Pressure control of cooling fluid within a plenum

A cooling system for cooling racks in a data center, said system comprising:

• a cooling device for supplying cooling fluid to said racks, said cooling device including a fan;
• a plenum having an inlet and an outlet, wherein said inlet of said plenum is in fluid communication with said fan;
• a vent assembly for delivering said cooling fluid to said racks, said vent assembly being in fluid communication with said outlet of said plenum;
• and
• a variable volume device in fluid communication with said plenum and said vent assembly, said variable volume device being positioned between said plenum and said vent assembly, wherein said variable volume device is operable to control pressure differences of said cooling fluid between a plurality of locations within said plenum by modulating flow resistance of said cooling fluid within said plenum.

A system for controlling cooling fluid pressure within a plenum of a cooling system for cooling a plurality of racks in a data center, said system comprising:

• means for activating said cooling system, said cooling system including a cooling device in fluid communication with said plenum, said plenum being in fluid communication with a vent configured to supply cooling fluid to said racks;
• means for sensing a plurality of cooling fluid pressures at a plurality of respective locations within said plenum;
• means for determining whether pressure differences between said plurality of sensed cooling fluid pressures are within a predetermined pressure differential;
• and
• means for modulating a variable volume device positioned between said plenum and said vent in response to said-pressure differences being outside said predetermined pressure differential, wherein said variable volume device is configured to control a flow resistance of cooling fluid within said plenum.

A method of cooling a plurality of racks in a data center, said method comprising:

• activating a cooling system, said cooling system including a cooling device in fluid communication with a plenum, said plenum being in fluid communication with a vent configured to supply cooling fluid to said racks;
• sensing temperatures of said racks;
• sensing pressure of said cooling fluid at a plurality of locations within said plenum;
• determining whether said sensed temperatures of said racks are within a predetermined temperature range;
• determining whether differences of said sensed pressure of said cooling fluid at said plurality of locations is within a predetermined pressure differential;
• and
• modulating a variable volume device positioned between said plenum and said vent to varying said supply of cooling fluid to said racks in response to said sensed temperatures and said sensed pressure, wherein said variable volume device is configured to control a flow resistance of cooling fluid within said plenum.