Data center

Abstract

The objective is to provide a data center with high cooling efficiency. [Solution] An embodiment of the present invention provides a data center comprising: a housing with a ceiling and walls and an open bottom; a plurality of leg members for forming a gap between the bottom of the housing and the floor; a partition plate for dividing the inside of the housing into an upper chamber and a lower chamber; a holder installed at a position close to the partition plate and supporting a plurality of electronic devices; and an exhaust fan mechanism for exhausting air from inside the housing. The partition plate is provided with a plurality of flow holes corresponding to the exhaust ports of the plurality of electronic devices supported by the holder, an exhaust port for exhausting air from inside the housing is provided in the wall or ceiling, and a mounting structure is provided for detachably attaching an exhaust duct to the exhaust port for exhausting air from inside the housing.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to data centers.

Background Art

[0002] Data centers are known as facilities for enormous computational processing such as so-called Bitcoin mining that verifies Bitcoin network transactions and generates new Bitcoins. Data centers range from large-scale ones that house hundreds of thousands of servers and storage devices to small-scale ones that house dozens to thousands of servers and storage devices. Compared to large-scale data centers that need to be installed as buildings, small-scale data centers have a smaller installation space and can be installed at low cost in a short period of time. Therefore, in a distributed system that plays an important role in modern IT infrastructure and application design, small-scale data centers are essential facilities. Such small-scale data centers have lower processing capabilities than large-scale data centers. Therefore, when trying to make a profit from the operation of small-scale data centers, operation at low cost is essential. Even in small-scale data centers, as in large-scale data centers, it is important to cool servers and other devices and manage the operating temperature. However, introducing a cooling system like that adopted in large-scale data centers will increase the operation cost.

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0003] An object is to provide a data center with high cooling efficiency.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0004] A data center according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises a housing with a ceiling and walls and an open bottom, a plurality of leg members for forming a gap between the bottom of the housing and the floor, a partition plate for dividing the inside of the housing into an upper chamber and a lower chamber, a holder installed at a position close to the partition plate and supporting a plurality of electronic devices, and an exhaust fan mechanism for exhausting air from inside the housing. The partition plate is provided with a plurality of flow holes corresponding to the exhaust ports of the plurality of electronic devices supported by the holder, an exhaust port for exhausting air from inside the housing is provided in the wall or ceiling, and a mounting structure is provided for detachably attaching an exhaust duct to the exhaust port for exhausting air from inside the housing. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0005] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is an external perspective view of the data center according to this embodiment. [Figure 2] Figure 2 shows the internal structure of the data center shown in Figure 1. [Figure 3] Figure 3 shows the state with the partition plate from Figure 2 removed. [Figure 4] Figure 4 shows the airflow within the data center as shown in Figure 1. [Figure 5] Figure 5 is an external perspective view of a data center equipped with a long exhaust duct, according to a first modified example of this embodiment. [Figure 6] Figure 6 is an external perspective view of a data center equipped with an exhaust duct having multiple outlets, according to a second modified example of this embodiment. [Figure 7] Figure 7 is an external perspective view of a data center according to a third modified example of this embodiment, in which an air intake is provided on the side panel. [Figure 8] Figure 8 is an external perspective view of a data center equipped with a linear intake duct, according to a fourth modified example of this embodiment. [Figure 9] Figure 9 is an external perspective view of a data center equipped with an intake duct having a bent section, according to a fifth modified example of this embodiment. [Figure 10]Figure 10 is an external perspective view of a data center equipped with a circulation duct according to a sixth modified example of this embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0006] Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. The basic structure of the data center 1 according to this embodiment will be described below with reference to Figures 1 to 3. The data center 1 according to this embodiment has a housing 2. The housing 2 is a vertically elongated rectangular box with an open bottom. The housing 2 has a frame 6 that constitutes the outer shell of the housing 2, a ceiling panel (ceiling section) 3 attached to the ceiling portion of the frame 6, and side panels (wall sections) 4 attached to the wall portions. The ceiling panel 3 corresponds to the ceiling portion, and the side panels 4 correspond to the wall portions. Of course, the shape of the housing 2 is not limited to this, and it may be circular, elliptical, polygonal, or other in plan view. Also, the bottom of the housing 2 does not need to be completely open, and it is sufficient if at least a part of it is open as an air intake. That is, a bottom panel may be attached to the bottom portion of the frame 6, and an air intake may be provided on this bottom panel. In addition, not only the bottom, but also a part of the wall portion continuous with the bottom may be open as an air intake.

[0007] Multiple leg members 53 with casters (wheels) are attached to the bottom of the housing 2. The multiple leg members 53 form a gap between the bottom of the housing 2, which is open as an air intake for drawing in outside air, and the floor surface. Thus, as long as a gap can be formed between the bottom of the housing 2 and the floor surface, the leg members may consist of a single leg member, and the leg members may not have casters.

