This study explores a submerged architectural strategy for data center deployment in coal mining subsidence water bodies, aiming to simultaneously address the underutilization of post-mining landscapes, the high-carbon operation of data centers, and the implementation challenges of China’s dual carbon goals. The proposed structure integrates wall-mounted plate heat exchangers into the façades of underwater data halls, using the natural convection of surrounding water as a low-grade heat sink to replace conventional cooling towers and achieve passive, low-carbon cooling. A thermal exchange model was developed based on heat transfer principles and validated by comparing outputs from TRNSYS simulations and MATLAB-based parameterized calculations, showing a deviation of less than 3% under all test conditions. The model was then used to estimate energy consumption, PUE, and carbon emissions under typical IT load scenarios. Results indicate a 42.5–64.3% reduction in cooling energy use and a 37.7–75.1% reduction in carbon emissions compared to conventional solutions, while a PUE range of 1.06–1.15 is maintained. The system also offers strong spatial adaptability and scalability, presenting a sustainable solution for redeveloping subsidence zones that supports ecological restoration and digital transformation in resource-depleted urban regions.
Hu et al. (Tue,) studied this question.