Airflow control in data centers utilizing hot aisle containment
AssigneePanduit Corp.
InventorBruce W. Dawson
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Examples disclosed herein relate to airflow control in data centers utilizing hot aisle containment. Consistent with some embodiments disclosed herein, a first differential pressure sensor may be located in a contained hot aisle in a data center and a second differential pressure sensor may be located in an above-ceiling hot air return plenum connected to the contained hot aisle. Pressure sensor data obtained from the differential pressure sensors may be used to maintain a near-neutral pressure in the contained hot aisle and a set negative pressure in the hot air return plenum.
Claims8
A portion of a data center utilizing hot aisle containment, comprising:
- at least one row of enclosures housing IT equipment, backs of the enclosures facing a contained hot aisle into which the IT equipment exhausts hot air;
- a first differential pressure sensor located in the contained hot aisle;
- an active damper located in the contained hot aisle above the first differential pressure sensor;
- the contained hot aisle extending vertically upward and connecting to a hot air return plenum located in a suspended ceiling of the data center;
- a second differential pressure sensor located in the hot air return plenum;
- a cooling unit connected to the hot air return plenum;
- and
- an active hot aisle containment (HAC) controller to:
- maintain a near-neutral pressure in the contained hot aisle by modulating the active damper based on pressure sensor data received from the first differential pressure sensor;
- maintain a set negative pressure in the hot air return plenum based on pressure sensor data received from the second differential pressure sensor;
- increase an amount the active damper is opened in response to detecting an increase in pressure in the contained hot aisle using the first differential pressure sensor;
- and
- decrease the amount the active damper is opened in response to detecting a decrease in pressure in the contained hot aisle using the first differential pressure sensor.
A data center cooling system, comprising:
- a first differential pressure sensor located in a first contained hot aisle;
- a second differential pressure sensor located in an above-ceiling hot air return plenum connected to the first contained hot aisle;
- a first active damper ceiling panel located in the first contained hot aisle;
- a third differential pressure sensor located in a second contained hot aisle;
- a second active damper located in the second contained hot aisle;
- a cooling unit connected to the hot air return plenum;
- and
- an active hot aisle containment (HAC) controller to:
- modulate the first active damper to maintain a near-neutral pressure in the first contained hot aisle based on pressure sensor data received from the first differential pressure sensor;
- and
- modulate a fan in the cooling unit to maintain a set negative pressure in the hot air return plenum based on pressure sensor data received from the second differential pressure sensor.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.