that use electricity generated by coal-fired power plants. The idea seemed quite radical, although the ideas had already been met before: 365 Main Infinity ONE, IBM data center on the campus of Syracuse University, HP facility for dung from barns, Apple and Bloom Energy.
It was assumed that such a data center will use fuel cells in biogas. Biogas is one of the products of anaerobic fermentation. Without air access, fermentation of organic substances occurs and biogas is released. Methane fermentation (in other words, sometimes incorrectly called anaerobic fermentation) is a series of biological processes of organic substances with the release of free methane. The site for construction was chosen in close proximity to the water treatment plant. Christian Beladi, Microsoft’s data center services CEO, calls this concept “Data Plant”.
Previously, an experiment was carried out that allowed us to make the following calculations: a small container data center with a capacity of 200 kW and running entirely on biogas will reduce more than 900 thousand kg of CO2 emissions per year. Microsoft engineers use a standard 20-foot container (6 x 2.5 meters) with servers, which is located near the Dry Creek Wasterwater Reclamation Facility wastewater treatment plant.
In 2013, at the Data Center World 2013 exhibition and conference in Las Vegas, Nevada, Microsoft's energy strategy director, Brian Janosh raised the topic of the Data Plant project, saying that Microsoft is committed to improving data center energy efficiency. For more efficient use of Redmond use fuel cells on methane coming from sewage treatment plants. Methane is a relatively environmentally friendly, renewable and very accessible resource. Biogas storages are located directly on the territory of the data center, which ensures its autonomy.
“Energy production inside the data center instead of connecting the data center to the energy infrastructure of a region is our main difference from the traditional power supply scheme. A large amount of energy is lost, which leads to financial losses. We show how the introduction of a small power source into the network infrastructure element of the data center reduces the complexity of the project of energy distribution between the elements of the entire system. ”
The data center does not operate from the mains, which in itself is one of the main achievements. Used environmentally hazardous waste is recycled and prevented from being released into the atmosphere, since methane is a greenhouse gas. Unlike oil, coal and gas minerals, the use of fuel produced from renewable raw materials (in most cases - biomass), does not lead to an increase in CO2 content in the atmosphere. Such a system will also serve as a research base for biogas and fuel cell technology, in partnership with the University of Wyoming.
A 200 kW datacenter consists of a shipping container (ITPAC), servers are located in this container, and a 300 kW fuel cell converts biogas, which is a byproduct of the wastewater treatment process, into electricity, which in turn is used to operate the data center. Monitoring systems are based on Siemens industrial controllers.
')
Back in 2012, the Wyoming State Economic Development Agency decided to allocate a grant in the amount of $ 1.5 million to develop the infrastructure for the Microsoft pilot project. The project consisted in this: to show whether the work of the data center is possible in a continuous autonomous mode on electricity, which is generated by the conversion of methane. Methane, in turn, is formed in sewage treatment plants. The goal is to make the data center minimally dependent on unstable electrical networks, and the mechanisms for storing, processing and transmitting data are more environmentally friendly, unlike data centers that use electricity generated by coal-fired power plants. The idea seemed quite radical, although the ideas had already been met before: 365 Main Infinity ONE, IBM data center on the campus of Syracuse University, HP facility for dung from barns, Apple and Bloom Energy.
It was assumed that such a data center will use fuel cells in biogas. Biogas is one of the products of anaerobic fermentation. Without air access, fermentation of organic substances occurs and biogas is released. Methane fermentation (in other words, sometimes incorrectly called anaerobic fermentation) is a series of biological processes of organic substances with the release of free methane. The site for construction was chosen in close proximity to the water treatment plant. Christian Beladi, Microsoft’s data center services CEO, calls this concept “Data Plant”.
Previously, an experiment was carried out that allowed us to make the following calculations: a small container data center with a capacity of 200 kW and running entirely on biogas will reduce more than 900 thousand kg of CO2 emissions per year. Microsoft engineers use a standard 20-foot container (6 x 2.5 meters) with servers, which is located near the Dry Creek Wasterwater Reclamation Facility wastewater treatment plant.
In 2013, at the Data Center World 2013 exhibition and conference in Las Vegas, Nevada, Microsoft's energy strategy director, Brian Janosh raised the topic of the Data Plant project, saying that Microsoft is committed to improving data center energy efficiency. For more efficient use of Redmond use fuel cells on methane coming from sewage treatment plants. Methane is a relatively environmentally friendly, renewable and very accessible resource. Biogas storages are located directly on the territory of the data center, which ensures its autonomy.
“Energy production inside the data center instead of connecting the data center to the energy infrastructure of a region is our main difference from the traditional power supply scheme. A large amount of energy is lost, which leads to financial losses. We show how the introduction of a small power source into the network infrastructure element of the data center reduces the complexity of the project of energy distribution between the elements of the entire system. ”
The data center does not operate from the mains, which in itself is one of the main achievements. Used environmentally hazardous waste is recycled and prevented from being released into the atmosphere, since methane is a greenhouse gas. Unlike oil, coal and gas minerals, the use of fuel produced from renewable raw materials (in most cases - biomass), does not lead to an increase in CO2 content in the atmosphere. Such a system will also serve as a research base for biogas and fuel cell technology, in partnership with the University of Wyoming.
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/243517/
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