Fastening system for manifolds in data center racks
By using a fastening system with adapter plates and buttons in the data center, the problems of unstable manifold fixation and excessive weight are solved, and rapid and stable installation and maintenance are achieved, reducing downtime. Suitable for existing and new rack cooling systems.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202180006805.5
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Patents(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Priority Date
- 2020-07-08
- Filing Date
- 2021-06-29
- Publication Date
- 2025-01-03
- Estimated Expiration
- 2041-06-29
AI Technical Summary
The liquid cooling systems in existing data centers have problems such as unstable manifold fixation, excessive weight and needing special brackets during installation and maintenance, resulting in low installation efficiency and long downtime.
Combination of adapter plates with multiple holes and buttons, configurable positions match the lock holes of the rack, implement tool-free installation and suspension design, reducing dependence on multiple screws, and providing vibration with forced locking screws Protect.
It realizes rapid and stable installation and maintenance of manifolds, reduces downtime, improves the efficiency and reliability of the cooling system in the data center, and is suitable for existing racks and new racks.
Smart Images

Figure CN114762468B_ABST
Abstract
Description
[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0002] This is a PCT application of U.S. Patent Application No. 16 / 923,920, filed on July 8, 2020. The disclosure of this application is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety for all purposes. Technical Field
[0003] At least one embodiment is directed to a fastening system for fastening a manifold to a rack in a data center. In at least one embodiment, the fastening system includes an adapter plate associated with the manifold and having a plurality of holes to accommodate buttons in configurable positions, which enable the buttons to mate with a plurality of key holes of a bracket of the rack to fasten the manifold to the bracket. Background Art
[0004] The data center cooling system uses fans to circulate air through the server components. Some supercomputers or other high-capacity computers may use water or other cooling systems in addition to air cooling systems to extract heat from the server components or racks of the data center to an area outside the data center. The cooling system may include a chiller outside the data center within the data center area. The chiller may be a cooling tower or other external heat exchanger that receives heated coolant from the data center and disperses the heat to the environment (or external cooling medium) by forced air or other means before the cooled coolant is recirculated back into the data center to exchange heat with the secondary cooling loop via a coolant distribution unit (CDU). In an example, the chiller and cooling tower together form a cooling facility with a pump that responds to a temperature measured by an external device applied to the data center. Air cooling systems cannot extract enough heat to support effective or efficient cooling in data centers, and liquid cooling systems can significantly damage server components or racks through electrical shorts, overflows, or other problems. The capacity of a data center (such as the number of power density components) is limited in part by ineffective or inefficient air cooling in a data center. The above issues of liquid cooling systems, such as conductivity, leakage and flooding, must be addressed before deploying a liquid cooling system. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0005] Various embodiments according to the present disclosure will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
[0006] Figure 1 is a block diagram of an example data center having a cooling system subject to the improvements described in at least one embodiment;
[0007] Figure 2A is an example frame according to at least one embodiment illustrating bracket features that benefit from a fastening system for fastening a manifold to the frame;
[0008] Figure 2B is an example bracket for securing a manifold to a frame according to at least one embodiment;
[0009] Figure 3A is an example adapter plate and associated button of a fastening system for fastening a manifold to a frame according to at least one embodiment;
[0010] Figure 3B shows different views and dimensions of a button to be used with an adapter plate for securing a manifold to a frame in accordance with at least one embodiment;
[0011] Figure 3C , Figure 3D and Figure 3E Features of a fastening system for fastening a manifold to a frame are shown in accordance with at least one embodiment;
[0012] Figure 4A and Figure 4B Features of a fastening system for fastening one or more manifolds to a frame are shown in accordance with at least one embodiment;
[0013] Figure 4C and Figure 4D Further features of a fastening system for fastening one or more manifolds to a frame are shown in accordance with at least one embodiment;
[0014] Figure 5 A fastening system (e.g., Figures 2A-4D a process flow of steps of a method of the system); and
[0015] Figure 6 An example data center is shown where data from Figure 2A-5 at least one embodiment of . DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0016] In view of the high heat requirements caused by today's computing components, air cooling of high-density servers is inefficient and ineffective. In addition, air cooling is stressed and limited by its ability to address emerging high-density components that generate high heat requirements. As such, the present invention seeks the prospects of liquid coolants and related systems for cooling high-power computing components (such as graphics processing units (GPUs), central processing units (CPUs), or switching components). These computing components are used to be assembled in at least a rack (such as an information technology (IT) rack) in a data center or in servers associated therewith. One problem solved in the present disclosure is the inability to provide quick installation or fixation of any manifold problem (such as, a fixed rack manifold cannot be removed) because of the weight of the manifold (which can be pre-loaded with liquid coolant) and because of the need to use dedicated brackets or use traditional components of the rack to align and position the manifold during installation.
[0017] For example, a data center liquid cooling system is supported by a chiller device or system that passes a coolant through one or more cooling circuits. The chiller device or system is associated with at least a primary cooling circuit (also called a primary supply and return circuit) that extracts heat from a secondary cooling circuit that may be associated with one or more cooling circuits within a server and / or rack. The secondary cooling circuit extracts heat from components or one or more cooling circuits within the server and / or rack and exchanges the heat to the primary cooling circuit. The liquid cooling system includes many intermediate features, such as pumps, coolant distribution units (CDUs), and heat exchangers. The manifold receives the liquid coolant and directs the liquid coolant to the containment features of the racks and / or servers.
[0018] The deployment of data center hardware to address requirements in the fields of artificial intelligence and machine learning includes installing substantial computing power with extremely dense GPU / CPU server racks that have very fast networking equipment. The density of the racks can leave little room for cooling hardware or components, such as in-rack CDUs. When the racks are in operation, challenges can be presented in the form of accessibility to the cooling system during the server's on-time to address and repair various aspects without substantial downtime. Further, challenges may also be presented during cold cutovers of components, such as cold swapping field replaceable units (FRUs) or CDUs with pump failures. In addition, these challenges can be greatly amplified by the cooling requirements of on-demand data centers, which are deployed with the recognition that they will be used in large quantities to perform compute-intensive operations that generate heat at capacity and must be cooled on demand.
[0019] In at least one embodiment, a manifold-to-rack fastening system for a data center is disclosed to address one or all of the above-mentioned shortcomings and requirements of current data centers. The data center may have existing racks that require the manifold to be installed in a specific manner. In at least one embodiment, each of the existing racks may have a bracket associated with it to receive one or more of the intermediate features of the cooling system. The bracket may be an existing power distribution unit (PDU) bracket (or PDU mounting bracket). The manifold may be adapted to fit the brackets present on these racks. In at least one embodiment, the fastening system for the existing rack includes an adapter plate associated with the manifold and having a plurality of holes to accommodate buttons in a configurable position, which enables these buttons to be paired with a plurality of lock holes of the bracket of the rack to fasten the manifold to the bracket. In at least one embodiment, the bracket is provided as part of the fastening system, and enables the same adapter plate having a plurality of holes in a configurable position to accommodate a plurality of buttons, which are attached to the lock holes of the bracket, depending on the requirement that the associated manifold is kept in place. In at least one embodiment, the PDU bracket (if used) can be on a conventional rack and the button adapted in its configurable position to mate with an existing keyhole on the PDU bracket.
