Cooling assembly for a data center rack, rack system and method of assembling same

Abstract

The present application provides a cooling assembly for a data center rack and provides a rack system and an assembly method thereof. The cooling assembly includes: a chassis; a heat exchanger connected to the chassis, the heat exchanger being arranged to be at least partially between the upper end portion and the lower end portion of the chassis in the vertical direction; and at least one lower bracket connected to a lower end portion of the chassis. The heat exchanger includes: a cooling coil for circulating a cooling fluid through the cooling coil; and a plurality of fins connected to the cooling coil, the fins being spaced apart from each other to allow air to flow between the fins. Each of the at least one lower brackets is a bent single-piece metal sheet and includes a support wall extending forward from the lower end portion of the chassis, the support wall being configured to at least partially receive the lower end portion of the data center rack on the support wall.

Description

[0001] Cross - reference to related applications

[0002] This application claims priority to European Patent Application No. EP21306166.6, filed on August 30, 2021, the entire content of which is incorporated herein by reference. Technical field

[0003] The technology of the present application relates to a cooling assembly for a data center rack. Background art

[0004] Thermal management is an important consideration when planning the implementation of a data center. It should be noted that electronic devices (e.g., servers, network devices, power equipment, etc.) stored in a data center rack generate a large amount of heat, which must be removed to maintain the efficient and normal operation of the data center.

[0005] Different types of thermal management solutions can be used to solve this problem, including, for example, computer room air handlers (CRAH) and in - row air handlers. In some cases, a rear cooling assembly can be provided on the rack to cool the air discharged from the rack into the adjacent aisle. However, the rack may have to be specifically designed to fit the rear cooling assembly. In addition, many such rear cooling assemblies may be difficult to install on the rack or may occupy too much space behind the rack.

[0006] Therefore, there is a need for a cooling assembly for a data center rack that can mitigate at least some of these disadvantages. Summary of the invention

[0007] The object of the technology of the present application is to improve at least some of the inconveniences existing in the prior art.

[0008] According to one aspect of the present technology, a cooling assembly for a data center rack is provided. The cooling assembly includes: a chassis having an upper end portion and a lower end portion spaced apart from each other in a vertical direction; at least one heat exchanger connected to the chassis, the at least one heat exchanger being arranged to be at least partially between the upper end portion and the lower end portion of the chassis in the vertical direction, each heat exchanger of the at least one heat exchanger including a cooling coil for circulating a cooling fluid through the cooling coil and a plurality of fins connected to the cooling coil, the fins being spaced apart from each other to allow air to flow between the fins; and at least one lower bracket connected to a lower end portion of the chassis, each lower bracket of the at least one lower bracket including a support wall extending forward from the lower end portion of the chassis, the support wall being configured to at least partially receive a lower end portion of the data center rack on the support wall such that in use, the support wall is disposed between a support surface and the lower end portion of the data center rack.

[0009] In some embodiments, each lower bracket of the at least one lower bracket further includes a guiding wall extending substantially perpendicular to the support wall, the guiding wall being configured to guide a lateral position of the data center rack relative to the cooling assembly.

[0010] In some embodiments, each lower bracket of the at least one lower bracket further includes a connecting flange extending rearward from the guiding wall and defining a rear end portion of the lower bracket, the connecting flange being configured to be connected to the chassis.

[0011] In some embodiments, the at least one lower bracket includes a left lower bracket and a right lower bracket spaced apart from each other laterally.

[0012] In some embodiments, the guiding walls of each of the left lower bracket and the right lower bracket include inner lateral surfaces; the inner lateral surfaces of the guiding wall of the left lower bracket and the inner lateral surfaces of the guiding wall of the right lower bracket face each other; and the distance between the inner lateral surfaces of the guiding wall of the left lower bracket and the inner lateral surfaces of the guiding wall of the right lower bracket is configured to be greater than the rack width of the data center rack.

[0013] In some embodiments, the at least one lower bracket is configured to slide under a lower end portion of the data center rack.

[0014] In some embodiments, the support wall of the at least one lower bracket has a thickness of not more than 5 mm.

[0015] In some embodiments, in use, the upper end portion of the chassis is configured to be disposed vertically above the upper end portion of the data center rack.

[0016] In some embodiments, the cooling assembly further includes: an upper adjacent assembly that is connected to the chassis near the upper end of the chassis, the upper adjacent assembly being configured to be adjacent to the data center rack at the upper end of the data center rack to restrict air flow at the interface between the upper adjacent assembly and the upper end of the data center rack, and the position of the upper adjacent assembly being adjustable to adapt the cooling assembly to the data center rack.

[0017] In some embodiments, the upper adjacent assembly includes an adjustment device for adjusting the angular orientation of the upper adjacent assembly to selectively form a seal at the interface between the upper adjacent assembly and the upper end of the data center rack.

[0018] In some embodiments, the cooling assembly further includes at least one fan connected to a corresponding one of the at least one heat exchangers, the at least one fan being configured to facilitate air flow through the corresponding one of the at least one heat exchangers.

