Cold row encapsulation for server farm cooling system
View Patent ↗Apparatuses, methods, and systems directed to efficient cooling of data centers. Some embodiments of the invention allow encapsulation of cold rows through an enclosure and allow server fans to draw cold air from the cold row encapsulation structure to cool servers installed on the server racks. In other particular embodiments, the systems disclosed can be used to mix outside cool air into the cold row encapsulation structure to cool the servers. In some embodiments, the present invention involves using multiple cold row encapsulation structures to cool the servers installed on the racks.
1. A server cooling device, comprising:
an enclosure defining an interior space and comprising at least one server rack port configured to engage a rack such that one or more rack-mounted units installed in the rack interface with the interior space; and
a cooling module operative to supply cooling air to the interior space defined by the enclosure, wherein the cooling module supplies the cooling air into the interior space from a top surface of the interior space.
2. The cooling device of claim 1 , further comprising one or more racks in which one or more servers is placed.
3. The cooling device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one server rack port is configured to substantially conform to a side of a server rack.
4. A server cooling device, comprising:
a rack of servers, each server comprising a front face and an opposing rear face;
an enclosure engaging the rack of servers to define a first space and a second space to substantially seal the first space from the second space, wherein the front face of each server in the rack interfaces with the first space and the rear face of each server in the rack interfaces with the second space and wherein one or more of the servers in the rack include a fan operative to draw air from the first space to the second space; and
an air handling unit operative to supply air into the first space defined by the enclosure, wherein the air handling unit comprises a cooling module to cool the air supplied into the first space, wherein the air handling unit is operably connected to the second space, wherein the air handling unit is operable to draw and cool air from the second space and supply the cooled air into the first space, and wherein the air handling unit supplies the air into the first space from a top surface of the first space.
5. The cooling device of claim 4 , wherein the air handling unit comprises one or more fans.
6. The cooling device of claim 4 , further comprising one or more air exhausts operably connected to the second space to exhaust air out of the second space.
7. The cooling device of claim 4 , wherein the one or more air exhausts each comprise one or more fans.
8. The cooling device of claim 4 , wherein each air exhaust comprises one or more dampers responsive to a temperature control unit.
9. The cooling device of claim 4 , further comprising one or more air inlets operably connected to the first space through which air outside of the enclosure enters the first space.
10. The cooling device of claim 4 , wherein each air inlet comprises at least one damper responsive to the temperature control unit.
11. The cooling device of claim 4 , wherein the temperature control unit is operably connected to the at least one damper of the air inlets, the one or more dampers of the air exhausts, and the cooling module.
12. The cooling device of claim 4 , wherein the temperature control unit selectively opens the dampers and selectively turns on the cooling module based on the temperature of the air outside of the enclosure, the temperature of the air inside the first space, and the temperature of the air inside the second space.
13. A server cooling method, comprising
substantially encapsulating an interior space having at least one lateral portion defined by the front face of at least one server rack, wherein the at least one server rack comprises one or more servers mounted therein; and
introducing cooled air from a cooling air source into the interior space wherein the one or more servers mounted in the server rack includes a cooling fan operative to draw the cooled air from the cooling air source from the interior space and wherein the cooling air source supplies the cooled air into the interior space from a top surface of the interior space.
14. The server cooling method of claim 13 , wherein the server rack is attached to the interior space.
15. The server cooling method of claim 13 , wherein the attachment between the server rack and the interior space is substantially sealed.