[0020] In at least one embodiment, racks may be purchased from a supplier, but the racks may be supplied without brackets for these rack manifolds. The brackets may be assembled to the racks at the time of installation. Thereafter, a rack manifold with a fastening system may be mated with the brackets to complete a portion of the installation of the cooling system so that coolant may circulate through the rack manifold and the servers therein. In at least one embodiment, a rack may be provided without matching holes (or patterns of holes) that are used to match and attach PDU brackets. In addition, the supplier may not have PDU brackets attached to the rack before delivering the rack; or the supplier may only have brackets or PDU brackets that can be mounted on one side of the rack (or allow attachment to one side of the rack). This makes the racks or brackets non-interchangeable. Other differences in these racks or brackets may include a lack of locking holes (also called slots), different spacing between these locking holes, a lack of locking nut holes to provide optional locking of the rack manifold to the bracket, or different sizes of locking nut squares, which may also have different spacing between the locking nut squares.
[0021] In at least one embodiment, the conventional rack and bracket may not have threaded holes for attaching the bracket to the rack. Drilling into a blank PDU bracket may require threaded holes. In at least one embodiment, the threaded holes may be located at different locations on the bracket relative to the threaded holes on the rack. The screw holes may be drilled in a manner to ensure that the key holes can be used to attach the rack manifold, where the rack manifold is aligned to couple to an adapter, such as between a row manifold and the rack manifold.
[0022] Data centers can benefit from additional equipment to address shortcomings, but may need not to remove the equipment for security clearance reasons. In this way, removing a rack manifold from a data center can be subject to third-party security clearance. The ability to adapt any rack manifold to a bracket that exists in the form of a PDU bracket or is added in the form of an adjusted PDU bracket can adapt to the requirements of a data center from a security clearance perspective. In at least one embodiment, the present disclosure provides a complete kit with different (such as a minimum number) adapters so that data center technicians performing installation, maintenance, or repairs can discard unnecessary extra parts of the kit without having to remove them from the data center. In at least one embodiment, the present disclosure enables economical use of components. In the absence of one or more adapters from the kit, the entire rack manifold may need to be removed from the data center and redone, resulting in significant downtime for replacing the rack manifold, bracket, or any other associated components for rack-level cooling features.
[0023] In at least one embodiment, the keyhole refers to a hole shaped as having at least one wide opening and at least one narrow opening. Therefore, in at least one embodiment, the keyhole can have two or more narrow openings and one wide opening. Figure 3C An exemplary keyhole with a keyhole feature is shown.In at least one embodiment, the narrow openings are located on either side of the wide opening.
[0024] In at least one embodiment, a fastening system of at least a adapter plate with a button and optionally a bracket with a keyhole is a ready-to-use solution for new and existing data centers. This enables existing brackets to be used to couple a manifold to a rack, or enables brackets for new uses of the adapter plate of the present disclosure to be used. Since a manifold may weigh about 50 pounds (lbs) when preloaded with the required coolant installed with the rack, and since space in densely packed data centers is limited, the present disclosure provides a solution to enable an individual to hang a preloaded manifold on a bracket in a limited space. The solution includes specific attachment points between the manifold and the bracket without the need for multiple screw-type fasteners (which need to be aligned) and the manifold itself (which needs to be aligned and held in place). In at least one embodiment, a conventional rack may be an air-cooled rack that may not be designed to accommodate liquid cooling. In addition, a shorter rack having a depth of 1000 mm or less may not be able to support the intermediate features of a liquid cooling system, but can be adapted using the features of the present disclosure.
[0025] In at least one embodiment, the present disclosure enables tool-free installation of manifolds for liquid cooling racks. In at least one embodiment, tool-free installation is supported by using buttons to be assembled in the lock holes of the bracket. The button is fixed to the adapter plate on one surface thereof, and the second surface is fixed to the manifold. The adapter plate enables a suspended design to support the installation of the manifold to the rack. In addition, a forced locking screw feature can be provided between the adapter plate and the bracket for shock and vibration protection (e.g., according to the standards defined in Telcorda® NEBS GR-63-CORE). In at least one embodiment, the adapter plate has a configurable position to accept these buttons, which enables individuals to perform rack alignment and installation. For example, it may not be necessary for a group member to hold and align the manifold, while a second group member fastens the manifold to the bracket at various positions, because the button is positioned on the adapter plate to align with one or more lock holes on the bracket. When the adapter plate is fixed to the manifold, the manifold is easily suspended in place by an individual. In at least one embodiment, these rack mount locking features (such as the positive locking screw features described above) prevent damage to the manifold during transportation and in the event of vibration (such as during an earthquake).
[0026] Figure 11 is a block diagram of an example data center 100 having a cooling system that is subject to the improvements described in at least one embodiment. The data center 100 may be one or more rooms 102 with racks 110 and auxiliary equipment for accommodating one or more servers on one or more server trays. The data center 100 is supported by a cooling tower 104 located outside the data center 100. The cooling tower 104 dissipates heat from within the data center 100 by acting on a primary cooling loop 106. In addition, a cooling distribution unit (CDU) 112 is used between the primary cooling loop 106 and the secondary or secondary cooling loop 108 to enable heat to be extracted from the secondary or secondary cooling loop 108 to the primary cooling loop 106. In one aspect, the secondary cooling loop 108 is able to access various pipes all the way to the server trays as needed. The loops 106, 108 are shown as line diagrams, but a person of ordinary skill will recognize that one or more pipe features may be used. In an example, flexible polyvinyl chloride (PVC) pipes may be used with associated pipes to move fluid along each loop in the loops 106, 108. In at least one embodiment, one or more coolant pumps can be used to maintain a pressure differential within the loops 106, 108 to enable coolant to move based on temperature sensors in various locations, including in a room, in one or more racks 110, and / or in server boxes or server trays within racks 110.
