Data Center External Air Handling Units for Cooling and Wire Routing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional data center and co-location facility designs face inefficiencies in cooling and wire routing, with air conditioning units not being standardized, accessible, or transportable, leading to suboptimal airflow and maintenance challenges.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates a building with a false ceiling and modular thermal shields to create a hot air containment chamber, using external air conditioning units that recirculate air efficiently, and a cable and conduit routing system that separates power and data wiring for improved airflow and maintenance access.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If air conditioning units are installed inside the facility, then cooling is provided, but the units are not accessible or transportable for repair or replacement
Solution Approach 1:
The air conditioning system is divided into two separate units: an evaporator unit positioned inside the facility for cooling, and a condenser unit positioned outside for heat rejection. This segmentation allows the condenser unit to be easily accessible and transportable for maintenance while the evaporator unit remains installed to maintain cooling service continuity.
Solution Approach 2:
The condenser unit, which requires frequent maintenance and is difficult to access when installed inside the facility, is extracted and positioned outside the facility. This extraction resolves the accessibility issue while the evaporator unit remains inside to ensure continuous cooling operation.
2Ease of manufacture
If conventional air conditioning systems are used, then cooling is provided, but the units are not standardized or intentionally transportable
Solution Approach 1:
The air conditioning units are designed with universal, standardized configurations that serve multiple functions: they can be installed in various locations, easily transported for repair or replacement, and integrated with different facility layouts. The standardized design enables both evaporator and condenser units to be manufactured with consistent dimensions, mounting interfaces, and connection points.
3Ease of operation
If air conditioning units are disposed outside the facility, then accessibility is improved, but the units are not easily accessible or transportable
Solution Approach 1:
A standardized connection system serves as an intermediary between the evaporator unit inside the facility and the condenser unit outside. This intermediary connection mechanism simplifies the overall system configuration by providing pre-defined, easily connectable interfaces that reduce installation and maintenance complexity despite the external positioning of the condenser unit.
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 by rapidly recirculating air, reducing facility temperatures, and simplifies maintenance by allowing for remote control of airflow and easy access to air conditioning units, while maintaining efficient wire routing and power distribution.
Implementation Method 1
defining a hot air containment chamber that traps the heated air within the central hot air area and causes substantially all the heated air within the central hot air area to rise up within the hot air containment chamber
Implementation Method 2
a plurality of air conditioning units disposed in the external area outside the building that each receive heated air, emit cooled air, and emit vented air
Data Source
AI summary
Described herein is an integrated data center that provides for efficient cooling, as well as efficient wire routing.