[0019] In some embodiments, the at least one lower bracket is configured to be fastened to a support surface.

[0020] According to another aspect of the present technology, there is provided a rack system for a data center, the rack system including: a data center rack having an upper rack end and a lower rack end, the data center rack including a rack frame and defining at least one accommodation portion configured to accommodate electronic equipment in the at least one accommodation portion; and a cooling assembly, at least a portion of the lower end of the data center rack being disposed on top of the support wall of the at least one lower bracket.

[0021] In some embodiments, the data center rack has a depth measured between the front end and the rear end of the data center rack; and the at least one lower bracket extends in the front-to-rear direction along at least a majority of the depth of the data center rack.

[0022] In some embodiments, the weight of the data center rack supported by the at least one lower bracket keeps the cooling assembly upright.

[0023] According to yet another aspect of the present technology, there is provided a method for assembling a rack system, the method including: positioning the cooling assembly on a support surface and at the rear side of the data center rack; and moving the cooling assembly relative to the data center rack so that the support wall of the at least one lower bracket of the cooling assembly slides under the lower end of the data center rack to attach the cooling assembly to the data center rack.

[0024] In some embodiments, the method further includes attaching a support wall of the at least one lower bracket to a support surface.

[0025] In some embodiments, the method further includes: adjusting a position of an upper adjacent component of a cooling assembly to be adjacent to an upper end portion of a data center rack to restrict air flow at an interface portion between the upper adjacent component and the data center rack.

[0026] According to a further aspect of the present technology, there is provided a cooling assembly for a data center rack, the cooling assembly including: a chassis having an upper end portion and a lower end portion spaced apart from each other in a vertical direction, the chassis having a front end portion configured to be adjacent to a rear end portion of the data center rack; at least one heat exchanger connected to the chassis, the at least one heat exchanger being disposed at least partially vertically between the upper end portion and the lower end portion of the chassis, each heat exchanger of the at least one heat exchanger including a cooling coil for circulating a cooling fluid through the cooling coil and a plurality of fins connected to the cooling coil, the fins being spaced apart from each other to allow air to flow between the fins; an upper adjacent component connected to the chassis, the upper adjacent component being configured to be adjacent to the data center rack at the upper end portion of the data center rack to restrict air flow at an interface portion between the upper adjacent component and the upper end portion of the data center rack, the position of the upper adjacent component being adjustable to adapt the cooling assembly to the data center rack.

[0027] In some embodiments, the upper adjacent component includes an adjusting device for adjusting an angular orientation of the upper adjacent component to selectively form a seal at an interface portion between the upper adjacent component and the upper end portion of the data center rack.

[0028] In some embodiments, the adjusting device is operable to bend the upper adjacent component to adjust the angular orientation of the upper adjacent component.

[0029] In some embodiments, the upper adjacent component includes a substantially L-shaped bracket.

[0030] Implementations of the present technology each have at least one of the above objects and / or aspects, but not necessarily all of these objects and / or aspects. It should be understood that some aspects of the present technology arising from attempting to achieve the above objects may not meet that object and / or may meet other objects not specifically set forth herein.

[0031] Additional and / or alternative features, aspects, and advantages of implementations of the present technology will become apparent from the following description, drawings, and appended claims. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0032] For a better understanding of the technology of the present application and other aspects and additional features of this technology, reference is made to the following description used in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0033] Figure 1 is a perspective view taken from the top front left of a rack system according to an embodiment of the present technology;

[0034] Figure 2 is Figure 1 a left side view of the rack system of

[0035] Figure 3 is Figure 1 a rear view of the rack system of

[0036] Figure 4 is Figure 1 a perspective view taken from the top front left of a part of the rack system of

[0037] Figure 5A is Figure 4 a detailed view of a part of

[0038] Figure 5B is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 5B - 5B in Figure 5A

[0039] Figure 6 is Figure 1 a perspective view taken from the top front left of a part of the rack system of

[0040] Figure 7A is Figure 1 a front view of the rack of the rack system of

[0041] Figure 7B is Figure 7A a perspective view taken from the top front left of a part of the rack of

[0042] Figure 8 is Figure 1 a perspective view taken from the top front right of the cooling component of the rack system of

[0043] Figure 9 is Figure 8 a perspective view taken from the bottom front right of the upper adjacent component of the cooling component of

[0044] Figure 10 is Figure 8 a perspective view taken from the top front right of the left lower bracket of the cooling component of

[0045] Figure 11 is Figure 10 a perspective view taken from the top front left of the left lower bracket of

[0046] ​Figure 12 is Figure 10 a right side view of the lower left bracket of

[0047] Figure 13 is Figure 10 a front view of the lower left bracket of

[0048] Figure 14 is Figure 1 a perspective view taken from the top front left of the rack and cooling components of the rack system of DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0049] Figures 1 to 3 FIG. 1 shows a rack system 100 according to an embodiment of the present technology. The rack system 100 is configured to be used in a data center that, in use, houses a plurality of rack systems 100. It should be noted that the rack system 100 is configured to house electronic devices such as servers, network devices, power equipment, or any other suitable electronic devices designed to support the functions of the data center. In use, a plurality of such rack systems 100 are arranged in rows spaced apart from each other (forming aisles therebetween), and the rows extend parallel to each other. The rack system 100 includes a rack 10 (which may be referred to as a "data center rack") and a cooling assembly 50. The rack 10 is configured to house and support electronic devices, and the cooling assembly 50 is for cooling the air flowing through the rack 10. As will be described in more detail below, the cooling assembly 50 is adapted to be easily mounted on the rack 10 by disposing a part of the cooling assembly 50 below the lower end 24 of the rack 10.

