Negative pressure air handling system
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Solution Overview
Problem
Data centers face challenges in efficiently managing power distribution and cooling due to high electrical power demands and waste heat generation, leading to increased costs and complexity, especially with the need for redundant power systems and air conditioning, and the resource-intensive process of expanding computing capacity.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a data center design with external air handling systems that create negative pressure to draw air through computing devices, utilizing free cooling methods like direct evaporative cooling, and streamlining power systems by eliminating backup power sources in certain configurations to reduce infrastructure costs and enhance operational efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If forced air systems and air conditioning are used to maintain temperature in data centers, then temperature control is improved, but cost and complexity increase substantially
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the cooling function from traditional forced air HVAC systems and implements it through passive evaporative cooling structures integrated directly into the data center architecture, eliminating complex mechanical cooling equipment while maintaining temperature control
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses natural evaporative cooling where water evaporates automatically to cool air without requiring mechanical compression or complex control systems, allowing the environment to self-regulate temperature through phase change of water
2Reliability
If full redundant back-up power systems are implemented for each server room, then reliability is improved, but capital costs and operational costs increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent consolidates power distribution architecture to share backup power resources across multiple server rooms rather than providing dedicated redundant systems for each room, reducing overall system complexity while maintaining reliability through centralized backup infrastructure
Solution Approach 2:
The backup power system is designed to serve multiple server rooms simultaneously, allowing a single backup infrastructure to provide universal protection across the data center rather than requiring room-specific redundant systems
3Object-affected harmful factors
If traditional building construction and HVAC installation are used for data centers, then environmental protection is provided, but construction costs and time investment increase substantially
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the data center into modular units that can be constructed and deployed independently, allowing incremental construction and reducing overall project complexity while maintaining environmental controls through standardized modular designs
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates pre-configured evaporative cooling structures and environmental protection features during the design phase that simplify subsequent construction and installation processes, reducing on-site work requirements
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 approach reduces energy consumption, lowers operational costs, and allows for flexible expansion of computing capacity by optimizing air handling and power distribution, enabling more efficient data center operations with varying computing demands.
Implementation Method 1
The air handling system creates a negative pressure to draw air through computing devices
Implementation Method 2
utilizing free cooling methods like direct evaporative cooling
Data Source
AI summary
A data center includes two or more rack computing systems and an air handling system. The rack computing systems may each include racks and computing devices mounted in the rack. The air handling system includes one or more air moving devices external to the one or more racks. The air moving devices create a negative pressure relative to ambient air at air inlets to the racks to draw air from the inlets and through computing devices in the racks.