[0008] The ceiling panel 3 is provided with multiple exhaust ports 3a, which serve as exhaust ports for exhausting the air inside the housing 2 to the outside. Each exhaust port 3a is provided with an exhaust duct attachment / detachment structure 67 for attaching and detaching an exhaust duct, and an exhaust fan mechanism 65. Known structures such as snap-fit ​​fitting structures and bolt fastening structures are used for the attachment / detachment structure. The exhaust fan mechanism 65 consists of an exhaust fan and a motor that drives the fan. In addition, lashing rings 35 are provided at each of the four corners of the ceiling panel 3, which are used to fix the housing 2 to the installation location with chains or wires.

[0009] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the housing 2 has a partition plate 61 for dividing the inside of the housing 2 into upper and lower sections, and a holder 63 for fixing a plurality of electronic devices 90 inside the housing 2. The lower part of the internal space of the housing 2 partitioned by the partition plate 61 is called the lower chamber 2a, and the upper part is called the upper chamber 2b. The holder 63 fixes the plurality of electronic devices 90 so that their exhaust ports 90a face the upper chamber 2b. For example, the holder 63 has a plurality of poles for fixing the electronic devices 90 upside down so that their exhaust ports 90a face upward. The plurality of poles are formed integrally with the frame 6 and are positioned above, below, left, and right, sandwiching the electronic devices 90 from above, below, left, and right. The partition plate 61 is provided with a plurality of flow holes 61a corresponding to the exhaust ports 90a of the plurality of electronic devices 90. Air inside the housing 2 flows between the lower chamber 2a and the upper chamber 2b only through the flow holes 61a. The flow hole 61a is configured to have a shape and dimensions that match the dimensions of the exhaust port 90a portion of the electronic device 90 or the rear portion of the electronic device 90. The exhaust port 90a portion of the electronic device 90, which is fixed by the holder 33, is fitted into the flow hole 61a of the partition plate 61, and the exhaust port 90a portion of the electronic device 90 is exposed to the upper chamber 2b side. This prevents the backflow of warm air exhausted from the exhaust port 90a of the electronic device 90 into the lower chamber 2a, and allows the air flowing from the lower chamber 2a to the upper chamber 2b to be concentrated on the electronic device 90. Since the air drawn into the interior of the housing 2 from the bottom of the housing 2 can be concentrated on the electronic device 90, the cooling efficiency of the electronic device 90 can be improved.

[0010] As shown in Figure 4, according to the data center 1 of this embodiment, when the exhaust fan mechanism 65 is driven, air taken in from the bottom of the housing 2 into the lower chamber 2a cools the electronic equipment 90, passes through the exhaust port 90a of the electronic equipment 90 to the upper chamber 2b, and is exhausted to the outside of the housing 2 through the exhaust port 3a of the housing 2 provided on the ceiling panel 3 at the top of the housing 2. By opening the bottom of the housing 2 as an intake port and providing an exhaust port 3a on the ceiling panel 3 which is the top of the housing 2, it is possible to create a linear airflow from the bottom of the housing 2, through the electronic equipment 90, to the exhaust from the top of the housing 2, preventing warm air from accumulating inside the housing 2 and allowing the electronic equipment 90 inside the housing 2 to be efficiently cooled by air cooling.

[0011] If the data center 1 according to this embodiment is installed outdoors, dust, plant debris (seeds, leaves, etc.), insects, etc. may enter the housing 2 from the bottom. Since the electronic equipment 90 located inside the housing 2 is precision machinery, if dust, plant debris, insects, etc. enter the inside of the equipment, the electronic equipment 90 may be damaged. In addition, communication and power supply environments are often not established outdoors, and significant costs will be incurred to install them.

[0012] The data center 1 according to this embodiment is intended to be installed in place of machine tools located in a machine tool room or unused server equipment located in a server room within a factory. Generally, machine tool rooms and server rooms are kept clean from a quality control perspective, the room temperature is maintained at a relatively low and constant temperature, and the communication environment and power supply necessary for operating the data center 1 are in place. Therefore, when the data center 1 according to this embodiment is installed indoors, such as in a machine tool room or server room, there are virtually no risks that would occur if it were installed outdoors. Moreover, by opening the bottom of the housing 2 and using it as an air intake, cold air stagnating on the floor of the machine tool room or server room can be drawn into the housing 2, thereby improving the cooling effect of the electronic equipment 90. Thus, opening the bottom of the housing 2 and using it as an air intake is one of the characteristic structures of the data center 1 according to this embodiment.