[0050] As Figure 1 , Figure 2 and Figure 7A shown, the rack 10 has a front end 14, a rear end 16, a left end 18, a right end 20, as well as an upper end 22 and a lower end 24. The rack 10 has a rack frame 12 for supporting various components of the rack 10. In this embodiment, the rack frame 12 has four vertical frame members 30 and a plurality of horizontal frame members 32, 34 that extend between the vertical frame members 30 and interconnect the vertical frame members 30. The vertical frame members 30 form the respective corners of the rack frame 12. In this embodiment, the vertical frame members 30 and the horizontal frame members 32, 34 are elongate. The horizontal frame member 32 extends longitudinally (i.e., in the front-rear direction), while the horizontal frame member 34 extends laterally. In other embodiments, the rack frame 12 may be constructed in a different manner. For example, the rack frame 12 may have additional components and / or may have different components. Additionally, in some embodiments, the width of the rack frame 12 may be greater than the height of the rack frame 12.

[0051] As Figure 1 and Figure 7A shown, in this embodiment, the rack 10 has four feet 39 for supporting the rack 10 on a support surface 155 (e.g., the floor of a data center). In particular, the four feet 39 are connected to the lower portion of the rack frame 12, i.e., to the ends of the horizontal frame members 34, and the four feet 39 extend downward from this lower portion of the rack frame 12. Thus, in this embodiment, the feet 39 define the lower end portion 24 of the rack 10. It is contemplated that in other embodiments, the feet 39 may be omitted. For example, in such an embodiment, the rack frame 12 may define the lower end portion 24 of the rack 10.

[0052] In this embodiment, the rack 10 has a left upper rail 40 and a right upper rail 40 and a left lower rail 42 and a right lower rail 42 connected to the horizontal frame members 34. The upper rails 40 and the lower rails 42 are elongated and extend longitudinally such that each of the upper rails 40 and the lower rails 42 interconnects two of the horizontal frame members in the horizontal frame members 34. The rack 10 also has four vertical support members 44 connected to the upper rails 40 and the lower rails 42. More specifically, two of the left vertical support members among the vertical support members 44 are connected to the left upper rail 40 and the left lower rail 42, and two of the right vertical support members among the vertical support members 44 are connected to the right upper rail 40 and the right lower rail 42. In this embodiment, the vertical support members 44 are connected in a manner that can be adjusted along the lengths of the upper rails 40 and the lower rails 42. The vertical support members 44 define a plurality of openings 45 spaced apart from each other in the vertical direction, and the openings 45 are for connecting a plurality of support shelves 35, and some of the support shelves 35 are shown in Figure 7A in dashed lines. The support shelves 35 are configured to support electronic devices (such as servers, network devices, and / or power devices) that the rack 10 is designed to accommodate within the rack 10. Thus, the rack 10 defines an accommodation portion 15 ( Figure 2 , Figure 7A ) between the vertical support members 44 for accommodating electronic devices during the use of the rack 10.

[0053] As Figure 1 and Figure 7B shown, the rack 10 also has an upper panel 36 that at least partially defines the upper end portion 22 of the rack 10. In this embodiment, the upper panel 36 has a generally rectangular shape and defines two longitudinal channels 38. It should be noted that as Figure 7BAs shown, each channel 36 is defined between a horizontally extending bottom channel wall 46 and two side walls 48 extending upwardly from the bottom channel wall 46. The rear end of each channel 36 terminates at the front end of the top front horizontal frame member in the horizontal frame member 44. In other embodiments, the channel 38 may be omitted. The rack 10 also has lateral enclosure panels (not shown) to enclose the internal volume of the rack 10.

[0054] Referring Figure 1 and Figure 2 , in use, the cooling assembly 50 is disposed on the rear side of the rack 10 and abuts against the rear end 16 of the rack 10. The cooling assembly 50 has a chassis 52 for supporting the various components of the cooling assembly 50. As Figure 8 shown, in this embodiment, the chassis 52 is generally rectangular and includes a left vertical chassis portion 62 and a right vertical chassis portion 64, as well as an upper horizontal chassis portion 66 and a lower horizontal chassis portion 68. The upper horizontal chassis portion 66 and the lower horizontal chassis portion 68 extend laterally between the left and right vertical chassis portions 62, 64. As can be seen, in this embodiment, the vertical chassis portions 62, 64 and the horizontal chassis portions 66, 68 are elongated. The upper chassis portion 66 and the lower chassis portion 68 define the upper end 58 and the lower end 60 of the chassis 52 and are spaced apart from each other in the vertical direction.

