Methods and systems for managing facility power and cooling

• US 9,043,173 B2
• Filed: 11/08/2011
• Issued: 05/26/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/16/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Schneider Electric IT Corporation (Schneider Electric SE)
• Original Assignee: Schneider Electric IT Corporation (Schneider Electric SE)
• Inventors: Lehmann, Gert, Dalgas, Mikkel, Harms, Flemming Nicolas
• Primary Examiner(s): LE, TOAN M
• Application Number:
  US13/291,330
• Publication Number:
  US 20120253710A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,295 Days
• Field of Search: 702/61, 702/57, 702/60, 702/62, 702 64- 65, 702/81, 702/84, 702/127, 702182-183, 702188-189, 702/199, 703 1- 2, 703/4, 703/18, 700108-109, 700/286, 700/291, 700/295, 700/300, 713/300, 713/340, 715243-247, 715/273, 715/700, 715733-734, 715736-737, 715/740, 715/771, 340/635, 34063612-63613, 34063615-63616, 340657-658, 340660-661, 340/664
• US Class Current: 702/61
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/26 Power supply means, e.g. regulation thereof for memories G11C
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/00 Circuit arrangements for ac mains or ac distribution networks

Abstract

A method and corresponding apparatus provide a determination of available power capacity of a phase of a power supply in a data center rack. The method includes metering the power of a power supply and calculating an average peak power draw per phase of the power supply. Using average peak power draw per phase of the power supply and the expected power draw data corresponding to data center equipment coupled to the power supply, the available power capacity can be calculated on a per phase of the power supply. A method and corresponding apparatus for managing data center equipment may use the phase based available power capacity calculations to determine the optimal placement of new data center equipment within a data center configuration.

Claims

1. A method for determining available power capacity of a data center rack within a data center, the data center rack coupled to a power distribution system having a plurality of power sources, each providing multiple phases of output power, the method comprising:

determining, with a processor, a power draw of the data center rack from each phase of each of the plurality of power sources;

calculating, with the processor, an actual power draw of the data center rack by summing the power draws of each phase of each of the plurality of power sources;

calculating, with the processor, a distribution of expected power draw of the data center rack across each phase of the power distribution system; and

calculating, with the processor, the available power capacity of the data center rack based on the actual power draw of the data center rack and the distribution of expected power draw of the data center rack across each phase of the power distribution system.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising calculating an available power capacity of another data center rack coupled to the power distribution system within the data center based, in part, on the actual power draw of the data center rack and the distribution of expected power draw of the data center rack across each phase of the power distribution system.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein calculating the distribution of expected power draw of the data center rack across each phase comprises calculating a distribution of expected peak power draw of the data center rack across each phase.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein calculating the distribution of expected peak power draw of the data center rack across each phase comprises:

retrieving a maximum expected power draw and an expected average power draw of the data center rack;

calculating a power draw factor of the data center rack, the power draw factor being a ratio of the maximum expected power draw to the actual power draw; and

calculating an expected peak power draw of the data center rack for each phase by summing the products of the power draw factor and the power draws of the data center rack for each phase.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein calculating the available power capacity of the data center rack comprises summing differences between the expected peak power draw of the data center rack for each phase and the expected average power draw of the data center rack.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein at least one of the maximum expected power draw and the expected average power draw is based on pre-determined power draw data of equipment within the data center rack.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the maximum expected power draw includes a sum of pre-determined nameplate power draw data of the equipment within the data center rack.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the maximum expected power draw includes a sum of corrected nameplate power draw data of the equipment within the data center rack, the corrected nameplate power draw data including pre-determined nameplate power draw data adjusted based on at least one power draw measurement.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the power distribution system comprises at least one uninterruptible power supply.

10. A system for managing data center equipment within a data center including a first data center rack and a second data center rack, each coupled to a power distribution system having a plurality of power sources and each providing multiple phases of output power, the system comprising:

a user interface configured to display an interactive representation of a layout of the data center; and

a processor coupled to the user interface and configured to;

determine a power draw of the first data center rack from each phase of each of the plurality of power sources;

calculate an actual power draw of the first data center rack by summing the power draws of each phase of each of the plurality of power sources;

calculate a distribution of expected power draw of the first data center rack across each phase of the power distribution system;

calculate the available power capacity of the first data center rack based on the actual power draw of the first data center rack and the distribution of expected power draw of the first data center rack across each phase of the power distribution system; and

provide the available power capacity of the first data center rack to the user interface,

wherein the user interface is further configured to display the interactive representation of the layout of the data center based, in part, on the available power capacity of the first data center rack.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the interactive representation of the layout of the data center includes an optimal location of at least one element of the data center equipment.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the user interface is located on the first data center rack.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the user interface is located on a handheld device.

14. The system of claim 10 wherein the processor is further configured to calculate an available power capacity of the second data center rack based, in part, on the actual power draw of the first data center rack and the distribution of expected power draw of the first data center rack across each phase of the power distribution system, and wherein the user interface is further configured to display the interactive representation of the layout of the data center room based, in part, on the available power capacity of the first data center rack and the second data center rack.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein in calculating the distribution of expected power draw of the first data center rack across each phase, the processor is further configured to:

retrieve a maximum expected power draw and an expected average power draw of the first data center rack;

calculate a power draw factor of the first data center rack, the power draw factor being a ratio of the maximum expected power draw to the actual power draw; and

calculate an expected peak power draw of the first data center rack for each phase by summing the products of the power draw factor and the power draws of the first data center rack for each phase.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein in calculating the available power capacity of the first data center rack, the processor is further configured to sum differences between the expected peak power draw of the first data center rack for each phase and the expected average power draw of the first data center rack.

17. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising computer-executable instructions that when executed on a processor performs a method for determining available power capacity of a data center rack within a data center, the data center rack coupled to a power distribution system having a plurality of power sources, each providing multiple phases of output power, the method comprising:

determining a power draw of the data center rack from each phase of each of the plurality of power sources;

calculating an actual power draw of the data center rack by summing the power draws of each phase of each of the plurality of power sources;

calculating a distribution of expected power draw of the data center rack across each phase of the power distribution system; and

calculating the available power capacity of the data center rack based on the actual power draw of the data center rack and the distribution of expected power draw of the data center rack across each phase of the power distribution system.

18. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein the method further-comprises calculating an available power capacity of another data center rack coupled to the power distribution system within the data center based, in part, on the actual power draw of the data center rack and the distribution of expected power draw of the data center rack across each phase of the power distribution system.

19. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein calculating the distribution of expected power draw of the data center rack across each phase comprises:

retrieving a maximum expected power draw and an expected average power draw of the data center rack;

calculating a power draw factor of the data center rack, the power draw factor being a ratio of the maximum expected power draw to the actual power draw; and

calculating an expected peak power draw of the data center rack for each phase by summing the products of the power draw factor and the power draws of the data center rack for each phase.

20. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 19, wherein calculating the available power capacity of the data center rack comprises summing differences between the expected peak power draw of the data center rack for each phase and the expected average power draw of the data center rack.