IN-ROW AIR CONTAINMENT AND COOLING SYSTEM AND METHOD

• US 20080180908A1
• Filed: 01/23/2008
• Published: 07/31/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/23/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Schneider Electric IT Corporation (Schneider Electric SE)
• Original Assignee: Schneider Electric IT Corporation (Schneider Electric SE)
• Inventors: Wexler, Peter
• Granted Patent: US 8,425,287 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 361/690
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20745 within rooms for removing heat from cabinets, e.g. by air conditioning device

Abstract

An in-row electronic equipment storage system and corresponding method provides cooling to an electronic equipment rack. The system includes an electronic equipment rack that includes a housing adapted to receive electronic equipment, and an electronic equipment rack air cavity. A cooling rack, including a housing adapted to receive cooling equipment, and a cooling rack air cavity, is configured to be disposed adjacent to the electronic equipment rack. An interface allows for fluid communication between the cooling rack air cavity and the electronic equipment air cavity. The interface may include dampers to control air flow between the air cavities.

Claims

1. An in-row electronic equipment storage system comprising:

at least one electronic equipment rack, the electronic equipment rack including a housing defining a volume of space adapted to receive electronic equipment, and an electronic equipment rack air cavity; and

at least one cooling rack, the cooling rack including a housing defining a volume of space adapted to receive cooling equipment, and a cooling rack air cavity, where the cooling rack is configured to be disposed adjacent to the electronic equipment rack,

at least one interface configured to allow fluid communication between the cooling rack air cavity and the electronic equipment air cavity.

2. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

at least a second electronic equipment rack including a housing defining a volume of space adapted to receive electronic equipment, and a second electronic equipment rack air cavity, where the second electronic equipment rack is configured to be disposed adjacent to the first electronic equipment rack; and

at least one electronic rack interface configured to allow fluid communication between the first electronic equipment rack air cavity and the second electronic equipment air cavity.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the cooling housing includes a side wall having an opening formed therein, the electronic equipment rack housing includes a side wall having an opening formed therein, and the interface includes an arrangement such that the opening on the side wall of the cooling rack corresponds to the opening on the side wall of the electronic equipment rack air.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the interface includes a damper between the cooling rack air cavity and the electronic equipment air cavity.

5. The system of claim 4 further comprising:

a controller configured to control the damper to alter the rate of airflow between the cooling rack air cavity and the electronic equipment air cavity.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein the controller is configured to alter the rate of airflow in response to environmental parameters obtained by the controller.

7. A method of cooling an electronic equipment rack of the type comprising a housing defining a volume of space adapted to receive electronic equipment, the method comprising:

positioning a cooling rack next to the equipment rack, the cooling rack comprising a housing defining a volume of space adapted to receive cooling equipment;

forming an opening in the housing of the equipment rack;

forming an opening in the housing of the cooling rack; and

aligning the opening of the equipment rack with the opening of the cooling rack to provide fluid communication between the volume of space of the equipment rack and the volume of space of the cooling rack.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising selectively closing one of the openings of the equipment rack and the cooling rack.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the selectively closing one of the openings is controlled by software.

10. A rack in an in-row electronic equipment storage system, the rack comprising:

a housing defining a volume of space adapted to receive equipment;

an air cavity having at least one interface, the interface configured to allow fluid communication between the air cavity and an air cavity of an adjacent equipment rack.

11. The rack of claim 10 wherein the equipment is electronic equipment.

12. The rack of claim 10 wherein the equipment is cooling equipment.

13. The rack of claim 10 wherein the housing includes a side wall having an opening formed therein as the interface.

14. The rack of claim 13 wherein the interface further includes a damper configured to control the fluid communication between the air cavity and an air cavity of an adjacent rack.

15. A computer readable medium having stored thereon sequences of instruction including instructions that will cause a processor to:

calculate load capacity based on the environmental conditions in a data center;

control a damper to alter the rate of airflow between a cooling rack air cavity of a cooling rack and a electronic equipment rack air cavity of a electronic equipment rack based on the calculated load capacity.

16. The computer readable medium of claim 15 wherein the environmental conditions include the temperature of the data center, changes of inputs including the temperature of the coolant flowing into and out of the cooling rack, and the flow rate of coolant entering into the cooling rack.