Thermal management of battery units on data center racks
AssigneeGoogle Inc.
InventorsMadhusudan K. Iyengar, Melanie Beauchemin, Christopher Malone
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A data rack system includes a data center rack frame, a shelf positioned within the data center rack frame; and a modular battery unit disposed on the shelf. The modular battery unit further includes a housing having an outer surface, a plurality of strips of phase change material (“PCM”) attached to the outer surface and spaced apart from one another; and air flow channels. The air flow channels are formed in spaces between two adjacent strips of the plurality of strips and defined by a shape and size of the spaces between the two adjacent strips.
Claims20
A data rack system comprising:
- a data center rack frame;
- a shelf positioned within the data center rack frame;
- and
- a modular battery unit disposed on the shelf, the modular battery unit comprising:
- a housing having an outermost surface directly exposed to airflow;
- a plurality of strips of phase change material (“PCM”) attached to the outermost surface of the housing and spaced apart from one another;
- and
- air flow channels formed in spaces between two adjacent strips of the plurality of strips, the air flow channels defined by a shape and size of the spaces between the two adjacent strips,
- wherein at least one of the plurality of strips comprises a PCM carrier and a main body encapsulating PCM, and wherein the PCM carrier is attached to the outermost surface of the housing.
A modular battery unit for use in a data center rack, comprising:
- a housing having an outermost top surface directly exposed to airflow and an opposed bottom surface;
- a battery disposed within the housing;
- a plurality of strips of phase change material (“PCM”) attached to at least the outermost top surface of the housing and spaced apart from one another;
- and
- air flow channels provided in spaces between two adjacent strips of the plurality of strips, the air flow channels defined by a shape and size of the spaces between the two adjacent strips,
- wherein at least one of the plurality of strips comprises a PCM carrier having a top surface and a bottom surface, and wherein the bottom surface of the PCM carrier is attached to the outermost top surface of the housing.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.