Modular Data Center Building System with Stacked Instrumentation and Power Units
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional stick-built construction methods for housing electronic equipment, such as data centers, result in significant initial capital expenditure for projected load capacity that may not be immediately needed, leading to financial inefficiency due to partial operation and inflexible expansion.
Innovation Solution
A modular building system comprising instrumentation, power, and cooling units, configured in a stacked arrangement with air plenum units, allowing for rapid assembly, scalability, and flexibility, enabling efficient housing of electronic equipment with minimal external connections, and allowing for expansion as needed.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If conventional stick-built construction methods are used to house electronic equipment, then the structure can provide complete housing capacity for projected load, but significant capital expenditure is required upfront and the structure operates at partial load leading to financial inefficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The data center is divided into modular units that can be independently deployed. Each module contains standardized equipment racks, power distribution, and cooling systems. This segmentation allows the facility to be built in discrete increments matching actual load requirements, avoiding upfront capital expenditure for unused capacity while maintaining adaptability for future expansion.
Solution Approach 2:
The modular design enables dynamic scaling of the data center capacity. Modules can be added, removed, or reconfigured based on changing load requirements. This dynamic approach allows the facility to operate at or near full load capacity for each deployed module, eliminating the financial inefficiency of operating conventional structures at partial load.
2Adaptability or versatility
If conventional stick-built construction is used, then the structure can be customized for specific needs, but construction time is extended and implementation is delayed
Solution Approach 1:
Modular units are pre-assembled in controlled factory environments with all equipment racks, power distribution systems, and cooling infrastructure pre-installed and tested. This preliminary action eliminates on-site construction delays while maintaining customization capability through selective module deployment and configuration options.
Solution Approach 2:
The modular units employ standardized interfaces and universal mounting configurations that can accommodate various electronic equipment types. This universality provides customization flexibility without requiring custom construction for each application, significantly reducing implementation time compared to traditional stick-built methods.
3Quantity of substance
If conventional construction methods are used, then the structure provides complete housing capacity, but expansion is inflexible and costly
Solution Approach 1:
The data center is composed of discrete modular units that can be independently added to existing facilities. This segmentation provides inherent expansion flexibility, allowing capacity to be increased in precise increments without requiring demolition or major modifications to the existing structure, unlike conventional monolithic construction.
Solution Approach 2:
Additional modular units can be positioned adjacent to or integrated with existing modules, creating a nested or clustered expansion pattern. This approach allows seamless capacity expansion while maintaining the standardized configuration and operational efficiency of individual modules.
Data Source
AI summary
A building system for housing electronic equipment is described. The building system includes a building stack that includes an instrumentation modular building unit, with an internal configuration of space in the instrumentation modular building unit configured to house electronics equipment, a power modular building unit, with an internal configuration of space in the power modular building unit storing power distribution equipment, power filtering equipment and uninterruptible power supplies and further configured to deliver electronic power to the instrumentation modular building unit; and a cooling modular unit comprising an air conditioner unit and a water chiller unit, with the instrumentation modular building unit, the power unit modular building unit and the cooling modular unit stacked together.