Cold row encapsulation for server farm cooling system
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 one or more 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 fanless servers installed on the server racks and introduces fan units to draw cooling air from the cold row encapsulation structure through the fanless servers on the racks.
1. A data center comprising:
an enclosure including:
a plurality of side walls;
a floor on which a plurality of rows of server racks are arranged to form a space between the rows of the server racks;
a ceiling;
a plurality of dampers for directing a flow of air from outside the enclosure into the enclosure,
wherein the server racks are configured to receive a plurality of servers, wherein one of the server racks has a side that is physically interconnected to a plurality of tubes for allowing passage of air from the space between the rows of the server racks to outside the space between the rows of the server racks, wherein the plurality of tubes are coupled to a face of a fan unit having multiple fans, wherein the plurality of tubes include a first tube and a second tube, wherein the first tube extends from a first location on the one of the server racks to a first location on the fan unit and the second tube extends from a second location on the one of the server racks to a second location on the fan unit,
wherein one of the rows of server racks and one of the side walls are arranged to form a space therebetween; and
a mixing chamber located between the ceiling and the rows of the server racks to mix the air received from outside the enclosure with hot air received from the plurality of servers.
2. The data center of claim 1 , wherein the enclosure includes a cooling module located above the server racks, wherein the cooling module is configured to cool the air received from outside the enclosure to generate cold air.
3. The data center of claim 2 , wherein the enclosure includes an opening between the cooling module and the space between the rows of server racks for passing the cold air from the cooling module to the space between the rows of the server racks.
4. The data center of claim 1 , wherein the server racks are configured to allow passage of the air received from outside the enclosure to output the hot air, wherein the hot air is output when the servers placed within the server racks are operating, wherein the space between the one of the side walls and the one of the rows of the server racks is configured to receive the hot air, wherein the mixing chamber is surrounded on two sides by a plurality of dampers that are configured to open to mix the air received from outside the enclosure with the hot air.
5. The data center of claim 1 , wherein the dampers are configured to open to allow a flow of the air from outside the enclosure to within the enclosure.
6. The data center of claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of fans located above the server racks to exhaust the hot air from within the enclosure to outside the enclosure.
7. The data center of claim 1 , further comprising a temperature control unit configured to open and close the dampers based on a temperature of the air outside the enclosure.
8. A data center comprising:
an enclosure including:
a plurality of side walls;
a floor on which a plurality of rows of server racks are arranged to form a space between the rows of the server racks;
a ceiling having a plurality of ceiling dampers for directing a flow of air from outside the enclosure towards the space between the rows of the server racks,
wherein the server racks are configured to receive a plurality of servers, wherein one of the server racks has a side that is physically interconnected to a plurality of tubes for allowing passage of air from within the space between the rows of the server racks to outside the space between the rows of the server racks, wherein the plurality of tubes are coupled to a face of a fan unit having multiple fans, wherein the plurality of tubes include a first tube and a second tube, wherein the first tube extends from a first location on the one of the server racks to a first location on the fan unit and the second tube extends from a second location on the one of the server racks to a second location on the fan unit,
wherein one of the rows of server racks and one of the side walls are arranged to form a space therebetween, and
a plurality of wall dampers located between the ceiling and the rows of the server racks for mixing the air received from outside the enclosure with hot air received from the plurality of servers.
9. The data center of claim 8 , wherein the server racks are configured to allow passage of the air received from outside the enclosure to output the hot air, wherein the hot air is output when the servers placed within the server racks are operating, wherein the space between the one of the rows of server racks and the one of the side walls is configured to receive the hot air.
10. The data center of claim 8 , wherein the wall dampers have a space therebetween, wherein the wall dampers are configured to open and close to manage a flow of the hot air from the space between the one of the rows and the one of the side walls to the space between the wall dampers.
11. The data center of claim 8 , wherein the wall dampers have a space therebetween, wherein the wall dampers are configured to open to allow a flow of the hot air from the space between the one of the rows and the one of the side walls to the space between the wall dampers, wherein the ceiling dampers are configured to open to allow a flow of the air from outside the enclosure to the space between the wall dampers to mix the air from outside the enclosure with the hot air.
12. The data center of claim 8 , wherein the ceiling has integrated therewith a plurality of fans to exhaust the hot air from within the enclosure to outside the enclosure, wherein the fans are located closer to the side walls than to the wall dampers, wherein the ceiling dampers are located closer to the wall dampers than to the side walls.
13. The data center of claim 8 , wherein the enclosure includes a cooling module located between the rows of server racks and the wall dampers, wherein the cooling module is configured to cool the hot air and the air received from outside the enclosure to generate cold air.
14. The data center of claim 13 , wherein the enclosure includes an opening between the cooling module and the space between the rows of server racks for passing the cold air from the cooling module to the space between the rows of the server racks.
15. A data center comprising:
a plurality of server racks included in a cold row encapsulation structure, each server rack having a first side oriented toward a cold column and having a second side oriented toward a hot column, the hot column having a lower pressure relative to the cold column so that air flows from the cold column and across one of the server racks to the hot column, wherein the one of the server racks has a side that is physically interconnected to a plurality of tubes for allowing passage of the air from within the cold row encapsulation structure to outside the cold row encapsulation structure, wherein the plurality of tubes are coupled to a face of a fan unit having multiple fans, wherein the plurality of tubes include a first tube and a second tube, wherein the first tube extends from a first location on the one of the server racks to a first location on the fan unit and the second tube extends from a second location on the one of the server racks to a second location on the fan unit;
a cooling module coupled to the cold column, wherein air from outside the data center enters the cold column through an opening and is cooled by the cooling module to a temperature lower than a temperature of the air outside the data center, the cold column having a height sufficient to cause the air within the cold column to flow through the cold column when there is a temperature difference between the air in the cold column and the air outside the data center; and
a plurality of exhaust fans coupled to the hot column and configured to cause air to flow from the hot column through the exhaust fans to outside the data center.
16. The data center of claim 15 , wherein the server racks are configured to receive fanless servers.
17. The data center of claim 15 , further including:
a ceiling; and
a plurality of dampers integrated within the ceiling.
18. The data center of claim 15 , further comprising a plurality of dampers configured to open and close to control a flow of air from the hot column to the cold column.
19. The data center of claim 15 , further comprising a ceiling, wherein the cooling module is located on top of the cold row encapsulation structure.
20. The data center of claim 15 , further comprising a ceiling that has integrated therein a plurality of dampers that are configured to open and close for directing the air from outside the data center into the cold column.