Application status and prospect of phase change technology in data center
相变蓄冷技术在数据中心的应用现状及展望

摘要

电费是数据中心运营的最大成本支出，占总运行成本的60%以上。相变储能技术因其高储能密度、小型化优势，成为数据中心节能的重要方向。本文综述了相变蓄冷、与热管耦合等技术在数据中心的应用现状：通过引入相变材料构建蓄冷系统，可实现负荷峰值削减、错峰调节及应急制冷。实际案例显示，相变储能式空气处理机组可将数据中心能源使用效率PUE从2.1降至1.51，全年平均节能率达50%，自然冷却时间占比提升至25%；60kW相变储能机组通过蓄冷-释冷循环，可减少空调开启时间50%以上，应急状态下保障15分钟过渡制冷。研究表明，相变材料与热管耦合技术能有效解决热负荷时空分布不均问题，降低制冷剂充注量30%，并通过分温区管理实现系统稳定运行。未来，随着相变材料成本下降及模块化设计普及，该技术有望在大型数据中心实现规模化应用。

Abstract

Electricity cost constitutes the largest operational expenditure for data centers, accounting for over 60% of total operating costs. Phase change energy storage (PCES) technology has emerged as a critical direction for data center energy efficiency, owing to its advantages of high energy storage density and miniaturization. This study reviews the application status of PCES technologies in data centers, including cold storage systems and heat pipe coupling integration. By incorporating phase change materials (PCMs) into cold storage systems, peak load reduction, load shifting, and emergency cooling can be achieved. Practical case studies demonstrate that PCES-based air handling units reduce the Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) from 2.1 to 1.51, achieving an annual average energy savings rate of 50% and increasing natural cooling utilization to 25%. A 60 kW PCES unit, through cool storage and release cycles, reduces air conditioning operation time by over 50% and provides 15 minutes of transitional emergency cooling. Research indicates that PCM-heat pipe coupling technology effectively mitigates spatiotemporal unevenness in thermal loads, reduces refrigerant charge by 30%, and ensures stable system operation via temperature zoning management. Looking ahead, with the decreasing cost of phase change materials and the widespread adoption of modular design, this technology is expected to achieve large-scale application in large data centers.