Computing device cooling facility including a mixing chamber
A system for cooling computing devices within a facility includes an air inlet that delivers cool air to a supply air space within the facility, an exhaust air damper that is configured to exhaust heated air from an exhaust air space within the facility, and computing devices that are arranged within the facility to at least partially partition the supply air space from the exhaust air space. The system also includes an air filter that is configured to filter the cool air and a mixing damper that is positioned within the interior space of the facility and that is operable to control an amount of exhaust air that is mixed with the cool air. The cool air and/or a portion of the exhaust air are used to cool the computing devices and airflow through the system is substantially driven by fans of the computing devices.
1. A system for cooling computing devices, comprising:
a facility having an interior space that includes a supply air space and an exhaust air space, the supply air space configured to receive outside air from an external environment of the facility, the exhaust air space configured to exhaust heated air to the external environment;
an air inlet coupled to an exterior wall of the facility and configured to deliver outside air to the supply air space from the external environment;
an exhaust air outlet configured to exhaust the heated air from the exhaust air space to the external environment;
a plurality of computing devices arranged within a computing space of the supply air space fluidically connecting the supply air space and the exhaust air space, wherein at least some of the plurality of computing devices include at least one fan of a plurality of computing device fans that, when operable, draw the outside air from the external environment into the supply air space through the air inlet, move the outside air from the supply air space across one or more heat generating components of the plurality of computing devices to cool the one or more heat generating components, exhaust the outside air into the exhaust air space as heated air, and push the heated air within the exhaust air space into the external environment through the exhaust air outlet;
the interior space further including a mixing chamber in which a temperature of the outside air is adjusted via mixing, the mixing chamber disposed downstream of the air inlet and upstream of the plurality of computing devices;
wherein the mixing chamber is at least partially defined between the exterior wall of the facility and an interior wall at least partially separating the mixing chamber and the computing space;
wherein the plurality of computing device fans are configured to provide sufficient airflow of the outside air through the system to cool the plurality of computing devices;
wherein an overall airflow through the system is driven by the plurality of computing device fans and an average temperature of the system is maintained within a desired temperature range by the overall airflow through the system;
wherein the facility is a multi-story facility including a plurality of levels:
wherein the computing space includes a main portion, a first computing floor portion, and a second computing floor portion disposed above the first computing floor portion;
wherein the mixing chamber is in fluid communication with the main portion of the computing space via an air filter: and
wherein the main portion of the computing space is in fluid communication with the first computing floor portion and the second computing floor portion via at least one second air filter.
2. The system of claim 1 , wherein one or more of the plurality of computing device fans is not operated, or is operated at less than full capacity, when driving the overall airflow through the system.
3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the overall airflow through the system is entirely driven by the plurality of computing device fans.
4. The system of claim 1 , wherein:
a second air inlet is coupled to the exterior wall of the facility and is configured to deliver the outside air to the supply air space from the external environment;
the second air inlet is disposed in an upper region of the exterior wall adjacent to an area where the heated air in the exhaust air space is flowable into the mixing chamber;
the air inlet is disposed in a lower region of the exterior wall below the second air inlet and includes a damper configured to control an amount of outside air that flows through the air inlet to the supply air space; and
the air inlet and the second air inlet each supply outside air from the external environment directly into the mixing chamber.
5. The system of claim 1 , further comprising an exhaust air vent coupled to a ceiling of the facility, through which the heated air is flowable from the exhaust air space to the external environment, wherein the exhaust air outlet is coupled to an exterior vertical wall of the facility.
6. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of elongate members disposed within the mixing chamber to create turbulent airflow.
7. The system of claim 1 , wherein at least one of (i) the air filter, and (ii) the at least one second air filter, is structured as a low pressure drop air filter configured to filter particulate from the outside air supplied to the plurality of computing devices and further configured to provide a pressure differential between the air inlet and the plurality of computing devices.
8. The system of claim 1 , wherein:
the air filter is structured as a vertical wall extending between a lower region of the interior wall and a floor of the facility; and
the air filter is at least one of an accordion air filter and a pleated air filter.
9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the air filter is disposed adjacent to and aligned with the air inlet such that outside air is flowable directly from the air inlet to the air filter.
10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the supply air space and the exhaust air space are partitioned in a relatively air tight manner such that i) the outside air is flowable from the supply air space to the exhaust air space via the plurality of computing devices and ii) a backflow of the heated air from the exhaust air space to the supply air space is substantially prevented.
11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of computing device fans are configured to drive the overall airflow through the system at an air speed of approximately 300 to 600 feet per minute.
12. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of elongate members disposed within the mixing chamber to create turbulent airflow, wherein the mixing chamber is compartmentalized such that in a section of the mixing chamber the plurality of elongate members do not impede air flow.
13. The system of claim 1 , further comprising
a screen arranged upstream of the air filter, the screen configured to prevent at least one of animals and debris from entering the supply air space through the air inlet.
14. A method of cooling computing devices within a multi-story facility including a plurality of levels and having an interior space that includes a supply air space and an exhaust air space, the method comprising:
producing an overall airflow through the facility via a plurality of computing device fans of a plurality of computing devices disposed in a computing space of the supply aft space, the plurality of computing device fans configured to provide sufficient airflow of outside air through the facility to cool the plurality of computing devices, the computing space including a main portion, a first computing floor portion, and a second computing floor portion disposed above the first computing floor portion;
maintaining an average temperature of the facility within a desired temperature range via the overall airflow through the facility; and
wherein producing the overall airflow through the facility includes:
flowing outside air from an external environment of the facility through an au inlet of an exterior wall of the facility to supply the outside air to the supply air space;
flowing the outside air through a mixing chamber of the interior space to adjust a temperature of the outside air, the mixing chamber at least partially defined between the exterior wall of the facility and a vertical interior wall at least partially separating the mixing chamber and the computing space, the mixing chamber in fluid communication with the main portion of the computing space via an air filter, the main portion of the computing space in fluid communication with the first computing floor portion and the second computing floor portion via at least one second air filter;
flowing the outside air through the plurality of computing devices and across one or more heat generating components of the plurality of computing devices to remove heat from the one or more heat generating components;
flowing the outside air into the exhaust air space from the plurality of computing devices as heated air; and
flowing the heated air through an exhaust air outlet to exhaust the heated air in the exhaust air space from the facility to the external environment.
15. The method of claim 14 , wherein producing the overall airflow through the facility further includes flowing temperature-adjusted outside air from the mixing chamber to the plurality of computing devices.
16. The method of claim 14 , further comprising, prior to flowing the outside through the plurality of computing devices, filtering the outside air and removing unwanted particles and debris from the outside air via flowing the outside air through at least one of (i) the air filter and (ii) the at least one second air filter.
17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising providing a pressure differential between the air inlet and the plurality of computing devices via configuring a cross sectional area of the air filter.
18. The method of claim 14 , further comprising turbulating airflow through the mixing chamber with a plurality of elongate members that project into the mixing chamber.