WIND-POWERED DATA CENTER

• US 20110278928A1
• Filed: 05/17/2010
• Published: 11/17/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/17/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Kim, David, Olarig, Sompong Paul, Belady, Christian L., Shaw, Mark E., Burger, Douglas C., Peterson, Eric C.
• Application Number:
  US12/781,445
• Publication Number:
  US 20110278928A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 307/39
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 1/04 having stationary wind-guiding means, e.g. with shrouds or channels F03D9/35 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 13/20 Arrangements for mounting or supporting wind motors; Masts or towers for wind motors
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 80/60 Cooling or heating of wind motors
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 80/82 of electrical components
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 9/00 Adaptations of wind motors for special use; Combinations of wind motors with apparatus driven thereby; Wind motors specially adapted for installation in particular locations hybrid wind-photovoltaic energy systems for the generation of electric power H02S10/12
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 9/007 the wind motor being combined with means for converting solar radiation into useful energy
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 9/11 storing electrical energy
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 9/25 the apparatus being an electrical generator F03D9/22 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 9/37 with means for enhancing the air flow within the tower, e.g. by heating
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2240/131 by means of vertical structures, i.e. chimneys
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2240/912 on a tower
• CPC Class Codes: H02S 10/12 Hybrid wind-PV energy systems
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20745 within rooms for removing heat from cabinets, e.g. by air conditioning device
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/50 Photovoltaic [PV] energy
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/72 Wind turbines with rotation axis in wind direction
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/728 Onshore wind turbines
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 70/30 Systems combining energy storage with energy generation of non-fossil origin

Abstract

This document describes various techniques for powering a computer data center using a wind-powered generator. The computer data center may include network connected servers that are electrically connected to, and powered by, the wind-powered generator.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

one or more servers connected to a network and configured to receive, process, store, and transmit data over the network;

a wind-powered generator configured to provide power to the system, the power originating from wind and not a power grid;

a system management controller configured to distribute the power to the one or more servers to enable the one or more servers to operate.

2. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the wind-powered generator includes blades mounted to the top of a tower that is at least partially hollow, the blades configured to rotate when the wind blows to generate the power.

3. The system as recited in claim 2, wherein at least one of the one or more servers are mounted within the hollow portion of the tower.

4. The system as recited in claim 2, further comprising one or more server containers configured to contain the one or more servers, the one or more server containers mounted to an outer wall of the tower to form a supportive base for the tower.

5. The system as recited in claim 4, wherein the one or more server containers include an outer vent, wherein the outer wall of the tower includes an inner vent, wherein a top portion of the tower includes an exhaust vent, and wherein the outer vent, the inner vent, the hollow portion of the tower, and the exhaust vent comprises a cooling system configured to:

draw cool air in the outer vent and across the one or more servers where the cool air is warmed by the one or more servers to create warm air;

draw the warm air through the inner vent and up the hollow portion of the tower; and

release the warm air out the exhaust vent.

6. The system as recited in claim 5, wherein the system management controller is further configured to control the temperature of the one or more servers by opening and closing the outer vent, the inner vent, and the exhaust vent.

7. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the system management controller is further configured to redistribute excess power from the wind-powered generator to an alternate source responsive to determining that the power from the wind-powered generator is greater than an amount needed to power the system.

8. The system as recited in claim 7, wherein the alternate source comprises at least one of a battery storage device or the power grid.

9. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the system management controller is further configured to selectively turn off or throttle down at least one of the one or more servers responsive to determining that the power provided by the wind-powered generator is insufficient to power the system.

10. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the system management controller is further configured to distribute power from an alternate power source to the one or more servers to enable the servers to operate responsive to determining that the power provided by the wind-powered generator is insufficient to power the one or more servers.

11. The system as recited in claim 10, wherein the alternate power source comprises at least one of a battery storage device or the power grid.

12. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the system is not connected to the power grid.

13. A method comprising:

receiving power from a wind-powered generator that is electrically connected to a data center; and

distributing the power to one or more servers of the data center to enable the servers to operate.

14. The method as recited in claim 13, further comprising redistributing excess power from the wind-powered generator to an alternate source responsive to determining that the power from the wind-powered generator is greater than an amount needed to enable the servers to operate.

15. The method as recited in claim 14, wherein the alternate source comprises at least one of a battery storage device or a power grid.

16. The method as recited in claim 13, further comprising distributing power from an alternate power source to the one or more servers to enable the one or more servers to operate responsive to determining that the power provided by the wind-powered generator is insufficient to power the one or more servers.

17. The method as recited in claim 13, further comprising selectively turning off or throttling down at least one of the one or more servers responsive to determining that the power provided by the wind-powered generator is insufficient to power the one or more servers.

18. A computer data center comprising:

a wind-powered generator configured to provide power to the computer data center using blades mounted on top of a hollow tower, the blades configured to rotate when the wind blows to generate the power;

server containers configured to hold network connected servers that are electrically connected to the wind-powered generator, the server containers mounted to an outer wall of the tower to form a supportive base for the tower;

a system management controller configured to;

control the temperature of the server containers by opening and closing vents in the server containers to allow outside air to flow into the server containers;

redistribute excess power from the wind-powered generator to one or more alternate power sources; and

turn off or throttle down one or more of the servers responsive to determining that the wind-powered generator is generating an insufficient amount of power to power each of the servers.

19. The computer data center as recited in claim 18, wherein the computer data center is not connected to a power grid.

20. The computer data center as recited in claim 18, wherein the system management controller is further configured to control the temperature of the server containers by opening an inner vent and an exhaust vent in the hollow tower to allow warm air to flow from the server containers into the tower through the inner vent, and to flow up the tower and out of the tower through the exhaust vent.