Potential for Waste Heat Recovery in a Digital Currency Mining Facility: A Building Infrastructure Case Study

The digital asset industry, including generative artificial intelligence, Bitcoin mining, and high-performance computing, is known for its significant energy consumption and heat generation. This study quantitatively assesses the heat energy potential in digital asset mining, specifically focusing on two commonly used cryptocurrency machines: AntMiner S19j Pro and WhatsMiner M30s. Two case studies Were conducted in different settings–a mining facility With an air-to-air cooling system and a closed-room laboratory. The research involved extensive data collection, utilizing digital thermal sensors, anemometers, manometers, and electrical sensors over 41 days. Our findings reveal that heat energy potential employing an air-to-air cooling system, compared to a closed operating room, can be significantly reduced by a thirty percent average. Moreover, machines in the air-to-air cooling system exhibit significantly lower outlet air temperatures compared to the closed operating room, with reductions of up to twenty-four degrees Celsius per machine. This research provides valuable insights into the potential for utilizing heat recovery technologies in the digital asset sector to meet industrial heat demand, addressing environmental concerns and energy costs.