COOLING SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR DATA CENTERS

• US 20130078901A1
• Filed: 09/23/2011
• Published: 03/28/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/23/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: TATE Access Floors Leasing Incorporated (Kingspan Group PLC)
• Original Assignee: Kingspan Holdings (Irl) Limited (Kingspan Group PLC)
• Inventors: CURTIN, Daniel J., REYNOLDS, William W., KENNEDY, Daniel B., STRAPP, Peter
• Application Number:
  US13/242,773
• Publication Number:
  US 20130078901A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 454/184
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20745 within rooms for removing heat from cabinets, e.g. by air conditioning device

Abstract

A cooling system for selectively cooling the hot aisles of a data center is disclosed. The cooling system includes a source of cooling air, a relief damper configured to selectively allow cooling air from the source of cooling air to enter directly into the hot aisle, and a mechanism to move the relief damper between open and closed positions.

Claims

1. A cooling system for a data center that includes a plurality of IT racks and at least one cold aisle and at least one hot aisle that are located on opposite sides of at least one of the plurality of IT racks, the opposite sides of the at least one of the plurality of IT racks partially defining the at least one cold aisle and the at least one hot aisle, the cooling system comprising:

a source of cooling air that supplies cooling air to the at least one cold aisle;

a relief damper configured to selectively allow the cooling air from the source of cooling air one to enter directly into the at least one hot aisle; and

a mechanism to control movement of the at least one relief damper between open and closed positions.

2. The cooling system for a data center according to claim 1, wherein

the source of cooling air includes a plenum formed below panels of an access floor system and the relief damper is positioned in an opening in the panels.

3. The cooling system for a data center according to claim 2, wherein the mechanism is a mechanical actuator.

4. The cooling system for a data center according to claim 3, further comprising an indicator that emits a signal when the relief damper is in the open position.

5. The cooling system for a data center according to claim 1, wherein the mechanism is a mechanical actuator.

6. The cooling system for a data center according to claim 1, further comprising an indicator that emits a signal when the relief damper is in the open position.

7. The cooling system for a data center according to claim 1, wherein the mechanism is an electric actuator.

8. The cooling system for a data center according to claim 7, further comprising an indicator that emits a signal when the relief damper is in the open position.

9. The cooling system for a data center according to claim 8, wherein the signal is generated by an airflow through the relief damper when the relief damper is in the open position.

10. The cooling system for a data center according to claim 7, wherein the mechanism causes both the relief damper to move from the closed position to the open position and a data center closure to open to permit access to the at least one hot aisle.

11. The cooling system for a data center according to claim 1, further comprising:

a hot aisle occupation sensor that senses whether a person is present in the at least one hot aisle;

wherein output from the hot aisle occupation sensor is used to at least partially control the position of the relief damper.

12. The cooling system for a data center according to claim 11, wherein the hot aisle occupation sensor comprises a motion sensor.

13. The cooling system for a data center according to claim 1, further comprising:

an actuator positioned outside the at least hot aisle that, upon being actuated, signals the cooling system to open the relief damper.

14. The cooling system for a data center according to claim 13, further comprising:

a display unit that is positioned outside the at least one hot aisle and that indicates the temperature in the at least one hot aisle.

16. The method for selectively, directly cooling a hot aisle of a data center according to claim 14, wherein the source of cooling air is a plenum formed below panels of an access floor system and the relief damper is positioned in an opening in the panels.

17. The method for selectively, directly cooling a hot aisle of a data center according to claim 14, wherein the relief damper is operated by a manual actuator.

18. The method for selectively, directly cooling a hot aisle of a data center according to claim 14, further comprising:

operating the relief damper by an electric actuator provided outside the hot aisle.

19. The method for selectively, directly cooling a hot aisle of a data center according to claim 14, further comprising:

sensing whether a person is present in the hot aisle; and

controlling the relief damper based on whether a person is in the hot aisle.

20. The method for selectively, directly cooling a hot aisle of a data center according to claim 14, further comprising the step of indicating when the relief damper is in the open position.

15. A method for selectively, directly cooling a hot aisle of a data center comprising:

providing a source of cooling air for the data center;

selectively opening a relief damper to allow cooling air from the source of cooling air to directly enter the hot aisle; and

closing the relief damper to prevent the cooling air from the source of cooling air from directly entering into the hot aisle.

21. In a data center having at least one IT rack, at least one hot aisle, at least one cooling aisle, and a source of cooling air, the improvement comprising:

a relief damper to selectively allow cooling air from the source of cooling air directly into the at least one hot aisle; and

a mechanism to control the relief damper between open and closed positions.

22. The improvement for a data center according to claim 21, wherein

the source of cooling air includes a plenum formed below panels of an access floor system and the relief damper is positioned in an opening in the panels.

23. The improvement for a data center according to claim 22, wherein the mechanism is a mechanical actuator.

24. The improvement for a data center according to claim 23, further comprising an indicator that emits a signal when the relief damper is in the open position.

25. The improvement for a data center according to claim 21, wherein the mechanism is an electric actuator.

26. The improvement for a data center according to claim 25, wherein the mechanism causes both the relief damper to move from the closed position to the open position and a data center closure to open to permit access to the at least one hot aisle.

27. The improvement for a data center according to claim 21, further comprising:

a hot aisle occupation sensor that senses whether a person is present in the at least one hot aisle;

wherein output from the hot aisle occupation sensor is used to at least partially control the position of the relief damper.

28. The improvement for a data center according to claim 27, wherein the hot aisle occupation sensor comprises a motion sensor.

29. The improvement for a data center according to claim 21, further comprising:

an actuator positioned outside the at least one hot aisle that, upon being actuated, signals the mechanism to move the relief damper from the closed position to the open position.

30. The improvement for a data center according to claim 29, further comprising:

a display unit that is positioned outside the at least one hot aisle and that indicates the temperature in the at least one hot aisle.

31. A data center comprising:

at least one IT rack;

a source of cooling air;

at least one hot aisle on one side of the at least one IT rack;

at least one cold aisle on a second side of the at least one IT rack, the cold aisle receiving cooling air from the source of cooling air;

a relief damper that selectively allows the cooling air from the source of cooling directly into the at least one hot aisle; and

a mechanism to control the relief damper between open and closed positions.

32. The data center according to claim 31, wherein

the source of cooling air includes a plenum formed below panels of an access floor system and the relief damper is positioned in an opening in the panels.

33. The data center according to claim 32, wherein the mechanism is a mechanical actuator.

34. The data center according to claim 33, further comprising an indicator that emits a signal when the relief damper is in the open position.

35. The data center according to claim 31, wherein the mechanism is an electric actuator.

36. The data center according to claim 35, wherein the mechanism causes both the relief damper to move from the closed position to the open position and a data center closure to open to permit access to the at least one hot aisle.

37. The data center according to claim 31, further comprising:

a hot aisle occupation sensor that senses whether a person is present in the at least one hot aisle;

wherein output from the hot aisle occupation sensor is used to at least partially control the position of the relief damper.

38. The data center according to claim 31, wherein the hot aisle occupation sensor comprises a motion sensor.

39. The data center according to claim 31, further comprising:

actuator positioned outside the at least hot aisle that, upon being actuated, signals the mechanism to move the relief damper from the closed position to the open position.

40. The data center according to claim 39, further comprising:

a display unit that is positioned outside the at least one hot aisle and that indicates the temperature in the at least one hot aisle.