[0027] In at least one embodiment, the coolant in the primary cooling loop 106 and the secondary cooling loop 108 may be at least water and an additive, such as ethylene glycol or propylene glycol. In operation, each of the primary cooling loop and the secondary cooling loop has its own coolant. In one aspect, the coolant in the secondary cooling loop may be specific to the requirements of the components in the server tray or rack 110. The room or row CDU 112 is capable of complex control of the coolant in the loops 106, 108 independently or simultaneously. For example, the CDU may be adapted to control the flow rate so that the coolant is appropriately distributed to extract the heat generated within the rack 110. In addition, flexible tubing 114 is provided from the secondary cooling loop 108 to enter each server tray and provide coolant to the electrical and / or computing components. In the present disclosure, electrical and / or computing components are used interchangeably to refer to heat generating components that benefit from the present data center cooling system. The tubing 118 forming part of the secondary cooling loop 108 may be referred to as a room manifold. Separately, the tubing 116 extending from the tubing 118 may also be part of the secondary cooling loop 108, but may be referred to as a row manifold. The tubing 114 enters the rack as part of the secondary cooling loop 108, but may be referred to as a rack cooling manifold. Further, the row manifold 116 extends along the rows in the data center 100 to all racks. The piping of the secondary cooling loop 108 (including the manifolds 118, 116, and 114) may be improved by at least one embodiment of the present disclosure. An optional chiller 120 may be provided in the primary cooling loop within the data center 100 to support cooling prior to the cooling tower. To the extent that additional loops are present in the primary control loop, a person of ordinary skill in the art will recognize, upon reading this disclosure, that the additional loops provide cooling external to the racks and external to the secondary cooling loop; and may be combined with the primary cooling loop of the present disclosure.
[0028] In at least one embodiment, in operation, heat generated within the server trays of the racks 110 can be transferred via the flexible tubing of the row manifold 114 of the secondary cooling loop 108 to the coolant exiting the racks 110. Relatedly, the second coolant (in the secondary cooling loop 108) from the CDU 112 used to cool the racks 110 moves toward the racks 110. The second coolant from the CDU 112 is transferred from one side of the room manifold having tubing 118 to one side of the racks 110 via the row manifold 116 and passes through one side of the server trays via tubing 114. The used second coolant (also referred to as second return coolant or exiting second coolant) carries heat from the computing components and exits from the other side of the server trays (such as entering the left side of the rack after circulating through the server trays or passing through the components on the server trays and exiting the right side of the rack for the server trays). The spent second coolant exiting the server tray or rack 110 comes out of a different side (e.g., the exit side) of the tubing 114 and moves to a parallel but also exit side of the row manifold 116. From the row manifold 116, the spent second coolant moves in a parallel portion of the room manifold 118 that travels in an opposite direction to the incoming second coolant (which may also be refreshed second coolant) and toward the CDU 112.
[0029] In at least one embodiment, the used secondary coolant exchanges its heat with the primary coolant (supply coolant) in the primary cooling loop 106 through the CDU 112. The used secondary coolant is refreshed (e.g., relatively cool when compared to the temperature of the used second coolant stage) and is ready to be circulated back to the computing components through the secondary cooling loop 108. Various flow and temperature control features in the CDU 112 can control the heat exchanged from the used second coolant or the flow of the secondary coolant into and out of the CDU 112. The CDU 112 can also control the flow of the primary coolant in the primary cooling loop 106. In this way, some components within the servers and racks may not receive the required coolant level because the secondary or secondary loop typically provides coolant at its default temperature characteristics based in part on temperature sensors that may be in the servers and racks. In addition, additional cooling loops can be provided to exchange heat with the secondary cooling loop, but are subject to similar restrictions on the use of coolant as in the case of the primary cooling loop or the secondary cooling loop.
[0030] Figure 2A2 is an example rack 200 according to at least one embodiment, illustrating a bracket feature that benefits from a fastening system for fastening a manifold to the rack. The rack may be a rack within a data center 100 or may be a rack mounted in a container of a mobile data center. For example, the rack includes support sides 202, 204 and a plurality of locations 206 on the rack for mounting server trays. One or more brackets 208 may be mounted with the rack 200, disposed at locations on the brackets and support sides 202, 204, by sliding each of the one or more brackets within one or more rails 204 disposed at the ends of the support sides 202, 204, or by screwing the brackets to the support sides 202, 204. In at least one embodiment, the brackets 208 may be disposed on either side of the rack 200. In at least one embodiment, the brackets may be existing brackets having keyholes 210A, 210B that may be used with the adapter plate of the present disclosure to suspend one or more manifolds on the rack 200. Figure 2B is an example bracket 250 for securing a manifold to a rack according to at least one embodiment. In at least one embodiment, the example bracket 250 may be used as a bracket for a new use of the adapter plate of the present disclosure. The keyholes 252A, 252B are designed for default configurable positions of buttons on the adapter plate. In at least one embodiment, the bracket 250 has multiple keyholes according to a standard (completely or partially), such as requiring a width of approximately 2.2" (which may be the standard), and a ½ scale height at approximately 6.125" instead of 12.25" per the standard. In at least one embodiment, the standard is associated with a PDU bracket.
[0031] Figure 3A300 and associated buttons 304 of a fastening system for fastening a manifold to a rack according to at least one embodiment. In at least one embodiment, one or more buttons 304 and their associated features 306 (e.g., screws) may be sufficient to mate an adapter plate 300 (with a rack manifold) with a bracket. Thus, in at least one embodiment, only one button 304 may be provided on each adapter plate 300 to mate a manifold with a bracket of a rack. In at least one embodiment, an adapter plate 300 is used to fasten a manifold to a bracket of a rack by partially securing or fastening a button to one side or surface of the adapter plate 300 and securing or fastening a manifold to a second side or surface of the adapter plate 300. The adapter plate 300 has screw holes (or threaded holes) associated therewith, such as holes with buttons 304 attached via features 306 (screws), which are mounted in different locations or positions on the adapter plate 300. In at least one embodiment, the buttons are attached or fastened to a side or surface of the adapter plate 300 by the features 306 (screws) into the screw holes provided. The holes 302, 310 may be configured to enable the adapter plate 300 to be associated with a bridge plate, such as Figure 4A and Figure 4B In at least one embodiment, the screw holes for fixing the buttons 304 can be located at different locations or positions on the adapter plate 300 so that the adapter plate 300 can receive one or more buttons in different configurable positions. The configurable positions are such that the buttons can cooperate with the locking holes of the bracket of the rack to fasten the manifold to the bracket.
[0032] In at least one embodiment, the adapter plate 300 includes second holes 310 that are through holes similar to the holes 302 to enable the adapter plate 300 to be fastened to the bridge plate. The bridge plate is welded (or otherwise fastened) to the rack manifold. In at least one embodiment, the bridge plate is an addition to the manifold to enable the adapter plate 300 to be fastened to the manifold. The bridge plate can be welded to the manifold, as noted, but other ways of securing the bridge plate to the manifold will be apparent upon reading this disclosure. In at least one embodiment, the adapter plate 300 is directly fixed or fastened to the manifold, provided that the manifold has corresponding receiving holes, such as threaded holes for receiving the adapter plate 300.