[0013] Furthermore, machine tool rooms are often equipped with exhaust ducts to discharge dust, harmful gases, heat, oil fumes, and mist from machine tools. Similarly, server rooms are often equipped with exhaust ducts to exhaust heat generated by server equipment. In the data center 1 according to this embodiment, each of the multiple exhaust ports 3a is provided with an exhaust duct attachment / detachment structure 67 to which an exhaust duct can be attached or detached. For example, by connecting an exhaust duct that has been pre-installed in a factory or the like to the exhaust port attachment / detachment structure 67 of the housing 2, the warm air generated in the data center 1 can be discharged to the outside of the machine tool room or server room via the exhaust duct attached to the exhaust duct attachment / detachment structure 67 without the need to install a new exhaust duct. This prevents the room temperature in the machine tool room or server room from rising, that is, prevents the temperature of the air taken into the housing 2 from rising, and as a result, the cooling efficiency of the data center 1 can be improved.

[0014] As described above, this embodiment provides a data center 1 suitable for indoor installation. Of course, the data sensor 1 according to this embodiment is typically intended for indoor use, but this does not preclude its use outdoors. When used outdoors, measures such as attaching an insect net or dust filter to the bottom of the housing 2 to prevent insects and dust from entering from the bottom of the housing 2, attaching a bird net or the like to the exhaust port of the exhaust duct to prevent birds from entering from the exhaust port of the exhaust duct, facing the exhaust port of the exhaust duct downwards to prevent rainwater from entering, and shielding the entire unit with dampers or shutters when the data center is not in operation can be taken to ensure safe use, just as when installed indoors.

[0015] The exhaust fan mechanism 65 does not have to be located at the exhaust port 3a, as long as the air inside the housing 2 can be exhausted to the outside of the housing 2 through the exhaust port 3a. For example, the exhaust fan mechanism 65 may be located in the upper chamber 2b, or in both the lower chamber 2a and the upper chamber 2b. Alternatively, the exhaust fan mechanism 65 may be located inside the exhaust duct.

[0016] In the data center 1 according to this embodiment, the exhaust port 3a was provided on the ceiling panel 3. However, the exhaust port 3a may also be provided on the upper part of the side panel 4.

[0017] The data center 1 according to this embodiment does not have an exhaust duct as a component. However, the data center 1 according to this embodiment may have an exhaust duct as a component. By designing the exhaust duct, the warm air exhausted from the exhaust port 3a of the housing 2 can be effectively utilized. Hereinafter, a first and second modified example of the data center 1 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 5 and 6. The data center 1 according to the first and second modified examples is equipped with an exhaust duct as a component.

[0018] As shown in FIG. 5, the data center 1 according to the first modification has a long exhaust duct 200 attached to the detachable structure 67 of the exhaust duct. Since the exhaust duct 200 is heated by the warm air exhausted from the exhaust port 31a of the container 2, it can function as a heating appliance itself. For example, by burying the heated exhaust duct 200 in the ground inside the vinyl house, the ground can be heated by the exhaust duct 200, and a situation where frost forms on the ground can be avoided. Also, by exposing the exhaust port of the exhaust duct 200 into the vinyl house outside the machine tool room, the inside of the vinyl house can be directly heated by the warm air exhausted from the exhaust port of the exhaust duct 200.

[0019] As shown in the second modification of FIG. 6, the exhaust duct 300 attached to the detachable structure 67 of the exhaust duct may be provided with a plurality of outlets 301 along the length direction. Thereby, each outlet 301 can function as a heating appliance that blows out warm air, and a plurality of positions on the wiring path of the exhaust duct 300 can be heated by the warm air blown out from the outlets 301.

[0020] In the data center 1 according to the present embodiment, the bottom of the open housing 2 has functioned as an intake port. However, the position where the intake port is provided is not limited to the bottom of the housing 2. As shown in the third modification of FIG. 7, a bottom panel 5 is attached to the bottom portion of the housing 2, and the housing 2 forms a sealed box body in which none of the surfaces are open. A plurality of intake ports 4b are provided in the lower portion of the side panel 4. According to the configuration in which the intake ports 4b are provided in the lower portion of the side panel 4 in this way, similar to the present embodiment, the cold air staying on the floor surface of the machine tool room or the server room can be taken into the housing 2, so that the cooling effect of the electronic device 9(0) can be enhanced. In the third modification, since the intake ports 4b are provided in the side panel 4, it is not necessary to have legs.

[0021] As shown in Figure 7, the data center 1 may have an intake duct attachment / detachment structure 69 provided at each of the intake ports 4b. That is, the data center 1 according to the third modified example may have an intake duct attachment / detachment structure 69 as a component. Of course, the data center 1 according to the third modified example may have an intake duct attached to the attachment / detachment structure 69 as a component. By devising the wiring of the intake duct, the air taken into the housing 2 via the intake duct can be made colder.

