System and method for assessing and managing data center airflow and energy usage

• US 8,209,056 B2
• Filed: 11/25/2008
• Issued: 06/26/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/25/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Schneider Electric IT Corporation (Schneider Electric SE)
• Original Assignee: American Power Conversion Corporation (Schneider Electric SE)
• Inventors: Rasmussen, Neil, VanGilder, James W., Zhang, Xuanhang
• Primary Examiner(s): Chaki, Kakali
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rodriguez, Carlos Ortiz
• Application Number:
  US12/277,715
• Publication Number:
  US 20100131109A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,309 Days
• Field of Search: 700/275, 700/276, 700/286, 700/291
• US Class Current: 700/276
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/206 comprising thermal management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2111/10 Numerical modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2113/14 Pipes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2119/08 Thermal analysis or thermal optimisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/13 Architectural design, e.g. computer-aided architectural design [CAAD] related to design of buildings, bridges, landscapes, production plants or roads
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20836 Thermal management, e.g. server temperature control
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

A system and method for providing energy assessment and optimization in a data center that includes at least one cooling provider, and at least one cooling consumer, the at least one cooling consumer having cooling requirements. The method according to one aspect includes receiving data regarding cooling availability and power consumption for the at least one cooling consumer, cooling capacity of the at least one cooling provider, and a physical relationship between the at least one cooling consumer and the at least one cooling provider in the data center, storing the received data, determining airflow distribution effectiveness between the at least one cooling consumer and the at least one cooling provider, and displaying at least one value representative of the effectiveness of the distribution of airflow in the data center between the at least one cooling consumer and the at least one cooling provider.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for providing energy assessment and optimization in a data center that includes at least one cooling provider, and at least one cooling consumer, the at least one cooling consumer having cooling requirements, the method comprising:

receiving data regarding cooling availability and power consumption for the at least one cooling consumer, cooling capacity of the at least one cooling provider, and a physical relationship between the at least one cooling consumer and the at least one cooling provider in the data center;

wherein the at least one cooling provider comprises at least one cooler and the at least one cooling consumer comprises at least one equipment rack and wherein the physical relationship is based on configuration and layout of the at least one cooler and the at least one equipment rack in the data center;

storing the received data;

determining a first coupling factor based on the received data and an air ratio;

wherein the air ratio is based on airflow from the at least one cooler and airflow of the at least one equipment rack;

determining at least one value representative of airflow distribution effectiveness in the data center between the at least one cooling consumer and the at least one cooling provider based on the first coupling factor;

adjusting the first coupling factor to a second coupling factor using a graphical user interface;

determining the at least one value representative of the airflow distribution effectiveness based on the second coupling factor; and

displaying at least one of the first coupling factor, the second coupling factor and the at least one value representative of the airflow distribution effectiveness in the data center between the at least one cooling consumer and the at least one cooling provider.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying at least one optimized setting for the at least one cooling provider that results in a reduction in energy usage of the data center while satisfying the cooling requirements of the cooling consumer.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the at least one optimized setting is an airflow setting of the at least one cooling provider.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the at least one optimized setting relates to temperature of a coolant supplied to the at least one cooling provider.

5. The method of claim 2, further comprising adjusting the at least one optimized setting for the at least one cooling provider to reduce energy usage of the data center.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein adjusting the at least one optimized setting includes adjusting an airflow setting of the at least one cooling provider.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein adjusting the at least one optimized setting includes adjusting temperature of a coolant supplied to the at least one cooling provider.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein adjusting the at least one optimized setting includes adjusting an airflow setting of the at least one cooling provider and adjusting temperature of a coolant supplied to the at least one cooling provider.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one cooling consumer includes a plurality of equipment racks in the data center, and the at least one cooling provider includes a plurality of coolers, and wherein the method further comprises:

creating a model of the data center with the plurality of equipment racks represented by a single equipment rack and the plurality of coolers represented by a single cooler; and

determining lumped cooling availability and power consumption for the single equipment rack, based on characteristics of each of the plurality of equipment racks, and determining lumped cooling capacity of the single cooler based on characteristics of the plurality of coolers,

wherein determining at least one value representative of the airflow distribution effectiveness includes determining at least one value representative of the airflow distribution effectiveness between the single equipment rack and the single cooler.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing a user interface on a computer screen, wherein the user interface includes user selectable elements to adjust settings for the at least one cooling provider;

receiving input from a user to adjust the settings for the at least one cooling provider; and

providing an updated value representative of the airflow distribution effectiveness in the data center between the at least one cooling consumer and the at least one cooling provider in real time based on the input received.

11. The method of claim 2, further comprising determining the at least one optimized setting based at least in part on any fractional increase in power due to an increase in fan speed of at least one server in the data center.

12. A system for presenting a cooling model of a data center that includes at least one cooling provider, and at least one cooling consumer, the at least one cooling consumer having cooling requirements, the system comprising:

an interface; and

a controller configured to;

receive data regarding cooling availability and power consumption for the at least one cooling consumer, cooling capacity of the at least one cooling provider, and a physical relationship between the at least one cooling consumer and the at least one cooling provider in the data center;

wherein the at least cooling provider comprises at least one cooler and the at least one cooling consumer comprises at least one equipment rack and wherein the physical relationship is based on configuration and layout of the at least one cooler and the at least one equipment rack in the data center;

store the received data;

determine a first coupling factor based on the received data and an air ratio;

wherein the air ratio based on airflow from the at least one cooler and airflow of the at least one equipment rack;

determine at least one value representative of airflow distribution effectiveness based on the first coupling factor in the data center between the at least one cooling consumer and the at least one cooling provider;

