Multi-axis alignment enclosure system for wall-mounted power delivery system

• US 10,285,301 B1
• Filed: 04/23/2018
• Issued: 05/07/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/23/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Bailey, Mark M., Schmitt, Ty R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hoffberg, Robert J
• Application Number:
  US15/960,434
• Time in Patent Office: 379 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 3/03 Cooling
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 3/0487 with a non-circular cross-section H02G3/0468, H02G3/0475 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 3/083 Inlets
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 3/088 Dustproof, splashproof, drip-proof, waterproof, or flameproof casings or inlets
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 3/18 providing line outlets
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 5/002 Joints between bus-bars for compensating thermal expansion
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 5/007 Butt joining of bus-bars by means of a common bolt, e.g. splice joint electrically conductive connections characterised by contacting members H01R4/58
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 5/08 Connection boxes therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/1492 having electrical distribution arrangements, e.g. power supply or data communications
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/1497 Rooms for data centers; Shipping containers therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20745 within rooms for removing heat from cabinets, e.g. by air conditioning device

Abstract

A power busway assembly of a power distribution system in a modular data center (MDC) includes first and second power busways attached respectively to first and second information (IT) modules that are approximately aligned. A cable tap box is attached to the first IT module and receives a first free end of the first power busway in an opening in a first surface. A second surface of the cable tap box has a second busway opening that is sized larger than the second power busway to allow an amount of linear misalignment. An adjustable mounting fixture has a central opening that slidingly engages the second free end of the second power busway. An outer portion of the adjustable mounting fixture adjustably attaches to the second surface of the cable tap box to position the second power busway within the second busway opening, enabling flexible cable connections between busways.

Claims

1. A power busway assembly comprising:

a first power busway comprising one or more first power busbars and attachable to a first wall of a first information technology (IT) module of a modular data center (MDC) and having a first free end;

a second power busway comprising one or more second power busbars having a second free end and attachable to a second wall of a second IT module that is approximately aligned with the first wall of the first IT module;

a cable tap box attachable to the first wall of the first IT module and having a first surface including a first busway opening that receives the first free end of the first power busway and having a second surface with a second busway opening being sized larger than the second power busway to receive the second free end of the second power busway with an amount of linear misalignment; and

an adjustable mounting fixture having a central opening that slidingly engages the second free end of the second power busway and having an outer portion that adjustably attaches to the second surface of the cable tap box to position the second power busway within the second busway opening.

2. The power busway assembly of claim 1, wherein the adjustable mounting fixture comprises:

two or more headed fasteners that received in fastener holes in the second surface of the cable tap box;

an adjustment plate having more than one fastener through hole that are elongate to provide at least one of;

(i) horizontal, (ii) vertical or (iii) rotational adjustment between the second surface of the cable tap box and the adjustment plate.

3. The power busway assembly of claim 1, wherein:

the first free end of the first power busway comprises a respective first cable lug extending from and electrically connected to each of the one or more first power busbars;

the second free end of the second power busway comprises a respective second cable lug extending from and electrically connected to each of the one or more second power busbars;

the cable tap box contains the respective first and second cable lugs opposingly extending from the first and second power busways, the power busway assembly further comprising;

one or more flexible power cables contained within the cable tap box and attached between the respective first and second cable lugs of the first and second power busways to provide electrical power connectivity between the first and second IT modules.

4. The power busway assembly of claim 3, further comprising:

a temperature thermocouple attached respectively to each of the first and second cable lugs for monitoring a temperature of the respective first or second cable lugs; and

a maintenance monitoring system in communication with each temperature thermocouple to provide a warning in response to at least one of the temperature thermocouple sensing a temperature above a threshold.

5. The power busway assembly of claim 3, wherein the cable tap box comprises an infra-red (IR) scan window that enables IR inspection of the flexible power cables and cable lugs.

