Techniques for data center cooling

A method of cooling in a data center having computer equipment racks with computer equipment therein, the computer equipment racks being arranged in a series of rows, defining a series of aisles, each computer equipment rack having air inlets and exhaust outlets, the method comprising the steps of:

• to each of one or more of the computer equipment racks, mounting one or more of:
• an air inlet duct surrounding at least a portion of the air inlets, the air inlet duct having a lateral dimension that approximates a lateral dimension of the computer equipment rack and an entire length that is less than a length of the computer equipment rack, and
• an air exhaust duct surrounding at least a portion of the exhaust outlets, the air exhaust duct having a lateral dimension that approximates the lateral dimension of the computer equipment rack and an entire length that is less than the length of the computer equipment rack, the air inlet duct and the air exhaust duct being composed of a transparent material,
• wherein one or more of the computer equipment racks have doors on at least a front and a back thereof, one of the doors containing the air inlets and another one of the doors containing the exhaust outlets, and wherein one or more of the air inlet duct and the air exhaust duct are mounted to the doors of each of the computer equipment racks with doors, each of the air inlet ducts and air exhaust ducts mounted to the doors of the computer equipment racks with doors having beveled sides along the entire length thereof to allow the doors to be opened without interference from the air inlet ducts and air exhaust ducts mounted to the computer equipment racks adjacent thereto;
• to at least one of the computer equipment racks having an air inlet duct mounted thereto, inserting:
• at least one air-blocking baffle along at least a portion of an inner length of the computer equipment rack to block one or more air passageways between sides of the computer equipment and inner sides of the computer equipment rack,
• at least one air-blocking baffle along at least a portion of an inner lateral dimension of the computer equipment rack to block one or more air passageways between a top of the computer equipment and an inner top of the computer equipment rack, and
• at least one air-blocking baffle along at least a portion of an inner lateral dimension of the computer equipment rack to block one or more air passageways between the sides of the computer equipment and the inner sides of the computer equipment rack;
• cycling air through the data center;
• redirecting one or more of an incoming air flow at one or more of the air inlets and an outgoing air flow at one or more of the exhaust outlets;
• and
• by way of the air-blocking baffles, constraining at least a portion of the incoming air flow to air flow coming from the air inlet duct.