[0055] As Figure 8 best shown in, the left vertical chassis portion 62, the right vertical chassis portion 64, the upper horizontal chassis portion 66, and the lower horizontal chassis portion 68 define a cooling chassis opening 69 therebetween. In use, air flows through the cooling chassis opening 69 to the respective heat exchangers 70 of the cooling assembly 50, which will be described in more detail below. In this embodiment, the chassis 52 also has two horizontal bracing members 76 that interconnect the left vertical chassis portion 62 and the right vertical chassis portion 64. The bracing members 76 extend parallel to the upper horizontal chassis portion 66 and the lower horizontal chassis portion 68 and are disposed between the upper end 58 and the lower end 60 of the chassis 52 such that the bracing members 76 extend within the cooling chassis opening 69. In other embodiments, the chassis 52 may be constructed in a different manner.

[0056] As Figure 2 and Figure 3As shown, the cooling assembly 50 has three heat exchangers 70, and the heat exchangers 70 provide the cooling function of the cooling assembly 50. The heat exchangers 70 are air-liquid heat exchangers adapted to transfer heat from the air flowing through the heat exchangers 70 to the liquid circulating in the heat exchangers 70. Each heat exchanger 70 has an exchanger frame 71, a cooling coil 72 (shown for one of the heat exchangers 70 in Figure 3 ), and a plurality of fins 74. The cooling coil 72 is supported by the exchanger frame 71 and is configured to circulate a cooling fluid in the cooling coil 72. The fins 74 are connected to the cooling coil 72. The fins 74 are spaced apart from each other to allow air to flow between the fins 74. The cooling coil 72 has an inlet for allowing the cooling fluid to enter the cooling coil 72 and an outlet for discharging the cooling fluid from the cooling coil 72. In use, the cooling coils 72 of the heat exchangers 70 are fluidly connected to an external cooling fluid source (e.g., a dry cooler), which supplies cooled cooling fluid to the heat exchangers 70 and receives heated cooling fluid from the heat exchangers 70.

[0057] In this embodiment, the cooling coils 72 of the heat exchangers 70 are fluidly connected in series. It should be noted that the outlets of the cooling coils 72 of two of the heat exchangers 70 are fluidly connected to the inlets of two other heat exchangers 70, and the outlet of another cooling coil 72 of one of the heat exchangers 70 is fluidly connected to the external cooling fluid source. It is conceivable that in other embodiments, the cooling coils 72 may be fluidly connected in parallel to the external cooling fluid source.

[0058] In this embodiment, the cooling fluid fed through the cooling coils 72 of the heat exchangers 70 is a cooling liquid, and more specifically water. The cooling fluid may be any other suitable type of cooling fluid (e.g., refrigerant, two-phase fluid, or others).

[0059] As can be seen, in this embodiment, the heat exchangers 70 are arranged one above the other in the vertical direction, wherein each heat exchanger 70 is arranged at least partially vertically between the upper end 58 and the lower end 60 of the chassis 52. Thus, the heat exchangers 70 are vertically stacked with the cooling chassis opening 69 defined by the chassis 52, such that in use, the air flowing through the cooling chassis opening 69 flows over the heat exchangers 70. Additionally, in this embodiment, the heat exchanger frames 71 of each heat exchanger 70 are hingedly connected to the chassis 52, such that the heat exchangers 70 are pivotable about respective vertical axes 150 (one of the vertical axes 150 is shown in Figure 3 ).

[0060] Conceivably, in other embodiments, more or fewer heat exchangers 70 may be provided. For example, in some embodiments, a single heat exchanger 70 may be provided and the size of the single heat exchanger 70 may be designed to span most of the height of the rack 10. Additionally, in other embodiments, the heat exchanger 70 may be constructed in different ways.

[0061] As Figure 8 best shown in, in this embodiment, the cooling assembly 50 further includes three fan sub-assemblies 80 for facilitating air flow over the heat exchanger 70. It should be noted that each fan sub-assembly 80 is associated with a respective one of the heat exchangers in the heat exchanger 70 and is disposed in front of the heat exchanger 70. Each fan sub-assembly 80 includes a fan mounting frame 81 and a plurality of fans 82 connected to the fan mounting frame 81. Each fan mounting frame 81 is connected to the exchanger frame 71 of the corresponding heat exchanger 70. Thus, each fan sub-assembly 80 is capable of pivoting about an axis 150 together with the corresponding heat exchanger 70. In use, as Figure 8 shown for one of the fans 82 in, the fan 82 is capable of rotating about its respective fan axis FA. As can be seen, in this embodiment, the fan axis FA of each fan 82 extends generally horizontally in the front-to-back direction. In other embodiments, more or fewer fans 82 may be provided.

[0062] Conceivably, in other embodiments, the fans 82 may be separate from the cooling assembly 50. For example, instead of the fan sub-assemblies 80, fans may be disposed within the rack 10.

