Controlling fluid flow in a data center

An apparatus for a data center comprising:

• a sensor interface to receive measurements from sensors positioned to obtain sensed fluid pressures in first and second contained aisles in the data center, the first and second contained aisles being separated by a third contained aisle, the first and second contained aisles containing cooling fluid to be exhausted by data center equipment into the third contained aisle;
• and
• a controller to:
• control actuators of vents positioned to adjust an amount of fluid flow from the third contained aisle to the first contained aisle and from the third contained aisle to the second contained aisle to cause the vents to adjust the amount of fluid flow in a direction from the third contained aisle to the first contained aisle and in a direction from the third contained aisle to the second contained aisle based on the measurements received from the sensors, and target fluid pressures for the first and second contained aisles;
• and
• responsive to a making a determination that the target fluid pressures for the first and second contained aisles have been met by (1) controlling the actuators of the vents to increase the amount of fluid flow in the direction from the third contained aisle to the first contained aisle and in the direction from the third contained aisle to the second contained aisle, but (2) without controlling operation of a cooling source providing the cooling fluid to the first and second contained aisles, subsequently adjust an operation of the cooling source to improve cooling source operating efficiency.

For use in a data center having a vent positioned to allow fluid flow between a first contained aisle and a second contained aisle in the data center, a tangible computer readable medium comprising machine readable instructions which, when executed, cause a machine to at least:

• measure a pressure and a temperature associated with an intake side of data center equipment in communication with the first contained aisle, an exhaust side of the data center equipment being in communication with the second contained aisle;
• in response to the pressure as measured being determined to be below a target fluid pressure for the first contained aisle and the temperature as measured being determined to be below a target temperature, but not when the temperature as measured is determined to be above the target temperature, control an actuator of the vent to cause the vent to increase an amount of the fluid flow in a direction from the second contained aisle to the first contained aisle to increase the pressure;
• and
• responsive to making a determination that the target fluid pressure for the first contained aisle has been met by (1) controlling the actuator of the vent to increase the amount of the fluid flow in the direction from the second contained aisle to the first contained aisle, but (2) without controlling operation of a cooling source providing cooling fluid to the first contained aisle, subsequently adjust an operation of the cooling source to improve cooling source operating efficiency.