Upgradeable, modular data center cooling apparatus

• US 7,647,787 B2
• Filed: 04/22/2004
• Issued: 01/19/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/22/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP (Hewlett-Packard Enterprise Company)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Belady, Christian L., Peterson, Eric C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Jones; Melvin
• Application Number:
  US10/830,503
• Publication Number:
  US 20050235671A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,098 Days
• Field of Search: 622/592, 624/07, 624/34, 361/698, 361/701
• US Class Current: 62/259.2
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 3/06 characterised by the arrangements for the supply of heat-exchange fluid for the subsequent treatment of primary air in the room units
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20745 within rooms for removing heat from cabinets, e.g. by air conditioning device
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/2079 within rooms for removing heat from cabinets

Abstract

A data center is configured using alternating rows of racks containing heat-generating electronic devices and air conditioners. Fluid, such as water or a refrigerant, for the air conditioners is supplied through pluming below a raised floor, such as those commonly found in current data centers. Attached to this plumbing are standard fluid couplings configured to couple to either air conditioners or liquid cooling units. These air conditioners and liquid cooling units use the same fluid so that they may share the plumbing. As data center migrates to liquid-cooled racks, a fraction of the air conditioners are replaced with liquid conditioning units in such a way that the data center contains both air-cooled and liquid-cooled racks without substantial reduction in efficiency of the air-cooling system. Since the air conditioners and liquid conditioning units use the same couplings and the same fluid, no infrastructure change is required.

Claims

1. A data center comprising:

a room;

a chilled fluid supply pipe within said room;

a chilled fluid return pipe within said room; and

a plurality of fluid couplings connected with said chilled fluid supply pipe and said chilled fluid return pipe each of which is configured to connect to either an air conditioner or a liquid conditioning unit where the air conditioner and the liquid conditioning unit are both connected to at least one shared pipe.

2. A data center as recited in claim 1 further comprising:

a raised floor, wherein said chilled fluid supply pipe is under said raised floor, and wherein said chilled fluid return pipe is under said raised floor.

3. A data center as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

at least one row of air-cooled servers and air conditioners within said room comprising;

a first air conditioner coupled to said chilled fluid supply pipe through one of said fluid couplings, and coupled to said chilled fluid return pipe through another of said fluid couplings;

a first air-cooled server configured such that chilled air exiting said first air conditioner enters air intakes of said first air-cooled server;

a second air conditioner coupled to said chilled fluid supply pipe through one of said fluid couplings, and coupled to said chilled fluid return pipe through another of said fluid couplings, and configured such that warm air exiting said first air-cooled server enters air intakes of said second air conditioner; and

a second server configured such that chilled air exiting said second air conditioner enters air intakes of said second air-cooled server.

4. A data center as recited in claim 3,

wherein said first air conditioner is configured such that warm air exiting said second air-cooled server enters air intakes of said first air conditioner.

5. A data center as recited in claim 3,

wherein said at least one row of air-cooled servers and air conditioners within said room further comprises:

a third air conditioner coupled to said chilled fluid supply pipe through one of said fluid couplings, and coupled to said chilled fluid return pipe through another of said fluid couplings, and configured such that warm air exiting the second air-cooled server enters air intakes of said third air conditioner; and

a third air-cooled server configured such that chilled air exiting said third air conditioner enters air intakes of said third air-cooled server; and

wherein said first air conditioner is configured such that warm air exiting said third air-cooled server enters air intakes of said first air conditioner.

6. A data center as recited in claim 3 further comprising:

a false ceiling above said row of air-cooled servers and air conditioners.

7. A data center as recited in claim 6,

wherein said false ceiling is configured to separate a flow of warm air to an air intake of said first air conditioner from chilled air flowing from said air conditioners to said servers.

8. A data center as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

at least one row of air-cooled servers and air conditioners within said room comprising;

a first air conditioner coupled to said chilled fluid supply pipe through one of said fluid couplings, and coupled to said chilled fluid return pipe through another of said fluid couplings;

a first air-cooled server configured such that chilled air exiting said first air conditioner enters air intakes of said first air-cooled server;

a second air conditioner coupled to said chilled fluid supply pipe through one of said fluid couplings, and coupled to said chilled fluid return pipe through another of said fluid couplings, and configured such that warm air exiting said first air-cooled server enters air intakes of said second air conditioner; and

a second server configured such that chilled air exiting said second air conditioner enters air intakes of said second air-cooled server; and

at least one row of liquid-cooled servers and liquid conditioning units within said room comprising;

a first liquid conditioning unit coupled to said chilled fluid supply pipe through one of said fluid couplings, and coupled to said chilled fluid return pipe through another of said fluid couplings;

a first liquid-cooled server;

a first chilled liquid pipe configured to flow chilled liquid from said first liquid conditioning unit to said first liquid-cooled server; and

a first warm fluid pipe configured to flow warm liquid from said first liquid-cooled server to said first liquid conditioning unit.

9. A data center as recited in claim 8,

wherein said at least one row of air-cooled servers and liquid conditioning units within said room further comprises:

a second liquid conditioning unit coupled to said chilled fluid supply pipe through one of said fluid couplings, and coupled to said chilled fluid return pipe through another of said fluid couplings;

a second liquid-cooled server

a second chilled liquid pipe configured to flow chilled liquid from said second liquid conditioning unit to said second liquid-cooled server; and

a second warm liquid pipe configured to flow warm liquid from said second liquid-cooled server to said second liquid conditioning unit.