[0063] Thus, in use, when the cooling assembly 50 is connected to the rack 10 to form the rack assembly 100, air flows through the rack 10 (as facilitated by the fans 82), and the air absorbs heat from the electronic devices housed in the rack 10. The heated air then flows through the heat exchanger 70 of the cooling assembly 50, where the heat is transferred from the air to the cooling fluid circulating through the cooling coil 72. The cooled air is then discharged via the rear side of the cooling assembly 50 and enters the aisle formed between successive rows of the rack assembly 100. Thus, the cooling assembly 50 allows the temperature of the air in the aisle formed between successive rows of the rack system 100 to be reduced.

[0064] Referring to Figures 4 to 5B and Figure 8, in this embodiment, the cooling assembly 50 further has an upper adjacent assembly 84, and the upper adjacent assembly 84 is configured to be adjacent to the frame 10 at the upper end portion 22 of the frame 10 to form a seal, thereby restricting the air flow between the chassis 52 and the frame 10. That is to say, the upper adjacent assembly 84 minimizes or prevents the air flow from leaking at the upper end portion 22 of the frame 10. The upper adjacent assembly 84 is connected to the chassis 52 and extends forward from the chassis 52. In this embodiment, the upper adjacent assembly 84 includes a generally L-shaped bracket 135, and the bracket 135 has a fixed portion 86 and an adjacent portion 88. The fixed portion 86 is connected to the chassis 52, and the adjacent portion 88 extends from the lower end portion of the fixed portion 86 at an angle with respect to the fixed portion 86. In this embodiment, the bracket 135 has two lips 89, and the lips 89 extend upward at an angle from the front end portion of the adjacent portion 88 toward the fixed portion 86. The two lips 89 are laterally spaced apart from each other, that is, disposed at the lateral ends of the bracket 135. Refer to Figure 5B and Figure 9 , in this embodiment, the upper adjacent assembly 84 further has two channel engaging brackets 136. In use, the channel engaging brackets 136 are received in the channels 38 of the upper panel 36 of the frame 10. The channel engaging brackets 136 are connected to the bracket 135 (e.g., welded to the bracket 135) and extend from the adjacent portion 88. In this embodiment, each channel engaging bracket 136 has a generally U-shaped cross-sectional profile (extending along a plane normal to the adjacent portion 88 and in the front-rear direction). Each channel engaging bracket 136 has a front end portion 138 and a rear end portion 140. As Figure 5B shown, each channel engaging bracket 136 further has a tab 103 extending upward from the front end portion 140 of the channel engaging bracket 136. It should be noted that the tab 103 extends through the corresponding opening 108 defined by the adjacent portion 88 of the bracket 135 and is angled backward so that the tab 103 extends toward the fixed portion 86. In particular, in this embodiment, the tab 103 is disposed behind the corresponding lip in the lips 89 and extends parallel to the corresponding lip.

[0065] The position of the upper adjacent assembly 84 is adjustable to fit the frame 10 below the upper adjacent assembly 84. It should be noted that the fixed portion 86 can pass through the slot 104 defined by the fixed portion 86 ( Figure 5A) are connected to the chassis 52 along various vertical positions, wherein fasteners for fixing the fixing part 86 to the chassis 52 are received in the slots 104. In addition, the angular orientation of at least a part of the upper adjacent component 84 is adjustable via an adjusting device 85. More particularly, the bending of the adjacent part 88 is adjusted by the adjusting device 85 to control the contact between the upper adjacent component 84 and the upper end portion 22 of the frame 10. Thus, in this embodiment, the "coarse" adjustment of the position of the upper adjacent component 84 is achieved by the connection of the fixing part 86 to the chassis 52 (i.e., by changing the vertical position of the fixing part 86 relative to the chassis 52 via the slots 104), while the "fine" adjustment of the position of the upper adjacent component 84 is performed via the adjusting device 85 as will be described below.

[0066] In this embodiment, as Figure 5A and Figure 5B shown, the adjusting device 85 is two adjusters 85, each adjuster including four threaded fasteners 77, 79, 83, 142, and the threaded fasteners 77, 79, 83, 142 interact with each other to allow the user to adjust the angular orientation of the adjacent part 88 and the channel engagement bracket 136. The fastener 77 is a bolt that extends through one of the lips 89 and the corresponding tab 103. The fasteners 79, 83, 142 are internally threaded fasteners, i.e., nuts that threadedly receive the bolt 77. The nut 79 is fixed to the corresponding tab 103 and is fixed in rotation to the end of the bolt 77 (e.g., via a thread locking sealant). Thus, the fastener 77 is fixed in rotation to the tab 103.

