Over-Floor Cooling Corridor Layout for Dense Data Centre Racks
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Data centres face inefficiencies in cooling systems, leading to high power usage and space constraints due to rapid growth in IT capacity, with traditional methods taking up to two years to construct new facilities and current designs spreading IT equipment thinly across large spaces to manage heat.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a data centre design featuring controllable air circulation systems, over-floor air supply corridors functioning as cooling ducts, and modular construction to efficiently distribute cooling air, reducing the need for under-floor ducts and allowing for rapid expansion of IT capacity without additional cooling infrastructure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by stationary object
If traditional under-floor air ducts are used for cooling, then cooling air can be distributed to IT equipment, but the construction time increases and space is wasted under the floor
Solution Approach 1:
The patent moves the air supply corridor from the traditional under-floor location to an above-floor position, utilizing the vertical space above the floor instead. This dimensional change eliminates the need for under-floor ducts and raised floors, reducing construction time and space waste while maintaining cooling functionality.
2Productivity
If IT capacity is expanded rapidly, then processing capability increases, but cooling infrastructure must be expanded accordingly, increasing construction time
Solution Approach 1:
The above-floor air supply corridor is pre-installed during modular construction, allowing IT equipment to be added and immediately cooled without waiting for additional cooling infrastructure. The cooling pathway is prepared in advance, enabling rapid IT capacity expansion.
Solution Approach 2:
The above-floor air supply corridor serves multiple functions: it provides cooling air to IT equipment, acts as a structural element of the modular building, and eliminates the need for separate under-floor ductwork. This multi-functionality reduces overall construction time.
3Temperature
If IT equipment is spread thinly across large spaces, then heat management is easier, but space efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The above-floor air supply corridor delivers cooling air directly to the local area where IT equipment is concentrated in modular racks. This localized cooling approach allows equipment to be densely packed while maintaining effective heat management, eliminating the need to spread equipment thinly across large spaces.
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 enables high air flow rates while optimizing space usage, reducing the need for refrigerant-based cooling and allowing for rapid expansion of IT capacity, thereby improving energy efficiency and reducing construction time.
Implementation Method 1
one or more controllable air circulation systems... for transporting cooling air, above the floor, to the one or more cold aisles
Data Source
AI summary
A data center (100) includes at least one rack room (in for example module 140) having a floor and a plurality of rack storage areas on the floor, each rack storage area being arranged to accommodate a plurality of racks (143) in which a plurality of rack-mountable electronic components may be housed, one or more controllable air circulation systems (in for example module 122), one or more cold aisles (144) in the rack room, each cold aisle being adjacent to a rack storage area, and one or more hot aisles (145) in the rack room, each hot aisle being adjacent to a rack storage area. There may be a large air duct, in the form of a personnel corridor (123), for transporting, under the control of the one or more air circulation systems, cooling air, above the floor, to the one or more cold aisles. The air supply corridor/duct (123) may have a height greater than 1.5 m above the floor and a cross-sectional area of at least 2 m2 and a maximum dimension in the plane of the cross-section of less than 3 m.