10. A data center as recited in claim 8,

wherein said at least one row of liquid-cooled servers and liquid conditioning units within said room further comprises:

a third liquid conditioning unit coupled to said chilled fluid supply pipe through one of said fluid couplings, and coupled to said chilled fluid return pipe through another of said fluid couplings;

a third liquid-cooled server;

a third chilled liquid pipe configured to flow chilled liquid from said third liquid conditioning unit to said third liquid-cooled server; and

a third warm liquid pipe configured to flow warm liquid from said third liquid-cooled server to said third liquid conditioning unit.

11. A data center as recited in claim 8, further comprising:

a raised floor upon which said at least one row of air-cooled servers and air conditioners and said at least one row of liquid-cooled servers and liquid conditioning units rests;

wherein said chilled fluid supply pipe is under said raised floor;

wherein said chilled fluid return pipe is under said raised floor;

air conditioner pipes configured to couple said air conditioners to said chilled fluid supply pipe and said chilled fluid return pipe through said fluid couplings; and

liquid conditioner pipes configured to couple said liquid conditioning units to said chilled fluid supply pipe and said chilled fluid return pipe through said fluid couplings.

12. A data center as recited in claim 8 further comprising:

a false ceiling above said row of air-cooled servers and air conditioners.

13. A data center as recited in claim 12,

wherein said false ceiling is configured to separate a flow of warm air to an air intake of said first air conditioner from chilled air flowing from said air conditioners to said servers.

14. A data center as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

at least one row of liquid-cooled servers and liquid conditioning units within said room comprising;

a first liquid conditioning unit coupled to said chilled fluid supply pipe through one of said fluid couplings, and coupled to said chilled fluid return pipe through another of said fluid couplings;

a first liquid-cooled server;

a first chilled liquid pipe configured to flow chilled liquid from said first liquid conditioning unit to said first liquid-cooled server; and

a first warm liquid pipe configured to flow warm liquid from said first liquid-cooled server to said first liquid conditioning unit.

15. A data center as recited in claim 14,

wherein said at least one row of liquid-cooled servers and liquid conditioning units within said room further comprises:

a second liquid conditioning unit coupled to said chilled fluid supply pipe through one of said fluid couplings, and coupled to said chilled fluid return pipe through another of said fluid couplings;

a second liquid-cooled server;

a second chilled liquid pipe configured to flow chilled liquid from said second liquid conditioning unit to said second liquid-cooled server; and

a second warm liquid pipe configured to flow warm liquid from said second liquid-cooled server to said second liquid conditioning unit.

16. A data center as recited in claim 14,

wherein said at least one row of liquid-cooled servers and liquid conditioning units within said room comprises:

a third liquid conditioning unit coupled to said chilled fluid supply pipe through one of said fluid couplings, and coupled to said chilled fluid return pipe through another of said fluid couplings;

a third liquid-cooled server;

a third chilled liquid pipe configured to flow chilled liquid from said third liquid conditioning unit to said third liquid-cooled server; and

a third warm liquid pipe configured to flow warm liquid from said third liquid-cooled server to said third liquid conditioning unit.

17. A data center as recited in claim 14, further comprising:

a raised floor upon which said at least one row of liquid-cooled servers and liquid conditioning units rests;

wherein said chilled fluid supply pipe is under said raised floor;

wherein said chilled fluid return pipe is under said raised floor; and

liquid conditioner pipes configured to couple said liquid conditioning units to said chilled fluid supply pipe and said chilled fluid return pipe through said fluid couplings.

18. A method for configuring servers within a data center comprising:

a. providing a room;

b. providing a chilled fluid supply pipe within said room;

c. providing a chilled fluid return pipe within said room; and

d. attaching a plurality of fluid couplings to said chilled fluid supply pipe and said chilled fluid return pipe, wherein said each of said connectors is configured to connect to either an air conditioner or a liquid conditioning unit;

e. providing a first and second air-cooled server;

f. providing a first and second air conditioner, connected to said chilled fluid supply pipe and to said chilled fluid return pipe through said fluid couplings;

g. configuring said first air-cooled server such that chilled air exiting said first air conditioner enters air intakes of said first air-cooled server;

h. configuring said second air conditioner such that warm air exiting said first air-cooled server enters air intakes of said second air conditioner; and

i. configuring said second air-cooled server such that chilled air exiting said first air conditioner enters air intakes of said second air-cooled server.

19. A method for configuring servers within a data center as recited in claim 18, further comprising:

j. configuring said first air conditioner such that warm air exiting said second air-cooled server enters air intakes of said first air conditioner.

20. A method for configuring servers within a data center as recited in claim 18, further comprising:

j. providing a third air-cooled server;

k. providing a third air conditioner, connected to said chilled fluid supply pipe and to said chilled fluid return pipe through said fluid couplings;

l. configuring said third air conditioner such that warm air exiting said second air-cooled server enters air intakes of said third air conditioner; and

m. configuring said third air-cooled server such that chilled air exiting said third air conditioner enters air intakes of said third air-cooled server.

21. A method for configuring servers within a data center as recited in claim 18, further comprising:

j. providing a raised floor upon which said air-cooled servers and said air conditioners rest;

wherein said chilled fluid supply pipe and said chilled fluid return pipe are under said raised floor.

22. A method for configuring servers within a data center as recited in claim 18, wherein said air conditioners are configured such that they can be replaced with a liquid conditioning unit without any changes in data center infrastructure.