Data Center Airflow Management

Abstract

According to one embodiment, a data center air cooling system includes a first information technology (IT) room and a second IT room, each of which has an electronic device rack, each of which has one or more IT devices. The system includes an air cooling unit configured to provide cooling air to an air chamber, which is configured to supply cooling air to the first IT room. The system includes an air duct system configured to supply cooling air from the air chamber to the second IT room, and configured to return warm air from the first IT room and the second IT room to the air cooling unit. The system includes a plurality of shutters, each of which is configured to be opened or closed independently and in different combinations to produce a plurality of airflow management modes for cooling IT devices in the first IT room, the second IT room, or a combination thereof. The system may also include one or more fans or fan systems in the design.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to a data center cooling air cooling system for cooling information technology (IT) equipment in one or more IT rooms of a data center. Background Art

[0002] A data center is a building or a group of buildings for accommodating computer systems and related components. Specifically, a data center building includes a room with multiple active electronic device racks, which may have servers and other information technology (IT) equipment that perform various services, such as telecommunications and storage systems. Thermal management in a data center is essential to ensure the proper performance of servers and IT equipment running in the racks. However, without proper thermal management, the thermal environment (e.g., temperature) within the rack may exceed the thermal operating threshold, which may lead to adverse results (e.g., server failures, etc.). A data center can manage the thermal environment by implementing an air cooling system that circulates air through the data center room to cool the racks. Specifically, the system may include a dedicated computer room air conditioning (CRAC) unit and a chilled water system that monitors and maintains the thermal environment of the room by supplying cold air to the cold aisle and extracting warm air from the hot aisle. However, these traditional air cooling systems require a large amount of cooling energy consumption in the data center. Therefore, there is a need for an air cooling system that effectively and efficiently cools the electronic equipment of the entire data center.

[0003] The present disclosure describes a data center air cooling system that efficiently cools multiple data center rooms based on the temperature requirements of the electronic device racks in the room. For example, each data center room can operate under the same (or similar) thermal conditions, or can operate under different thermal conditions from each other. Some rooms may require lower air inlet temperatures, while other rooms may be suitable for higher air inlet temperatures. This is especially true when the room uses a liquid cooling solution, in which some of the heat loads of the IT equipment are directly extracted into the liquid. In a liquid-cooled data center room, the cooling air inlet temperature can be increased because most of the heat generated by the IT equipment is captured by the liquid cooling loop. In order to efficiently manage and cool multiple rooms, the data center air cooling system includes a combination of air ducts, air chambers and shutters, which enable the system to adjust the air inlet temperature and / or airflow in each individual room based on the room temperature requirements. For example, the system can supply exhaust air from a room that requires a lower air inlet temperature to a room that requires a higher air inlet temperature. Therefore, the present disclosure provides an efficient air cooling method. Summary of the invention

[0004] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a data center air cooling system is provided. The data center air cooling system may include: a first information technology (IT) room, which may be configured to have a first group of electronic device racks, each of which may have one or more IT devices; a second IT room, which may be configured to have a second group of electronic device racks, each of which may have one or more IT devices; an air cooling unit, which may be configured to provide cooling air to an air chamber of the system, wherein the air chamber may be configured to supply the cooling air to the first IT room; an air duct system, which may be configured to supply the cooling air from the air chamber to the second IT room, and may be configured to return warm air from the first IT room and the second IT room to the air cooling unit; and a plurality of shutters, each of which may be configured to be opened and closed independently to generate a plurality of airflow patterns for cooling IT devices in the first IT room, the second IT room, or a combination thereof.

[0005] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a data center air cooling system is provided. The data center air cooling system may include: a first information technology (IT) room, which may be configured to have a first group of electronic device racks, each of which may have one or more IT devices; a second IT room, which may be configured to have a second group of electronic device racks, each of which may have one or more IT devices; a first air cooling unit adjacent to the first IT room, and a second air cooling unit adjacent to the second IT room, wherein the first air cooling unit and the second air cooling unit may be configured to provide cooling air to the first IT room and the second IT room, respectively; an air duct system, which may be configured to supply cooling air to the first IT room and the second IT room, and return warm air from the two IT rooms to the two air cooling units; and a plurality of shutters, which may be configured to be opened and closed independently to generate a plurality of airflow patterns for cooling IT devices in the first IT room, the second IT room, or a combination thereof. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0006] These aspects are shown by way of example and not limitation in the figures of the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals denote similar elements. It should be noted that references to "one" or "an" aspect of the disclosure are not necessarily references to the same aspect, and they mean at least one. In addition, for the sake of brevity and to reduce the total number of drawings, a given drawing may be used to illustrate features of more than one aspect, and not all elements in a drawing may be required for a given aspect.

[0007] Figure 1 is a block diagram illustrating a top view of an example of a data center air cooling system according to one embodiment.

[0008] Figure 2 is a block diagram illustrating a side view of a data center air cooling system according to one embodiment.

[0009] Figure 3 is a block diagram illustrating an example of an airflow pattern for sequentially cooling multiple IT rooms of a data center, according to one embodiment.

[0010] Figure 4 is a block diagram illustrating an example of an airflow pattern for cooling multiple IT rooms of a data center in parallel, according to one embodiment.

[0011] Figure 5 is a block diagram illustrating a top view of another example of a data center air cooling system according to one embodiment.

[0012] Figure 6 is a block diagram illustrating a side view of a data center air cooling system having multiple air cooling units according to one embodiment.

[0013] Figure 7a and Figure 7b is a block diagram illustrating an example of an air flow pattern for sequentially cooling multiple IT rooms of a data center using different air cooling units, according to one embodiment.

[0014] Figure 8a and Figure 8b is a block diagram illustrating an example of an air flow pattern for cooling multiple IT rooms of a data center in parallel using different air cooling units according to one embodiment.

[0015] Fig. 9 is a block diagram illustrating an example of air flow patterns for multiple air cooling units, each of which air cools a separate IT room, according to one embodiment.

[0016] Fig.10 An example of an electronics rack is shown according to one embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0017] Several aspects of the present disclosure are now described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Whenever the shape, relative position and other aspects of the parts described in a given aspect are not clearly defined, the scope of the present disclosure is not limited to the parts shown, which are intended for illustrative purposes only. In addition, although many details are set forth, it should be understood that some aspects can be practiced without these details. In other cases, well-known circuits, structures and techniques are not shown in detail to avoid obscuring the understanding of the description. In addition, unless the meaning is obviously contrary, all ranges set forth herein are deemed to include the endpoints of each range.

[0018] Reference to "one embodiment" or "an embodiment" in the specification means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in conjunction with the embodiment may be included in at least one embodiment of the present disclosure. The phrase "in one embodiment" appearing in various places in the specification does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment.

[0019] According to one embodiment, a data center air cooling system includes a first information technology (IT) room and a second IT room, wherein the first information technology (IT) room is configured to have a first group of electronic device racks, each of which has one or more IT devices, and the second IT room is configured to have a second group of electronic device racks, each of which has one or more IT devices. The system also includes an air cooling unit configured to provide cooling air to an air chamber of the system, wherein the air chamber is configured to supply cooling air to the first IT room. The system also includes an air duct system configured to supply cooling air from the air chamber to the second IT room, and configured to return warm air from the first IT room and the second IT room to the air cooling unit. The system also includes a plurality of shutters configured to be opened or closed independently and in a determined combination to generate a plurality of airflow patterns for cooling IT equipment in the first IT room, the second IT room, or a combination thereof.

