Abstract: In a method of estimating a replacement cost associated with an existing technology performed by a processor, one or more costs associated with implementing the existing technology are obtained, in which the one or more costs include an environmental cost and a utility cost associated with implementing the existing technology. In addition, an existing net benefit of continuing implementation of the existing technology based upon the obtained one or more costs are calculated.

Abstract: A system for managing a structure having cooling fluid configured to flow around and absorb heat from components contained in the structure includes a plurality of separate cooling mechanisms configured to absorb heat from the cooling fluid. At least two of the plurality of separate cooling mechanisms have at least one different level of a metric with respect to each other. The system also includes a controller configured to implement the plurality of separate cooling mechanisms in a staged manner to remove heat from the cooling fluid. The staged manner includes implementing the cooling mechanism having a relatively lower at least one metric level first and implementing a cooling mechanism having a relatively higher at least one metric level last, to cool the structure.

Abstract: In a method for reducing vibration in an electronic system, at least one component of interest that is subject to vibration is identified, at least one component that is a source of the vibration is identified, a resonant frequency of the at least one component of interest is determined, and the at least one source component is operated at a first frequency other than the resonant frequency during run time of the system.

Abstract: In a method of evaluating an infrastructure having a plurality of components based upon exergy loss values, exergy loss values of the components are aggregated. In addition, at least one of the components in the infrastructure is controlled based upon the aggregated exergy loss values.

Abstract: A system for controlling moisture content in ambient airflow in a substantially enclosed structure having components. The system includes at least one humidity control apparatus and a plurality of sensors for detecting moisture content in airflow in a plurality of locations of the substantially enclosed structure. The plurality of sensors are located remotely from the at least one humidity control apparatus and are situated in relatively close proximity to the components that the at least one humidity control apparatus is configured to affect. The system also includes a controller configured to receive moisture content levels detected by one or more of the plurality of sensors and to control the at least one humidity control apparatus based upon the detected moisture content levels to vary the moisture content in the ambient airflow around the plurality of locations.

Abstract: In a method of synthesizing components to design a system meeting an exergy loss target value, one or more candidate sets of components are synthesized and an exergy loss value for each of the one or more candidate sets of components are calculated. A determination as to whether at least one of the candidate set of components meets the exergy loss target value is made and at least one candidate set of components determined to meet the exergy loss target value is identified as the set of components for use in the design of the system.

Abstract: A system for distributing a cooling fluid in a room containing at least one heat generating component includes a primary heat exchanger having an inlet for receiving the cooling fluid, a heat exchange section configured to facilitate exchange of heat between airflow in the room and the cooling fluid, and an outlet for exhausting heated cooling fluid from the heat exchange section. The system also includes a secondary heat exchanger having a receiving section connected to the second section of a cooling fluid line for receiving heated cooling fluid, a heat exchange section configured to facilitate exchange of heat between the at least one heat generating component and the heated cooling fluid, and an exhaust section configured to exhaust secondarily heated cooling fluid.

Abstract: A power model that relates the settings of resource actuators to power consumption levels of the resource actuators and a condition model that relates the settings of the resource actuators to an environmental condition at the location of the at least one entity and a power consumption level of the at least one entity are developed. A constraint optimization problem having an objective function and at least one constraint is formulated, where the objective function computes at least a proportional quantity of a total power consumption level of the resource actuators and the at least one constraint comprises a setpoint environmental condition at a location of the at least entity. A solution to the constraint optimization problem is determined, where the solution provides optimal values for the resource actuator settings.

Abstract: In a computer-implemented method of designing at least one system to achieve a target goal, an inventory of a plurality of variables that affect the design of the at least one system is created, where the inventory includes a feasibility range for each of the plurality of variables contained in the inventory is created. In addition, initial values are assigned for the plurality of variables in the inventory and a model of input to output correlations of the plurality of variables is created by commissioning the plurality of variables from the initial values. Moreover, a design of the at least one system to achieve the target goal is optimized by manipulating one or more of the plurality of variables through application of the model.

Abstract: A refrigeration system for controlling airflow around an air-cooled heat generating device includes a variable speed compressor. The refrigeration system also includes evaporators positioned along a refrigerant line in a serial configuration with respect to each other and are positioned directly in at least one of the path of airflow supplied into the heat generating components and the path of airflow exhausted from the heat generated components. The refrigeration system further includes a controller and at least one temperature sensor. The temperature sensor is configured to transmit signals related to the detected temperature to the controller, and the controller is configured to vary the speed of the variable speed compressor based upon the signals received from the temperature sensor.

Abstract: A thermal management system includes a first thermoelectric module, a second thermoelectric module, and a heat exchanger. The heat exchanger has a pipe having a first section, a second section and an intermediate section arranged between the first section and the second section. The intermediate section maintains the first section and the second section in spaced apart planes and the first thermoelectric module is thermally attached to the first section and the second thermoelectric module is thermally attached to the second section. The first thermoelectric module is spaced apart from the second thermoelectric module to enable fluid to flow between the first thermoelectric module and the second thermoelectric module.