[0033] In at least one embodiment, the adapter plate 300 includes a plurality of third holes 308 to enable the adapter plate to be fastened to the cage nuts of the bracket. In at least one embodiment, fastening the adapter plate to the bracket with the cage nuts enables the manifold in the mobile data center to be protected during transportation, and also enables the manifold to be protected from vibrations due to earthquakes or other natural or man-made disturbances. In at least one embodiment, the retainer nuts (and corresponding retainer nut holes) are ½ inch sized square retainer nuts. In at least one embodiment, the third holes 308 are provided to enable the bridge plate to be independently secured to the bracket using the cage nuts without the need for buttons.
[0034] Figure 3B 320A (plan), 320B (perspective), 320C (side or elevation) and dimensions of buttons to be used with an adapter plate for fastening a manifold to a rack according to at least one embodiment. In at least one embodiment, each button 304 includes at least two flanges. This is further shown in views 320A, 320C. The at least two flanges 322, 324 are separated by a neck 326. There is a central recess 328 to accommodate a fastener, such as fastener 306, which fastens the individual button 304 to the adapter plate 300 at an individual screw hole or threaded hole provided on the adapter plate 300 and aligned with the central recess 328 through the individual button 304.
[0035] In at least one embodiment, each individual flange 322, 324 of the at least two flanges has a determined diameter. In this way, the button used with the adapter plate on a specific bracket can be selected from many available buttons manufactured for use with the adapter plate. For the corresponding flanges in each flange on the many available buttons, the available buttons all have different diameters. In at least one embodiment, the inner diameter of the smaller flange 324 of the two flanges on the individual button is 15 millimeters (mm) or 0.59 inches. In at least one embodiment, the inner diameter of the larger flange 322 of the two flanges on the individual button is 25 mm or 0.98 inches. In at least one embodiment, the inner diameter of the central recess 328 on the individual button is 15 mm or 0.59 inches. In at least one embodiment, the central recess 328 has a core diameter of 4.3 mm or 0.17 inches and a surface diameter of 11.8 mm or 0.46 inches to support the fastener 306 as a recessed fastener. In at least one embodiment, the thickness of the smaller flange 324 of the two flanges on the individual button is 2 mm or 0.08 inches. In at least one embodiment, the thickness of the larger flange 322 of the two flanges on the individual button is 2.5 mm or 0.10 inches. In at least one embodiment, the fastener 306 is a screw with a tapered neck and a flat head.
[0036] In at least one embodiment, the neck 326 has a length of 2.4 mm or 0.09 inches to bridge the gap between the smaller flange and the larger flange. The neck length also translates to a thickness of the bracket that is less than 2.4 mm to enable the button to be located in the keyhole of the bracket. In at least one embodiment, the different available buttons can have different neck lengths, along with the diameter and thickness of the flanges. This enables different buttons to be used to accommodate different applications, such as manifolds that weigh more than the manifold. In at least one embodiment, the neck 326 is conical to support easy insertion and removal during the process of hanging the manifold. In at least one embodiment, the adapter plate can adopt a one-button minimum requirement to support the dead weight of the installed rack manifold. In at least one embodiment, two buttons per bracket can be specified for the heavier weight of the rack manifolds, for example, depending on the pre-filled coolant density. In at least one embodiment, the limit on the maximum number of buttons allowed for a rack manifold can be adopted to 4 buttons per manifold to support the dynamic loading that may exist on the manifold and the brackets. In at least one embodiment, the dynamic loading may be from natural or human environments, including from earthquakes.In at least one embodiment, two locking screws may be provided from the rack manifold to the bracket via an adapter plate to meet NEBS (Network Equipment - Building System) standard requirements.
[0037] Figure 3C , Figure 3D and Figure 3E Features 330, 340, 350 of a fastening system for fastening a manifold to a rack are shown in accordance with at least one embodiment. In at least one embodiment, buttons are selected based in part on the size of the buttons that can mate with keyholes of a feature 330 of the fastening system located on a bracket of the rack. The keyhole feature 330 has at least one wide opening or feature 303 (e.g., hole 302) to support the mating of a smaller diameter of a button (such as button 304). Once mated, the button holds the side of the narrow opening or feature 303 (e.g., hole 302) of the keyhole feature 330 down in place. Multiple buttons can mate with multiple aligned keyholes simultaneously in a similar manner, or mating of one button within one keyhole can be sufficient to secure the button within the narrow feature of the individual keyhole and, in turn, secure the manifold associated with the button to the bracket of the rack (via an adapter plate). In at least one embodiment, the button can be mated with the narrow opening or feature 303 (e.g., hole 302) of the keyhole feature 330. Figure 3AThe adapter plate 300 in the embodiment of the present invention is provided with screw or threaded holes (in addition to the hole into which the button 304 is currently screwed) with spaces therebetween to form configurable positions suitable for aligning the adapter plate 300 with the keyhole of the bracket. In at least one embodiment, the adapter plate 300 can have either two buttons 304 installed or a single button 304 installed, with the screw or threaded hole below supporting at least two configurable positions for receiving the button 304. This allows the retention requirements of the available keyholes on the manifold and the bracket to be determined, and the adapter plate to be aligned with the available keyhole using the button, which is then fastened to the manifold so that the manifold associated with the adapter plate can be suspended on the bracket in the alignment determined for the adapter and keyhole of the bracket.
[0038] In at least one embodiment, the manifold feature 340 includes a manifold 346 that is adapted to include one or more buttons 342, 344 that are directly fixed (such as by welding) to the manifold to enable the manifold 346 to be mounted on the bracket. In at least one embodiment, the position of the buttons 342, 344 is determined to enable the manifold to be stably mounted without an adapter plate. In at least one embodiment, one or more adapter plates 300 can be directly fixed (such as by welding) to the manifold 346 at corresponding positions (such as the position of the current attachment buttons 342, 344). In at least one embodiment, the determination of whether to use or not use a bridge plate between the adapter plate 300 and the manifold depends in part on whether the hole positions are consistent between the deployed racks, the mounting positions (such as for PDUs or other manifolds) are available on the bracket, and the mounting positions on the manifold to be mounted on the deployed racks. In at least one embodiment, the bracket feature 350 of the proprietary fastening system may include a bracket 352 of the bracket feature 350 having a keyhole 353 to support the installation of an adapter plate having an associated button on one surface that matches the keyhole 353 and a manifold on another surface thereof. As such, many variations achieve adaptable manifolds for data center racks by selecting an appropriate mounting bracket, an appropriate adapter plate, and an appropriate one or more buttons that are individually or entirely sized based on the keyhole(s) available for hanging the rack, the stability required for the manifold, and the holes available for associating the bracket with the rack. In at least one embodiment, selecting an appropriate number of buttons enables strength and stability in hanging the manifold.
[0039] Figure 4A and Figure 4BFeatures of a fastening system 400; 430 for fastening one or more manifolds 404A, 404B to a rack via a bracket 402 associated with the rack are shown in accordance with at least one embodiment. In at least one embodiment, the system 400, 430 includes a bracket 402 having locking holes 420A, 420B to accommodate buttons 410A, 410B. The bracket 402 is adapted to be secured to the rack by securing the bracket 402 within rails (e.g., U-shaped channels containing t-nuts) at the top and bottom of the bracket 402 and by using holes (e.g., holes) of the bracket. Figure 4C The bracket 402 is thus associated with a rail of at least one side support feature of the rack, or by tightening the bracket 402 to the rack via threaded features 422 on the bracket. In at least one embodiment, the adapter plate 414 is associated with one or more manifolds 404A, 404B (shown in the rear view of the manifold) via one or more screws (one shown by reference numeral 416) through available holes in the adapter plate 414 (such as holes that can be used for buttons), but is not used (see FIG. Figure 3A In at least one embodiment, the adapter plate 414 is associated with one or more manifolds 404A, 404B using a minimum of two screw holes and two associated screws, such as screws 416. The adapter plate 414 has a second hole, such as a screw hole or threaded hole into which the screws 412, 422 are fastened, to fasten the buttons 410A, 410B in a configurable position on the adapter plate, as described in reference to Figure 3A The configurable position enables the buttons 410A, 410B to mate with the locking holes 420A, 420B of the bracket 402 to secure one or more manifolds 404A, 404B to the rack.
[0040] In at least one embodiment, the third hole on the adapter plate 414 (see Figure 3A404B and associated discussion thereof) enables the adapter plate to be fastened to the locking nut 408 of the bracket 402. In at least one embodiment, the present fastening system enables alignment of the one or more manifolds 404A, 404B with rack-level ducting (e.g., at the bottom of the manifold) and associated valve or pump assemblies by a single installer. In at least one embodiment, the rack-level ducting associates the one or more manifolds 404A, 404B with the row-level manifolds of the data center. In at least one embodiment, server-level ducting 406A, 406B is provided from the manifolds 404A, 404B to circulate coolant to individual servers or components. How the buttons 410A, 410B will be used and how the holes in the adapter plate 414 will be used for the buttons can be determined based in part on the spacing of the locking holes 420A, 420B on the bracket 402 and in part on the weight of the one or more manifolds 404A, 404B to be held by the buttons. The installer then secures or fastens the buttons 410A, 410B to a defined hole of the manifold or to an adapter plate 414. The adapter plate 414 is then attached or fastened to one or more manifolds 404A, 404B via an available hole on the adapter plate 414 and via an optional bridge plate 418. Figure 4B 440A, 440B, one or more manifolds 404A, 404B are suspended from the bracket 402 by engaging the smaller flanges of the buttons 410A, 410B with the locking holes 420A, 420B and sliding the buttons down into the narrow portion or feature of the locking holes. The brackets 402, 432 are shown without the brackets, but are understood to be attached or secured to the brackets before the manifolds are suspended from the brackets.
[0041] In at least one embodiment, the system 400 can include a bridge plate 418 that is fixedly coupled to the manifold on a first surface and releasably coupled to the adapter plate 414 on a second surface. The fixed coupling of the bridge plate 418 to the manifold can be by welding. The releasable coupling between the adapter plate 414 and the bridge plate 418 is by screws, such as screws 416. In at least one embodiment, the screws 416 are spiral or threaded holes and are meant to be configurable locations for buttons 410A, 410B, or dedicated holes on the adapter plate 414 to enable the adapter plate 414 to be fastened to one or more manifolds 404A, 404B (with an optional bridge plate 418 therebetween). In this way, the adapter plate 414 and the bridge plate 418 can be adapted to support more than one manifold.
[0042] In at least one embodiment, although the system 430 shows a locked position of the manifold with the rack, it is also possible to directly associate the two by welding between the adapter plate 444 and the manifold because the buttons 450A, 450B are in the narrow features of the locking holes 440A, 440B. The screws 446 can be inserted through the available button holes in the button holes or the dedicated holes of the adapter plate 444. In at least one embodiment, the bracket 432 of the system 430 has a plurality of locking holes 440A, 440B to receive the buttons 450A, 450B. The bracket 432 is adapted to be coupled to the rack via rack mounting rails (such as U-shaped channels containing t-nuts) at the top and bottom of the bracket and by using screw locations (such as holes 470). In at least one embodiment, the adapter plate 444 is associated with one or more manifolds 434A, 434B (shown in the rear view of the manifold) via one or more screws (one is shown by reference numeral 446) through the available holes in the adapter plate 444. The adapter plate 444 has second holes for securing the buttons 450A, 450B in configurable positions on the adapter plate 444, as shown in FIG. Figure 3A The configurable position enables the buttons 450A, 450B to cooperate with the locking holes 440A, 440B of the bracket 432 to secure one or more manifolds 434A, 434B to the frame.
[0043] In at least one embodiment, the third hole (see Figure 3A 434B) enables the adapter plate to be fastened to the locking nut 438 of the bracket 432. In at least one embodiment, the present fastening system enables the one or more manifolds 434A, 434B to be aligned with the piping associated with the same manifolds and with the associated valve or pump assembly (such as below the platform supporting the racks) by a single installer. A determination as to how the buttons 450A, 450B are to be used and as to how the holes in the adapter plate 444 will be used for the buttons can be made based in part on the spacing of the locking holes 440A, 440B on the bracket 432 and in part on the weight of the one or more manifolds 434A, 434B to be held by the buttons. The individual installer then secures or fastens the button 450A, 450B to the determined hole of the adapter plate 444, secures or fastens the adapter plate 444 to one or more manifolds 434A, 434B via the unused hole on the adapter plate 444, and then suspends the one or more manifolds 434A, 434B from the bracket by engaging the smaller flange of the button 450A, 450B with the locking hole and letting the button slide down into the narrow section of the locking hole, as illustrated by the locked position of the button 450A, 450B in the locking hole 440A, 440B. In at least one embodiment, the system 430 may not include other systems (such as Figure 4AThe adapter plate 444 is directly coupled to one or more manifolds 434A, 434B via screws, either releasably or fixedly, such as Figure 3D As shown in at least one embodiment.
[0044] Figure 4C and Figure 4D Further features of the fastening systems 460, 480 for fastening the manifold to the frame are shown in accordance with at least one embodiment. In at least one embodiment, the fastening systems 460, 480 are Figure 4A ; 4B is a front view of one or more systems 400; 430. In at least one embodiment, the fastening system can include a proprietary bracket 462 having holes 470 that associate the bracket 462 to the rack. Based in part on the location of the keyholes on the bracket 462, an adapter plate 464 and associated buttons are determined. The buttons are attached or fastened to the adapter plate 464 and the adapter plate is attached or fastened to one or more manifolds, with or without a bridging position, depending on the availability of screw holes or other fastener features of the one or more manifolds.
[0045] In at least one embodiment, the adapter plate 464 can be further held in place by screws or other fasteners 466A, 466B. In at least one embodiment, the fasteners 466A, 466B are similar to those shown in FIG. Figure 4A , 4B associated with the locking nuts discussed and shown. In at least one embodiment, this additional feature stabilizes the adapter plate 464 with the bracket 462 in the event of asserted external movement, such as movement during transportation of a mobile data center incorporating the present disclosure or movement during an earthquake of a mobile or fixed data center. The bridge plate 468 may or may not be used with the adapter plate 464, depending on whether an existing manifold is adapted for use with the adapter plate 464, or whether a new manifold is designed and has holes to directly support the adapter plate 464 or buttons. Thus, the bridge plate 468 may include screw or other fastening holes 468A, 468B to enable fastening to the adapter plate 464 on one side and welding to one or more manifolds on the side shown. Figure 4C In at least one embodiment, the bridge plate 468 is shown without the manifold welded thereto. Figure 4D At least one embodiment of FIG. 4 shows a bridge location 468 having one manifold 486 , 488 welded to it. Figure 4DAlso shown are coupling tubes 482, 484, which may be flexible tubes that carry coolant as part of a secondary cooling loop. Coolant designated to extract heat from the server components travels from manifold 486 to coupling tube 482 and to the server components, and returns through coupling tube 484 and back to manifold 488. Other conduits leading to and leaving the manifold are provided to deliver coolant to the CDU, as shown in reference Figure 1 described.
[0046] Figure 5 A fastening system (e.g., Figures 2A-4D The process flow of the steps of method 500 of the system in the embodiment of the present invention is as follows. Step 502 of method 500 determines the location of the keyhole on the bracket of the rack. The bracket can be a proprietary bracket or an existing bracket. Step 504 determines the configurable location of the hole of the adapter plate. In at least one embodiment, the hole of the adapter plate is selected to match the widest opening of the keyhole of the bracket. A determination or verification is made so that when the adapter plate is fastened to the manifold via step 506, at least one of the holes of the adapter plate is aligned with the keyhole. In at least one embodiment, the feature in step 504 ensures that once the button is engaged, the location of the keyhole rest position (the bottom of the narrow feature of the keyhole) allows the manifold to be aligned with the valve of the CDU that connects the manifold to the cooling system. The determination or verification can be made by measuring the space between the keyholes of the bracket and by applying the same measurement results to the holes of the adapter plate. In addition, if multiple adapter plates are to be used, the determination or verification of step 506 also takes into account the measurements between the adapter positions and applies these measurements to select the appropriate adapter plate holes on each adapter plate.
[0047] In at least one embodiment, when alignment is determined such that the holes on the adapter plate match the lock holes of the bracket, step 508 is performed for fastening a button in the at least one hole of the adapter plate and for fastening the adapter plate to the manifold. Then, step 510 enables the button to be paired with the lock hole to fasten the manifold to the rack. The pairing can be a two-step process of inserting the button into the widest portion of the lock hole, and in a second step, sliding the button into the narrowest portion of the lock hole, thereby locking the button, the adapter plate, and the associated manifold of the adapter plate in place. In at least one embodiment, if alignment is not determined or verified in step 506, a different configurable position in the configurable positions is selected; then one or more buttons are moved by loosening the screws holding the button on the adapter plate and by screwing one or more buttons into different positions of the adapter plate. The adapter plate can then be tested with the PDU mounting bracket and finally secured to the manifold before hanging the manifold. Another step in method 500 may be incorporated to increase seismic security by fastening screws, such as lock nuts, through holes in the adapter plate and bracket.
[0048] In at least one embodiment, the method includes fixedly coupling a bridge plate to the manifold at a first surface thereof, and then releasably coupling the adapter plate to a second surface of the bridge plate at step 508. In at least one embodiment, securing the adapter plate to the manifold at step 508 includes using an option to fixedly couple the adapter plate to the manifold. In at least one embodiment, a further stabilization step may be performed in method 500 by securing the adapter plate to a locking nut of a bracket using a third hole on the adapter plate. In at least one embodiment, step 504 is performed to determine the configurable position so that the spacing between the holes available for the buttons enables the manifold and the second manifold to be secured to the adapter plate.
[0049] In at least one embodiment, a system for attaching a manifold to a rack includes fixing or determining a manifold position and a button position so that the manifold can be aligned with the valve connections that complete the secondary cooling circuit connection to the CDU of the cooling system. In at least one embodiment, the system includes the determined button positions to provide configurable positions for the buttons. The determined button positions may include positions to align the adapter plate with the locking holes on the existing PDU mounting bracket. This enables the system to utilize existing mounting brackets without adding new components to existing racks. In at least one embodiment, the system includes a determined position for the bracket (e.g., hole 470) to allow the bracket to be mounted to the rack using a proprietary fastening system (e.g., via a locking nut) when the deployed rack does not include a bracket (e.g., a PDU mounting bracket).
[0050] In at least one embodiment, the system herein provides a solution that eliminates any requirement for drilling holes in the brackets. The system herein also minimizes the number of data center personnel and the installation time required to install the manifold from any number of people to one person. In an exemplary installation, the installation time per rack was significantly reduced from 30 minutes to about 2 minutes using at least one embodiment of the system herein. In at least one embodiment, the system herein is a solution that will reduce downtime by enabling just-in-time design of a customized solution. At least this feature allows the data center to focus efforts on other issues within the data center besides overloading personnel and time on existing equipment.
[0051] In at least one embodiment, the system herein is a solution that provides the following options: Eliminate at least one requirement to remove a rack manifold from a data center for rework in appropriate safety restrictions. The system herein at least eliminates the requirement to have a specially trained technician enter the data center to obtain approval and identification of the personnel for rework of the manifold. This eliminates the need to remove the manifold, obtain approval to transfer the manifold to an external rework environment with specialized tools, or have a manifold design produced for a replacement manifold. This also eliminates the process of approval for inputting data for installing or reinstalling a new manifold.
[0052] In at least one embodiment, the system herein provides an adapter kit that includes fully approved configuration options (including brackets and hardware) that are used to enable rack manifolds to be set up on deployed racks without requiring security violations due to entering and exiting the data center to retrieve specialized tools, hardware, and to resolve any removal and installation issues for a data center customer, who may be different than the solution provider used to install, repair, and maintain the racks within the data center.
[0053] Figure 6 An example data center 600 is shown in which data from Figure 2A-5 In at least one embodiment, the data center 600 includes a data center infrastructure layer 610, a framework layer 620, a software layer 630, and an application layer 640. In at least one embodiment, the infrastructure layer 610, the framework layer 620, the software layer 630, and the application layer 640 can be provided in part or in full via computing components on server trays located in racks 200 of the data center 100. This enables the cooling system of the present disclosure to direct cooling to certain of the computing components in an efficient and effective manner, and enables real-time replacement and installation of manifolds in dense data centers. Further, various aspects of the data center, including the data center infrastructure layer 610, the framework layer 620, the software layer 630, and the application layer 640, can all benefit from at least reference to the above. Figure 2A-5 Cooling systems and methods are discussed.
[0054] In at least one embodiment, as in Figure 6, the data center infrastructure layer 610 may include a resource coordinator 612, grouped computing resources 614, and node computing resources ("node CRs") 616(1)-616(N), where "N" represents any integral, positive integer. In at least one embodiment, the node CRs 616(1)-616(N) may include, but are not limited to, any number of central processing units ("CPUs") or other processors (including accelerators, field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), graphics processors, etc.), memory devices (e.g., dynamic read-only memories), storage devices (e.g., solid-state or disk drives), network input / output ("NW I / O") devices, network switches, virtual machines ("VMs"), power modules, and cooling modules, etc. In at least one embodiment, one or more of the node CRs 616(1)-616(N) may be a server having one or more of the above computing resources.
[0055] In at least one embodiment, the grouped computing resources 614 may include separate groups of node CRs housed in one or more racks (not shown), or many racks housed in data centers (also not shown) at different geographical locations. The separate groups of node CRs within the grouped computing resources 614 may include grouped computing, network, memory, or storage resources that can be configured or allocated to support one or more workloads. In at least one embodiment, several node CRs including CPUs or processors may be grouped in one or more racks to provide computing resources to support one or more workloads. In at least one embodiment, one or more racks may also include any number of power modules, cooling modules, and network switches (in any combination).
[0056] In at least one embodiment, resource coordinator 612 may configure or otherwise control one or more nodes CR 616(1)-616(N) and / or grouped computing resources 614. In at least one embodiment, resource coordinator 612 may include a software design infrastructure ("SDI") management entity for data center 600. In at least one embodiment, resource coordinator may include hardware, software, or some combination thereof.
[0057] In at least one embodiment, Figure 6As shown, the framework layer 620 includes a job scheduler 622, a configuration manager 624, a resource manager 626, and a distributed file system 628. In at least one embodiment, the framework layer 620 may include a framework that supports software 632 of the software layer 630 and / or one or more applications 642 of the application layer 640. In at least one embodiment, the software 632 or the application 642 may include web-based service software or applications, such as those provided by Amazon WebServices, Google Cloud, and Microsoft Azure. In at least one embodiment, the framework layer 620 may be, but is not limited to, a free and open source software web application framework type that can utilize the distributed file system 628 for large-scale data processing (e.g., "big data"), such as Apache Spark TM (hereinafter referred to as "Spark"). In at least one embodiment, the job scheduler 622 may include a Spark driver to facilitate the scheduling of workloads supported by the various layers of the data center 600. In at least one embodiment, the configuration manager 624 may be able to configure different layers, such as the software layer 630 and the framework layer 620, including Spark and a distributed file system 628 for supporting large-scale data processing. In at least one embodiment, the resource manager 626 may be able to manage the computing resources mapped to or allocated to the cluster or groupings used to support the distributed file system 628 and the job scheduler 622. In at least one embodiment, the computing resources of the cluster or groupings may include the computing resources 614 of the groupings at the data center infrastructure layer 610. In at least one embodiment, the resource manager 626 may coordinate with the resource coordinator 612 to manage these mapped or allocated computing resources.
[0058] In at least one embodiment, software 632 included in software layer 630 may include software used by at least a portion of node CRs 616(1)-616(N), grouped computing resources 614, and / or distributed file system 628 of framework layer 620. One or more types of software may include, but are not limited to, Internet web page search software, email virus scanning software, database software, and streaming video content software.
[0059] In at least one embodiment, applications 642 included in application layer 640 may include one or more types of applications used by at least a portion of node CRs 616(1)-616(N), grouped computing resources 614, and / or distributed file system 628 of framework layer 620. The one or more types of applications may include, but are not limited to, any number of genomics applications, cognitive computing, and machine learning applications, including training or inference software, machine learning framework software (e.g., PyTorch, TensorFlow, Caffe, etc.), or other machine learning applications used in conjunction with one or more embodiments.
[0060] In at least one embodiment, any of configuration manager 624, resource manager 626, and resource coordinator 612 can implement any number and type of self-modification actions based on any number and type of data acquired in any technically feasible manner. In at least one embodiment, the self-modification actions can relieve a data center operator of data center 600 from making possible poor configuration decisions and possibly avoid underutilized and / or poorly performing data center portions.
[0061] In at least one embodiment, the data center 600 may include tools, services, software, or other resources for training one or more machine learning models or using one or more machine learning models to predict or infer information according to one or more embodiments described herein. In at least one embodiment, in at least one embodiment, the machine learning model can be trained by calculating weight parameters according to the neural network architecture using the software and computing resources described above with respect to the data center 600. In at least one embodiment, the trained machine learning model corresponding to one or more neural networks can be used to infer or predict information using the resources described above with respect to the data center 600 by using weight parameters calculated by one or more training techniques described herein. As previously discussed, deep learning techniques can be used to support intelligent control of flow controllers in refrigerant-assisted cooling by monitoring the regional temperature of the data center. Deep learning can be performed using any appropriate learning network and the computing power of the data center 600. As such, deep neural networks (DNNs), recurrent neural networks (RNNs), or convolutional neural networks (CNNs) can be supported simultaneously or concurrently using hardware in the data center. For example, once the network is trained and successfully evaluated to identify data within a subset or slice, the trained network can provide similar representative data for use with the collected data.
[0062] In at least one embodiment, the data center 600 can use a CPU, an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a GPU, an FPGA, or other hardware to perform training and / or reasoning using the above resources. In addition, the above one or more software and / or hardware resources can be configured as a service that allows a user to train or perform information reasoning, such as pressure, flow rate, temperature, and location information or other artificial intelligence services.
[0063] Other variations are within the spirit of the present disclosure. Thus, while the disclosed technology is susceptible to various modifications and alternative constructions, certain illustrated embodiments thereof are shown in the drawings and have been described in detail above. However, it should be understood that it is not intended to limit the present disclosure to one or more specific forms disclosed, but on the contrary, it is intended to cover all modifications, alternative constructions, and equivalents that fall within the spirit and scope of the present disclosure as defined by the appended claims.
[0064] In the context of describing the disclosed embodiments (especially in the context of the following claims), the use of the terms "one" and "a kind of" and "the" and similar indicators should be interpreted as covering both the singular and the plural, unless otherwise indicated herein or clearly contradicted by the context, and not as a definition of the term. Unless otherwise indicated, the terms "including", "having", "including" and "containing" should be interpreted as open terms (meaning "including but not limited to"). When unmodified and referring to a physical connection, the term "connected" should be interpreted as partially or completely contained in, attached to or connected together, even if there are intervening objects. Unless otherwise indicated herein, the enumeration of the range of values in this article is intended only to be used as a shorthand method of individually referring to each individual value falling within the range, and each individual value is incorporated into the specification as if it were individually listed in this article. Unless otherwise indicated or contradictory to the context, the use of a set (e.g., a set of items) or a subset should be interpreted as a non-empty set including one or more members. Further, unless otherwise indicated or contradicted by context, a subset of a corresponding set does not necessarily mean a proper subset of the corresponding set, but rather a subset and a corresponding set may be equivalent.
[0065] Unless expressly stated otherwise or otherwise clearly contradicted by context, conjunction language (such as phrases of the form "at least one of A, B, and C" or "at least one of A, B, and C") is otherwise understood, together with the context of common usage, to present that an item, term, etc. may be any non-empty subset of the set of A or B or C, or A and B and C. For example, in the illustrative example of a group having three members, the conjunction phrases "at least one of A, B, and C" and "at least one of A, B, and C" refer to any one of the following groups: {A}, {B}, {C}, {A, B}, {A, C}, {B, C}, {A, B, C}. Thus, such conjunction language may not be intended to imply that certain embodiments require the presence of at least one of A, at least one of B, and at least one of C, respectively. Additionally, unless otherwise specified or contradicted by context, a plurality indicates a state of being plural (e.g., a plurality of items indicates a plurality of items). A plurality is at least two items, but may be more when explicitly or by context so indicates.Further, unless stated otherwise or otherwise clear from context, means based at least in part on and not only based on.
[0066] The use of any and all examples or exemplary language (e.g., "such as") provided herein is intended merely to better illustrate embodiments of the present disclosure and does not limit the scope of the present disclosure unless otherwise required. No language in the specification should be construed as indicating any non-claimed element is essential to the practice of the present disclosure.
[0067] All references, including publications, patent applications, and patents, cited herein are hereby incorporated by reference to the same extent as if each reference were individually and specifically indicated to be incorporated by reference and were set forth in its entirety herein.
[0068] In the specification and claims, the terms "coupled" and "connected" and their derivatives may be used. It should be understood that these terms are not intended to be synonymous with each other. On the contrary, in specific examples, "connected" or "coupled" may be used to indicate that two or more elements are in direct or indirect physical or electrical contact with each other. "Coupled" may also mean that two or more elements are not in direct contact with each other, but still cooperate or interact with each other.
[0069] Unless specifically noted otherwise, it will be appreciated that throughout this specification references to processing, computing, predicting, determining, and the like refer to the action and / or process of a computer or computing system or similar electronic computing device that manipulates and / or transforms data represented as physical (e.g., electronic) quantities within the computing system's registers and / or memories into other data similarly represented as physical quantities within the computing system's memories, registers, or other such information storage, transmission, or display devices.
[0070] Although the above discussion sets forth example implementations of the described technology, other architectures may be used to implement the described functionality and are intended to be within the scope of the present disclosure. In addition, although a specific distribution of responsibilities is defined above for the purpose of discussion, the various functions and responsibilities may be distributed and divided in different ways depending on the circumstances.
[0071] In addition, although the subject matter has been described in language specific to structural features and / or methodological acts, it is to be understood that the subject matter claimed in the appended claims is not necessarily limited to the specific features or acts described. Rather, the specific features and acts are disclosed as exemplary forms of implementing the claims.
Claims
1. An adapter plate for fastening a manifold to a rack in a data center, the adapter plate having holes for receiving buttons in configurable positions and at least one button fastened to the adapter plate at at least one of the holes via a fastener, wherein the configurable positions enable the at least one button to mate with at least one locking hole of a bracket of the rack to suspend the manifold to the bracket so that the at least one button supports the weight of the manifold.
2. The adapter plate according to claim 1, further comprising: A second hole is provided to enable the adapter plate to be fastened to the manifold.
3. The adapter plate according to claim 1, further comprising: The third hole is used to enable the adapter plate to be fastened to the locking nut of the bracket.
4. The adapter plate according to claim 1, further comprising: At least two flanges are located in the at least one button, the at least two flanges are separated by a neck and have a central recess, the central recess is used to accommodate the fastener, and individual flanges of the at least two flanges have a determined diameter to fit within the wider feature of the at least one lock hole, and the individual flanges are fastened within the narrow feature of the at least one lock hole.
5. The adapter plate according to claim 1, further comprising: The second hole is used to enable the adapter plate to be fastened to the bridge plate.
6. The adapter plate according to claim 1, further comprising: The apertures are spaced such that the configurable positions fit within the manifold and a second manifold.
7. A system for securing a manifold to a rack in a data center, comprising: a bracket having a locking hole for receiving a button, the bracket being adapted to be coupled to the frame; as well as an adapter plate having second holes for receiving the button in configurable positions on the adapter plate and at least one button for securing to the adapter plate at at least one of the second holes, the configurable positions being configured to enable the at least one button to mate with at least one locking hole of the bracket to suspend the manifold to the frame such that the at least one button supports the weight of the manifold.
8. The system according to claim 7, further comprising: A bridge plate is fixedly coupled to the manifold on a first surface and releasably coupled to the adapter plate on a second surface.
9. The system according to claim 7, further comprising: A third hole is located on the adapter plate for enabling the adapter plate to be fastened to the manifold.
10. The system according to claim 7, further comprising: A third hole, located on the adapter plate, is used to enable the adapter plate to be fastened to a locking nut of the bracket.
11. The system according to claim 7, further comprising: At least two flanges are located in the at least one button, the at least two flanges are separated by a neck and have a central recess, the central recess is used to accommodate a fastener, and individual flanges of the at least two flanges have a determined diameter to fit within a wider feature in the at least one lock hole, and the individual flanges are fastened within a narrow feature of the at least one lock hole.
12. The system according to claim 7, further comprising: A second hole is located on the adapter plate for enabling the adapter plate to be fastened to the bridge plate.
13. The system of claim 7, further comprising: The spacing between the second holes enables the configurable position to adapt to the manifold and the second manifold.
14. A method for securing a manifold to a rack in a data center, the method comprising: Determine the location of the key holes on the rack bracket; determining configurable positions of the holes of the adapter plate such that at least one of the holes aligns with a key hole when the adapter plate is secured to the manifold; fastening a button in the at least one hole and the adapter plate to the manifold using a fastener; as well as The buttons are mated with the keyholes to suspend the manifold from the frame such that the at least one button supports the weight of the manifold.
15. The method according to claim 14, further comprising: fixedly coupling a bridge plate to the manifold at a first surface of the bridge plate; as well as The adapter plate is releasably coupled to the second surface of the bridge plate.
16. The method according to claim 14, further comprising: The adapter plate is secured to the manifold using the second hole in the adapter plate.
17. The method according to claim 14, further comprising: The adapter plate is secured to the retaining nut of the bracket using the third hole in the adapter plate.
18. The method according to claim 14, further comprising: The configurable positions are determined such that the spacing between the holes enables the manifold or a second manifold to be fastened with the adapter plate.