[0020] In one embodiment, the air chamber is a first air chamber and is located between an air cooling unit and a first IT room, the system further comprising a second air chamber and a third air chamber located between the first IT room and the second IT room, wherein the third air chamber comprises a first area adjacent to the first IT room and a second area adjacent to the second IT room, wherein a first louver among a plurality of louvers is located between the first area and the second area, and wherein the second air chamber is adjacent to the second IT room and opposite to the third air chamber.

[0021] In one embodiment, the air duct system includes: 1) a first air duct connecting the first air chamber with the second area of ​​the third air chamber, 2) a second air duct connecting the second air chamber with the air cooling unit, and 3) a third air duct connecting the first area of ​​the third air chamber with the second air duct.

[0022] In one embodiment, the plurality of shutters include: 1) a second shutter located between the first air chamber and the first air duct, 2) a third shutter located between the first zone and the third air duct, and 3) a fourth shutter located between the second zone and the first air duct. In some embodiments, one of the airflow patterns includes an open first shutter, a closed second shutter, a closed third shutter, and a closed fourth shutter, which allows cooling air to flow continuously through the first IT room, the second IT room, and back to the air cooling unit. In another embodiment, the system includes at least one fan configured to draw warm air from the second air chamber heated by IT equipment of at least one of the first group of electronic device racks and the second group of electronic device racks, and push the warm air to the air cooling unit through the second air duct.

[0023] In some embodiments, one of the airflow modes includes a closed first louver, an open second louver, an open third louver, and an open fourth louver, which allows cooling air to flow independently and in parallel through the first IT room and the second IT room. In one embodiment, the cooling air flowing through the first IT room flows at a different flow rate than the cooling air flowing through the second IT room. In another embodiment, the system further includes at least one fan configured to draw cooling air from the first air chamber and push the cooling air through the first air duct to the second area of ​​the third air chamber when the system is in the parallel flow mode.

[0024] In some embodiments, the first IT room and the second IT room are either located in separate buildings / modules or in the same building / module.

[0025] According to another embodiment, another data center cooling system includes a first IT room, a second IT room, a first air cooling unit adjacent to the first IT room, and a second air cooling unit adjacent to the second IT room, wherein both air cooling units are configured to provide cooling air to the IT rooms, respectively. The system also includes an air duct system configured to supply cooling air to the two rooms and return warm air from the two IT rooms to the two air cooling units. The system also includes a plurality of louvers configured to open and close independently to generate a plurality of airflow patterns for cooling IT equipment in the first IT room, the second IT room, or a combination thereof.

[0026] In one embodiment, the system includes a first air chamber located between a first air cooling unit and a first IT room and a second air chamber located between a second air cooling unit and a second IT room. In some embodiments, the air duct system includes: 1) a first air duct connecting the first air cooling unit to the second air cooling unit by having a first portion connected to the first air cooling unit, a second portion connected to the second air cooling unit, and a third portion connecting the first portion and the second portion together; 2) a second air duct connecting the first air chamber to the third portion of the first air duct, and 3) a third air duct connecting the second air chamber to the third portion of the first air duct.

[0027] In one embodiment, the plurality of louvers include: 1) a first louver located between the second air duct and the first air duct, 2) a second louver located between the first portion of the first air duct and the third portion of the first air duct, 3) a third louver located between the third air duct and the first air duct, and 4) a fourth louver located between the second portion of the first air duct and the third portion of the first air duct. In some embodiments, the system includes a first airflow pattern including a closed first louver, an open second louver, an open third louver, and a closed fourth louver, which allows the cooling air provided by the first air cooling unit to flow continuously through the first IT room, the second IT room, and back to the first air cooling unit. The system also includes a second airflow pattern including an open first louver, a closed second louver, a closed third louver, and an open fourth louver, which allows the cooling air provided by the second air cooling unit to flow continuously through the second IT room, the first IT room, and then back to the second air cooling unit.

[0028] In one embodiment, the system also includes a third air chamber located between the first IT room and the second IT room, the third air chamber having a first area adjacent to the first IT room and a second area adjacent to the second IT room, wherein a fifth blind is located between the first area and the second area, and wherein the air duct system also includes a fourth air duct, a fifth air duct, a sixth air duct, and a seventh air duct, wherein the fourth air duct connects the first area of ​​the third air chamber with the first air duct, the fifth air duct connects the second area of ​​the third air chamber with the first air duct, the sixth air duct connects the fourth air duct with the third air duct, and the seventh air duct connects the fifth air duct with the second air duct.

[0029] In one embodiment, the plurality of shutters further include: 1) a sixth shutter located between the seventh air duct and the second air duct, 2) a seventh shutter located between the fifth air duct and the first air duct, 3) an eighth shutter located between the sixth air duct and the third air duct, and 4) a ninth shutter located between the fourth air duct and the first air duct. In another embodiment, the first airflow pattern includes a closed first shutter, an opened second shutter, an opened third shutter, a closed fourth shutter, a closed fifth shutter, an opened sixth shutter, a closed seventh shutter, a closed eighth shutter, and an opened ninth shutter, which allows cooling air provided by the first air cooling unit to flow independently and in parallel through the first IT room and the second IT room. The second air flow pattern includes an open first shutter, a closed second shutter, a closed third shutter, an open fourth shutter, a closed fifth shutter, a closed sixth shutter, an open seventh shutter, an open eighth shutter, and a closed ninth shutter, which allows the cooling air provided by the second air cooling unit to flow through the first IT room and the second IT room separately and in parallel.

[0030] In one embodiment, the plurality of louvers include a tenth louver that divides a third portion of the first air duct, wherein the first louver, the second louver, and the ninth louver are connected to the first air duct toward a first side of the tenth louver, and the third louver, the fourth louver, and the seventh louver are connected to the first air duct toward a second side of the tenth louver that is opposite to the first side. In another embodiment, an airflow pattern includes a closed first louver, an opened second louver, a closed third louver, an opened fourth louver, a closed fifth louver, a closed sixth louver, an opened seventh louver, a closed eighth louver, an opened ninth louver, and a closed tenth louver, which allows cooling air provided by the first air cooling unit to flow through the first IT room and back to the first air cooling unit, and allows cooling air provided by the second air cooling unit to flow through the second IT room and back to the second air cooling unit.

[0031] Figure 1is a block diagram showing a top view of an example of a data center air cooling system according to one embodiment. Specifically, the figure shows a data center air cooling system 1 (hereinafter referred to as a cooling system), which is configured to adjust the airflow through multiple information technology (IT) rooms based on the temperature requirements of the IT rooms. System 1 includes a data center building 2 (or module) and a plurality of air cooling units 5. In one embodiment, the air cooling unit 5 can be an indirect evaporative cooling (IDEC or IEC) unit configured to provide cooling air to the system. In another embodiment, the air cooling unit 5 can be an air handler unit (AHU) or any type of air cooling unit. In some embodiments, the air cooling unit can be any type of air cooling unit, and at least some of the air cooling units shown in this article can be the same (or different) as each other. As shown, each air cooling unit 5 is located outside and adjacent to the data center building 2 (e.g., adjacent to the first air chamber 6 of the data center building 2). However, the unit (or a portion of the unit) can be located on the top of the building 2 (e.g., on the roof). In another embodiment, at least some of the units can be part of (or adjacent to) a separate data center building. In some embodiments, system 1 may include more or fewer units than shown in the figures, such as only one unit.

