# US 2010/0165572 A1 · Data center cooling > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2010/0165572 A1 - Document ID: US20100165572A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 12/698,877 - Filed: 2010-02-02 - Published: 2010-07-01 - Earliest claimed: 2003-03-19 - Assignees: American Power Conversion Corporation - Inventors: James R. Fink; John H. Bean, JR.; Stephen F. Held; Richard J. Johnson; Rollie R. Johnson - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20100165572A1 ## CPC - H05K 7/20: Modifications to facilitate cooling, ventilating, or heating - 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: PRINTED CIRCUITS; CASINGS OR CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF ELECTRIC APPARATUS; MANUFACTURE OF ASSEMBLAGES OF ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS ## Abstract A system for restricting mixing of air in a data center includes a plurality of racks, each of the racks having a front face, and a back face. The system includes an enclosure for collecting air released from the back faces of the plurality of racks, the enclosure configured to substantially contain the air in an area between the first row and the second row and having a roof panel coupled to the first row of racks and the second row of racks configured to span a distance between the first row of racks and the second row of racks. The enclosure is configured to maintain a first air pressure inside of the enclosure that is substantially equal to a second air pressure outside the enclosure. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A system for containing and cooling electronic equipment, the system comprising: housing means for housing electronic equipment and comprising at least two separate units configured to allow gas to pass through the housing means from a first region to cool the electronic equipment and allow the electronic equipment to expel heated gas to a second region; enclosure means, coupled to the two separate units of the housing means, for enclosing the second region and separating me second region from the first region; and exhaust means coupled to at least one of the housing means or the enclosure means for exhausting the heated gas out of the second region. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 wherein the exhaust means comprises cooling equipment configured to draw the heated gas from the second region into the cooling equipment, cool the heated gas drawn into the cooling equipment to produce cooled gas and provide the cooled gas to the first region. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 wherein the exhaust means comprises a fan coupled to the enclosure means. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 wherein the enclosure means comprises a first panel coupled between the at least two separate units, a second panel coupled between at least two separate units, and a roof panel coupled between the first and second panels and the at least two separate units. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The system of claim 4 wherein at least one of the first panel or the second end panel includes a door. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The system of claim 4 wherein at least one of the first panel, the second panel, or the roof panel is detachable. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 wherein a first unit of the two separate units includes an uninterruptible power supply to provide power to equipment in at least one other unit of the at least two separate units. ### Claim 8 A method of containing and cooling electronic equipment, the method comprising: housing electronic equipment in at least a first rack and a second rack, the first and second racks each having, a front face and a back face, at least portions of the first and second racks being configured to allow gas to be drawn in through the respective front faces and to allow heated gas to be expelled through the respective back faces; collecting heated gas expelled through the portions of the first and second racks in a common area adjacent the back faces of the first and second racks, including substantially containing the heated gas in the common area using at least two end panels coupled to the first and second racks and one roof panel coupled to the two end panels and the first and second racks; and exhausting the healed gas out of the common area. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8 further comprising mainlining a first air pressure inside the enclosure that is substantially equal to a second air pressure outside of the enclosure. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9 further comprising powering the electronic equipment with an uninterruptable power supply housed in one of the first or second racks. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8 wherein exhausting the heated gas comprises drawing the heated gas into cooling equipment housed in the first rack, the method further comprising: cooling the heated gas in the cooling equipment; and providing the cooled gas toward the front faces of the first and second racks. ### Claim 12 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8 wherein exhausting the heated air out of the common area is performed in response to an air temperature in the common area exceeding a threshold level. ### Claim 13 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8 further comprising exhausting the heated gas to an area above the common area.