IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/energy/v318y2025ics0360544225004657.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

MILP optimization of the multi-heat pump waste heat recovery system integrated with full-free cooling data center through lake water

Author

Listed:
  • Chen, Shuyi
  • Zhang, Quan
  • Zhai, John
  • Liu, Haowen
  • Chen, Gang
  • Lei, Jianjun
  • Liao, Shuguang

Abstract

Free cooling and waste heat recovery are vital and promising energy-saving technologies for the cooling system of data centers and the heating system of nearby buildings. The multi-heat pump system with different heat capacities is one of the most effective ways to extract heat from data centers, which need to match the cooling and heating demand in varied times and spaces. It will improve the performance of the integrated system, however, it raises their complexity and decreases the reliability. This study developed a comprehensive model from the computer room to heat consumers, mainly including information technology (IT) equipment heat dissipation, computer room air handler (CRAH), heat exchanger, water pump, heat pump, and thermal energy storage tank (TES). Based on mixed integer linear programming (MILP), an optimization control strategy was used to save energy without sacrificing the data center's reliability by regulating key operating parameters, such as the partial load ratio (PLR) of the heat pump, the ON-OFF mode, water pump's flow rate, and the heat storage and release mode of TES. Compared to the rule-based strategy, the MILP-based strategy improved the heat pump's daily average coefficient of performance (COP) and the heating system's energysaving rate by 1.19 and 15.11 % in winter, 1.21 and 14.68 % in the transition season, 1.13 and 12.91 % in summer, respectively. The related energy consumption of the cooling system in the above three seasons decreased by 3.78 %, 3.50 %, and 3.38 %, and the annual power usage effectiveness (PUE) reduced by 0.01. The annual energy-saving rate of the whole system was 8.12 %, and its global coefficient of performance (GCOP) increased from 9.96 to 10.85.

Suggested Citation

  • Chen, Shuyi & Zhang, Quan & Zhai, John & Liu, Haowen & Chen, Gang & Lei, Jianjun & Liao, Shuguang, 2025. "MILP optimization of the multi-heat pump waste heat recovery system integrated with full-free cooling data center through lake water," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 318(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:energy:v:318:y:2025:i:c:s0360544225004657
    DOI: 10.1016/j.energy.2025.134823
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0360544225004657
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.energy.2025.134823?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to