[0032] As shown, the data center building 2 includes (from right to left) a first air chamber 6, a first IT room 3, a third air chamber 7, a second IT room 4, and a second air chamber 8. The building 2 also includes an air duct system 9. In one embodiment, the building 2 may include more or fewer components (elements). For example, the building may include one IT room or more than two IT rooms. Thus, the air chambers may separate each of the IT rooms from each other (e.g., the third air chamber 7). In another embodiment, the IT rooms may not be separated by air chambers, but may be adjacent to each other (located on at least one side).

[0033] Each of the IT rooms is configured to have (or be equipped with) a set of electronic device racks. Specifically, as an example, each IT room includes two IT cabins 10, each cabin having 16 IT racks 11 (two rows of 8 IT racks on either side of the cabin). Each cabin is arranged so that the multiple rows of IT racks between the IT rooms are parallel to each other, and the cabins are arranged in a hot aisle and cold aisle manner. In one embodiment, the cabins and / or IT racks may be arranged differently between the IT rooms.

[0034] Each of the air chambers 6 to 8 extends along the length of the data center building 2, wherein the first air chamber 6 is located between the first IT room and the air cooling unit, and the second air chamber 8 is adjacent to the second IT room and farthest from the air cooling unit. The first chamber is configured to receive cooling air provided by the air cooling unit (at least some of the air cooling units). For example, the cooling air output port of each of the air cooling units may be connected to the first air chamber. In one embodiment, at least some of the air cooling units may be connected via air ducts, as described herein, which may be the case when the air cooling units are separated from the data center building 2 (or are not part of the data center building 2) and / or may be part of different data center buildings. In another embodiment, the first air chamber 6 is configured to maintain the cooling air provided by at least some of the air cooling units at a high pressure. In one embodiment, at least some of the air chambers may be divided at one or more locations. For example, the first air chamber 6 may be divided (e.g., in the middle) so that the cooling air provided by some of the air cooling units (the top two) is separated from the cooling air provided by other air cooling units (the bottom two). In one embodiment, as described herein, louvers may also be used to separate cooling air in one or more air chambers by adjusting the opening of the louvers.

[0035] The second chamber 8 is configured to receive warm air from one (or both) of the IT rooms and return the warm air to the air cooling unit via the air duct system 9, as described herein. The third air chamber 7 is located between the two IT rooms and, as described herein, can be configured based on the airflow pattern of the system. For example, the third air chamber 7 is configured to utilize one or more louvers to divide it into two adjacent areas based on the desired airflow pattern. Specifically, the third air chamber 7 can be configured to allow air to flow between the IT rooms, and can be configured to separate the two IT rooms so that both rooms have different air flows. More information about adjusting the third air chamber 7 is described herein.

[0036] As described herein, each of the air chambers can be configured to supply and / or receive cooling air that is circulated through the system 1. To supply and receive cooling air, the air chambers can have holes (or openings) that allow air to flow between the air chamber and an adjacent room (or chambers), or between the air chamber and an air duct. In another embodiment, at least some of the air chambers can include shutters that can be opened and closed based on whether air should be allowed to flow into or out of the air chamber. More information about the function and operation of shutters is described herein.

[0037] The air duct system 9 may include one or more air ducts, and is configured to supply cooled air provided by the air cooling unit (and from the first air chamber 6) to any of the IT rooms, and is configured to return warm air from any of the IT rooms to the air cooling unit. In one embodiment, the data center air cooling system 1 may include an air duct system 9 for each of the air cooling units, as shown in the figure. In another embodiment, there may be one air duct system 9 for at least two or more air cooling units. For example, at least some of the four air duct systems 9 may be interconnected so that air is extracted from (and / or supplied to) different locations within any one air chamber and mixed within at least one air duct of the system. Although not shown, the data center air cooling system 1 also includes one or more louvers that are configured to open and close independently to produce multiple airflow patterns for cooling IT equipment of the IT racks 11. Specifically, the louvers may be located between the air ducts of the air duct system 9 to adjust the airflow. Shutters may also be located within the third air chamber so that when the shutters are open, the third air chamber is one continuous chamber, and when the shutters are closed, the chamber is divided into two separate areas (or sub-air chambers). More information about shutters is described herein.

[0038] The controller 12 may be a computing device (e.g., an IT device), or may be part of a computing device (e.g., a dedicated processor such as an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), such as a general purpose microprocessor, a field programmable gate array (FPGA), a digital signal controller, or a set of hardware logic structures (e.g., filters, arithmetic logic units, and dedicated state machines)). The controller may also include a memory. In one embodiment, the controller 12 may be a device located within the data center building 2, may be part of one of the IT racks 11, or may be located at a separate location (e.g., in a different data center building). The controller 12 is configured to perform airflow management operations to control airflow within the data center air cooling system. Specifically, the controller 12 is communicatively coupled to at least some of the blinds of the system 1 (e.g., wired and / or wirelessly connected), and is configured to control the blinds (e.g., by sending control signals to control circuits of the blinds, such as electronic switches or motors), so as to open and / or close the blinds and / or adjust the opening of the blinds. In one embodiment, the controller may control the blinds to produce a desired airflow pattern. More information about the controller is described herein.

[0039] Figure 2is a block diagram showing a side view of a data center cooling system according to one embodiment. Specifically, the figure shows a side view of a data center cooling system 1, which includes a plurality of air ducts and shutters capable of producing a variety of airflow management modes. The system includes four shutters 27 to 30, each of which is shown as closed. In one embodiment, each of the shutters may include a blade that allows air to pass when open and blocks air flow when closed. Specifically, the open shutter allows air or fluid to pass substantially freely, while the closed shutter does not allow air or fluid to pass (from one side of the shutter to the other side). The first shutter 27 is located in the third air chamber 7, and the first shutter 27 separates the third air chamber 7 into a first area 22 and a second area 23. As described herein, when the first shutter 27 is opened, air is allowed to flow from the first area 22 through the first shutter 27 and into the second area 23, and vice versa. A second louver 28 is located at the top of the first air chamber 6, a third louver 29 is located at the top of the first region 22, and a fourth louver 30 is located at the top of the second region 23. In one embodiment, the louvers may be coupled to the ports (holes or openings) of each respective chamber. Specifically, the louvers are coupled to the ports so that the louvers cover the opening of the chamber (or are placed on top of it), and as described herein, when the louvers are open, air is allowed to leave the chamber and pass through the louvers.

