Baffle for air flow redirection
View Patent ↗A baffle facilitates the flow of air from a first side of a data center rack into an intake on the opposite side of the data center rack. The baffle may be configured to couple to the bottom side of the rack. The rack itself may be located in a data center with at least one cold aisle and at least one hot aisle, such that cold air from the cold aisle may flow through the baffle and into an air intake of the rack facing the hot aisle. The baffle may additionally include fans to pull air into and through the baffle, and may include an air conditioning unit or a chiller system to cool air flowing through the baffle.
1. A system comprising:
a baffle body coupled to a data center rack, the data center rack including a front intake facing a cold aisle comprising cooled air and a rear intake on the opposite side of the data center rack from the front intake facing a hot aisle, wherein the baffle body encloses the rear intake of the data center rack, the data center rack further comprising an externally protruding power supply with a separate power supply intake, wherein the baffle body further encloses the power supply intake;
a baffle intake facing the cold aisle; and
a baffle outlet, the baffle intake and baffle outlet comprising openings into the baffle body connected by an air channel through the baffle body;
wherein the baffle body allows air to flow from the cold aisle through the air channel via the baffle intake and into the rear intake of the data center rack via the baffle outlet.
2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the baffle body is coupled to the bottom of the data center rack.
3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the baffle body is placed within the data center rack and is coupled to data center rack support structures.
4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the data center rack comprises a computer server rack.
5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the data center rack comprises a switch or router.
6. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a fan system configured to pull air through the front intake into the baffle body.
7. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
an air conditioning system or chiller system configured to reduce the temperature of air flowing through the baffle body.
8. A baffle for directing the flow of air into a rack, the rack comprising a front intake facing a first direction, a rear intake facing a second direction opposite the first direction, and an externally protruding power supply with a separate power supply intake, the baffle comprising an intake and an outlet and configured to couple to the rack such that the baffle encloses the rear intake of the rack and the separate power supply intake, and such that the intake faces the first direction when the baffle is coupled to the rack, wherein the baffle comprises an air channel connecting the intake and the outlet of the baffle such that air can flow into the intake of the baffle through the air channel and out of the outlet of the baffle into the rear intake of the rack.
9. A system comprising:
a baffle body configured to couple to a data center rack with a front rack intake facing a first direction and a rear rack intake facing a second direction substantially opposite the first direction, wherein the baffle body is configured to enclose the rear rack intake of the data center rack when the baffle body is coupled to the data center rack, the data center rack further comprising an externally protruding power supply with a separate power supply intake, wherein the baffle body further encloses the power supply intake when the baffle body is coupled to the data center rack;
a baffle intake configured to face the first direction when the baffle is coupled to the data center rack; and
a baffle outlet, the baffle intake and the baffle outlet comprising openings into the baffle body connected by an air channel through the baffle body;
wherein the baffle body is configured to allow air to flow through the air channel via the baffle intake and into the rear rack intake of the data center rack via the baffle outlet.
10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the baffle body is configured to couple to the bottom of the data center rack.
11. The system of claim 9 , wherein the baffle body is configured to be placed within the data center rack and is configured to couple to data center rack support structures.
12. The system of claim 9 , wherein the data center rack comprises a computer server rack.
13. The system of claim 9 , wherein the data center rack comprises a switch or router.
14. The system of claim 9 , further comprising:
a fan system configured to pull air through the front intake into the baffle body.
15. The system of claim 9 , further comprising:
an air conditioning system or chiller system configured to reduce the temperature of air flowing through the baffle body.