Multi-Level Data Center Cooling Layout With Interior AHU Access
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing data center designs face challenges in efficiently using space, managing airflow, and maintaining HVAC equipment, leading to high operational costs and complex maintenance, especially in hyperscale facilities.
Innovation Solution
A multi-level data center building design with integrated air handling units within the building envelope, featuring alternating hot and cold aisles, a central cold air supply corridor, and a warm air return path, allowing for efficient cooling distribution and convenient maintenance access.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If HVAC equipment is located outside the building envelope, then equipment can be craned into place at late stage and replacement is easier, but maintenance requires working outside at height exposed to weather
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the HVAC equipment location with the building envelope by providing enclosed service passageways within the envelope that allow maintenance personnel to access air handling units from the interior. This combines the benefits of interior protection with the accessibility needed for maintenance, eliminating the need to work outside at height.
Solution Approach 2:
The enclosed service passageways act as an intermediary structure that provides a protected pathway from the interior environment to the HVAC equipment. This intermediary allows personnel to reach equipment that would otherwise be externally located, while remaining within the protected building envelope throughout the access route.
2Area of stationary object
If air handling units are positioned along the cold air supply corridor, then space is used efficiently and redundancy is provided, but the system becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The cold air supply corridor serves multiple functions: it acts as an air distribution channel and simultaneously as a pathway for maintenance access to air handling units. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate dedicated access corridors, simplifying the overall building layout while maintaining efficient space utilization.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes the vertical dimension by providing access to air handling units from interior floors through enclosed passageways, rather than requiring horizontal access from the exterior. This dimensional approach allows equipment to be positioned optimally for air distribution while maintaining accessibility through vertical circulation paths.
3Productivity
If racks are made larger and aisles longer to make efficient use of space, then server capacity increases, but dead load weight concentrated in small area increases to 62.5 tonnes per row
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the data center into multiple levels or floors, distributing the rack loads across different structural supports. By segmenting the vertical stacking of racks across multiple floors rather than concentrating all weight on a single floor, the structural load per area is reduced while maintaining high server capacity through vertical expansion.
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 design enables high rack density, efficient cooling, and simplified maintenance by keeping air handling units inside the building envelope, reducing operational costs and improving space utilization while maintaining cooling efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
Each air handling unit comprises an adiabatic cooling unit
Data Source
AI summary
A multi-level data center building, and a method of cooling servers in the building is disclosed. The building may have at least three data levels, each accommodating rack-storage areas for rows of server racks separating alternating hot and cold aisles, a plurality of air-handling units for supplying cooling air to the servers via the cold aisles, a cold-air supply corridor for transporting cold air from the air-handling units to the cold aisles and for providing access to the cold aisles, and a warm air return path for transporting warm air from the hot aisles to the air-handling units. Ends of cold aisles may be along a first side of the corridor, and the air-handing units along a second side opposite the first side. The rack storage areas, cold aisles, hot aisles, cold air supply corridor, warm air return path, and the air-handling units are within the building envelope.