Multizone variable damper for use in an air passageway
First Claim
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1. A cooling system for a vertical IT rack comprising:
- an array of access floor panels positioned edge-to-edge and spaced above a subfloor such that there is an air plenum between the subfloor and the array of access floor panels;
the vertical IT rack is positioned on the array of access floor panels and has a plurality of vertical zones;
the array of access floor panels including at least one grate panel positioned adjacent the vertical IT rack, the at least one grate panel having a length and a width, the length being substantially parallel to the vertical IT rack and the width being substantially perpendicular to the vertical IT rack, the at least one grate panel having a set of fixed-angled vanes that extend lengthwise of the at least one grate panel and are spaced along the width of the at least one grate panel;
the set of fixed-angled vanes of the at least one grate panel directing air passing through the at least one grate panel such that the air is directed at the vertical IT rack;
a multizone damper located immediately below the at least one grate panel;
the multizone damper having multiple air passageway zones, each of the multiple air passageway zones extends the length of the at least one grate panel, the air passageway zones are arranged serially along the width of the at least one grate panel;
the multizone damper has a movable member in each of the multiple air passageway zones which regulates the air flow volume through the air passageway zone;
wherein the air passing through each of the multiple air passageway zones is directed to a different one of the plurality of vertical zones by the set of fixed-angled vanes of the at least one grate panel;
wherein each of the movable members is movable independent of the other movable members, such that the air flow volume directed through the multizone damper and the at least one grate panel can vary among the multiple air passageway zones and among the plurality of vertical zones.
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Abstract
A multizone variable damper for air passageways having a plurality of damper zones, a plurality of opposed blades that are rotatable about a horizontal axis, a pair of blades of the plurality of blades being provided in each zone of the plurality of damper zones, and an actuator for each pair of blades, each actuator being configured to independently rotate each of the pairs of blades of the plurality of opposed blades so as to selectively and independently control a degree of openness of each of the pairs of blades of the plurality of opposed blades in each damper zone of the plurality of damper zones.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A cooling system for a vertical IT rack comprising:
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an array of access floor panels positioned edge-to-edge and spaced above a subfloor such that there is an air plenum between the subfloor and the array of access floor panels; the vertical IT rack is positioned on the array of access floor panels and has a plurality of vertical zones; the array of access floor panels including at least one grate panel positioned adjacent the vertical IT rack, the at least one grate panel having a length and a width, the length being substantially parallel to the vertical IT rack and the width being substantially perpendicular to the vertical IT rack, the at least one grate panel having a set of fixed-angled vanes that extend lengthwise of the at least one grate panel and are spaced along the width of the at least one grate panel;
the set of fixed-angled vanes of the at least one grate panel directing air passing through the at least one grate panel such that the air is directed at the vertical IT rack;a multizone damper located immediately below the at least one grate panel; the multizone damper having multiple air passageway zones, each of the multiple air passageway zones extends the length of the at least one grate panel, the air passageway zones are arranged serially along the width of the at least one grate panel; the multizone damper has a movable member in each of the multiple air passageway zones which regulates the air flow volume through the air passageway zone; wherein the air passing through each of the multiple air passageway zones is directed to a different one of the plurality of vertical zones by the set of fixed-angled vanes of the at least one grate panel; wherein each of the movable members is movable independent of the other movable members, such that the air flow volume directed through the multizone damper and the at least one grate panel can vary among the multiple air passageway zones and among the plurality of vertical zones. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A data center comprising:
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an array of access floor panels positioned edge-to-edge and spaced above a subfloor such that there is an air plenum between the subfloor and the array of access floor panels; an air conditioning unit that supplies cooling air to the air plenum; spaced, substantially parallel rows of vertical IT racks positioned on the array of access floor panels, each of said parallel rows of vertical IT racks having a plurality of vertical zones; the array of access floor panels including at least one grate panel positioned adjacent to at least some of the rows of the vertical IT racks, each of the at least one grate panel having a length and a width, the length being substantially parallel to the adjacent row of vertical IT racks and the width being substantially perpendicular to the adjacent row of vertical IT racks, each of the at least one grate panel having a set of fixed-angled vanes that extend lengthwise of the at least one orate panel and are spaced along the width of the at least one grate panel, the set of fixed-angled vanes of the at least one grate panel directing air passing through the at least one grate panel such that the air is directed at the adjacent row of vertical IT racks; a multizone damper located immediately below each of the at least one grate panel; the multizone damper having multiple air passageway zones, each of the multiple air passageway zones extends lengthwise of the at least one grate panel, the air passageway zones are arranged serially along the width of the at least one grate panel; the multizone damper has a movable member in each of the multiple air passageway zones which regulates the air flow volume through the air passageway zone; wherein the air passing through each of multiple air passageway zones is directed to a different one of the plurality of vertical zones by the set of fixed-angled vanes of the at least one grate mild; wherein each of the movable members is movable independent of the other movable members, such that the air flow volume directed through the multizone damper and the at least one grate panel can vary among the air passageway zones and among with plurality of vertical zones. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A method of cooling a data center including
an array of access floor panels positioned edge-to-edge and spaced above a subfloor such that there is an air plenum between the subfloor and the array of access floor panels; -
an air conditioning unit that supplies cooling air to the air plenum; and spaced, substantially parallel rows of vertical IT racks positioned on the array of access floor panels, each of said parallel rows of vertical IT racks having a plurality of vertical zones;
the method comprising;providing grate panels in the array of access floor panels that are positioned adjacent to at least some of the rows of the vertical IT racks, each of the grate panels having a length and a width, the length being substantially parallel to the adjacent row of vertical IT racks and the width being substantially perpendicular to the adjacent row of vertical IT racks, each of the grate panels having a set of fixed-angled vanes that extend lengthwise of the grate panel and are spaced along the width of the grate panel, the set of fixed-angled vanes of the grate panel directing air passing through the grate panel such that the air is directed at the adjacent row of vertical IT racks; providing a multizone damper immediately below at least one of the grate panels, the multizone damper having multiple air passageway zones, each of the multiple air passageway zones extends lengthwise of the at least one of the grate panels, the multiple air passageway zones are arranged serially along the width of the grate panel, the multizone damper having a movable member in each of the multiple air passageway zones which regulates the air flow volume through the air passageway zone, wherein the air passing through each of the multiple air passageway zones is directed to a different one of the plurality of vertical zones by the set of fixed-angled vanes of the grate panel, wherein each of the movable members is movable independent of the other movable members, such that the air flow volume directed through the multizone damper and the at least one of the grate panels can vary among the air passageway zones and among the plurality of vertical zones; activating the air conditioning unit to supply cooling air to the air plenum; and moving the movable members of the passageway zones of the multizone damper to vary the air flow volume through the multizone damper and the at least one of the grate panels among the air passageway zones. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification