Removable Expansion Wall for Modular IT Building Infrastructure
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current large-scale information handling systems require new physical facilities for expansion, leading to high construction costs that do not scale with the increase in processing or storage capacity, as they are limited by pre-built structures and cooling/power systems.
Innovation Solution
The Expandable Modular Information Technology (EMIT) Building Infrastructure (EMITBI) allows for modular expansion by using a removable expansion wall (REW) that can be de-assembled without affecting the structural integrity, enabling the addition of new IT components and cooling/power units without disrupting existing operations, and a modular power supply system that scales with demand.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a pre-built physical structure is constructed to house server racks, then the facility provides initial structural integrity and housing capacity, but the construction costs do not scale with the amount of additional processing or storage capacity desired
Solution Approach 1:
The facility is divided into a permanent core structure and removable expansion walls. The permanent structure houses essential systems (power, cooling, networking) while expansion walls can be added or removed to adjust capacity. This segmentation allows the facility to scale with IT needs without reconstructing the entire building, resolving the contradiction between adaptability and construction complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The expansion walls are designed to be dynamically addable and removable rather than fixed. This dynamic design allows the facility to adapt its enclosed space based on IT capacity requirements, enabling cost-effective scaling without permanent structural commitments, thus resolving the scalability versus construction complexity contradiction.
2Adaptability or versatility
If a new data center is constructed to accommodate additional processing capacity, then the facility provides necessary housing and infrastructure, but the entire new physical facility must be constructed at substantial cost
Solution Approach 1:
Only the expansion wall segments are constructed using temporary or modular materials, while the core facility remains permanent. This selective segmentation means minimal additional construction materials are needed for capacity expansion, resolving the contradiction between IT capacity expansion and construction resource consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
Expansion walls can be removed and their components recovered or reused for future expansions. This discarding and recovering approach reduces the net consumption of construction materials over time, allowing repeated capacity adjustments without proportional increases in material usage.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the facility is expanded by constructing a new building, then additional processing capacity is accommodated, but remote connection and integration to the previous facility is required
Solution Approach 1:
The expansion wall physically merges the new IT capacity with the existing facility enclosure, creating a unified space rather than separate remote locations. This merging eliminates the need for remote connections and simplifies system integration, resolving the contradiction between processing capacity and integration complexity.
4Adaptability or versatility
If expansion wall structural connecting mechanisms are designed for easy de-assembly, then future expansion becomes feasible, but the structural integrity of the remainder of the facility must be maintained
Solution Approach 1:
The wall system is segmented into permanent load-bearing sections and removable expansion sections. The permanent sections maintain structural integrity while the removable sections provide expansion capability through dedicated connecting mechanisms. This segmentation resolves the contradiction between adaptability and strength by assigning different functional roles to different wall segments.
Solution Approach 2:
Specialized connecting mechanisms act as intermediaries between the permanent structure and removable expansion walls. These mechanisms are designed to be easily de-assembled while transferring loads appropriately to maintain structural integrity. The intermediary connectors enable expansion capability without compromising the strength of the overall wall system.
Data Source
AI summary
An Expandable Modular Information Technology (IT) Building Infrastructure (EMITBI) supports a large-scale modularly-constructed information handling system (LMIHS). The EMITBI includes: a base pad providing a fixed area of usable space on which one or more modular sub-components of the LMIHS can be placed; and a plurality of exterior walls extending vertically from an outer perimeter of the base pad and connected to a roof structure, the plurality of exterior walls and roof structure collectively providing an initial outer enclosure of the EMITBI, within which a first maximum number of modular IT components can be housed. The plurality of exterior walls includes at least one exterior wall that is constructed as a removable expansion wall (REW) that enables later expansion of the EMITBI to occur. The REW remains physically in place to shield the IT modules located within the first section of the EMITBI during construction of an adjoining expansion section.