[0040] In one embodiment, the system 1 may include more or fewer shutters as shown herein. For example, the shutters may be located at the top of the second air chamber. As another example, at least some of the air chambers may include one or more shutters. For example, the first air chamber may include shutters that, when closed, prevent air from flowing between the first IT room 3 and the first air chamber 6. Similarly, the second air chamber may include shutters that, when closed, prevent air from flowing between the second IT room 4 and the second air chamber 8. In another embodiment, although the shutters are shown as extending over the entire width (or height) of the chamber, the size of the shutters may be different. For example, instead of the first shutter 27 extending over the entire height of the third air chamber, the first shutter 27 may be smaller so that it is located within the wall that divides the third air chamber into two areas.

[0041] The air duct system 9 includes three air ducts 24 to 26. The first air duct 24 connects the first air chamber 6 to the second area 23 of the third air chamber so as to allow air to flow from the first chamber to the second area. The second air duct 25 connects the second air chamber 8 to the air cooling unit 5. Specifically, the second air duct can be connected (or coupled) to the air inlet port of the air cooling unit 5, which is configured to draw warm air to be cooled (e.g., through a heat exchanger included therein) into the cooling air to be circulated back to the system 1. The third air duct 26 connects the first area 22 of the third air chamber 7 to the second air duct 25, which allows air to flow from the first area 22 into the second air duct 25.

[0042] In one embodiment, at least some of the air ducts described herein are connected to the corresponding air chambers via shutters located between the air ducts and the air chambers. For example, the first air duct 24 is connected to the first air chamber 6 via the second shutter 28, and the first air duct 24 is connected to the second area 23 via the fourth shutter 30. In addition, the third air duct 26 is connected to the first area 22 via the third shutter 29. In one embodiment, the shutters may be arranged differently. For example, the shutters (or at least some of the shutters) may be located inside the air duct, or may be located between the air ducts. For example, the second shutter 28 may be located inside the first air duct 24. Therefore, the first air duct may be directly connected to the first air chamber 6, rather than being connected via the second shutter 28.

[0043] The system 1 also includes two fans / fan systems 31 and 32. Both fans are configured to draw air from one direction and push the drawn air to another direction. Specifically, the fan 31 is configured to draw warm air from the second air chamber 8 (which is heated by the IT equipment in the first IT room and / or the second IT room) and push the warm air to the air cooling unit 5 via the second air duct 25. The fan 32 is configured to draw cool air from the first air chamber 6 and push the cool air into the second area 23 of the third air chamber 7 via the first air duct 24. In one embodiment, the fan may include one or more fans to form a fan system. In another embodiment, the system 1 may include more or fewer fans, and the fans may be located in different positions. For example, the fan may be located in the third air duct 26.

[0044] As described herein, controller 12 is configured to control at least some of the shutters (eg, shutters 27 - 30 ) to create airflow patterns for cooling IT equipment in first IT room 3 , second IT room 4 , or both rooms. Figure 3 and Figure 4Two airflow patterns are shown which may occur depending on whether the shutters are in an open or closed position and in different combinations.

[0045] Figure 3 is a block diagram illustrating an example of an airflow pattern for sequentially cooling multiple IT rooms of a data center according to one embodiment. Specifically, the figure shows a cooling air flow 40 provided by an air cooling unit circulating through two IT rooms of a system 1 before returning to the air cooling unit. To produce this airflow pattern, the first louver 27 is open, while the second louver 28, the third louver 29, and the fourth louver 30 are closed. In this mode, the air inlet temperature of the cooling air 40 entering the first IT room can be at a low temperature. As the cooling air moves through the first IT room, the air is heated at a higher temperature and enters the third chamber, i.e., at the air inlet temperature of the second IT room. The air flows through the second IT room and enters the second chamber at an even higher temperature than the air temperature in the third air chamber. The warm air in the second air chamber is then circulated back to the air cooling unit. In one embodiment, although the fan 31 may be active (e.g., drawing warm air from the second air chamber) in this airflow pattern, the fan 32 is deactivated.

[0046] This airflow pattern may be preferred when the IT equipment in the second IT room is not primarily air cooled but is instead cooled using another method such as liquid cooling. Since the IT equipment in the second room is not primarily air cooled, or most of the heat generated by the IT equipment is directly extracted by liquid, or most of the electronics are liquid cooled, the cooling air entering the second IT room can be designed and operated at a higher (warmer) air inlet temperature than an IT room that primarily relies on air cooling. In this case, the first IT room can be air cooled to take advantage of the lower inlet air temperature compared to the temperature of the second IT room.

[0047] Figure 4is a block diagram showing an example of an airflow pattern for cooling multiple IT rooms of a data center in parallel according to one embodiment. The figure shows two separate cooling air flows circulating through the system 1. Specifically, a first cooling air flow 41 circulates through the first IT room (from the first air chamber 6), enters the first zone 22 of the third air chamber 7, passes through the third air duct 26, and returns to the air cooling unit via the second air duct. A second cooling air flow 42 circulates through the first air duct 24 (from the first air chamber 6 and through the first air duct 24), enters the second zone 23, passes through the second IT room, enters the second air chamber 8, and returns to the air cooling unit through the second air duct to mix with the cooling air 41. The air entering the first zone of the third air chamber may be heated by the IT equipment in the first IT room, while the air entering the second air chamber 8 may be heated by the IT equipment in the second IT room. To produce this airflow pattern, the first louver 27 is closed, while the second louver 28, the third louver 29, and the fourth louver 30 are opened. This pattern may be considered a parallel airflow pattern because both IT rooms receive separate cooling air flows from the first air plenum. In one embodiment, while fan 31 may be active in this airflow pattern, fan 32 may also be active (e.g., drawing cooling air from the first air plenum and pushing the cooling air through the first air duct to the second region of the third air plenum).

[0048] This airflow pattern may be preferred when the IT equipment in both IT rooms are primarily air cooled. Thus, since the air flow 42 cooling the second IT room comes from the air plenum 6, rather than the exhaust warm air from the first IT room, the air inlet temperature of the second IT room in this mode may be the same or similar to the air inlet temperature of the first cooling air flow 41 entering the first IT room. As another example, this airflow pattern may be preferred when the IT equipment in both IT rooms are primarily liquid cooled and have a much higher density. Thus, since the amount of cooling air flow is reduced, the cooling air is still sufficient to support multiple rooms in parallel.

[0049] In one embodiment, the controller is configured to (individually) control the shutters and / or fans of the data center air cooling system to adjust the flow rate of cooling air flowing throughout the system. Specifically, the controller 12 may adjust the opening of the shutters (e.g., by instructing the control circuit of the shutters to close or rotate the blades so that they partially close the shutters) to reduce the flow rate of cooling air flowing through the system 1. As an example, when the system is in Figure 3, the controller 12 may adjust the opening of the first louver (e.g., by closing the louvers 50% relative to being fully open) to reduce the flow rate of the flowing cooling air 40. Thus, the cooling air flowing through the first IT room may flow at a different rate than the air flowing through the second IT room. Similarly, when the system is in Figure 4 , the controller may adjust the opening of the second louver (e.g., by closing the blades by 30%) to reduce the flow rate of the second cooling air flow 42 relative to the flow rate of the first cooling air flow 41. For fans 31 and 32, the controller 12 may adjust the fan speed of either fan 31 while the fan is active to increase / decrease the flow rate.

