Mobile Data Center Ram Air Cooling for Transport
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional data centers face delays and high costs due to the time and expense of transporting large amounts of data from remote collection points to processing locations, as they rely on fixed locations with separate cooling and power infrastructure, leading to inefficiencies in data processing and storage.
Innovation Solution
A mobile data center system equipped with a volumetric container designed for trailer transport, featuring a velocity-controlled cooling subsystem that uses ram air cooling to maintain IT equipment within operational temperature ranges, reducing the need for secondary cooling sources and enabling data processing during transport.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If data is transported from remote collection points to fixed data centers, then data processing can be performed with stable power and cooling infrastructure, but transmission costs become astronomical and significant time delays are introduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transforms the fixed data center into a mobile platform that can dynamically relocate to positions near data collection sources. The mobile data center uses velocity-controlled cooling systems that adapt to different motion states, enabling data processing to occur at the edge of the network rather than requiring data to be transported to centralized fixed facilities.
Solution Approach 2:
The mobile data center acts as an intermediary between remote data collection points and traditional fixed data centers. It can process data locally when near collection sources and potentially transfer processed results to fixed centers, eliminating the need to transport raw data over long distances while maintaining processing capabilities.
2Temperature
If active cooling sources are used in fixed data centers, then IT equipment can be cooled effectively, but power consumption increases and requires separate cooling subsystem infrastructure
Solution Approach 1:
The mobile data center utilizes its own motion to generate cooling airflow. The vehicle's forward movement creates natural air intake through front openings and exhaust through rear openings, eliminating the need for separate powered cooling fans and reducing overall power consumption for thermal management.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent converts the harmful effect of heat generation from IT equipment into a beneficial airflow mechanism. The heat-rising hot air naturally exhausts through rear openings, creating a convection-driven cooling cycle that uses the equipment's own thermal output to drive the cooling process without additional powered fans.
3Ease of manufacture
If data is stored at collection points before transport, then data can be packaged and shipped to data centers, but significant delays are introduced in real-time data processing
Solution Approach 1:
The mobile data center performs data processing actions in advance by relocating to positions near data collection sources before processing occurs. This eliminates the need to store and later transport data, as processing happens at the source location, enabling real-time or near-real-time data handling.
4Loss of information
If high bandwidth uplink network is used for data transmission, then data can be transmitted to data centers, but transmission costs become prohibitive
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the data processing function from centralized fixed data centers and places it in mobile units that can operate at edge locations. This eliminates the need for high-bandwidth long-distance data transmission by processing data locally where it is generated, retaining only the ability to transfer processed results when needed.
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 allows for efficient large-scale data computation and processing during transportation by utilizing ram air cooling, minimizing the use of power-intensive cooling systems and enabling data processing in remote locations without the need for extensive infrastructure, thus reducing costs and processing delays.
Implementation Method 1
an air intake opening placed in the aft-facing wall and which provides an air intake path at which exterior air ingresses into the container at a high velocity to provide a flow of cooling air through the IT compartment, the flow of cooling air convectionally removing heat from the at least one heat generating IT equipment
Data Source
AI summary
A system includes a volumetric container having a first aft-facing wall and configured with an information technology (IT) compartment. The container is designed for placement on a trailer capable of being moved in at least an aft-facing direction at different velocities. The container includes at least one heat generating information technology (IT) equipment that operates to provide large scale data computation when provided with a flow of cooling air sufficient to maintain the IT equipment below a maximum operating temperature value. An air intake opening placed in the aft-facing wall provides an air intake path at which exterior air ingresses into the container at a high velocity to provide a flow of cooling air through the IT compartment, maintaining the ambient condition required by the heat generating IT equipment to continue large scale data processing whenever the container is moving in the aft-facing direction at a minimum threshold velocity.