[0067] The nuts 83, 142 are disposed on opposite sides of the lip 89 and are threadedly adjustable relative to the bolt 77 to actuate the corresponding adjuster 85. It should be noted that by rotating one of the nuts 83, 142 relative to the fastener 77 and against the lip 89, the distance between the lip 89 and the corresponding tab 103 is adjusted, and thus, the angular orientation of the adjacent part 88 is changed. In particular, the bending of the adjacent part 88 is changed by selectively rotating the nuts 83, 142 against the lip 89, such that the adjacent part 88 and the channel engagement bracket 136 can be pressed into greater contact with the upper end portion 22 of the frame 10, thereby minimizing the air flow between the adjacent part 88 and the upper end portion 22 of the frame 10. More specifically, as Figure 5BAs shown, in use, each channel engagement bracket 136 is first received in a corresponding channel 38 and positioned adjacent the front end of the top rear horizontal frame member that is partially defined adjacent the upper end 22 of the machine frame 10 (and the rear end of the channel 38) in the horizontal frame member 34. By tightening the nut 142 against the lip 89 to increase the distance between the lip 89 and the tab 103, the bending applied to the adjacent portion 88 presses the adjacent portion 88 and the channel engagement bracket 136 downward against the upper end 22 of the machine frame 10, and thus forms a better seal, thereby minimizing the air flow between the upper adjacent assembly 84 and the upper end 22 of the machine frame 10. On the other hand, tightening the nut 79 against the lip 89 to shorten the distance between the lip 89 and the tab 103 causes the front end of the adjacent portion 88 to tilt upward due to the bending applied to the adjacent portion 88, and thus causes the adjacent portion 88 and the channel engagement bracket 136 to move away from the upper end 22 of the machine frame 10.

[0068] Accordingly, when the machine frame 10 is in place relative to the cooling assembly 50, the force applied by the upper adjacent assembly 84 to the upper end 22 of the machine frame 10 can be changed by operating the adjuster 85. Thus, a seal can be formed between the upper adjacent assembly 84 and the upper end 22 of the machine frame 10 by pressing the upper adjacent assembly 84 against the upper end 22 of the machine frame 10. In some embodiments, the lower side of the adjacent portion 88 and the channel engagement bracket 136 may have a sealing member (e.g., a foam joint) to further seal the interface between the upper adjacent assembly 84 and the upper end 22 of the machine frame 10.

[0069] Now referring to Figure 1 、 Figure 2 and Figure 8 the cooling assembly 50 has a left lower bracket 90 and a right lower bracket 90 that extend partially forward from the lower end of the chassis 52 and are configured to hold the cooling assembly 50 in an upright orientation. It should be noted that, as will be described in more detail below, in this embodiment, the lower brackets 90 engage the lower ends 24 of the machine frame 10 to hold the cooling assembly 50 in an upright orientation. The lower bracket 90 will now be described with reference to Figures 10 to 13 that shows the left lower bracket 90. In this embodiment, the left lower bracket 90 and the right lower bracket 90 are mirror images of each other about a vertical plane that bisects the width of the chassis 52. Thus, only the left lower bracket 90 will be described in detail herein. It should be understood that the same description applies to the right lower bracket 90.

[0070] As Figures 10 to 12As shown, the lower bracket 90 extends from the front end portion 91 to the rear end portion 97, thereby defining the length of the lower bracket 90 between the front end portion 91 and the rear end portion 97. In this embodiment, the lower bracket 90 includes a support wall 92 and an outer guide wall 94 extending upward from the support wall 92. In particular, the outer guide wall 94 extends substantially perpendicular to the support wall 92. It should be noted that the outer guide wall 94 extends vertically, while the support wall 92 extends horizontally. In this embodiment, the outer guide wall 94 is substantially L-shaped, such that the rear end portion 115 of the outer guide wall 94 extends to be vertically higher than the front end portion 117 of the outer guide wall 94. In use, as Figure 2 shown, the support wall 92 receives the feet 39 of the frame 10 on the support wall 92, such that the support wall 92 is disposed between the feet 39 and the support surface 155. In this embodiment, the support wall 92 defines two longitudinal slots 93, which are optionally used to fasten the lower bracket 90 to the support surface 155.

[0071] The outer guide wall 94 serves as a guide for the frame 10 to facilitate the alignment of the frame 10 relative to the cooling assembly 50. It should be noted that with reference to Figure 8 , in this embodiment, the left lower bracket 90 and the right lower bracket 90 are connected to the chassis 52, such that the inner lateral surfaces 106 of the outer guide walls 94 of the left lower bracket 90 and the right lower bracket 90 are spaced apart from each other by a distance 165, and the distance 165 is slightly greater than the frame width RW of the frame 10 ( Figure 7A ). It is conceivable that in other embodiments, the outer guide wall 94 can be omitted, or a separate bracket can be provided to achieve the function of the outer guide wall 94.

[0072] In this embodiment, the lower bracket 90 further has an inner guide wall 96 extending upward from the support wall 92. More particularly, the inner guide wall 96 extends vertically and thus is parallel to the outer guide wall 94. As Figure 10 , Figure 11 and Figure 13 best shown, the support wall 92, the outer guide wall 94, and the inner guide wall 96 form a channel 95 therebetween for receiving the feet 39 of the frame 10 therein. To avoid interference with the frame frame 12, the inner guide wall 96 has a height smaller than that of the outer guide wall 94, particularly smaller than the distance between the support surface 155 and the frame frame 12. It is conceivable that in other embodiments, the inner guide wall 96 can be omitted.

