# US 2018/0027701 A1 · Data center modular systems > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2018/0027701 A1 - Document ID: US20180027701A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 15/653,973 - Filed: 2017-07-19 - Published: 2018-01-25 - Earliest claimed: 2016-07-19 - Assignees: Google Inc. - Applicants: Google Inc. - Inventors: Pascal Kam; Grace Wu; Saurin Purohit; Kenneth Dale Shaul; Siddharth Sheli; Thomas R. Kowalski; Bruce Baxter; Jim O'Connor; Brandon Gries; Gerard V. Gioia; Steven K. Bowman - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20180027701A1 ## CPC - H05K 7/20745: {within rooms for removing heat from cabinets, e.g. by air conditioning device} - G06F 1/20: Cooling means - H05K 7/1485: {Servers; Data center rooms, e.g. 19-inch computer racks} - H01R 43/26: for engaging or disengaging the two parts of a coupling device (structural association with two-part coupling device H01R13/629) - H05K: PRINTED CIRCUITS; CASINGS OR CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF ELECTRIC APPARATUS; MANUFACTURE OF ASSEMBLAGES OF ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - H01R: ELECTRICALLY-CONDUCTIVE CONNECTIONS; STRUCTURAL ASSOCIATIONS OF A PLURALITY OF MUTUALLY-INSULATED ELECTRICAL CONNECTING ELEMENTS; COUPLING DEVICES; CURRENT COLLECTORS ## Abstract A modular data center system includes an upper module including a roller assembly attached to a frame of the upper module, the roller assembly configured to engage at least a portion of a rail assembly attached to a structure of a data center building; and a lower module attachable to the upper module and configured to suspend above a floor of a human-occupiable workspace of the data center that supports a plurality of racks including a plurality of heat-generating electronic devices, the lower module including a power support assembly configured to provide electrical power to the plurality of heat-generating electronic devices. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A modular data center system, comprising: an upper module comprising a roller assembly attached to a frame of the upper module, the roller assembly configured to engage at least a portion of a rail assembly attached to a structure of a data center building; and a lower module attachable to the upper module and configured to suspend above a floor of a human-occupiable workspace of the data center that supports a plurality of racks comprising a plurality of heat-generating electronic devices, the lower module comprising a power support assembly configured to provide electrical power to the plurality of heat-generating electronic devices. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The modular data center system of claim 1, wherein the upper module further comprises an air conditioning module. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The modular data center system of claim 2, wherein the lower module comprises at least one side that extends vertically from a ceiling that is attached to the frame of the upper module, the ceiling comprising an aperture to permit airflow from the air conditioning module to a volume defined by the side and the ceiling. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The modular data center system of claim 3, wherein the volume comprises a portion of a conditioned air plenum that extends from the ceiling of the lower module to a top of the plurality of racks, the conditioned air plenum further defined between back sides of rows of the plurality of racks. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The modular data center system of claim 4, wherein the air conditioning module comprises: a conditioning module positioned over the aperture in the ceiling of the lower module; and a fan positioned to circulate a conditioned airflow from the conditioning module, through the portion of the conditioned air plenum, through the back sides of the rows of the plurality of racks, through front sides of the rows of the plurality of racks to the human-occupiable workspace, and to the conditioning module. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The modular data center system of claim 5, wherein the conditioning module comprises at least one of a cooling coil, a heating coil, an energy recovery ventilator, or a constant or variable air volume box. ### Claim 7 (depends on 4) The modular data center system of claim 4, wherein the lower module further comprises a seal to receive a portion of the plurality of racks and seal against an airflow between the human-occupiable workspace and the portion of conditioned air plenum. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The modular data center system of claim 1, wherein the roller assembly comprises a plurality of wheels or sliders that engage the rail assembly. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The modular data center system of claim 1, wherein the structure of the data center building comprises a column that extends between the floor and a roof of the data center building. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The modular data center system of claim 1, further comprising an accessory module coupled to the upper module, the accessory module comprising a pipe rack. ### Claim 11 A data center system, comprising: an upper module comprising an air conditioning module; a lower module attached to the upper module and configured to suspend above a floor of a human-occupiable workspace of a data center building that supports a plurality of racks comprising a plurality of heat-generating electronic devices, the lower module comprising a power support assembly configured to provide electrical power to the plurality of heat-generating electronic devices; a roller or slider assembly attached to a frame of the upper module, the roller assembly comprising at least one roller or slider; and a rail assembly attachable to a structure of the data center building, the rail assembly comprising a beam engageable by the roller or slider. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The data center system of claim 11, wherein the lower module comprises at least one side that extends vertically from a ceiling that is attached to the frame of the upper module, the ceiling comprising an aperture to permit airflow between the upper module and a volume defined by the side and the ceiling of the lower module. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The data center system of claim 12, wherein the volume comprises a portion of a conditioned air plenum that extends from the ceiling of the lower module to a top of the plurality of racks, the conditioned air plenum further defined between back sides of rows of the plurality of racks. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The data center system of claim 13, wherein the air conditioning module is positioned over the aperture in the ceiling of the lower module and comprises a conditioning module and a fan, the fan positioned over the aperture to circulate a conditioned airflow from the conditioning module, through the portion of the conditioned air plenum, through the back sides of the rows of the plurality of racks, through front sides of the rows of the plurality of racks to the human-occupiable workspace, and back to the conditioning module. