Method and apparatus for cooling electronic equipment
AssigneeOracle America, Inc.
InventorsDean H. Nelson, Andreas V. Bechtolsheim, Michael C. Ryan
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method for cooling electronic equipment. The method including propagating air through a first electronic component of the electronic equipment into a first enclosed area, where propagating the air through the first electronic component cools the first electronic component, circulating a refrigerant in a cooling loop, where the cooling loop comprises a heat exchanger, and propagating the air out of the first enclosed area by passing through the heat exchanger into a second enclosed area, where the air is cooled by passing through the heat exchanger.
Claims20
A method for cooling a first electronic component and a second electronic component in a room, comprising:
- disposing the first electronic component and the second electronic component in parallel in the room to create an aisle therebetween;
- disposing a retractable cap over the first electronic component and the second electronic component without a mechanical connection therebetween, so that the aisle is an enclosed area enclosed by the first and second electronic components and the retractable cap when the retractable cap is in a lowered state,
- wherein the retractable cap does not enclose the aisle when the retractable cap is in a raised state, and
- wherein the cap extends over but not beyond the first and the second electronic components;
- and
- propagating air through the enclosed area and the first and second electronic component to cool the first electronic component and the second electronic component;
- circulating a refrigerant in a cooling loop, wherein the cooling loop comprises a heat exchanger;
- and
- propagating the air, wherein the air is cooled by passing through the heat exchanger,
- wherein the heat exchanger is a reversible heat exchanger disposed in the retractable cap to reverse direction of air propagating through the enclosed area,
- wherein the retractable cap is supported at a center thereof by a lift mechanism, and
- wherein the center is a center between the first electronic component and the second electronic component.
A room comprising:
- a first electronic component and a second electronic component disposed in parallel in the room to create an aisle therebetween;
- a retractable cap disposed over the first electronic component and the second electronic component without a mechanical connection therebetween so that the aisle is an enclosed area enclosed by the first and second electronic components and the retractable cap when the retractable cap is in a lowered state,
- wherein the retractable cap does not enclose the aisle when the retractable cap is in a raised state,
- wherein the cap extends over but not beyond the first and the second electronic component;
- and
- a cooling loop;
- wherein the first electronic component and the second electronic component are cooled by air propagating through the enclosed area, the first electronic component, and the second electronic component,
- wherein the cooling loop circulates a refrigerant,
- wherein the cooling loop comprises a heat exchanger,
- wherein the air is propagated through the heat exchanger,
- wherein the air is cooled by passing through the heat exchanger,
- wherein the heat exchanger is a reversible heat exchanger disposed in the retractable cap to reverse direction of air propagating through the enclosed area,
- wherein the retractable cap is supported at a center thereof by a lift mechanism, and
- wherein the center is a center between the first electronic component and the second electronic component.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.