    for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Zhu, Yiqun & Zhang, Quan & Zeng, Liping & Wang, Jiaqiang & Zou, Sikai, 2024. "An advanced control strategy of hybrid cooling system with cold water storage system in data center," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 291(C).
    2. Durand-Estebe, Baptiste & Le Bot, Cédric & Mancos, Jean Nicolas & Arquis, Eric, 2014. "Simulation of a temperature adaptive control strategy for an IWSE economizer in a data center," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 134(C), pages 45-56.
    3. Wirtz, Marco & Neumaier, Lisa & Remmen, Peter & Müller, Dirk, 2021. "Temperature control in 5th generation district heating and cooling networks: An MILP-based operation optimization," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 288(C).
    4. Du, Yahui & Zhou, Zhihua & Yang, Xiaochen & Yang, Xueqing & Wang, Cheng & Liu, Junwei & Yuan, Jianjuan, 2023. "Dynamic thermal environment management technologies for data center: A review," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 187(C).
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Li, Xiang & Yilmaz, Selin & Patel, Martin K. & Chambers, Jonathan, 2023. "Techno-economic analysis of fifth-generation district heating and cooling combined with seasonal borehole thermal energy storage," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 285(C).
    2. Shunling Ruan & Haiyan Xie & Song Jiang, 2017. "Integrated Proactive Control Model for Energy Efficiency Processes in Facilities Management: Applying Dynamic Exponential Smoothing Optimization," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(9), pages 1-22, September.
    3. Yu-Jin Kim & Kwang-Hee Kim & Ju-Wan Ha & Young-Hak Song, 2024. "Research on a Plan of Free Cooling Operation Control for the Efficiency Improvement of a Water-Side Economizer," Energies, MDPI, vol. 17(12), pages 1-17, June.
    4. Buonomano, A. & Forzano, C. & Mongibello, L. & Palombo, A. & Russo, G., 2024. "Optimising low-temperature district heating networks: A simulation-based approach with experimental verification," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 304(C).
    5. Zhang, Ce & Hou, Beiran & Li, Minxia & Dang, Chaobin & Chen, Xun & Li, Xiuming & Han, Zongwei, 2025. "Feasibility analysis of multi-mode data center liquid cooling system integrated with Carnot battery energy storage module," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 320(C).
    6. Qin, Qiwei & Gosselin, Louis, 2024. "Community-based transactive energy market concept for 5th generation district heating and cooling through distributed optimization," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 371(C).
    7. Saletti, Costanza & Morini, Mirko & Gambarotta, Agostino, 2022. "Smart management of integrated energy systems through co-optimization with long and short horizons," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 250(C).
    8. Borkowski, Mateusz & Piłat, Adam Krzysztof, 2022. "Customized data center cooling system operating at significant outdoor temperature fluctuations," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 306(PB).
    9. Markus Schindler & Lukas Gnam & Markus Puchegger & Karina Medwenitsch & Patricia Jasek, 2023. "Optimization-Based Operation of District Heating Networks: A Case Study for Two Real Sites," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(5), pages 1-15, February.
    10. Mengting Jiang & Camilo Rindt & David M. J. Smeulders, 2022. "Optimal Planning of Future District Heating Systems—A Review," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(19), pages 1-38, September.
    11. Cho, Jinkyun & Kim, Yundeok, 2016. "Improving energy efficiency of dedicated cooling system and its contribution towards meeting an energy-optimized data center," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 165(C), pages 967-982.
    12. Boussaid, Taha & Rousset, François & Scuturici, Vasile-Marian & Clausse, Marc, 2025. "Optimal operational planning of biomass district heating: Adaptation to air pollution episodes with LCA-based dynamic penalization," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 320(C).
    13. Sommer, Tobias & Sotnikov, Artem & Sulzer, Matthias & Scholz, Volkher & Mischler, Stefan & Rismanchi, Behzad & Gjoka, Kristian & Mennel, Stefan, 2022. "Hydrothermal challenges in low-temperature networks with distributed heat pumps," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 257(C).
    14. Yao, Shuai & Wu, Jianzhong & Qadrdan, Meysam, 2024. "A state-of-the-art analysis and perspectives on the 4th/5th generation district heating and cooling systems," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 202(C).
    15. Lédée, François & Evins, Ralph, 2024. "A comparison of 4th and 5th generation thermal networks with energy hub," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 311(C).
    16. Chaudhry, Afraz Mehmood & Hachez, Jonathan & Chicherin, Stanislav & Ghorbaniasl, Ghader & Bram, Svend, 2024. "Potential site evaluation of fifth-generation district heating and cooling networks under uncertain energy market conditions: A two-step robust design analysis approach," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 311(C).
    17. Gjoka, Kristian & Rismanchi, Behzad & Crawford, Robert H., 2023. "Fifth-generation district heating and cooling systems: A review of recent advancements and implementation barriers," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 171(C).
    18. Habibi Khalaj, Ali & Scherer, Thomas & K. Halgamuge, Saman, 2016. "Energy, environmental and economical saving potential of data centers with various economizers across Australia," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 183(C), pages 1528-1549.
    19. Robin Zeh & Björn Ohlsen & David Philipp & David Bertermann & Tim Kotz & Nikola Jocić & Volker Stockinger, 2021. "Large-Scale Geothermal Collector Systems for 5th Generation District Heating and Cooling Networks," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(11), pages 1-18, May.
    20. Naoki Futawatari & Yosuke Udagawa & Taro Mori & Hirofumi Hayama, 2020. "Impact of Fan Airflow of IT Equipment on Thermal Environment and Energy Consumption of a Data Center," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(23), pages 1-27, November.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:energy:v:318:y:2025:i:c:s0360544225004657. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.journals.elsevier.com/energy .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.