Abstract: In a method for correlating airflow delivery devices with air conditioning (AC) units having actuators for varying flow rates of air supplied by the air movers, flow rates of air supplied through the airflow delivery devices at a plurality of settings of the actuators are determined. Coefficients that relate the flow rates of air supplied by the air movers to the flow rates of air supplied through the airflow delivery devices based upon the flow rates determined at the plurality of actuator settings is calculated and the airflow delivery devices are correlated with the air movers using the calculated coefficients.

Abstract: A system is described herein for providing environmental management of a physical location using a sensor network having a plurality of environmental sensors and at least one primary actuator configured to provide an environmental change to the physical location. The system includes a communications module that operates to access the plurality of environmental sensors of the sensor network, and an application module that operates to: a) commission the plurality of environmental sensors of the sensor network; control an operation of the at least one primary actuator to provide environmental management of the physical location based on the commission of the plurality of environmental sensors of the sensor network; and c) provide a graphical layout of an environmental condition of the physical location based on both the commission of the plurality of environmental sensors and the control of the at least one primary actuator.

Abstract: A method for controlling cooling provisioning for heat generating devices includes correlating the heat generating devices with primary actuators, such that the heat generating devices are associated with primary actuators having at least a predefined level of influence over the respective heat generating devices. The flow rates of air supplied by the primary actuators are set based upon volume flow rate requirements of the heat generating devices, such that the volume flow rate setting for a primary actuator is based upon the volume flow rate requirement for the heat generating devices associated with the primary actuator. In addition, the temperatures of the airflow supplied by the primary actuators are varied to substantially maintain associated heat generating devices within predetermined temperature ranges.

Abstract: In a method for controlling temperature using a sensor network, the sensors of the sensor network are commissioned and one of a plurality of control schemes for operating a primary actuator configured to vary temperatures of the sensors based upon energy utilization requirements of the plurality of control schemes is selected. In addition, the selected one of the plurality of control schemes is implemented to vary the temperatures detected by the sensors.

Abstract: In a method of determining cooling resource capacity allocations for resource units in a shared environment for optimized operations, cost parameters associated with operating the resource units in at least one of delivering and receiving cooling resources are identified, one or more constraints associated with operating the resource units are identified, in which at least one of the one or more constraints comprises meeting at least a total cooling demand of components in the shared environment, a cost function that correlates the plurality of identified cost parameters is developed, a minimized cost function is solved for through application of a Lagrange multiplier subject to the identified one or more constraints, and cooling resource capacity allocations for the resource units that result in optimized operations in the shared environment based upon the minimized cost function solution are determined.

Abstract: A method of cooling components across a continuum having a plurality of levels includes receiving and evaluating detected data related to the components across the continuum. A control scheme is developed based upon the evaluated data, where the control scheme is configured to manipulate one or more actuators across a plurality of levels. In addition, one or more of the actuators across the plurality of levels are manipulated in accordance with the developed control scheme.

Abstract: A method for controlling one or more computer room air conditioning (CRAC) units for energy efficient operation, in which, the temperature of the air returned (Trat) into the one or more CRAC units and the temperature of the air supplied (Tsat) by the one or more CRAC units is detected. The caloric heat transfer level (Q) is calculated based upon the Trat and the Tsat and it is determined whether the Q is within a predetermined setpoint caloric heat transfer range. In addition, at least one operation of the one or more CRAC units is reduced in response to the Q being within the predetermined setpoint caloric heat transfer range to thereby increase the efficiencies of the one or more CRAC units.

Abstract: A system for reducing effects of adverse air re-circulation in a room containing at least one heat generating component includes an air conditioning unit configured to cool airflow in the room and at least one cooling vent tile operable to deliver the cooled airflow to the at least one heat generating component. The system also includes at least one secondary vent tile positioned and operated to one of, introduce airflow into a re-circulating airflow and remove airflow from a re-circulating airflow, to thereby respectively divert or vary the temperature of the re-circulating airflow and thereby reduce the effects of air re-circulation in the room.

Abstract: A method for controlling one or more computer room air conditioning (CRAC) units for energy efficient operation, in which, the temperature of the air returned (Trat) into the one or more CRAC units and the temperature of the air supplied (Tsat) by the one or more CRAC units is detected. The caloric heat transfer level (Q) is calculated based upon the Trat and the Tsat and it is determined whether the Q is within a predetermined setpoint caloric heat transfer range. In addition, at least one operation of the one or more CRAC units is reduced in response to the Q being within the predetermined setpoint caloric heat transfer range to thereby increase the efficiencies of the one or more CRAC units.