Movable Louver Airflow Control for Data Center Hotspots
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Solution Overview
Problem
Data centers face inadequate cooling airflow in areas with low pressure, leading to reduced performance and potential damage to computer systems due to insufficient cooling, as air conditioning units supply cooling airflow based on static pressures across the plenum.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of air moving devices with movable louvers that can vary airflow direction and region of influence, controlled by a system manager using environmental sensors to ensure optimal airflow distribution, including redirecting airflow to hotspots and managing workload placement based on cooling requirements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If air conditioning units supply cooling airflow based on static pressures in the plenum, then the air conditioning units can maintain stable operation, but areas with low pressure receive inadequate cooling airflow
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the dynamics principle by making the louver movable instead of fixed. The louver can dynamically adjust its angle to vary airflow direction and region of influence, allowing the system to adapt to different pressure conditions in various areas of the data center. This resolves the contradiction by enabling the system to maintain reliable operation while achieving uniform cooling airflow distribution across all areas.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies the local quality principle by allowing different regions of the data center to receive customized airflow directions and volumes through adjustable louvers. Each air moving device can independently adjust its louver to optimize cooling delivery to specific areas with different pressure conditions, ensuring that each location receives appropriate cooling airflow regardless of the static pressure distribution in the plenum.
2Device complexity
If air conditioning units are positioned at fixed locations, then the system structure is simple, but areas with low pressure receive inadequate cooling airflow
Solution Approach 1:
The patent maintains simple device configuration by using a single air moving device per location but enhances reliability by making the louver dynamic. The movable louver allows one device to serve multiple areas effectively by adjusting airflow direction, replacing the need for multiple fixed devices while ensuring adequate cooling airflow reaches all areas including those with low pressure.
3Use of energy by moving object
If cooling airflow is supplied based on plenum pressure, then the air conditioning units operate efficiently, but computer systems in low pressure areas experience reduced performance and potential damage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by enabling each air moving device to independently adjust its louver to target specific areas needing cooling. This ensures that computer systems in low pressure areas receive adequate cooling airflow without requiring changes to the overall air conditioning unit operation or energy consumption patterns, thereby eliminating the harmful effect of insufficient cooling while maintaining energy efficiency.
Data Source
AI summary
An air moving device includes an inlet for receiving airflow, an apparatus for cooling the received airflow, an apparatus for moving the airflow, an outlet for exhausting the cooled airflow, at least one louver positioned to direct the cooled airflow exhausted from the outlet, and a motor attached to the louver. The air moving device also includes a controller for controlling the motor to thereby vary a position of the movable louver to thereby vary a region of influence of the air moving device.