Container Data Center Layout for Transportable High-Capacity Cooling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing container-type data centers face insufficient cooling due to limited space for outdoor air conditioning units, which restricts their cooling ability and requires extensive installation and piping at the destination location.
Innovation Solution
The data center design allows for multiple outdoor air conditioning units to be placed internally within the container, with a partitioned layout that includes an outdoor unit installation chamber, enabling vertical stacking and improved air discharge efficiency while maintaining compliance with ISO standards.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If outdoor air conditioning units are disposed outside the container, then the container can be transported easily, but the cooling ability is insufficient and extensive installation and piping is required at the destination
Solution Approach 1:
The outdoor air conditioning units are nested within the container structure itself, specifically in dedicated outdoor unit chambers formed by partition walls. This allows the container to transport complete cooling systems to the destination, eliminating the need for external installation of outdoor units and complex piping connections.
Solution Approach 2:
The air conditioning units are pre-installed and pre-positioned within the container during manufacturing. This preliminary action ensures that when the container arrives at the destination, the cooling system is already in place and operational, eliminating the need for time-consuming installation and piping work at the destination location.
2Power
If multiple outdoor air conditioning units are disposed outside the container, then cooling capacity increases, but the container requires more external space and installation complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple outdoor air conditioning units are nested within the container's internal structure, utilizing dedicated chambers created by partition walls. This allows multiple high-capacity units to be housed within the container's footprint, eliminating the need for additional external space while maintaining increased cooling capacity.
Solution Approach 2:
The partition walls create three-dimensional outdoor unit chambers that utilize the container's internal volume efficiently. By organizing units vertically and horizontally within these chambers, the design accommodates multiple high-capacity units without increasing the container's external dimensions.
3Productivity
If the container is designed with partition walls for outdoor unit chambers, then cooling efficiency improves, but the internal structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The container interior is segmented into distinct functional zones using partition walls, creating dedicated outdoor unit chambers separated from the IT equipment accommodation chamber. This segmentation optimizes airflow paths and cooling efficiency by preventing hot air recirculation, while the modular partition design maintains structural simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The partition walls create localized environments with specific thermal and airflow characteristics optimized for outdoor unit operation. These localized zones provide dedicated intake and discharge pathways, improving cooling efficiency without requiring complex overall structural changes to the entire container.
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
This configuration enhances cooling efficiency, reduces the time required to set up the data center upon arrival, and eliminates the need for reinstallation of air conditioning units and piping at the destination, improving operational efficiency and flexibility.
Implementation Method 1
a heat exchanger and an air circulation fan for cooling air are disposed in the lower chamber, and an outdoor heat exchanger for radiating heat is disposed above the lower chamber
Implementation Method 2
an air circulation fan for cooling air are disposed in the lower chamber
Data Source
AI summary
A container-type data center is provided, which can be transported while having outdoor units of an air conditioning facility installed therein, and having an enhanced cooling effect. A partition panel 10 is provided for separating a container 100 into an IT equipment accommodation chamber 18 and an outdoor unit installation chamber 15, and on both ends of the panel are provided pillar sections 14e and 14f for the partition panel. The length-direction dimension of the outdoor unit installation chamber 15 is within the range of 1.6 to 2 meters, which can be selected arbitrarily according to the size of the outdoor units 6a through 6d. The outdoor units 6a through 6d are arranged so that their air discharge openings face the outer side in the width direction of the container. Regarding the outdoor units 6a through 6d, it is possible to set up an angle steel rack and stack two outdoor units vertically. According to this configuration, the container-type data center can be transported while having the outdoor units installed therein, and can exert sufficient cooling ability, which had been insufficient due to the small number of outdoor units installable in the prior art container-type data center.