Over-Floor Cooling Corridor Layout for Modular Data Centres
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current data centre cooling methods are inefficient and unable to meet growing demand quickly, leading to bottlenecks due to high power consumption and space limitations, with traditional construction methods taking up to two years and assuming low rack density.
Innovation Solution
The data centre design incorporates an over-floor corridor as a cooling air duct, utilizing large fans to generate high airflow rates while optimizing space, eliminating the need for under-floor ducts and allowing for modular expansion, with a modular construction approach enabling rapid addition of rack rooms and air circulation modules.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If traditional under-floor duct cooling systems are used, then cooling coverage is provided, but space is wasted and construction time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from traditional under-floor duct cooling to an overhead corridor-based cooling system. By moving the cooling air duct from the floor space to an overhead corridor structure, the system eliminates the need for raised floors and under-floor ductwork, thereby saving construction time and optimizing space utilization while maintaining effective cooling coverage.
2Reliability
If dedicated M&E plant is installed separately from IT equipment, then security and maintenance are improved, but space requirements and construction complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent integrates the M&E plant with the IT equipment housing structure. The overhead corridor serves dual purposes: it provides access for IT equipment maintenance and houses the cooling air ducts. This merging of functions reduces the need for separate dedicated spaces for M&E plant, thereby simplifying the building structure while maintaining accessibility for maintenance activities.
3Temperature
If CRAC units are added to cool expanding IT racks, then cooling capacity increases, but power consumption and space requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The overhead corridor structure serves multiple functions simultaneously: it provides structural support, houses the cooling air ducts, facilitates air circulation, and enables access for maintenance. This multi-functional design eliminates the need for separate dedicated spaces for cooling equipment, thereby reducing overall space requirements and power consumption while maintaining adequate cooling capacity for expanding IT racks.
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 solution achieves efficient cooling with reduced power usage, allowing for rapid expansion and improved thermal efficiency by using ambient air cooling, potentially lowering the Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) and enabling continuous operation without redundant refrigerant-based cooling systems.
Implementation Method 1
utilizing large fans to generate high airflow rates
Implementation Method 2
efficient cooling with reduced power usage, allowing for rapid expansion and improved thermal efficiency by using ambient air cooling
Data Source
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AI summary
A data centre (100) includes at least one rack room (in for example module 140) having a floor and a plurality of rack storage areas on the floor, each rack storage area being arranged to accommodate a plurality of racks (143) in which a plurality of rack-mountable electronic components may be housed, one or more controllable air circulation systems (in for example module 122), one or more cold aisles (144) in the rack room, each cold aisle being adjacent to a rack storage area, and one or more hot aisles (145) in the rack room, each hot aisle being adjacent to a rack storage area. There may be a large air duct, in the form of a personnel corridor (123), for transporting, under the control of the one or more air circulation systems, cooling air, above the floor, to the one or more cold aisles. The air supply corridor/duct (123) may have a height greater than 1.5m above the floor and a cross-sectional area of at least 2m2 and a maximum dimension in the plane of the cross-section of less than 3m.