A data center inside a shipping container having a lower plenum and an upper plenum in its interior. Heated air in the upper plenum exits therefrom into a plurality of heat exchangers adjacent thereto. Air cooled by the heat exchangers travels toward and enters the lower plenum. The data center includes a plurality of carriages each having an equipment receiving portion located between an open bottom portion in open communication with the lower plenum, and an open top portion in open communication with the upper plenum. Fans inside each of the carriages draw cooled air up from the lower plenum into the open bottom portion of the carriage, blow the cooled air up through the equipment receiving portion thereby cooling any computing equipment received therein, and vent the cooled air through the open top portion into the upper plenum.
1. A method of cooling a data center constructed inside of a container having a first longitudinally extending side opposite a second longitudinally extending side, an upper air plenum, a lower air plenum, and a plurality of heat exchangers, the method comprising:
arranging a plurality of carriages inside the container between the upper air plenum and the lower air plenum, wherein the plurality of carriages inside the container comprises a first portion of the carriages along the first longitudinally extending side of the container and a second portion of the carriages along the second longitudinally extending side of the container thereby defining a central aisle portion between the first portion of the carriages and the second portion of the carriages, a first upper air plenum above the first portion of the carriages, and a second upper air plenum above the second portion of the carriages;
arranging the plurality of heat exchangers in the upper air plenum above the carriages;
circulating a refrigerant in the upper air plenum;
transferring heat from the air in the upper air plenum to the refrigerant through the heat exchangers thereby cooling the air before expelling the air from the upper air plenum;
expelling cooled air from the first upper air plenum and second upper air plenum into the central aisle portion;
mixing in the central aisle portion the expelled cool air from the first and second upper air plenums and allowing the cooled air to sink into the lower air plenum; and
moving the cooled air in the lower plenum up through the plurality of carriages into the upper air plenum.
2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
transferring heat from the refrigerant to a flow of chilled water thereby cooling the refrigerant circulating in the upper aft plenum.
3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising:
adjusting a flow rate of the refrigerant in the upper air plenum to modify the amount of heat transferred from the air in the upper air plenum to the refrigerant.
4. The method of claim 2 , further comprising:
measuring external ambient temperature and humidity conditions;
measuring internal temperature and humidity conditions;
comparing external conditions to internal conditions; and
adjusting a flow rate of the refrigerant in the upper air plenum.