Data Centre

• US 20110083824A1
• Filed: 08/06/2010
• Published: 04/14/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bripco BVBA
• Original Assignee: Bripco BVBA
• Inventors: Rogers, Paul
• Granted Patent: US 8,514,572 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 165/80.2
• CPC Class Codes: E04H 2005/005 Buildings for data processing centers
• CPC Class Codes: E04H 5/02 Buildings or groups of buildings for industrial purposes, e.g. for power-plants or factories buildings forming part of cooling plants E04H5/10
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 7/04 with ducting systems , e.g. by double walls; with natural circulation F24F7/02 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 23/12 Arrangements of compartments additional to cooling compartments; Combinations of refrigerators with other equipment, e.g. stove
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/20 Cooling means
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/1497 Rooms for data centers; Shipping containers therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20 Modifications to facilitate cooling, ventilating, or heating
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20136 Forced ventilation, e.g. by fans H05K7/202 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20145 Means for directing air flow, e.g. ducts, deflectors, plenum or guides
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20181 Filters; Louvers
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20554 Forced ventilation of a gaseous coolant in closed loop H05K7/206 or H05K7/20609 or H05K7/20618
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20745 within rooms for removing heat from cabinets, e.g. by air conditioning device
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20754 Air circulating in closed loop within cabinets

Abstract

A data centre (100) includes at least one rack room (in for example module 140) having a floor and a plurality of rack storage areas on the floor, each rack storage area being arranged to accommodate a plurality of racks (143) in which a plurality of rack-mountable electronic components may be housed, one or more controllable air circulation systems (in for example module 122), one or more cold aisles (144) in the rack room, each cold aisle being adjacent to a rack storage area, and one or more hot aisles (145) in the rack room, each hot aisle being adjacent to a rack storage area. There may be a large air duct, in the form of a personnel corridor (123), for transporting, under the control of the one or more air circulation systems, cooling air, above the floor, to the one or more cold aisles. The air supply corridor/duct (123) may have a height greater than 1.5 m above the floor and a cross-sectional area of at least 2 m² and a maximum dimension in the plane of the cross-section of less than 3 m.

Claims

1. A data centre building including

at least one rack room having a floor and a plurality of rack storage areas on the floor, each rack storage area being arranged to accommodate a plurality of racks in which a plurality of rack-mountable electronic components may be housed,

one or more controllable air circulation systems,

one or more cold aisles in the rack room, each cold aisle being adjacent to a rack storage area,

one or more hot aisles in the rack room, each hot aisle being adjacent to a rack storage area, and

an air supply corridor for transporting, under the control of the one or more air circulation systems, cooling air, above the floor, to the one or more cold aisles, the air supply corridor having a height greater than 1.5 m above the floor.

2. A data centre building according to claim 1, wherein the air supply corridor and the one or more hot aisles and cold aisles each have a cross-sectional area greater than 2 m².

3. A data centre building according to claim 1, wherein the upper surface of the floor is less than 500 mm above the base of the building.

4. A data centre building according to claim 1, wherein a row of racks is provided at each rack storage area, the racks standing on the floor.

5. A data centre building according to claim 1, wherein the air supply corridor and at least one of (a) the one or more cold aisles and (b) the one or more hot aisles, provide access to the plurality of rack storage areas.

6. A data centre building according to claim 1, wherein the air supply corridor includes a vent controllable to vary the air flow.

7. A data centre building including:

a plurality of racks mounted on a floor,

one or more controllable air circulation systems,

a plurality of cold aisles defined between said racks,

a multiplicity of hot aisles defined between said racks, said plurality of cold aisles being interleaved between said multiplicity of hot aisles,

an air supply corridor for transporting cooling air, above the floor, from a position upstream of the plurality of cold aisles to the plurality of cold aisles.

8. A data centre building according to claim 7, wherein the air supply corridor additionally functions as a personnel access corridor.

9. A data centre building according to claim 7, wherein the air supply corridor has a height greater than 1.5 m above the floor.

10. A data centre building according to claim 9, wherein the building has a base and the floor has an upper surface which is less than 500 mm above the base of the building.

11. A data centre building according to claim 7, wherein the data centre building includes one or more rack rooms in which the plurality of cold aisles and the plurality of racks are located.

12. A data centre building according to claim 11, wherein the air supply corridor is located wholly outside the rack rooms.

13. A data centre building according to claim 7, wherein the data centre building is so arranged that in use air flows along an air-flow path from said one or more air circulation systems via said air supply corridor to at least one of the cold aisles, such that the air flow is substantially horizontal for the entire path.

14. A data centre building according to claim 13, wherein the air-flow path is entirely above floor level.

15. A data centre building according to claim 14, wherein the air-flow path passes along at least part of an access corridor, separate from both (a) the plurality of cold aisles and (b) the multiplicity of hot aisles, the access corridor facilitating access to the racks.

16. A method of cooling electronic equipment in a data centre building comprising the steps of:

providing a data centre building including

at least one rack room having a plurality of racks mounted on the floor, the racks accommodating a multiplicity of rack-mountable items of electronic equipment,

one or more access corridors facilitating access to the items of electronic equipment,

and one or more air circulation devices, and

cooling the items of electronic equipment by operating the one or more air circulation devices to transport air above the floor to the racks, via the racks and then from the racks, wherein

the air travels via at least one of the access corridors to and/or from the racks.

17. A method of cooling electronic equipment according to claim 16, wherein the access corridor extends from a location outside of the rack room to a location inside the rack room.

18. A method of cooling electronic equipment in a data centre building, the data centre building including

a floor on which a plurality of racks of items of electronic equipment stand,

a plurality of cold aisles defined between said racks,

a multiplicity of hot aisles defined between said racks, said plurality of cold aisles being interleaved between said multiplicity of hot aisles,

one or more air circulation devices, and

an air supply corridor for transporting cooling air from said one or more air circulation devices to the plurality of cold aisles,

wherein the method includes a step of

cooling the items of electronic equipment in the racks by operating the one or more air circulation devices to transport air above the floor via said air supply corridor to the plurality of cold aisles, the cooling air passing from the cold aisles via the racks to the multiplicity of hot aisles.

19. A method according to claim 18, wherein the one or more air circulation devices are positioned upstream of the plurality of cold aisles.

20. A method according to claim 19, wherein the data centre building includes at least one exhaust, and the one or more air circulation devices provide a sufficient pressure differential, as compared to the air pressure immediately outside the building, independently to cause air to be exhausted out of said at least one exhaust.

21. A kit of parts for constructing a data centre in a space within a building, wherein the kit includes at least one partition arranged for installation in the space such that the partition(s) and the space cooperate so as to define:

at least one rack room having a floor and a plurality of rack storage areas on the floor, each rack storage area being arranged to accommodate a plurality of racks in which a plurality of rack-mountable electronic components may be housed;

one or more cold aisles in the rack room, each cold aisle being adjacent to a rack storage area,

one or more hot aisles in the rack room, each hot aisle being adjacent to a rack storage area, and;

an air supply corridor for transporting, under the control of the one or more air circulation systems, cooling air, above the floor, to the one or more cold aisles, the air supply corridor having a height greater than 1.5 m above the floor.