Data center module with leveling pad

• US 9,332,670 B1
• Filed: 11/20/2012
• Issued: 05/03/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Eichelberg, John William
• Primary Examiner(s): Canfield, Robert
• Assistant Examiner(s): Demuren, Babajide
• Application Number:
  US13/682,641
• Time in Patent Office: 1,260 Days
• Field of Search: 521/671, 521/677, 521/678, 521/261, 521/265, 521/266, 521/267, 524/031, 248/611, 248/634, 248/632, 248/633, 248/560, 248/637, 248/638, 248/639, 248/676, 248/678, 248/346.05, 267/140, 267/136, 267/141, 267/153, 472/92
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 7/00 Details of attaching or adjusting engine beds, frames, or supporting-legs on foundation or base; Attaching non-moving engine parts, e.g. cylinder blocks elastic or equivalent mounting for absorbing vibrations F16F, especially F16F15/04
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 9/00 Special layout of foundations with respect to machinery to be supported foundations for machinery E02D27/44
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/16 Constructional details or arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/182 with special features, e.g. for use in industrial environments; grounding or shielding against radio frequency interference [RFI] or electromagnetical interference [EMI]
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/1495 providing data protection in case of earthquakes, floods, storms, nuclear explosions, intrusions, fire
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/1497 Rooms for data centers; Shipping containers therefor

Abstract

A system includes a floor, one or more modules, one or more pads between a base of the modules and the floor, and one or more pad compression mechanisms. The data center modules include more electrical systems coupled to the module base. The pads compress to conform to variations in the surface of the floor. The pad compression mechanisms are operable by a user to compress the pads between the modules and the floor.

Claims

1. A data center, comprising:

a computer room comprising a floor;

one or more data center modules, wherein at least one of the one or more data center modules comprises;

a module base; and

one or more rack computing systems coupled to the module base;

one or more pads between the module base of the at least one data center module and the floor; and

a plurality of pad compression mechanisms coupled to the floor;

wherein the pad is configured to compress to at least partially conform to variations in a surface of the floor;

wherein the plurality of pad compression mechanisms comprise a first pad compression mechanism coupled to the floor at a first location and a second pad compression mechanism coupled to the floor at a second location, wherein the surface of the floor at the first location is at a different elevation than the surface of the floor at the second location;

wherein the module base is configured to transmit a given compressive force exerted on the module base by the first pad compression mechanism and to transmit another compressive force exerted on the module base by the second pad compression mechanism such that the module base compresses the pad at the first location by a given amount and compresses the pad at the second location by another amount, such that a level of the at least one data center module is adjusted.

2. The data center of claim 1, wherein at least one of the one or more pads comprises an elastomeric material.

3. The data center of claim 1, wherein at least one of the one or more pads is at least 3 inches thick and has a Shore D hardness of at least 55.

4. The data center of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of pad compression mechanisms is adjustable to compress at least one of the one or more pads.

5. The data center of claim 1, wherein the plurality of pad compression mechanisms comprises at least three pad compression mechanisms, wherein the at least three pad compression mechanisms are coupled to the floor in an arrangement such that the at least three pad compression mechanisms are configured to adjust a level of the data center module in more than one direction.

6. A system, comprising:

one or more modules comprising;

a module base; and

one or more electrical systems coupled to the module base; and

one or more pads between the module base of at least one of the modules and a floor, wherein at least one of the pads is configured to compress to at least partially conform to variations in a surface of the floor; and

a plurality of pad compression mechanisms adjustable to compress at least one of the one or more pads between at least one of the modules and the floor

wherein the plurality of pad compression mechanisms comprise a first pad compression mechanism configured to couple to the floor at a first location and a second pad compression mechanism configured to couple to the floor at a second location, wherein the surface of the floor at the first location is at a different elevation than the surface of the floor at the second location;

wherein the module base of the at least one module is configured to transmit a given compressive force exerted on the module base by the first pad compression mechanism and to transmit another compressive force exerted on the module base by the second pad compression mechanism such that the module base compresses the pad at the first location by a given amount and compresses the pad at the second location by another amount, such that a level of the at least one module is adjusted.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein at least one of the one or more pads is compressible under the weight of at least one of the modules.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein at least one of the one or more pads comprises an elastomeric material.

