ENERGY SAVING SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR COOLING COMPUTER DATA CENTER AND TELECOM EQUIPMENT

• US 20090168345A1
• Filed: 06/15/2007
• Published: 07/02/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/15/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Valan R. Martini
• Original Assignee: Valan R. Martini
• Inventors: Martini, Valan R.
• Granted Patent: US 8,498,114 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 361/691
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/0001 for ventilation F24F11/30 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/46 Improving electric energy efficiency or saving
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2221/40 HVAC with raised floors
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20745 within rooms for removing heat from cabinets, e.g. by air conditioning device

Abstract

A system and method of reducing consumption of electricity used to cool electronic computer data center, networking, and telecommunications equipment, and to reduce the incidence of thermal failure of electronic components, includes provision of one or more partitions to reduce the volume of the cooled environment supplying coldest possible cooled air from air conditioning systems to a chamber adjacent to racks containing the electronic components, preventing dilution of the supplied cooling airflow by warmer air from outside of the reduced volume environment, and controlling the delivery of cooling air flow through the reduced volume of the cooled environment.

Claims

1. A cooling system for electronic equipment comprising:

a substantially airtight enclosure for delivering cooling air to at least one electronic component;

means for delivering cooling air to the substantially airtight enclosure; and

means for controlling the flow of the cooling air to the at least one electronic component within the substantially airtight enclosure, wherein the means for controlling the flow of cooling air comprises a cooling air delivery chamber on one side of the at least one electronic component and a warm air chamber on the opposite side of the at least one electronic component;

the cooling air delivery chamber, the at least one electronic component, and the warm air chamber all being within the substantially airtight enclosure.

2. The cooling system of claim 1, further comprising a chiller for generating the cooling air delivered to the substantially airtight enclosure.

3. The cooling system of claim 1, wherein the substantially airtight enclosure comprises a plurality of framing members and at least one panel attached to the framing members.

4. The cooling system of claim 3, wherein the framing members comprise quick-connect extrusions.

5. The cooling system of claim 4, wherein the quick-connect extrusions further comprise gaskets for preventing leakage of the cooling air.

6. The cooling system of claim 1, wherein the means for delivering cooling air to the substantially airtight enclosure comprises a cooling air delivery plenum.

7. The cooling system of claim 6, wherein the cooling air delivery plenum comprises a subfloor plenum and at least one perforated floor panel.

8. The cooling system of claim 7, wherein the subfloor plenum for cooling air delivery comprises a segregated portion of an overall subfloor space.

9. The cooling system of claim 6, wherein the cooling air delivery plenum delivers the cooling air to a lower portion of the substantially airtight enclosure.

10. The cooling system of claim 6, wherein the cooling air delivery plenum delivers the cooling air to a top portion of the substantially airtight enclosure.

11. The cooling system of claim 1, wherein the means for controlling the flow of the cooling air comprises at least one fan.

12. The cooling system of claim 11, wherein the fan is the blower of an air conditioning unit.

13. The cooling system of claim 11, wherein the fan is a discharge fan from a warm air chamber.

14. The cooling system of claim 1, wherein the means for controlling the flow of the cooling air comprises a plurality of electronic components arranged an array to define cooling airflow channels between adjacent electronic components.

15. The cooling system of claim 14, wherein the means for controlling the flow of the cooling air further comprises at least one blanking panel.

16. The cooling system of claim 14, wherein the array of electronic components are mounted on a rack.

17. The cooling system of claim 14, wherein the array of electronic components are attached to a framing member of the substantially airtight enclosure without a rack.

20. The cooling system of claim 1, wherein the means for controlling the flow of cooling air further comprises at least one fan discharging from the warm air chamber.

21. The cooling system of claim 1, further comprising at least one access method for personnel and equipment to enter into and exit from the substantially airtight enclosure.

18. (canceled)

19. (canceled)

22. A cooling system for electronic equipment comprising:

a substantially airtight enclosure defining a reduced-volume interior cooled environment, the enclosure delivering cooling air to the electronic equipment and substantially inhibiting mixing of external air with the cooling air; and

means for controlling the delivery of the cooling air through the reduced-volume cooled environment to maintain a positive pressure gradient across the electronic equipment.

24. The cooling system of claim 22, further comprising means for delivering the cooling air to the enclosure.

25. The cooling system of claim 22, further comprising an air chiller.

26. The cooling system of claim 22, wherein the means for controlling the delivery of cooling air through the reduced-volume cooled environment comprises at least one fan.

27. The cooling system of claim 26, wherein the fan is the blower of an air conditioning unit.

28. The cooling system of claim 26, wherein the fan is a discharge fan from a warm air chamber.

29. The cooling system of claim 22, wherein the means for controlling the delivery of cooling air through the reduced-volume cooled environment comprises a plurality of electronic components arranged in an array to define cooling airflow channels between adjacent electronic components.

30. The cooling system of claim 29, wherein the means for controlling the flow of the cooling air further comprises at least one blanking panel.

31. The cooling system of claim 22, wherein the means for controlling the delivery of cooling air through the reduced-volume cooled environment comprises a cooling air delivery chamber on one side of the electronic equipment.

32. The cooling system of claim 31, wherein the means for controlling the delivery of cooling air through the reduced-volume cooled environment further comprises a warm air chamber on the opposite side of the electronic equipment.

23. (canceled)

33. A method of reducing the consumption of energy used to cool electronic equipment said method comprising:

providing an enclosure defining a reduced volume cooled environment;

delivering cooling air to the reduced volume cooled environment;

generating a positive pressure differential from a first side of the electronic equipment to a second side of the electronic equipment to create a flow of the cooling air across a surface of the electronic equipment; and

controlling the delivery of cooling air from the reduced volume cooled environment to the electronic equipment to prevent dilution of the cooling air.

34. The method of claim 33, further comprising substantially inhibiting mixing of external air with the cooling airflow delivered to the reduced volume cooled environment.

35. The method of claim 33, further comprising installing the enclosure without disrupting normal operation of the electronic equipment being cooled.

36. A cooling system for electronic equipment comprising:

a substantially airtight enclosure for delivering cooling air to at least one electronic component;

a cooling air delivery plenum for delivering cooling air to the substantially airtight enclosure; and

at least one discharge fan from a warm air chamber for controlling the flow of the cooling air to the at least one electronic component within the substantially airtight enclosure.