[0050] In another embodiment, the controller 12 is configured to (automatically) adjust the flow rate based on thermal conditions. For example, the controller may adjust the flow rate based on the temperature in either IT room. The controller may obtain temperature data from temperature sensors (not shown) located in both IT rooms. When the temperature in the room reaches a threshold, the controller may adjust the blade position and / or fan speed to increase the flow rate of cooling air through the room.

[0051] As described above, the first IT room 3 and the second IT room 4 are located in (or as part of) the same data center building 2 or module. However, in another embodiment, the two IT rooms may be located in separate data center buildings. In this case, the first area 22 and the second area 23 may be separate air chambers connected to each other using air ducts (wherein at least one of the separate air chambers is connected to the air duct via a louver). Thus, the two rooms may be cooled in series and in parallel, but together in different buildings.

[0052] Figure 5 1 is a block diagram showing a top view of another example of a data center air cooling system according to one embodiment. The figure shows a data center air cooling system 50, in which both sides of a data center building 2 are equipped with at least one air cooling unit 5, which is similar to Figure 1The system 1 described herein has at least one air cooling unit on one side. Specifically, there is a first group of air cooling units configured to provide cooling air to the first air chamber 6, and there is a second group of air cooling units configured to provide cooling air to the second air chamber 8. As described herein, the air cooling units may be adjacent to the air chambers, as shown herein, or may be located on the roof of the building 2, or may be separated from the building. Between each of the air cooling units 5 and their respective air chambers, there are shutters 52. In one embodiment, the controller 12 is configured to open the shutters 52 when the corresponding air cooling unit is providing cooling air. Otherwise, the shutters 52 may be closed. In one aspect, the data center air cooling system 50 may include the same or different components of the data center air cooling system 1.

[0053] There are several advantages to having air cooling units that provide cooling air on either side of the data center building 2. For example, as described herein, the data center air cooling system 50 can operate in a manner similar to the data center air cooling system 1. Specifically, the air cooling units located on the right side of the building can provide cooling air. The air cooling units located on the left side of the building can be redundant units that only provide cooling air when the air cooling units on the right side are disabled (e.g., during maintenance). Another benefit described herein is the ability to provide cooling air to two IT rooms at different inlet air temperatures. Another benefit is the flexibility of providing redundant designs and potential future room upgrades.

[0054] The system also includes an air duct system 51, which may include one or more air ducts and is configured to supply cooled air provided by the air cooling unit from either side of the building 2 to any of the IT rooms, and is configured to return warm air to the air cooling unit on either side of the building. Similar to the air duct system 9, the system 51 may include one or more shutters configured to open and close independently to create multiple airflow patterns, as described herein. More information about the shutters of the system is described in detail herein.

[0055] Figure 6 1 is a block diagram illustrating a side view of a data center air cooling system having multiple air cooling units according to one embodiment. Specifically, the figure illustrates a side view of a data center cooling system 50 including multiple air ducts and louvers capable of producing multiple air flow management modes. As shown, the layout of the cooling system 50, specifically the layout of the air chambers and IT rooms, is similar to the layout of the cooling system 1. As described herein, the cooling system includes two air cooling units (each belonging to Figure 5). Specifically, there is a first air cooling unit 5a adjacent to the first air chamber 6 and configured to provide cooling air to the chamber, and there is a second air cooling unit 5b adjacent to the second air chamber 8 and configured to provide cooling air to the chamber. In one aspect, both air cooling units can be the same type of cooling unit (e.g., each is an IDEC unit), or the units can be different (e.g., one is an IDEC unit and the other is an AHU). In addition, between the first air cooling unit 5a and the first air chamber 6 is a louver 52a, and between the second air cooling unit 5b and the second air chamber 8 is a louver 52b.

[0056] The air duct system 51 includes seven air ducts 60 to 64 and 90 to 91. The first air duct 60 connects the first air cooling unit 5a (e.g., air integrity port) to the second air cooling unit 5b (e.g., air integrity port). Specifically, the first air duct 60 includes: a first portion 65 connected to the first air cooling unit 5a; a second portion 66 connected to the second air cooling unit 5b; and a third portion 67 connecting the first portion and the second portion together. The second air duct 61 connects the first air chamber 6 to the first air duct 60 (e.g., the third portion 67 of the first air duct 60), and the third air duct 62 connects the second air chamber 8 to the first air duct 60 (e.g., the third portion 67 of the first air duct 60). The fourth air duct 63 connects the first area 22 of the third air chamber 7 to the first air duct 60 (the third portion 67 of the first air duct 60), and the fifth air duct 64 connects the second area 23 of the third air chamber 7 to the first air duct 60 (the third portion 67 of the first air duct 60). The sixth air duct 90 connects the third air duct 62 to the fourth air duct 63 , and the seventh air duct 91 connects the second air duct 61 to the fifth air duct 64 .

[0057] The system 50 also includes a plurality of shutters 68 to 77. The first shutter 68 is located between the second air duct and the third portion of the first air duct, the second shutter 69 is located between the first portion of the first air duct and the third portion of the first air duct, the third shutter 70 is located between the third air duct and the third portion of the first air duct, the fourth shutter 71 is located between the second portion of the first air duct and the third portion of the first air duct, the fifth shutter 72 divides the third air chamber into a first area and a second area, the sixth shutter 73 is located between the seventh air duct and the second air duct, the seventh shutter 74 is located between the fifth air duct and the third portion of the first air duct, the eighth shutter 75 is located between the sixth air duct and the third air duct, and the ninth shutter 76 is located between the fourth air duct and the third portion of the first air duct.

[0058] The third part of the first air duct also includes a tenth louver 77. As shown, the tenth louver 77 is located in the middle of the third part and divides the third part into two separate air ducts. In one embodiment, the tenth louver 77 may not be located in the middle. As shown, the first louver, the second louver and the ninth louver are connected to the third part of the first air duct towards a first side (e.g., the first air cooling unit side) of the tenth louver, and the third louver, the fourth louver and the seventh louver are connected to the third part of the first air duct towards the opposite second side (e.g., the second air cooling unit side) of the tenth louver.

[0059] The system 50 also includes two fans 78 and 79, each of which is configured to draw air from one direction and push the drawn air in another direction, as described herein. In one embodiment, any fan described herein may be configured to be reversible, so that the fan may be configured to draw and push air in either direction. For example, the controller 12 may configure the fan 78 to draw air from the second air chamber and push air through the third air duct, or conversely, the fan may be configured to draw air from the third air duct and push air into the second air chamber. In one embodiment, the controller may configure the fan based on the airflow pattern implemented by the system. In another embodiment, at least one additional fan or fan system may be added to the configuration.

[0060] In one embodiment, the system 50 may include fewer louvers and / or air ducts. For example, the system may not include at least one of the fourth air duct 63, the fifth air duct 64, the sixth air duct 90, and the seventh air duct 91. Thus, the system may not include louvers 73 to 77. In another embodiment, the system 50 may include more louvers and / or air ducts. For example, the system may include louvers between each air duct and the air chamber connection, such as Figure 2 The shutters shown in .