[0073] To connect the lower bracket 90 to the chassis 52, in this embodiment, the lower bracket 90 has a connecting flange 98 that extends rearward from the outer guiding wall 94 and defines the rear end portion 97 of the lower bracket 90. The connecting flange 98 is configured to be connected to the lower end portion of the chassis 52, that is, to the lower end portion of the left vertical chassis portion 62. The connecting flange 98 defines a plurality of openings 99 for receiving fasteners 105 ( Figure 6 ), and the fasteners 105 are threadedly received by corresponding fasteners (such as nuts) on the inner side of the left vertical chassis portion 62.

[0074] In this embodiment, each lower bracket 90 is a one-piece component formed of a continuous material. More specifically, the lower bracket 90 is made of a bent single piece of sheet metal. For example, the thickness of the walls 92, 94, 96 of the lower bracket 90 can be measured to be no greater than 5 mm. For example, in this embodiment, the thickness of the walls 92, 94, 96 is about 3 mm (i.e., between 2 mm and 4 mm). It should be noted that the thinness of the support wall 92 of the lower bracket 90 can help the support wall 92 to slide under the feet 39 of the frame 10.

[0075] In addition, in this embodiment, the lower bracket 90 is configured to extend along at least a majority of the depth of the frame 10 measured from the front end portion 14 to the rear end portion 16 of the frame 10. It should be noted that as Figure 2 shown, the length of the lower bracket 90 is such that when the cooling assembly 50 is mounted on the frame 10, the front end portion 91 of the lower bracket 90 is close to the rear end portion 16 of the frame 10.

[0076] A method for assembling the frame system 100 will now be described in more detail with reference to Figure 14 . The frame 10 is initially placed on the support surface 155 such that the feet 39 of the frame 10 contact the support surface 155. As Figure 14 shown, the cooling assembly 50 is placed on the support surface 155 and positioned such that the front side portion of the cooling assembly 50 faces the rear side portion of the frame 10. In other words, the lower bracket 90 points to the rear side portion of the frame 10. Then, the cooling assembly 50 is moved forward (as depicted by the arrow M in Figure 14 ), until the chassis 52 of the cooling assembly 50 abuts against the rear end portion 16 of the frame 10. In this embodiment, when the cooling assembly 50 abuts against the rear end portion 16 of the frame 10, a sealing member 65 ( Figure 8)If the foam joint forms a seal with the frame 10 along most of the rear end portion 16 of the frame 10 to limit air leakage at the interface between the chassis 52 and the rear end portion 16 of the frame 10.

[0077] As the cooling assembly 50 moves forward, the lower bracket 90 slides under the lower end portion 24 of the frame 10. In particular, the channel 95 receives the feet 39 of the frame 10 in the channel 95 such that the support wall 92 of the lower bracket 90 slides under the feet 39 of the frame 10, thereby attaching the cooling assembly 50 to the frame 10 and thus forming the frame system 100. More specifically, the feet 39 of the frame 10 apply the weight of the frame 10 onto the support wall 92 of the lower bracket 90, which ensures that the cooling assembly 50 remains in the upright position of the cooling assembly 50 as Figures 1 to 3 shown. Thus, as will be understood, the cooling assembly 50 is easily mounted onto the frame 10 and allows for retrofitting of an existing frame 10 with the cooling assembly 50 if needed (e.g., to address hot spots within the data center).

[0078] The upper adjacent assembly 84 can then be adjusted as described above to limit air flow at the interface between the upper adjacent assembly 84 and the upper end portion 22 of the frame 10. Thus, the cooling assembly 50 is adjustable to accommodate the dimensions of the frame 10.

[0079] In some embodiments, instead of or in addition to having the lower end portion 24 of the frame 10 supported on top of the lower bracket 90, the lower bracket 90 can be fixed to the support surface 155 of the data center. For example, in some embodiments, the lower bracket 90 can be anchored to the support surface 155 before the frame 10 is placed on top of the lower bracket 90 to secure the cooling assembly 50 in place. It should be noted that fasteners can be inserted through the slots 93 of the support wall 92 to attach the lower bracket 90 to the support surface 155. The lower end portion 24 of the frame 10 will then be positioned on top of the support wall 92 of the lower bracket 90. Thus, the cooling assembly 50 can pre - define the position of the frame 10 within the data center.

[0080] Although in this embodiment, two lower brackets 90 are provided on opposite sides of the chassis 52, it is contemplated that in other embodiments, the cooling assembly 50 can have a single lower bracket. For example, a single lower bracket can span the width of the chassis 52 to similarly connect to each side of the chassis 52.

