Manufactured data center
A manufactured data center (MDC) uses construction systems and methods allowing the MDC unit to serve as a drop-in replacement for a traditional brick-and-mortar computer data center, while providing functional and operational advantages over known modular data centers. The MDC comprises “white space” housing supported equipment such as servers and other heat-producing computing equipment, plus a power center incorporating electrical equipment and infrastructure necessary for operation of the supported equipment, including an HVAC system which may comprise a purpose-built computer room air conditioning (CRAC) unit.
1. A self-contained manufactured data center (MDC) comprising a plurality of white space modules:
(a) one or more of the white space modules for receiving heat-producing equipment;
(b) a power centre incorporating selected electrical equipment and infrastructure integral to each of the respective white space modules with optional corridor access for supporting the heat-producing equipment installed in the one or more white space modules; and
(c) a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system for cooling the heat producing equipment installed in the one or more white space modules, wherein the foregoing are all contained within the MDC and disposed laterally so as to minimize the vertical profile of the MDC.
2. An MDC as in claim 1 , further comprising automatic switching means for automatically switching to a backup power source of power upon failure of a primary electrical feed to the power centre.
3. An MDC as in claim 1 wherein at least one of the one or more white space modules incorporates busway power to facilitate plug-in connection of heat-producing equipment.
4. An MDC as in claim 1 wherein the HVAC system comprises a self-contained computer room air conditioning (CRAC) unit.
5. An MDC as in claim 1 wherein the MDC is airtight and insulated.
6. An MDC as in claim 5 wherein the MDC comprises a system of interlocking wall panels incorporating a thermal break system.
7. An MDC as in claim 5 wherein the MDC comprises a clean-room-grade wall liner and an antistatic clean-room flooring system.
8. An MDC as in claim 1 wherein the HVAC system incorporates a cooling system selected from the group consisting of direct expansion (DX) refrigeration, direct evaporative cooling, and indirect evaporative cooling.
9. An MDC as in claim 1 wherein the MDC is configured to accommodate heat-generating equipment in at least one of the one or more white space modules so as to allow for unidirectional airflow with segregated hot and cold zones within at least one of the one or more the white space modules.
10. An MDC as in claim 1 , further comprising a control system incorporating a programmable logic controller (PLC) adapted to control one or more aspects of MDC operation selected from the group consisting of monitoring internal temperatures, modulating fan speed, and operation of cooling systems.
11. An MDC as in claim 10 wherein the control system incorporates a 2N system redundancy to allow for a full system backup to the PLC.
12. An MDC as in claim 10 wherein the PLC is configured to communicate with an outside building management system.
13. An MDC as in claim 10 wherein the PLC comprises a built-in web interface to facilitate remote monitoring over the internet.
14. An MDC as in claim 1 wherein the power center further comprises a branch circuit monitoring system adapted for measurement of full power efficiency performance and power utilization efficiency in the MDC.