[0061] As described herein, controller 12 is configured to control at least some of the shutters (eg, shutters 68 - 77 ) to produce an airflow pattern for cooling IT equipment in the IT room. Figure 7a and Figure 7b It shows that Figure 3 Similar airflow patterns as shown in Figure 8a and Figure 8b It shows that Figure 4 Similar airflow pattern as shown in .

[0062] Figure 7a and Figure 7b2 is a block diagram illustrating an example of an airflow pattern for sequentially cooling multiple IT rooms of a data center using different air cooling units according to one embodiment. Specifically, both figures illustrate a sequential airflow pattern in which only one of the air cooling units provides cooling air while the other air cooling unit is in a standby state (or deactivated state). Figure 7a A cooling air flow 80 is shown, which is provided by the first air cooling unit 5a and circulates continuously through the two IT rooms of the system 50 before returning to the first air cooling unit. To produce this airflow pattern, the second louver 69, the tenth louver 77, the third louver 70, and the fifth louver 72 are open, while the first louver 68, the sixth louver 73, the ninth louver 76, the seventh louver 74, the fourth louver 71, and the eighth louver 75 are closed. In addition, the louver 52a is open, but the louver 52b is closed because the second air cooling unit does not provide cooling air.

[0063] Figure 7b A cooling air flow 81 is shown, which is provided by the second air cooling unit 5b and circulates continuously through the two IT rooms before returning to the second air cooling unit. To produce this airflow pattern, the first louver 68, the tenth louver 77, the fourth louver 71, and the fifth louver 72 are open, while the second louver 69, the sixth louver 73, the ninth louver 76, the seventh louver 74, the third louver 70, and the eighth louver 75 are closed. In addition, the louver 52a is closed, while the louver 52b is open.

[0064] Figure 8a and Figure 8b 2 is a block diagram illustrating an example of an airflow pattern for cooling multiple IT rooms of a data center in parallel using different air cooling units according to one embodiment. Specifically, both figures illustrate a parallel airflow pattern in which only one of the air cooling units provides cooling air while the other air cooling unit is in a standby state. Figure 8aTwo cooling air flows are shown that are provided by the first air cooling unit 5a and cool the two IT rooms in parallel. Specifically, there is a first cooling air flow 82 that circulates through the first IT room (from the first air chamber) and returns to the first air cooling unit via the fourth air duct and the first air duct, and there is a second cooling air flow 83 that circulates through the second IT room, is drawn from the first air chamber through the second air duct, the seventh air duct and the fifth air duct, and returns to the first air cooling unit via the third air duct and the first air duct. In order to produce this airflow pattern, the second louver 69, the ninth louver 76, the tenth louver 77, the sixth louver 73 and the third louver 70 are opened, while the first louver 68, the seventh louver 74, the fourth louver 71, the fifth louver 72 and the eighth louver 75 are closed.

[0065] Figure 8b Two cooling air flows are shown which are provided by the second air cooling unit 5b and cool the two IT rooms in parallel. In this case, the louvers are configured so that air flows 84 and 85 are in parallel with Figure 8a The air flow is generated in a similar manner from the second air chamber 8. Therefore, in Figure 8b In addition to the tenth shutter which remains open and the fifth shutter which remains closed, Figure 8a The shutters configured to be open are configured to be closed, and vice versa.

[0066] Fig. 9 is a block diagram showing an example of an airflow pattern for multiple air cooling units according to one embodiment, each air cooling unit air cooling a separate IT room. Specifically, the figure shows that the first air cooling unit 5a provides a cooling air flow 86 to cool the IT equipment in the first IT room 3, while the second air cooling unit 5b provides another cooling air flow 87 to cool the IT equipment in the second IT room 4. Therefore, the two cooling air flows circulate through the system and return to their respective air cooling units without contacting (or mixing) with each other. In order to produce this airflow pattern, the second louver 69, the ninth louver 76, the seventh louver 74, the fourth louver 71 and the two louvers 52a and 52b are opened, while the first louver 68, the sixth louver 73, the fifth louver 72, the tenth louver 77, the eighth louver 75 and the third louver 70 are closed. In this airflow pattern, each air cooling unit can independently provide cooling air at different temperatures and / or flow rates based on the needs of the corresponding IT room.

[0067] Fig.10900 is a block diagram showing an example of an electronic device rack according to one embodiment. The electronic device rack 900 may include one or more server slots to accommodate one or more servers respectively. Each server includes one or more information technology (IT) components (e.g., processors, memories, storage devices, network interfaces). According to one embodiment, the electronic device rack 900 includes, but is not limited to, a CDU 901, a rack management unit (RMU) 902 (optional), a power supply unit (PSU) 950, a BBU 951 (which may include one or more battery modules), and one or more IT devices (or IT devices) 903A to 903D, wherein the IT device may be any type of IT device, such as a server blade. The IT device 903 may be inserted into the array of server slots from the front end 904 or the rear end 905 of the electronic device rack 900, respectively. The PSU 950 and / or the BBU 951 may be inserted into any one of the server slots in the electronic device rack 900. In one embodiment, one or more BBUs may be inserted into any one of the server slots in the electronic device rack 900.

[0068] It should be noted that although only four IT devices 903A-903D are shown here, more or fewer IT devices may be maintained within the electronics rack 900. It should also be noted that the specific locations of the CDU 901, RMU 902, PSU 950, BBU 951, and IT devices 903 are shown for illustration purposes only; other arrangements or configurations of the CDU 901, RMU 902, BBU 951, and IT devices 903 may also be implemented. It should be noted that the electronics rack 900 may be open to the environment or partially contained by a rack container, as long as the cooling fans can generate airflow from the front to the rear.

[0069] In addition, a fan module may be associated with each of the IT equipment 903 and the BBU 951. In this embodiment, fan modules 931A to 931E are collectively referred to as fan modules, and are associated with IT equipment 903A to 903D, respectively. Each of the fan modules includes one or more cooling fans. The fan modules may be installed at the rear end of the IT equipment 903 and / or the BBU 951 to generate airflow that flows out from the front end 904, travels through the air space of the IT equipment 903, and exists at the rear end 905 of the electronic device rack 900. In one embodiment, each of the fan modules may be installed at the rear end of the IT equipment 903 and one or more BBUs 951. In another embodiment, one or more of the fan modules may be located on the front end 904 of the rack 900. Such a front end fan may be configured to push air into the IT equipment 903 and / or the BBU 951.

[0070] In one embodiment, the CDU 901 mainly includes a heat exchanger 911, a liquid pump 912 and a pump controller (not shown), as well as some other components such as a liquid container, a power supply, a monitoring sensor, etc. The heat exchanger 911 can be a liquid-to-liquid heat exchanger. The heat exchanger 911 includes a first loop having an inlet port and an outlet port, wherein the inlet port and the outlet port have a first pair of liquid connectors connected to external liquid supply / return lines 931 to 932 to form a main loop. The connector connected to the external liquid supply / return lines 931 to 932 can be set or installed on the rear end 905 of the electronic device rack 900. The liquid supply / return lines 931 to 932 are connected to a group of chamber manifolds, which are connected to an external heat removal system or an external cooling circuit. In addition, the heat exchanger 911 also includes a second loop having two ports with a second pair of liquid connectors coupled to the liquid manifold 925 to form a second loop, which may include a supply manifold for supplying cool liquid to the IT equipment 903 and a return manifold for returning warmer liquid to the CDU 901. It should be noted that the CDU 901 may be any type of commercially available or custom CDU. Therefore, the details of the CDU 901 will not be described herein.