[0022] Hereinafter, with reference to Figures 8 and 9, a fourth and fifth modified example of the data center 1 according to this embodiment will be described. The data center 1 according to the fifth and sixth modified examples includes an intake duct as one of its components.

[0023] As shown in Figure 8, the data center 1 according to the fourth modified example has a long intake duct 400 attached to an intake duct attachment / detachment structure 69 provided at the intake port 4b. For example, by placing the intake port of the intake duct 400 in an air-conditioned room or outdoors where the temperature is lower than that of the machine tool room, cooler air can be drawn into the container 2 via the intake duct 400, thereby enhancing the cooling effect of the electronic equipment 90.

[0024] As shown in the fifth modified example in Figure 9, a long intake duct 500, which has a U-shaped bend in the middle, is attached to the intake duct attachment / detachment structure 69 provided at the intake port 4b, and the bent portion is positioned so as to be submerged in the pool. This allows cold air introduced from the intake port of the intake duct 500 and cooled by the pool to be drawn into the housing 2, thereby enhancing the cooling effect of the electronic equipment 90. The intake duct 500 may be flexible so that its middle portion can be bent in any direction according to the wiring environment.

[0025] The data center 1 according to the first and second modifications of this embodiment is equipped with an exhaust duct, and the data center 1 according to the fourth and fifth modifications is equipped with an intake duct. However, as shown in the sixth modification in Figure 10, the data center 1 may also have a circulation duct 600. By attaching one end of the circulation duct 600 to a detachable structure 69 provided at the intake port 4b and the other end to a detachable structure 67 provided at the exhaust port 3a, the air exhausted from the container 2 can be recirculated. By wiring the circulation duct 600 to a place where the temperature is lower than the room temperature of the machine tool room, such as inside a swimming pool or outdoors, cold air can be constantly drawn into the inside of the container 2, and the water in the pool can be heated, so its use in bath facilities and heated swimming pool facilities is envisioned.

[0026] It should be noted that the embodiments are not limited to those described above, and various modifications can be made during implementation without departing from the gist of the invention. Furthermore, each embodiment may be combined as appropriate, and in that case, the combined effects can be obtained. Moreover, the embodiments described above include various inventions, and various inventions can be extracted by selecting combinations from the multiple constituent elements disclosed. For example, if the problem can be solved and effects obtained even if some constituent elements are deleted from all the constituent elements shown in the embodiment, then the configuration with these deleted constituent elements can be extracted as an invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0027] 1...Data center, 2...Housing, 3...Ceiling panel, 4...Side panel, 5...Bottom panel.

Claims

1. A housing having a ceiling and walls, with an open bottom, Multiple leg members for forming a gap between the bottom of the housing and the floor surface, A partition plate divides the interior of the housing into an upper chamber and a lower chamber, A holder is installed in a position close to the partition plate and supports multiple electronic devices, The housing comprises an exhaust fan mechanism for exhausting the air inside the housing, The partition plate is provided with a plurality of flow holes corresponding to the exhaust ports of the plurality of electronic devices supported by the holder, The wall portion or the ceiling portion is provided with an exhaust port for exhausting the air inside the housing. An exhaust port for exhausting air from inside the housing is provided with a mounting structure for detachably attaching an exhaust duct. Data center.

2. Each of the aforementioned leg members has a wheel. The data center according to claim 1.

3. A housing having a ceiling, walls, and a bottom, A partition plate divides the interior of the housing into an upper chamber and a lower chamber, A support member is installed in a position close to the partition plate and supports multiple electronic devices, The housing comprises an exhaust fan mechanism for exhausting the air inside the housing, The partition plate is provided with a plurality of flow holes corresponding to the exhaust ports of the plurality of electronic devices supported by the support member. The wall portion or the ceiling portion is provided with an exhaust port for exhausting the air inside the housing, and the exhaust port for exhausting the air inside the housing is provided with a mounting structure for detachably attaching an exhaust duct. The aforementioned wall portion is provided with an air intake port for drawing air into the housing. Data center.

4. The aforementioned air intake port is provided with another mounting structure for detachably attaching an air intake duct. The data center according to claim 3.

5. The system further includes an intake duct that can be detachably attached to the aforementioned other mounting structure. The data center according to claim 4.

6. The mounting structure further includes an exhaust duct that can be detachably attached to the aforementioned mounting structure. A data center according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

7. The exhaust duct is provided with multiple outlets. The data center according to claim 6.

8. The housing further comprises a circulation duct for recirculating the air exhausted from the housing, The aforementioned circulation duct has one end attached to the mounting structure and the other end attached to the other mounting structure. The data center according to claim 4.

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