9. The system of claim 6, wherein, the plurality of pad compression mechanisms comprises at least three pad compression mechanisms, wherein the at least three pad compression mechanisms are coupled to the floor in an arrangement such that the at least three pad compression mechanisms are configured to adjust a level of the at least one module in more than one direction.

10. The system of claim 6, wherein at least one of the pad compression mechanisms is adjustable to at least partially conform at least one of the one or more pads to flatness variations in the surface of the floor.

11. The system of claim 6, wherein the floor comprises a plurality of threaded studs extending from the surface of the floor, wherein at least one of the one or more pad compression mechanisms comprises a threaded coupler configured to engage on at least one of the threaded studs of the floor.

12. The system of claim 6, wherein at least one of the modules comprises a module floor, wherein at least one of the one or more pad compression mechanisms is accessible through the module floor.

13. The system of claim 6, wherein at least one of the module bases comprises a frame comprising a plurality of frame members, wherein at least one of the one or more pads comprises one or more sections that correspond to frame members of the at least one module base.

14. The system of claim 6, wherein the pad is configured to reduce displacement of at least some of the electrical systems in at least one of the modules from vibration loads transmitted from the floor to the at least one module.

15. The system of claim 6, wherein the one or more modules comprise two or more modules, wherein the one or more pads comprise a first pad under a first one of the modules and a second pad under a second one of the modules.

16. The system of claim 6, wherein the one or more modules comprise two or more modules, wherein the one or more pads comprise a first pad under a first one of the modules and a second pad under a second one of the modules, wherein the first pad has a different thickness or different material properties from the second pad.

17. The system of claim 6, wherein at least one of the one or more pads has a thickness of at least one inch.

18. The system of claim 6, wherein at least one of the one or more pads comprises a first section and a second section, wherein the first section of the at least one pad and the second section of the at least one pad have different material properties or a different thickness from one another.

19. The system of claim 6, wherein at least one of the modules is a data center module, wherein the data center module comprises one or more rack computing systems coupled to the module base.

20. The system of claim 6, wherein at least one of the modules is an electrical module, wherein the electrical module comprises one or more power distribution components configured to supply power to loads external to the electrical module.

21. The system of claim 6, wherein at least one of the modules comprises a generator, wherein the at least one of the one or more pads is configured to isolate vibration produced by the generator from at least one of the rack computing systems.

22. The system of claim 6, wherein at least one of the modules is a cooling module configured to supply air to cool heat producing components external to the module.

23. A pad, comprising:

a body configured to support a data center module, wherein at least a portion of the body is compressible and configured to at least partially conform to variations in the surface of a floor; and

a plurality of openings configured to receive a plurality of compression mechanisms, wherein the plurality of openings comprise openings aligned in a first line and openings aligned in at least one additional line,

wherein the body is configured to compress respective amounts due to respective compressive forces exerted on the body by each of at least three respective compression mechanisms of the plurality of compression mechanisms, wherein each compression mechanism of the at least three compression mechanisms is received at a respective opening of the plurality of openings, such that a level of a surface of the pad is adjustable in more than one direction.

24. The pad of claim 23, wherein at least one of the pads comprises an elastomeric material.

25. The pad of claim 23, wherein at least one of the one or more pads is between 3 inches and 6 inches thick.

26. The pad of claim 23, wherein the pad comprises one or more sections that correspond to frame members of a base of the data center module.

27. A method, comprising:

placing one or more pads on a floor of a site at a data center, wherein the one or more pads are configured to compress and conform to variations in a surface of the floor;

placing a module base on the one or more pads on the floor;

placing one or more modules comprising one or more rack computing systems on the module base;

adjusting a first compression mechanism coupled to the floor to apply a compression load to the module base at a first location on at least one of the pads; and

adjusting a second compression mechanism coupled to the floor to apply a different compression load to the module base at a second location on the at least one pad, wherein the surface of the floor at the second location is at a different elevation than the surface of the floor at the first location;

wherein adjusting the first compression mechanism and adjusting the second compression mechanism compress the at least one pad at the first location by a given amount and compress the at least one pad at the second location by another amount to cause a level of at least one of the modules to be adjusted.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein each of at least two of the pads is selected based on the weight of the module to be supported on the pad, wherein the pad for at least one of the modules has a different thickness or different material properties than at least one other of the pads.