[0071] Each of the IT devices 903 may include one or more IT components (e.g., a central processing unit or CPU, a graphics processing unit (GPU), memory, and / or storage). Each IT component may perform data processing tasks, wherein the IT component may include software installed in a storage device, loaded into a memory, and executed by one or more processors to perform data processing tasks. At least some of these IT components may be attached to the bottom of any of the cooling devices described above. The IT device 903 may include a host server (referred to as a host node) connected to one or more computing servers (also referred to as computing nodes, such as CPU servers and GPU servers). The host server (having one or more CPUs) typically interacts with a client over a network (e.g., the Internet) to receive requests for specific services such as storage services (e.g., cloud-based storage services such as backup and / or recovery), and executes an application to perform certain operations (e.g., image processing, deep data learning algorithms or modeling, etc., as part of a software as a service or SaaS platform). In response to the request, the host server assigns the task to one or more of the performance computing nodes or computing servers (having one or more GPUs) managed by the host server. The performance computing server performs the actual task, which may generate heat during operation.

[0072] In one embodiment, the BBU 951 is configured to provide backup power (e.g., drawing battery energy from one or more battery modules contained therein) to a rack (e.g., one or more IT devices 903) when the rack is not drawing power from a primary power source, such as during a power outage.

[0073] The electronics rack 900 also includes an optional RMU 902 configured to provide and manage power supplied to the servers, fan modules, and CDU 901. The optimization module 921 and the RMC 922 can communicate with a controller in some applications. The RMU 902 can be connected to the PSU 950 to manage the power consumption of the PSU. The PSU 950 can include necessary circuits (e.g., alternating current (AC) to direct current (DC) or DC to DC power converters, backup batteries, transformers or regulators, etc.) to power the remaining components of the electronics rack 900.

[0074] In one embodiment, the RMU 902 includes an optimization module 921 and a rack management controller (RMC) 922. The RMC 922 may include a monitor to monitor the operating status of various components (such as, for example, computing nodes, CDU 901, and fan modules) within the electronic device rack 900. Specifically, the monitor receives operating data representing the operating environment of the electronic device rack 900 from various sensors. For example, the monitor may receive operating data representing the temperature of the processor, coolant, and airflow, which may be captured and collected via various temperature sensors. The monitor may also receive data representing the fan power and pump power generated by the fan module and the liquid pump 912, which may be proportional to their respective speeds. These operating data are referred to as real-time operating data. It should be noted that the monitor may be implemented as a separate module within the RMU 902.

[0075] Based on the operation data, the optimization module 921 performs optimization using a predetermined optimization function or optimization model to derive a set of optimal fan speeds for the fan module and an optimal pump speed for the liquid pump 912, so that the total power consumption of the liquid pump 912 and the fan module is minimized, and the operation data associated with the liquid pump 912 and the cooling fan of the fan module are within their respective design specifications. Once the optimal pump speed and the optimal fan speed are determined, the RMC 922 configures the liquid pump 912 and the cooling fan of the fan module based on the optimal pump speed and the fan speed.

[0076] As an example, based on the optimal pump speed, the RMC 922 communicates with the pump controller of the CDU 901 to control the speed of the liquid pump 912, which in turn controls the liquid flow rate of the cooling liquid supplied to the liquid manifold 925 to be distributed to at least some of the server blades. Thus, the operating conditions and corresponding cooling device performance are adjusted. Similarly, based on the optimal fan speed, the RMC 922 communicates with each of the fan modules to control the speed of each cooling fan of the fan module, which in turn controls the airflow rate of the fan module. It should be noted that each of the fan modules can be individually controlled with its specific optimal fan speed, and different fan modules and / or different cooling fans within the same fan module can have different optimal fan speeds.

[0077] It should be noted that some or all of the IT equipment 903 (e.g., 903A, 903B, 903C, and / or 903D) may be attached to any of the above cooling devices via air cooling using a radiator or via liquid cooling using a cold plate. One server may utilize air cooling while another server may utilize liquid cooling. Alternatively, one IT component of a server may utilize air cooling while another IT component of the same server may utilize liquid cooling. In addition, a switch that enables air cooling or liquid cooling is not shown here.

[0078] As previously described, embodiments of the present disclosure may be (or include) a non-transitory machine-readable medium (such as a microelectronic memory) having stored thereon instructions that program one or more data processing components (collectively referred to herein as "processors") to perform airflow management operations, such as controlling blinds and / or fans as described herein. In other embodiments, some of these operations may be performed by specific hardware components that include hardwired logic. Alternatively, these operations may be performed by any combination of programmed data processing components and fixed hardwired circuit components.

[0079] In the above description, embodiments of the present disclosure have been described with reference to specific exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. It will be apparent that various modifications may be made to the present disclosure without departing from the broader spirit and scope of the present disclosure as set forth in the claims appended hereto. Therefore, the present description and the accompanying drawings should be understood in an illustrative rather than a restrictive sense.

[0080] Although certain aspects have been described and shown in the accompanying drawings, it should be understood that these aspects are merely illustrative and not limiting of the broad disclosure, and the disclosure is not limited to the specific constructions and arrangements shown and described, since various other modifications may occur to those skilled in the art. Therefore, this description is to be regarded as illustrative and not restrictive.

[0081] In some aspects, the present disclosure may include language such as "at least one of [element A] and [element B]". Such language may represent one or more of the elements. For example, "at least one of A and B" may represent "A", "B", or "A and B". Specifically, "at least one of A and B" may represent "at least one of A and at least one of B" or "at least one of A or B". In some aspects, the present disclosure may include language such as "[element A], [element B] and / or [element C]". Such language may represent any one of the elements or any combination thereof. For example, "A, B and / or C" may represent "A", "B", "C", "A and B", "A and C", "B and C", or "A, B and C".

Claims

1. A data center air cooling system, comprising: A first IT room configured to have a first set of electronic device racks, each of the electronic device racks having one or more IT equipment; a second IT room configured to have a second set of electronic device racks, each of the electronic device racks having one or more IT equipment; an air cooling unit configured to provide cooling air into an air chamber of the system, wherein the air chamber is configured to supply the cooling air to the first IT room; an air duct system configured to supply the cooled air from the air plenum to the second IT room and configured to return warm air from the first IT room and the second IT room to the air cooling unit; and a plurality of shutters, each of which is configured to be opened and closed independently to generate a plurality of airflow patterns for cooling IT equipment in the first IT room, the second IT room, or a combination thereof; wherein some of the plurality of airflow patterns allow cooling air to flow through the first IT room and the second IT room continuously or independently and in parallel; The air chamber is a first air chamber and is located between the air cooling unit and the first IT room, wherein the data center air cooling system further comprises: a second air chamber; and a third air chamber located between the first IT room and the second IT room, wherein the third air chamber includes a first area adjacent to the first IT room and a second area adjacent to the second IT room, wherein a first louver among the plurality of louvers is located between the first area and the second area, Wherein, the second air chamber is adjacent to the second IT room and opposite to the third air chamber; The air duct system includes: 1) a first air duct connecting the first air chamber with the second area of ​​the third air chamber; 2) a second air duct connecting the second air chamber with the air cooling unit; and 3) a third air duct connecting the first area of ​​the third air chamber with the second air duct.

