Rack-Mounted Air Removal Unit With Offset Fan Modules
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing air cooling systems for equipment racks and data centers are inflexible and costly to reconfigure, particularly when dealing with high thermal outputs, as they require significant airflow rates and are not portable, leading to inefficiencies and hot spots due to insufficient cooling airflow.
Innovation Solution
An air removal unit with a stacked configuration of upper and lower fan modules, each with its own internal air plenum, providing high airflow capacity and flexibility by allowing for variable speed control and easy installation, which can be mounted directly to equipment racks or enclosures, and includes a compact and portable design with offset fan orientations to minimize interference and turbulence.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If traditional raised floor air conditioning systems are used to provide high airflow rates for high thermal output equipment, then cooling capacity is improved, but system complexity and installation cost increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the air removal function from the complex raised floor air conditioning system and implements it through a standalone, rack-mounted air removal unit. This unit includes dedicated fans and air plenums that can be directly installed on equipment racks, eliminating the need for complex raised floor infrastructure while providing the necessary cooling capacity for high thermal output equipment.
Solution Approach 2:
The air removal system is segmented into modular components including separate fan modules and air plenums that can be independently configured and installed on different racks. This modular approach allows the system to be deployed without requiring a comprehensive raised floor air conditioning infrastructure, reducing overall system complexity while maintaining high cooling capacity where needed.
2Productivity
If raised floor air conditioning systems are installed to deliver high airflow rates, then thermal management performance is improved, but flexibility for reconfiguration is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The air removal unit is designed with dynamic characteristics, including variable speed fans that can adjust their operation based on thermal load requirements. The unit can be easily installed on, removed from, and repositioned on different racks without requiring permanent modifications to the facility infrastructure, enabling flexible reconfiguration to adapt to changing equipment arrangements and thermal management needs.
Solution Approach 2:
By segmenting the air removal function into independent, rack-mounted units rather than a monolithic raised floor system, the solution enables flexible reconfiguration. Each unit can be independently positioned on different racks as equipment needs change, allowing the thermal management system to adapt to various layouts and configurations without requiring costly and complex reconfiguration of the entire air conditioning infrastructure.
3Productivity
If multiple open floor tiles are used to deliver high airflow rates, then cooling capacity is improved, but ease of installation and portability are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the air removal function from the fixed raised floor infrastructure and implements it through a portable, rack-mounted unit that can be easily installed on standard equipment racks. This standalone unit with integrated fans and air plenums provides high cooling capacity without requiring multiple open floor tiles or permanent installation modifications, significantly improving ease of installation and portability.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The air removal unit effectively manages thermal output by providing high airflow rates, reducing hot spots, and allowing for flexible configuration and reconfiguration of data centers without the need for raised floor infrastructure, thereby improving cooling efficiency and reducing operational costs.
Implementation Method 1
at least one upper fan module including a fan coupled with a first internal air plenum... at least one lower fan module including a fan coupled with a second internal air plenum
Data Source
AI summary
An air removal unit configured for removing exhaust air from an equipment rack or enclosure includes multiple fans to achieve a high airflow capacity while defining a compact and portable structure. The unit removably installs along an exhaust side of an equipment rack or enclosure to provide capabilities for managing the thermal output of equipment, such as servers, CPUs, communications, internetworking and other types of equipment. The unit includes one or more upper fan modules and one or more lower fan modules positioned below the upper fan modules. The upper and the lower fan modules are arranged in a stacked configuration along the depth of the unit with the lower fan modules positioned in an offset orientation relative to the upper fan modules. The stacked configuration and the offset orientation of the fan modules help to incorporate multiple fans with the unit while maintaining the compact and portable design. The unit is further configured to serve as a door of an equipment rack or enclosure to thereby provide access to the unit and the rack or enclosure during operation. The unit can be incorporated with a ventilation system or a cooling air system associated with an equipment room or data center.