Data center air handling unit including uninterruptable cooling fan with weighted rotor and method of using the same

• US 9,823,715 B1
• Filed: 08/21/2012
• Issued: 11/21/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Switch Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Switch Company Limited
• Inventors: Roy, Rob
• Primary Examiner(s): Huson, Gregory
• Assistant Examiner(s): Becton, Martha
• Application Number:
  US13/591,150
• Time in Patent Office: 1,918 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/20 Cooling means
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20172 Fan mounting or fan specifications
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20745 within rooms for removing heat from cabinets, e.g. by air conditioning device

Abstract

Described herein is an air handling unit for use in an integrated data center that provides for efficient cooling, wherein the air handling unit includes one or more uninterruptable cooling fans each with a weighted rotor for providing uninterrupted cooling during a power outage until back-up generators come on-line, and a method of using the same. The uninterruptable cooling fan rotors are configured to store sufficient energy as rotational kinetic energy. Furthermore, the uninterruptable cooling fans may also be configured for generation of electricity to power a control system associated therewith during a power outage until back-up generators come on-line.

Claims

1. A method of preventing damage to electronic equipment located in cabinet clusters, the electronic equipment being cooled with cool air from an electrically powered air conditioning unit during normal operation using electrical power, the method comprising the steps of:

rotating a fan to a predetermined RPM using an electric motor powered with electricity from the electrical power to cause at least a predetermined airflow, the fan including a weighted rotor assembly that includes a fan body and a plurality of fan blades, wherein the weighted rotor assembly weighs at least 50 pounds to create stored angular kinetic energy;

directing the airflow from the air conditioning unit to the cabinet clusters that are located in a data center, the air conditioning unit is physically separated from the cabinet clusters by a barrier, the airflow due to rotation of the fan such that the electric motor of the fan is powered by electrical power to cause rotation of the fan;

upon removal of the electrical power to the fan, continuing to direct airflow to the cabinet clusters with the fan for at least an interim period, using the stored angular kinetic energy of the weighted rotor assembly associated with the fan thereby maintaining fan rotation without use of electrical power; and

after expiration of the interim period, continuing to rotate the fan using the electric motor powered with electrical power to cause further continued airflow to the cabinet clusters.

2. The method according to claim 1 wherein the interim period is between 10 and 25 seconds and the weighted rotor assembly provides a mass moment of inertia of at least 6,000 lbs-in².

3. The method according to claim 2 wherein the weighted rotor assembly includes a flywheel.

4. The method according to claim 3 wherein the fan is a centrifugal fan.

5. The method according to claim 2 wherein the fan is an array of fans, each fan in the array being configured with the weighted rotor assembly.

6. The method according to claim 2 wherein the step of rotating the fan includes controlling the fan using a control system;

and

further including the step of using the stored angular kinetic energy to generate electricity to power the control system in a reduced power mode for the period.

7. The method according to claim 1 wherein the electric motor is a variable frequency drive motor;

and

further including the step of using the stored angular kinetic energy to generate electricity to power the variable frequency drive motor in a reduced power mode for the period.

8. The method according to claim 7 wherein the interim period is between 10 and 25 seconds and the weighted rotor assembly provides a mass moment of inertia of at least 6,000 lbs-in².

9. The method according to claim 8 wherein the airflow is directed through a venting system to the cabinet clusters.

10. The method according to claim 1 wherein the barrier is an exterior wall of the data center.

11. An air conditioning apparatus that receives heated air from a hot aisle of a cabinet cluster and emits cooled air into a cool aisle, the cabinet cluster containing electronic equipment within a data center with equipment fan modules therein and is powered by one of grid power and a back-up generator, the air conditioning apparatus including:

a heat exchange unit containing an exhaust fan that emits heat from the heated air as the vented air, thereby allowing return air to pass through a return damper;

an outside air inlet that allows outside air to pass therethrough;

a filter chamber, the filter chamber including an air intake area coupled to the return damper of the heat exchange unit and the outside air inlet, the air intake area being configurable to receive at least one of the return air and the outside air, as well as a mixture of the return air and the outside air, the filter chamber providing filtered air;

