Data center cooling

• US 8,590,333 B2
• Filed: 02/13/2012
• Issued: 11/26/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/02/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Exaflop LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Carlson, Andrew B., Clidaras, Jimmy
• Primary Examiner(s): Jones, Melvin
• Application Number:
  US13/372,100
• Publication Number:
  US 20120138259A1
• Time in Patent Office: 652 Days
• Field of Search: 62/99, 621/68, 622/592, 625/03, 625/07, 361/689, 361/694, 361/696
• US Class Current: 62/259.2
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2500/06 Damage
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 16/00 Devices using a combination of a cooling mode associated with refrigerating machinery with a cooling mode not associated with refrigerating machinery
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20836 Thermal management, e.g. server temperature control

Abstract

A system for cooling air in a data center includes a data center having electronic equipment in operation, a cooling water source, and a plurality of on-floor cooling units. The cooling water source is configured to retain at maximum capacity a total amount of water. Each on-floor cooling unit is configured to cool air heated by a portion of the electronic equipment in the data center using water from the cooling water source. The total amount of water is insufficient to maintain a leaving air temperature of each on-floor cooling unit below an inside setpoint when a temperature outside of the data center is above a predetermined external temperature.

Claims

1. A system for providing cooled air to a data center, comprising:

a data center having electronic equipment, wherein the electronic equipment is in operation;

a cooling water source;

a plurality of on-floor cooling units in the data center, each on-floor cooling unit configured to cool air warmed by a sub-set of the electronic equipment in the data center;

a plurality of proportioning control valves, each proportioning control valve associated with a single on-floor cooling unit; and

a controller, wherein each proportioning control valve is configured to turn in response to a signal from the controller, the valve able to be closed, fully open or partially open, wherein when the valve is closed, water is blocked from the on-floor cooling unit, when the valve is fully open, a maximum volume of water is circulated through the on-floor cooling unit, and when the valve is partially open, some percent less than 100% of the maximum amount of water is circulated through the on-floor cooling unit, and wherein the controller is configured to turn the corresponding control valve in response to a change in temperature.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to turn the corresponding control valve in response to a change in a leaving air temperature of the corresponding on-floor cooling unit.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the controller is configured to turn the corresponding control valve such that the leaving temperature of the corresponding on-floor cooling unit remains below an inside setpoint for at least 90% of the operating time of the system.

4. The system of claim 2, further comprising a plurality of sensors, at least one of the sensors configured to measure the leaving air temperature of an on-floor cooling unit.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the proportioning control valve acts independently of any other control valve.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the cooling water source comprises a cooling tower.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein each on-floor cooling unit comprises a heat exchanger configured to transfer heat from the electronic equipment to the cooling water source.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the heat exchanger comprises coils located adjacent to one or more common hot air plenums that receive heated air from the electronic equipment.

9. The system of claim 6, wherein the cooling tower comprises a hybrid cooling tower, the hybrid cooling tower comprising a water-to-water heat exchanger.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of on-floor cooling units comprises one or more fans configured to draw air across the electronic equipment and to maintain a predetermined temperature rise of the air across the electronic equipment.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the temperature at an exhaust end of the electronic equipment is between about 113°

F. and 212°

F.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of on-floor cooling units are coupled to the cooling water source in parallel such that the cooling water source is operable to provide cooling water to each of the on-floor cooling units simultaneously.

13. The system of claim 4, wherein at least one of the sensors is configured to measure the temperature outside the data center.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the temperature of cooling water provided to at least one of the on-floor cooling units by the cooling water source is sufficient to inhibit air within the data center from condensing.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein cooling water is provided to at least one of the on-floor cooling units at a temperature of at least about 68°

F.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein the cooling water source comprises a cooling water circuit and a condenser circuit, the condenser circuit being configured to remove heat from the cooling water circuit.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the cooling water circuit comprises a closed-loop circuit.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the cooling water circuit and the condenser circuit are arranged to form an indirect water-side economizer.