[0081] As will be appreciated from the foregoing, the lower bracket 90 may facilitate retrofitting the rack 10 with a system for cooling the air exhausted by the rack 10. It should be noted that if the operator realizes that additional cooling may be desirable for the air exhausted by a given rack 10, the operator may simply retrofit the rack 10 with the cooling assembly 50 by sliding the lower bracket 90 under the lower end 24 of the rack 10 as described above. Alternatively, the cooling assembly 50 may be installed in the data center prior to installation of the rack 10 (e.g., attached to the support surface 155). This may also facilitate handling of the rack 10 since the rack 10 does not have to be transported with the cooling assembly 50 attached thereto. In addition, the lower bracket 90 is relatively easy to manufacture and is thus cost-effective to manufacture.

[0082] Modifications and improvements to the above-described implementations of the technology will be apparent to those skilled in the art. The foregoing description is intended to be exemplary rather than limiting. Accordingly, the scope of the technology is intended to be defined only by the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A cooling assembly (50) for a data center rack (10), comprising: a chassis (52) having an upper end portion (58) and a lower end portion (60) spaced apart from each other in a vertical direction; at least one heat exchanger (70) connected to the chassis, the at least one heat exchanger (70) being arranged to be at least partially vertically between the upper end portion of the chassis and the lower end portion of the chassis, each heat exchanger of the at least one heat exchanger comprising: a cooling coil (72) for circulating a cooling fluid through the cooling coil; and a plurality of fins (74) connected to the cooling coil, the fins being spaced apart from each other to allow air to flow between the fins; the cooling assembly (50) is characterized in that the cooling assembly (50) further comprises: at least one lower bracket (90) connected to a lower end portion of the chassis, each lower bracket of the at least one lower bracket being a bent single-piece metal sheet and comprising a support wall (92) extending forward from the lower end portion of the chassis, the support wall being configured to at least partially receive a lower rack end (24) of the data center rack on the support wall such that in use, the support wall is disposed between a support surface (155) and the lower rack end of the data center rack.

2. The cooling assembly according to claim 1, wherein, each lower bracket of the at least one lower bracket further comprises a guiding wall (94) extending perpendicular to the support wall, the guiding wall being configured to guide a lateral position of the data center rack relative to the cooling assembly.

3. The cooling assembly according to claim 2, wherein, each lower bracket of the at least one lower bracket further comprises a connecting flange (98) extending rearward from the guiding wall and defining a rear end portion (97) of the at least one lower bracket, the connecting flange being configured to be connected to the chassis.

4. The cooling assembly according to claim 2 or 3, wherein, the at least one lower bracket comprises a left lower bracket and a right lower bracket spaced apart from each other laterally.

5. The cooling assembly according to claim 4, wherein, the guiding wall of each of the left lower bracket and the right lower bracket comprises an inner lateral surface (106); the inner lateral surface of the guiding wall of the left lower bracket faces the inner lateral surface of the guiding wall of the right lower bracket; and a distance (165) between the inner lateral surface of the guiding wall of the left lower bracket and the inner lateral surface of the guiding wall of the right lower bracket is configured to be greater than a rack width RW of the data center rack.

6. The cooling assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein, the at least one lower bracket is configured to slide under the lower rack end of the data center rack.

7. The cooling assembly according to claim 6, wherein, The support wall of the at least one lower bracket has a thickness of no more than 5 mm.

8. The cooling assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein, in use, the upper end portion of the chassis is configured to be disposed vertically higher than the upper rack end (22) of the data center rack.

9. The cooling assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising: an upper adjacent component (84) connected to the chassis near the upper end portion of the chassis, the upper adjacent component being configured to be adjacent to the data center rack at the upper rack end (22) of the data center rack to form a seal at the interface portion between the upper adjacent component and the upper rack end of the data center rack, the position of the upper adjacent component being adjustable to adapt the cooling assembly to the data center rack.

10. The cooling assembly according to claim 9, wherein, the upper adjacent component includes an adjusting device for adjusting the angular orientation of the upper adjacent component to selectively form a seal at the interface portion between the upper adjacent component and the upper rack end of the data center rack.

11. The cooling assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising at least one fan (82) connected to a corresponding heat exchanger of the at least one heat exchanger, the at least one fan being configured to facilitate air flow through the corresponding heat exchanger of the at least one heat exchanger.

12. The cooling assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein, the at least one lower bracket is configured to be fastened to the support surface.

13. A rack system for a data center, comprising: a data center rack (10) having an upper rack end (22) and a lower rack end (24), the data center rack including a rack frame (12) and defining at least one receiving portion (15), the at least one receiving portion being configured to receive electronic equipment in the at least one receiving portion; and the cooling assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 11, at least a portion of the lower rack end of the data center rack is disposed on top of the support wall of the at least one lower bracket.

14. The rack system according to claim 13, wherein, the weight of the data center rack supported by the at least one lower bracket keeps the cooling assembly upright.

15. A method for assembling a rack system (100), the method comprising: positioning the cooling assembly (50) according to any one of claims 1 to 8 and claim 11 on a support surface and at the rear side of a data center rack (10); and moving the cooling assembly relative to the data center rack so that the support wall of the at least one lower bracket of the cooling assembly slides under the lower rack end (24) of the data center rack, thereby attaching the cooling assembly to the data center rack.

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