Data center with large medium voltage domain

• US 10,211,630 B1
• Filed: 09/27/2013
• Issued: 02/19/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Clidaras, Jimmy, O'Sullivan, Cornelius B., Ramesh, Anand
• Primary Examiner(s): Amrany, Adi
• Application Number:
  US14/040,381
• Time in Patent Office: 1,971 Days
• Field of Search: 307 18
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 1/12 Parallel operation of dc generators with converters, e.g. with mercury-arc rectifier
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/00 Circuit arrangements for ac mains or ac distribution networks

Abstract

A method of providing power to computer systems in a computer data includes receiving high-voltage power from one or more electric utility distribution systems; transforming the high-voltage power to medium-voltage power; and distributing the medium voltage power through a common medium voltage domain that serves a plurality of medium voltage-to-low voltage converters that are located in rows of computer racks in the computer data center.

Claims

1. A method of providing power to computer systems in a computer data center, the method comprising:

receiving, at a computer data center, high-voltage power at above 35 kilovolts (kV) from one or more electric utility distribution systems;

transforming, at the computer data center, the high-voltage power to medium-voltage power to between 15 kV and 35 kV with one or more high-voltage to medium-voltage converters; and

distributing the medium voltage power through a single common medium voltage domain that serves an entire data center that is between about 10 megawatts to 100 megawatts in size, the data center comprising a plurality of medium voltage-to-low voltage converters that are located in rows of computer racks in the computer data center, the single common medium voltage domain comprising an area of an electrical distribution system in the computer data center having a common voltage level and flow of electric power across the domain without blocking by active circuit elements between a medium-voltage output of the one or more high-voltage to medium-voltage converters and a medium voltage input of the plurality of medium voltage-to-low voltage converters,

wherein each rack in a row of racks has a medium voltage-to-low voltage converter mounted to the rack, each medium voltage-to-low voltage converter configured to distribute low voltage power through a low voltage domain that is electrically isolated from other low voltage domains by the medium voltage-to-low voltage converter, each low voltage domain serving one or more computer racks in the computer data center that comprises less than 500 kilowatts of power, and

the single common medium voltage domain comprises a plurality of medium voltage bus bars arranged in a plurality of insulated bus ducts that are positioned within a human-occupiable workspace of the data center and vertically between paired rows of computer racks and a ceiling of the human-occupiable workspace, each bus duct extending parallel to the paired rows of racks and above a warm air aisle that is formed between the paired row of computer racks and configured to physically isolate a respective medium voltage bus bar from the human-occupiable workspace.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the medium voltage-to-low voltage converters are mounted at a particular location within each rack, the particular location comprising at least one of:

at a top of each rack;

or

at a particular bay in each row of each rack.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein one or more bays in a first row of racks is dedicated to medium voltage-to-low voltage converters that serve computer servers in the first row of racks.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the medium voltage-to-low voltage converters have low voltage outputs at below 1000 volts that are connected to power strips that run vertically along frames of particular racks in the rows of racks.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein each medium-voltage-to-low-voltage converter is located between a first end and a second end of a respective row of computers that the medium-voltage-to-low-voltage converter serves.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein each medium-voltage-to-low voltage converter is located above a rack that the respective medium-voltage-to-low-voltage converter serves.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the average medium-voltage-to-low-voltage converter served by the single common medium voltage domain delivers less than one megawatt at design capacity.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the medium voltage domain delivers more than thirty megawatts at design capacity.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein an average medium voltage-to-low voltage converter of the medium voltage-to-low voltage converters served by the medium voltage domain delivers less than one megawatt at design capacity.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the medium voltage domain carries alternating current and the medium voltage-to-low voltage converters comprise transformers.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the medium voltage domain carries direct current.

12. A system for providing power to computer systems in a computer data center, the system comprising:

one or more high voltage-to-medium voltage converters positioned at a computer data center and arranged to convert high-voltage power at above 35 kilovolts (kV) from one or more electric utility distribution systems to medium-voltage power between 15 kV and 35 kV;

a single medium voltage domain that serves the entire computer data center that is between about 10 megawatts to 100 megawatts in size, the single common medium voltage domain comprising an area of an electrical distribution system in the computer data center having a common voltage level and flow of electric power across the domain without blocking by active circuit elements; and

a plurality of medium voltage-to-low voltage converters arranged to receive electric power from the single medium voltage domain and to provide low-voltage electric power at below 1000 volts to a plurality of computing components in the computer data center, wherein the plurality of medium voltage-to-low voltage converters are located in rows of computer racks in the computer data center,

wherein each rack in a first row of racks has a medium voltage-to-low voltage converter mounted to the rack, each medium voltage-to-low voltage converter configured to distribute low voltage power through a low voltage domain that is electrically isolated from other low voltage domains by the medium voltage-to-low voltage converter, each low voltage domain serving one or more computer racks in the computer data center that comprises less than 500 kilowatts of power,

the single medium voltage domain is electrically defined between a medium-voltage output of the one or more high voltage-to-medium-voltage converters and a medium voltage input of the plurality of medium voltage-to-low voltage converters, and

