Data center that regulates air pressure within an interior compartment

An environmental subsystem that regulates pressure of supply air provided to an interior compartment within an information technology (IT) space of a data center, the environmental subsystem comprising:

• an operation technology (OT) interior compartment positioned inside an IT compartment between a cold aisle and a hot aisle, the OT interior compartment being a separate room comprising containment walls separating an interior of the OT interior compartment from a remainder of the IT compartment and a first door that selectively opens to enable entry by one or more personnel into the OT interior compartment and provide access to one or more OT components installed within the OT interior compartment, the access provided from a first side of the OT interior compartment facing a selected one of the cold aisle and the hot aisle;
• an air handling system that provides supply air to the cold aisle and that draws return air from the hot aisle of the IT compartment to moderate or cool a temperature of one or more IT components and the one or more OT components that are installed within the IT compartment and the OT interior compartment, respectively;
• a supply air passage that guides air from the cold aisle into the OT interior compartment;
• a return air passage that guides air from the OT interior compartment to the hot aisle;
• at least one air flow regulation device positioned in a selected one of the supply air passage and the return air passage;
• one or more first pressure sensors positioned to sense a first differential air pressure value between an exterior and an interior of the OT interior compartment at the first side of OT interior compartment;
• a memory containing an air pressure limiting application;
• and
• a controller that is communicatively coupled to the at least one air flow regulation device and the memory, the controller executing the air pressure limiting application to enable the environmental subsystem to:
• monitor the first differential air pressure value received from the one or more first pressure sensors;
• compare the first differential air pressure value to a first pressure threshold;
• and
• in response to determining that the first differential air pressure is greater than the first pressure threshold, actuate one or more of the at least one air flow regulation device to reduce the first differential air pressure value to enable easier opening of the first door.

A method for regulating pressure of supply air provided to an interior compartment within an information technology (IT) space of a data center, the method comprising:

• providing supply air, by an air handling system of an environmental subsystem, to a cold aisle of an IT compartment of a data center having the IT compartment and an operation technology (OT) interior compartment, the OT interior compartment being a separate room comprising containment walls separating an interior of the OT interior compartment from a remainder of the IT compartment and a first door that selectively opens to enable entry by one or more personnel into the OT interior compartment and provide access to one or more OT components installed within the OT interior compartment, the access provided from a first side of the OT interior compartment facing a selected one of the cold aisle and the hot aisle;
• drawing return air, by the air handling system, from a hot aisle of the IT compartment;
• providing a supply air passage guiding air from the cold aisle into the IT compartment and a return air passage guiding air from the OT interior compartment to the hot aisle;
• monitoring a first differential air pressure value received from one or more first pressure sensors positioned to sense a first differential air pressure value between an exterior and an interior of the OT interior compartment at a first side of OT interior compartment having a first door that selectively opens the OT interior compartment to provide access to the inside of the OT interior compartment from a first side of the OT interior compartment facing a selected one of the cold aisle and the hot aisle;
• comparing the first differential air pressure value to a first pressure threshold by a controller;
• and
• in response to determining that the first differential air pressure is greater than the first pressure threshold, actuating one or more air flow regulation device positioned in a selected one of the supply air passage and the return air passage to reduce the first differential air pressure value to enable opening of the first door.