# US 10,772,238 B1 · Adaptable container mounted cooling solution > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,772,238 B1 - Document ID: US10772238B1 - Status: Granted - Kind: B1 - Application number: 15/874,845 - Filed: 2018-01-18 - Granted: 2020-09-08 - Earliest claimed: 2014-07-30 - Assignees: Amazon Technologies, Inc. - Applicants: Amazon Technologies, Inc. - Inventors: Peter George Ross - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10772238B1 ## CPC - H05K 7/20718: {Forced ventilation of a gaseous coolant (in closed loop H05K7/20754)} - F28C 3/08: with change of state, e.g. absorption, evaporation, condensation (generating steam under pressure F22) - F28D 1/02: with heat-exchange conduits immersed in the body of fluid - H05K 7/20745: {within rooms for removing heat from cabinets, e.g. by air conditioning device} - H05K 7/2079: {within rooms for removing heat from cabinets} - H05K 7/208: {Liquid cooling with phase change} - H05K 7/20827: {within rooms for removing heat from cabinets, e.g. air conditioning devices} - H05K 7/20836: {Thermal management, e.g. server temperature control} - H05K: PRINTED CIRCUITS; CASINGS OR CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF ELECTRIC APPARATUS; MANUFACTURE OF ASSEMBLAGES OF ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS - F28C: HEAT-EXCHANGE APPARATUS, NOT PROVIDED FOR IN ANOTHER SUBCLASS, IN WHICH THE HEAT-EXCHANGE MEDIA COME INTO DIRECT CONTACT WITHOUT CHEMICAL INTERACTION (safety devices in general F16P; fluid heaters having heat generating means F24H; with an intermediate heat-transfer medium coming into direct contact with heat-exchange media F28D15/00 - F28D19/00; details of heat-exchange apparatus of general application F28F) - F28D: HEAT-EXCHANGE APPARATUS, NOT PROVIDED FOR IN ANOTHER SUBCLASS, IN WHICH THE HEAT-EXCHANGE MEDIA DO NOT COME INTO DIRECT CONTACT (fluid heaters having heat generating means and heat transferring means F24H; furnaces F27; details of heat-exchange apparatus of general) ## Abstract A cooling apparatus for a container-based data center includes an air handling housing, at least one movable louver, a filter and a fan. The housing is configured for suspending from a ceiling of the container and comprises at least one heat exchanger. The louver is movable to direct air flow along different paths within the housing according to a selected operating mode. The fan is positioned in the housing and controllable according to the selected operating mode. The heat exchanger is configured in a self-contained water chilling circuit positioned within the container for use in a closed loop mode. The apparatus is convertible for use in an economizer mode that draws outside air into the container. An optional auxiliary heat exchanger element has a cold side heat exchange portion positioned outside the container and a connection through the ceiling to a hot side heat exchange portion positioned within the housing. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A multi-mode cooling apparatus configured to be mounted in a container-based data center housing multiple server racks, the data center housing comprising a shipping container having walls, a ceiling and a floor defining a bounded interior space to house the multiple server racks, wherein the multi-mode cooling apparatus is selectively adaptable to operate in multiple cooling operation modes to cool the interior space, the multi-mode cooling apparatus comprising: an air handling housing configured to be mounted to the ceiling of the container structure, wherein the air handling housing is further configured to extend downwardly from the ceiling for positioning closely spaced above the server racks; an air inlet formed at a first end of the air handling housing and in communication with an interior of the container-based data center, wherein the air inlet is downwardly angled; a heat exchanger located in the air handling housing downstream of the air inlet; and a movable air directing member located downstream of the heat exchanger, wherein the movable air directing member is positioned in a first position to allow air from the interior space to be drawn into the air handling housing for a first operation mode and in a second position restricting air from the interior space from being drawn into the air handling housing in a second operation mode, and wherein an air flow path through the air handling housing for the first operation mode comprises an upward segment through the downwardly angled air inlet and towards the movable air directing member and a downward segment from the movable air directing member in a downstream direction; an air moving device located in the air handling housing downstream of the movable air directing member; an air outlet formed at a second end of the air handling housing downstream of the air moving device and in communication with an interior of the container-based data center; and an auxiliary heat exchanger having at least a hot side heat exchange portion positioned within the air handling housing and a cold side heat exchange portion spaced apart from the hot side heat exchange portion for positioning external to the air handling housing. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The cooling apparatus of claim 1, wherein in the first operation mode, the cooling apparatus is operable to cool the air with the heat exchanger and to exhaust cooled air from the air handling housing into the interior space. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The cooling apparatus of claim 1, wherein in the second operation mode, the cooling apparatus is operable to draw in outside air through an outside air opening with the air moving device and exhaust the outside air from the air handling housing into the interior space. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The cooling apparatus of claim 1, wherein the cooling apparatus is operable in a purge mode by which the air moving device is used to draw in outside air from outside the container-based data center housing to cool the interior space. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The cooling apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a separate outside air module for use when the auxiliary heat exchanger is removed, the separate outside air module being positionable on an exterior of the container and in communication with the interior space via at least one opening in the ceiling, wherein the separate outside air module comprises a filtration member and at least one outside air moving device. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The cooling apparatus of claim 1, wherein the auxiliary heat exchanger comprises a thermal siphon, a dry cooler, a chilled water cooler, a direct expansion cooler or an evaporative cooler. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The cooling apparatus of claim 1, wherein the shipping container is an ISO C shipping container. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The cooling apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a hinged portion for providing access to the air moving device. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The cooling apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a seal positioned along a lower periphery of the air handling housing. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The cooling apparatus of claim 1, wherein the movable air directing member comprises a louver. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The cooling apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a filter. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The cooling apparatus of claim 11, wherein the filter is positioned horizontally downstream of the movable air directing member and upstream of the air moving device, and wherein the downward segment of the air flow path for the first operation mode passes through the filter. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The cooling apparatus of claim 1, wherein the air moving device comprises a fan. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The cooling apparatus of claim 13, further comprising a grille positioned at the second end of the housing and covering the fan. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The cooling apparatus of claim 14, wherein the grille is part of an access portion attached by a hinged connection to allow the fan to be rotated in a horizontal plane for access to the housing. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The cooling apparatus of claim 1, wherein the housing comprises a member configured to form a first internal air directing surface, wherein the first internal air directing surface extends internally from the downwardly angled air inlet in a direction transverse to the downwardly angled air inlet. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The cooling apparatus of claim 16, wherein the housing comprises a member configured to form a second internal air directing surface, wherein the second internal air directing surface is positioned downstream of the movable air directing member and upstream of the air outlet.