6. A modular data center (MDC) comprising:

a first information technology (IT) module having a first wall;

a second IT module having a second wall that is approximately aligned with the first wall of the first IT module; and

a power busway assembly comprising;

a first power busway comprising one or more first power busbars having a first free end and attached to the first wall of the first IT module;

a second power busway comprising one or more second power busbars having a second free end and attached to the second wall of the second IT module;

a cable tap box attached to the first wall of the first IT module and having a first surface including a first busway opening that receives the first free end of the first power busway and having a second surface with a second busway opening being sized larger than the second power busway to receive the second free end of the second power busway with an amount of linear misalignment; and

an adjustable mounting fixture having a central opening that slidingly engages the second free end of the second power busway and having an outer portion that adjustably attaches to the second surface of the cable tap box to position the second power busway within the second busway opening.

7. The MDC of claim 6, wherein the adjustable mounting fixture comprises:

two or more headed fasteners that received in fastener holes in the second surface of the cable tap box;

an adjustment plate having more than one fastener through hole that are elongate to provide at least one of;

(i) horizontal, (ii) vertical or (iii) rotational adjustment between the second surface of the cable tap box and the adjustment plate.

8. The MDC of claim 6, wherein:

the first free end of the first power busway comprises a respective cable lug extending from and electrically connected to each of the one or more first power busbar;

the second free end of the second power busway comprises a respective cable lug extending from and electrically connected to each of the one or more second power busbar;

the cable tap box contains the respective first and second cable lugs opposingly extending from the first and second power busways, the power busway assembly further comprising;

one or more flexible power cables contained within the cable tap box and attached between the respective first and second cable lugs of the first and second power busways to provide electrical power connectivity between the first and second IT modules.

9. The MDC of claim 8, further comprising:

a temperature thermocouple attached respectively to each of the first and second cable lugs for monitoring a temperature of the respective first or second cable lugs; and

a maintenance monitoring system in communication with each temperature thermocouple to provide a warning in response to at least one of the temperature thermocouple sensing a temperature above a threshold.

10. The MDC of claim 8, wherein the cable tap box comprises an infra-red (IR) scan window that enables IR inspection of the flexible power cables and cable lugs.

11. A method comprising:

substantially aligning a first wall of a first information technology (IT) module with a second wall of a second IT module of a modular data center (MDC), wherein a first power busway comprising one or more first power busbars is attached to the first wall of the first IT module, a first free end of the first power busway is inserted into a first busway opening on a first surface of a cable tap box, and the cable tap box is attached to the first wall of the first IT module;

inserting a second free end of a second power busway that is attached to the second wall of the second IT module through a central opening in an adjustable mounting fixture and into a second busway opening of a second surface of the cable tap box, the second busway opening being sized larger than the second power busway to receive the second free end of the second power busway with an amount of linear misalignment, the second power busway comprising one or more second power busbars attached to the second wall of the second IT module; and

attaching the adjustable mounting fixture to the second surface of the cable tap box to secure the second power busway in the second busway opening.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein attaching the adjustable mounting fixture comprises inserting two or more headed fasteners through respective fastener through holes in an adjustment plate that are received in fastener holes in the second surface of the cable tap box, wherein the fastener through holes are elongate to provide at least one of:

(i) horizontal, (ii) vertical or (iii) rotational adjustment between the second surface of the cable tap box and the adjustment plate.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising attaching flexible power cables between at least one respective pair of cable lugs contained in the cable tap box and extending from a respective one of the one or more first power busbars of the first to a respective one of the one or more second power busbars of the second power busways to provide electrical power connectivity between the first and second IT modules.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

monitoring temperature thermocouples attached respectively to each one of the at least one respective pair of cable lugs; and

determining whether any temperature value from the temperature thermocouples is greater than a threshold; and

in response to determining that any temperature value is greater than the threshold, providing a warning.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

detecting an infrared (IR) temperature value through a window of the cable tap box;

determining whether the IR temperature value is greater than a threshold; and

in response to determining that the IR temperature value is greater than the threshold, providing a warning.