a cooling unit coupled to the filter chamber that creates an air cooling area over which the filtered air passes to create the cooled air, the cooling unit including a cooling unit fan operable to push the filtered air through the air cooling area and into the cabinet cluster;

one or more heated air inlets which penetrate an external wall of a data center to contain and deliver the heated air to the air conditioning apparatus from the hot aisle of the cabinet cluster inside the data center, the air conditioning apparatus located external to the data center; and

one or more cooled air outlets which penetrate an external wall of a data center to contain and deliver the cooled air from the air conditioning apparatus to the cold aisle of the cabinet cluster inside the data center;

wherein one or more of the exhaust fan and the cooling unit fan is configured with a weighted rotor assembly of at least 50 pounds for storing angular kinetic energy during rotation of the one or more of the exhaust fan and the cooling unit fan, the stored energy being sufficient to continue delivering at least a predetermined flow of cooled air from the cooling area into the cabinet cluster for an interim period between loss of the grid power to the air conditioning apparatus and the back-up generator coming on-line, and thereby provide stable environmental cooling conditions during the interim period.

12. The air conditioning apparatus according to claim 11 further including a control system, the control system operable to automatically control each of the heat exchange unit, the cooling unit, and the cooling unit fan.

13. The air conditioning apparatus according to claim 12 wherein the stored energy is also sufficient to generate electricity to power parts of the control system in a reduced power mode for the interim period.

14. The air conditioning system according to claim 11 wherein the one or more of the exhaust fan and the cooling unit fan are driven by a motor operated with a variable frequency drive.

15. The air conditioning apparatus according to claim 14 wherein the stored energy is sufficient to generate electricity to power the variable frequency drive for the interim period.

16. The air conditioning apparatus according to claim 11 wherein the interim period is between 10 and 25 seconds and the weighted rotor assembly provides a mass moment of inertia of at least 6,000 lbs-in².

17. The air conditioning apparatus according to claim 11 wherein the aid weighted rotor assembly includes a flywheel.

18. The air conditioning apparatus according to claim 11 wherein the cooling unit fan is configured with the weighted rotor assembly and is a centrifugal fan.

19. The air conditioning apparatus according to claim 11 wherein the cooling unit fan is configured with the weighted rotor assembly and is an array of fans, each fan in the array configured with the weighted rotor assembly.

20. The air conditioning apparatus according to claim 11 wherein both the exhaust fan and the cooling unit fan are configured with the weighted rotor assembly for storing angular kinetic energy.

21. The air conditioning apparatus according to claim 11 wherein the weighted rotor assembly weighs between 60-80 pounds.

22. The air conditioning apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the weighted rotor assembly comprises a flywheel and a fan body with multiple fan blades, the fan body and the flywheel mounted on a common shaft.

23. The air conditioning apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the weighted rotor assembly comprises a squirrel cage rotor with extra weight at the outer circumference of the squirrel cage rotor.

24. A method of preventing damage to electrical equipment located in a data center building, the electrical equipment being cooled with cool air from an electrically powered air conditioning unit during normal operation using grid power, the method comprising the steps of:

rotating an array of fans located adjacent to and on the exterior of the data center building to a predetermined RPM using an electric motor powered with electricity from the grid power to cause at least a predetermined airflow, at least half of the array of fans including a weighted rotor assembly that includes a fan body and a plurality of fan blades, wherein the weighted rotor assembly weighs at least 50 pounds to create stored angular kinetic energy;

directing the airflow from the array of fans to a first air duct or chamber;

channeling the airflow through the first air duct or chamber which penetrates through an exterior wall of the data center building into one or more other air ducts or chambers toward the electrical equipment;

upon removal of the grid power to the fan, continuing to direct continued airflow to the electrical equipment due to rotation of the fan, the rotation maintained due to the weighted rotor assembly and not from electricity, for at least an interim period using the stored angular kinetic energy within the fan and the weighted rotor assembly, such that the interim period is of a greater duration than a period the fan would rotate without the weighted rotor assembly; and

before expiration of the interim period, continuing to rotate the fan using the electric motor powered with electricity from the back-up generator to cause a predetermined, further continued, airflow to the electrical equipment.