adjust the first coupling factor to a second coupling factor using a graphical user interface;

determine the at least one value representative of the airflow distribution effectiveness based on the second coupling factor; and

display on the interface at least one of the first coupling factor, the second coupling factor and the at least one value representative of the airflow distribution effectiveness in the data center between the at least one cooling consumer and the at least one cooling provider.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the controller is further configured to display on the interface at least one optimized setting for the at least one cooling provider that results in a reduction in energy usage of the data center while meeting the cooling requirements of the at least one cooling consumer.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the at least one optimized setting is an airflow setting of the at least one cooling provider.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the at least one optimized setting relates to temperature of a coolant supplied to the at least one cooling provider.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the controller is further configured to adjust the at least one optimized setting for the at least one cooling provider to reduce energy usage of the data center.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the controller is configured to adjust an airflow setting of the at least one cooling provider to reduce energy usage of the data center.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the controller is configured to adjust temperature of a coolant supplied to the at least one cooling provider.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein the controller is configured to adjust an airflow setting of the at least one cooling provider and adjust temperature of a coolant supplied to the at least one cooling provider.

20. The system of claim 12, wherein the at least one cooling consumer includes a plurality of equipment racks in the data center, and the at least one cooling provider includes a plurality of coolers, and wherein the controller is further configured to:

create and display on the interface a model of the data center with the plurality of equipment racks represented by a single equipment rack and the plurality of coolers represented by a single cooler; and

determine lumped cooling availability and power consumption for the single equipment rack, based on characteristics of each of the plurality of equipment racks, and determine lumped cooling capacity of the single cooler based on characteristics of the plurality of coolers,

wherein the controller is configured to determine at least one value representative of the airflow distribution effectiveness in the data center between the single equipment rack and the single cooler.

21. The system of claim 12, wherein the controller is further configured to:

display on a computer screen of the user interface graphics that include user selectable elements to adjust settings for the at least one cooling provider;

receive input from a user to adjust the settings for the at least one cooling provider; and

provide an updated value representative of the airflow distribution effectiveness in the data center between the at least one cooling consumer and the at least one cooling provider in real time based on the input received.

22. The system of claim 13, wherein the controller is further configured to determine the at least one optimized setting based at least in part on any fractional increase in power due to an increase in fan speed of at least one server in the data center.

23. A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon sequences of instruction including instructions that will cause a processor to:

receive data regarding cooling availability and power consumption for at least one cooling consumer, cooling capacity for at least one cooling provider, and a physical relationship between the at least one cooling consumer and the at least one cooling provider in a data center;

wherein the at least one cooling provider comprises at least one cooler and the at least one cooling consumer comprises at least one equipment rack and wherein the physical relationship is based on configuration and layout of the at least one cooler and at least one equipment rack in the data center;

store the received data;

determine a first coupling factor based on the received data and an air ratio;

wherein the air ratio is based on airflow from the at least one cooler and airflow of the at least one equipment rack;

determine at least one value representative airflow distribution effectiveness in the data center between the at least one consumer and the at least one cooling provider based on the first coupling factor;

adjust the first coupling factor to a second coupling factor using a graphical user interface;

determine the at least one value representative of airflow distribution effectiveness based on the second coupling factor; and

provide output to display on an interface at least one of the first coupling factor, the second coupling factor and the at least one value representative of the airflow distribution effectiveness in the data center between the at least one cooling consumer and the at least one cooling provider.

24. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 23, wherein the sequences of instruction include instructions that will cause the processor to display on the interface at least one optimized setting for the at least one cooling provider that results in a reduction in energy usage of the data center while meeting the cooling requirements of the cooling consumer.

25. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 24, wherein the at least one optimized setting is an airflow setting of the at least one cooling provider.

26. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 24, wherein the at least one optimized setting relates to temperature of a coolant supplied to the at least one cooling provider.

27. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 24, wherein the sequences of instruction include instructions that will cause the processor to provide an output to adjust the at least one optimized setting for the at least one cooling provider to reduce energy usage of the data center.

28. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 27, wherein the sequences of instruction include instructions that will cause the processor to provide an output to adjust an airflow setting of the at least one cooling provider to reduce energy usage of the data center.

29. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 27, wherein the sequences of instruction include instructions that will cause the processor to provide an output to adjust temperature of a coolant supplied to the at least one cooling provider.

30. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 27, wherein the sequences of instruction include instructions that will cause the processor to provide an output to adjust an airflow setting of the at least one cooling provider and adjust temperature of a coolant supplied to the at least one cooling provider.

31. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 23, wherein the sequences of instruction include instructions that will cause the processor to:

create and display on the interface a model of a data center with a plurality of equipment racks represented by a single equipment rack and a plurality of coolers represented by a single cooler; and

determine lumped cooling availability and power consumption for the single equipment rack, based on characteristics of each of the plurality of equipment racks, and determine lumped cooling capacity of the single cooler based on characteristics of the plurality of coolers;

determine at least one value representative of the airflow distribution effectiveness in the data center between the single equipment rack and the single cooler.

32. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 23, wherein the sequences of instruction include instructions that will cause the processor to:

provide data to the interface to display graphics that include user selectable elements to adjust settings for the at least one cooling consumer;

receive input from a user to adjust the settings for the at least one cooling consumer; and

provide an updated value representative of the airflow distribution effectiveness in the data center between the at least one cooling consumer and the at least one cooling provider in real time based on the input received.

33. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 24, wherein the sequences of instruction include instructions that will cause the processor to determine the at least one optimized setting based at least in part on any fractional increase in power due to an increase in fan speed of at least one server in the data center.