2. The data center air cooling system according to claim 1, wherein: The plurality of shutters further comprises: 1) a second louver located between the first air chamber and the first air duct, 2) a third louver located between the first area and the third air duct, and 3) A fourth louver located between the second area and the first air duct.

3. The data center air cooling system according to claim 2, wherein: One of the multiple airflow patterns includes an open first louver, a closed second louver, a closed third louver, and a closed fourth louver, which allows cooling air to flow continuously through the first IT room, the second IT room, and back to the air cooling unit.

4. The data center air cooling system of claim 3, further comprising at least one fan configured to draw warm air from the second air chamber heated by IT equipment of at least one of the first group of electronic device racks and the second group of electronic device racks, and push the warm air to the air cooling unit through the second air duct.

5. The data center air cooling system according to claim 2, wherein: One of the plurality of air flow patterns includes a closed first louver, an opened second louver, an opened third louver, and an opened fourth louver, which enables cooling air to flow independently and in parallel through the first IT room and the second IT room.

6. The data center air cooling system according to claim 5, wherein: The cooling air flowing through the first IT room flows at a different flow rate than the cooling air flowing through the second IT room.

7. The data center air cooling system of claim 5, further comprising at least one fan configured to draw cooling air from the first air chamber and push the cooling air toward the second region of the third air chamber through the first air duct when the system is in the airflow mode.

8. The data center air cooling system according to claim 1, wherein: The first IT room and the second IT room are located in separate buildings or in the same building.

9. A data center air cooling system, comprising: A first IT room configured to have a first set of electronic device racks, each of the electronic device racks having one or more IT equipment; a second IT room configured to have a second set of electronic device racks, each of the electronic device racks having one or more IT equipment; a first air cooling unit, adjacent to the first IT room, a second air cooling unit, adjacent to the second IT room, wherein the first air cooling unit is configured to provide cooling air to the first IT room, and the second air cooling unit is configured to provide cooling air to the second IT room; or the first air cooling unit is configured to provide cooling air to the first IT room and the second IT room, respectively; or the second air cooling unit is configured to provide cooling air to the first IT room and the second IT room, respectively; a first air chamber located between the first air cooling unit and the first IT room; a second air chamber located between the second air cooling unit and the second IT room; an air duct system configured to supply cooled air to the first IT room and the second IT room and return warm air from both IT rooms to both air cooling units; and a plurality of shutters configured to be opened and closed independently to generate a plurality of airflow patterns for cooling IT equipment in the first IT room, the second IT room, or a combination thereof; wherein some of the plurality of airflow patterns allow the cooling air provided by the first air cooling unit and the second air cooling unit to flow independently and in parallel through the first IT room and the second IT room, some of the plurality of airflow patterns allow the cooling air provided by the first air cooling unit to flow continuously through the first IT room and the second IT room, and some of the plurality of airflow patterns allow the cooling air provided by the second air cooling unit to flow continuously through the second IT room and the first IT room; Also included is a third air chamber located between the first IT room and the second IT room, the third air chamber having a first area adjacent to the first IT room and a second area adjacent to the second IT room; Wherein, the air duct system comprises: 1) a first air duct connecting the first air cooling unit with the second air cooling unit by having a first portion connected to the first air cooling unit, a second portion connected to the second air cooling unit, and a third portion connecting the first portion and the second portion together; 2) a second air duct connecting the first air chamber to the third portion of the first air duct, and 3) A third air duct connecting the second air chamber with the third portion of the first air duct.

10. The data center air cooling system according to claim 9, wherein: The plurality of shutters include: 1) a first louver located between the second air duct and the first air duct, 2) a second louver located between the first portion of the first air duct and the third portion of the first air duct, 3) a third louver located between the third air duct and the first air duct, and 4) A fourth louver located between the second portion of the first air duct and the third portion of the first air duct.

11. The data center air cooling system according to claim 10, wherein: a first air flow pattern among the plurality of air flow patterns including a closed first louver, an opened second louver, an opened third louver, and a closed fourth louver, which enables cooling air provided by the first air cooling unit to flow continuously through the first IT room, the second IT room, and back to the first air cooling unit; and The second air flow pattern among the multiple air flow patterns includes an open first shutter, a closed second shutter, a closed third shutter, and an open fourth shutter, which allows the cooling air provided by the second air cooling unit to flow continuously through the second IT room, the first IT room, and then back to the second air cooling unit.

12. The data center air cooling system according to claim 10, wherein: A fifth shutter among the plurality of shutters is located between the first area and the second area, Wherein, the air duct system further comprises: 1) a fourth air duct, connecting the first area of ​​the third air chamber with the first air duct, 2) a fifth air duct connecting the second area of ​​the third air chamber to the first air duct, 3) a sixth air duct, connecting the fourth air duct to the third air duct, and 4) A seventh air duct, connecting the fifth air duct and the second air duct.

13. The data center air cooling system according to claim 12, wherein: The plurality of shutters further comprises: 1) a sixth louver, located between the seventh air duct and the second air duct, 2) a seventh louver, located between the fifth air duct and the first air duct, 3) an eighth louver located between the sixth air duct and the third air duct, and 4) A ninth louver, located between the fourth air duct and the first air duct.

14. The data center air cooling system of claim 13, wherein: a first air flow pattern among the plurality of air flow patterns including a closed first louver, an opened second louver, an opened third louver, a closed fourth louver, a closed fifth louver, an opened sixth louver, a closed seventh louver, a closed eighth louver, and an opened ninth louver, so that cooling air provided by the first air cooling unit flows independently and in parallel through the first IT room and the second IT room, A second airflow pattern among the multiple airflow patterns includes an opened first shutter, a closed second shutter, a closed third shutter, an opened fourth shutter, a closed fifth shutter, a closed sixth shutter, an opened seventh shutter, an opened eighth shutter and a closed ninth shutter, which allows the cooling air provided by the second air cooling unit to flow through the first IT room and the second IT room separately and in parallel.

15. The data center air cooling system of claim 13, wherein: The third portion of the first air duct includes a tenth louver, wherein the first louver, the second louver, and the ninth louver are connected to the first air duct toward a first side of the tenth louver, and the third louver, the fourth louver, and the seventh louver are connected to the first air duct toward a second side of the tenth louver opposite to the first side.

16. The data center air cooling system of claim 15, wherein: One of the multiple air flow patterns includes a closed first shutter, an opened second shutter, a closed third shutter, an opened fourth shutter, a closed fifth shutter, a closed sixth shutter, an opened seventh shutter, a closed eighth shutter, an opened ninth shutter, and a closed tenth shutter, which allows the cooling air provided by the first air cooling unit to flow through the first IT room and return to the first air cooling unit, and allows the cooling air provided by the second air cooling unit to flow through the second IT room and return to the second air cooling unit.

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