the single medium voltage domain comprises a plurality of medium voltage bus bars arranged in a plurality of insulated bus ducts that are positioned within a human-occupiable workspace of the data center and vertically between paired rows of computer racks and a ceiling of the human-occupiable workspace, each bus duct extending parallel to the paired rows of racks and above a warm air aisle that is formed between the paired row of computer racks, each bus bar being electrically coupled to the plurality of medium voltage-to-low voltage converters and configured to physically isolate a respective medium voltage bus bar from the human-occupiable workspace.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the medium voltage-to-low voltage converters are mounted at a particular location within each rack, the particular location comprising at least one of:

at a top of each rack;

or

at a particular bay in each row of each rack.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein one or more bays in a first row of racks is dedicated to medium voltage-to-low voltage converters that serve computer servers in the first row of racks.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the medium voltage-to-low voltage converters have low voltage outputs that are connected to power strips that run vertically along frames of particular racks in the rows of racks.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein each medium-voltage-to-low-voltage converter is located between a first end and a second end of a respective row of computers that the medium-voltage-to-low-voltage converter serves.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein each medium-voltage-to-low voltage converter is located above a rack that the respective medium-voltage-to-low-voltage converter serves.

18. The system of claim 12, wherein the average medium-voltage-to-low-voltage converter served by the single common medium voltage domain delivers less than one megawatt at design capacity.

19. The system of claim 12, wherein the medium voltage domain delivers more than thirty megawatts at design capacity.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein an average medium voltage-to-low voltage converter of the medium voltage-to-low voltage converters served by the medium voltage domain delivers less than one megawatt at design capacity.

21. The system of claim 12, wherein the medium voltage domain carries alternating current and the medium voltage-to-low voltage converters comprise transformers.

22. The system of claim 12, wherein the medium voltage domain carries direct current.

23. A method of providing power to computer systems in a computer data center, the method comprising:

receiving high-voltage power at above 35 kilovolts (kV) from one or more electric utility distribution systems;

transforming the high-voltage power to medium voltage power at between about 15 kV and about 35 kV; and

distributing the medium voltage power through a common medium voltage domain that serves an entire data center that is between about 10 megawatts to 100 megawatts in size, the data center comprising a plurality of medium voltage-to-low voltage converters that are located in rows of computer racks in the computer data center, wherein the medium voltage domain carries direct current,

wherein the common medium voltage domain comprises an area of electrical distribution, that is between a converter that transforms the high-voltage power to medium voltage power and the plurality of medium voltage-to-low voltage converters, and that serves all of the medium voltage power to the plurality of medium voltage-to-low voltage converters through a single medium voltage electrical circuit that is independent of one or more active electrical components that prevents the medium voltage power from flowing from a first portion of the area to a second portion of the area, and

the common medium voltage domain comprises a plurality of medium voltage bus bars arranged in a plurality of insulated bus ducts that are positioned within a human-occupiable workspace of the data center and vertically between paired rows of computer racks and a ceiling of the human-occupiable workspace, each bus duct extending parallel to the paired rows of racks and above a warm air aisle that is formed between the paired row of computer racks and configured to physically isolate a respective medium voltage bus bar from the human-occupiable workspace, each bus bar being electrically coupled to the plurality of medium voltage-to-low voltage converters, each medium voltage-to-low voltage converter configured to distribute low voltage power through a low voltage domain that is electrically isolated from other low voltage domains by the medium voltage-to-low voltage converter, each low voltage domain serving one or more computer racks in the computer data center that comprises less than 500 kilowatts of power.

24. A system for providing power to computer systems in a computer data center, the system comprising:

one or more converters at the computer data center that is arranged to convert high-voltage power at above 35 kilovolts (kV) from one or more electric utility distribution systems to direct current (DC) medium-voltage power at between about 15 kV and about 35 kV;

a DC medium voltage domain that serves the entire computer data center that is between about 10 megawatts to 100 megawatts in size; and

a plurality of medium voltage-to-low voltage converters positioned within the computer data center and arranged to receive electric power from the medium voltage domain and to provide low-voltage DC electrical power at below 1000 volts to a plurality of computing components in the computer data center, wherein the plurality of medium voltage-to-low voltage converters are located in rows of computer racks in the computer data center,

wherein the DC medium voltage domain comprises an area of electrical distribution that serves all of the DC medium voltage power to the plurality of medium voltage-to-low voltage converters through a single medium voltage electrical circuit that is independent of one or more active electrical components that prevents the medium voltage power from flowing from a first portion of the area to a second portion of the area, and

the DC medium voltage domain is electrically defined between the one or more converters and the plurality of medium voltage-to-low voltage converters, each medium voltage-to-low voltage converter configured to distribute low voltage power through a low voltage domain that is electrically isolated from other low voltage domains by the medium voltage-to-low voltage converter, each low voltage domain serving one or more computer racks in the computer data center that comprises less than 500 kilowatts of power,

and the DC medium voltage domain comprises a plurality of medium voltage bus bars arranged in a plurality of insulated bus ducts that are positioned within a human-occupiable workspace of the data center and vertically between paired rows of computer racks and a ceiling of the human-occupiable workspace, each bus duct extending parallel to the paired rows of racks and above a warm air aisle that is formed between the paired row of computer racks and configured to physically isolate a respective medium voltage bus bar from the human-occupiable workspace, each bus bar being electrically coupled to the plurality of medium voltage-to-low voltage converters.