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The data center system of claim 14, wherein the conditioning module comprises at least one of a cooling coil, a heating coil, an energy recovery ventilator, or a constant or variable air volume box. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The data center system of claim 14, wherein the lower module further comprises a seal to receive a portion of the plurality of racks and seal against an airflow between the human-occupiable workspace and the portion of the conditioned air plenum. ### Claim 17 (depends on 12) The data center system of claim 12, wherein the structure of the data center building comprises a column that extends between the floor and a roof of the data center building. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The data center system of claim 16, wherein the beam extends between at least two columns of the data center building. ### Claim 19 (depends on 11) The data center system of claim 11, further comprising an accessory module coupled to the upper module, the accessory module comprising a pipe rack. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The data center system of claim 19, wherein the accessory module further comprises a plurality of fire protection electrical assemblies that comprise wiring and electrical connectors for a fire protection system. ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) The data center system of claim 20, wherein the accessory module further comprises at least a portion of a fire protection system piping system that comprises a plurality of sprinkler heads of the fire protection system. ### Claim 22 (depends on 19) The data center system of claim 19, wherein the accessory module further comprises a plurality of data center lighting fixtures or data center lighting wiring assemblies. ### Claim 23 (depends on 12) The data center system of claim 12, further comprising a support structure that comprises at least a portion of the ceiling to thermally separate cold air aisle of the conditioned plenum from a warm air aisle. ### Claim 24 A method of conditioning a data center comprising: installing a first module of a data center cooling system on a rail assembly attached to a data center building, the first module comprising a frame and an air conditioning module; attaching a second module of the data center cooling system to the first module, the second module comprising a panel attached to the frame of the first module and sides that extend from the panel to suspend over a floor of the data center building; and moving the first and second modules of the data center cooling system adjacent to at least one row of a plurality of data center racks that support a plurality of heat-generating electronic devices by moving the first module on the rail system through a human-occupiable aisle of a workspace of the data center building defined between rows of columns of the data center building. ### Claim 25 (depends on 24) The method of claim 24, further comprising circulating a cooling fluid through a supply conduit, to the cooling module, that is supported by a third module of the data center cooling system attached to the first module. ### Claim 26 (depends on 24) The method of claim 24, further comprising circulating, with a fan of the cooling module, an airflow from a cooling coil of the cooling module through an opening in the panel and into a cold air plenum defined by the panel and the sides of the second module. ### Claim 27 (depends on 26) The method of claim 26, further comprising: circulating the airflow through the plurality of data center racks; receiving, into the airflow, heat from the plurality of heat-generating electronic devices; and circulating the heated airflow through the workspace of the data center building and to the cooling coil. ### Claim 28 (depends on 24) The method of claim 24, wherein the data center cooling system comprises a first data center cooling system, the method further comprising: installing at least another row of a plurality of data center racks that support a plurality of heat-generating electronic devices into the data center building; based on the installation of the at least installing a first module of a second data center cooling system on the rail assembly attached to the data center building, the first module of the second data center cooling system comprising a frame and a cooling module; attaching a second module of the second data center cooling system to the first module of the second data center cooling system, the second module of the second data center cooling system comprising a panel attached to the frame of the first module of the second data center cooling system and sides that extend from the panel to suspend over the floor of the data center building; and moving the first and second modules of the second data center cooling system adjacent to the another row of the plurality of data center racks by moving the first module of the second data center cooling system on the rail system through the human-occupiable aisle of the workspace of the data center building defined between rows of columns of the data center building. ### Claim 29 (depends on 28) The method claim 28, further comprising fluidly connecting the cooling modules of the first modules of the first and second data center cooling systems to a source of cooling fluid. ### Claim 30 (depends on 24) The method of claim 24, further comprising electrically coupling the plurality of heat-generating electronic devices to a main power supply through electrical conduits supported on the second module. ### Claim 31 (depends on 24) The method of claim 24, wherein the data center cooling system comprises a first data center cooling system, the method further comprising: adjusting a power density of at least a portion of the plurality of heat-generating electronic devices; based on the adjustment of the power density: installing a first module of a second data center cooling system on the rail assembly attached to the data center building, the first module of the second data center cooling system comprising a frame and a cooling module; attaching a second module of the second data center cooling system to the first module of the second data center cooling system, the second module of the second data center cooling system comprising a panel attached to the frame of the first module of the second data center cooling system and sides that extend from the panel to suspend over the floor of the data center building; and moving the first and second modules of the second data center cooling system adjacent to the row of the plurality of data center racks by moving the first module of the second data center cooling system on the rail system through the human-occupiable aisle of the workspace of the data center building defined between rows of columns of the data center building; and operating the first and second data center cooling systems to cool the plurality of heat-generating electronic devices.