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US 9,426,903 B1Granted
Cooling air stack for computer equipment
AssigneeAmazon Technologies, Inc.
InventorOsvaldo P. Morales
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A cooling system for a computer room includes a forced air system. The forced air system moves cooling air through computers in one or more rack systems in the computer room. Stacks are coupled between the rack systems and the ceiling of the computer room. Each stack may include a flexible portion between an inlet portion and an exit portion of the stack. The stacks direct cooling air exiting from exit ports on the rack systems to openings in the ceiling.
Claims23
A cooling system for directing cooling air from a rack-mounted computer system, comprising:
- a stack, comprising:
- an inlet configured to couple with a rack system at an exit of the rack;
- a lower duct portion;
- an exit of the stack configured to couple with a ceiling at an opening in the ceiling, wherein the opening in the ceiling includes a flow restriction device;
- and
- an upper duct portion configured to extend downwardly from the ceiling;
- and
- an exit duct, coupled with the exit of the stack, and configured to extend into and through a ceiling plenum above the opening in the ceiling, wherein the exit duct forms an enclosure configured to segregate exit air exiting the rack system and passing through the exit duct from air circulating within the ceiling plenum and air entering the ceiling plenum from one or more other rack systems, such that air circulating within the ceiling plenum and air entering the ceiling plenum from one or more other rack systems is recirculated and the exit air passing through the exit duct passes into ambient air outside the ceiling plenum;
- a flexible portion of increasing passage size coupled between the lower duct portion and the upper duct portion, wherein the flexible portion is coupled with the upper duct portion at a point below the ceiling, wherein the lower duct portion is configured to direct cooling air from the inlet to the flexible portion, wherein the flexible portion is configured to direct cooling air from the lower duct portion to the upper duct portion,
- wherein the lower duct portion comprises a lower duct cross-sectional area, wherein the cross-sectional area of the flexible portion increases from a first cross-sectional area where the flexible portion couples to the lower duct portion to a second cross-sectional area where the flexible portion couples to the upper duct portion, wherein the upper duct portion is above the flexible portion, wherein the upper duct portion comprises a passageway configured to direct air that is downstream from the flexible portion of increasing passage size through the opening in the ceiling, wherein the upper duct portion comprises an upper duct cross-sectional area that is larger than the second, increased cross sectional area of the flexible portion.
7 more elements
A cooling system for rack-mounted computers in a computer room, comprising:
- a forced air system configured to move cooling air through one or more computers in one or more rack systems in the computer room, wherein the forced air system comprises an air handling system configured to force air into the computer room through a raised floor of the computer room;
- one or more stacks coupled between one or more of the rack systems and a ceiling of the computer room, the stacks being configured to direct cooling air exiting from one or more exits on one or more of the rack systems to one or more openings in the ceiling, wherein at least one of the stacks comprises:
- a lower duct portion;
- an upper duct portion configured to extend downwardly from the ceiling;
- and
- a flexible portion of increasing passage size coupled between the lower duct portion and the upper duct portion, wherein the flexible portion is coupled with the upper duct portion at a point below the ceiling, wherein the lower duct portion is configured to direct cooling air from an inlet to the flexible portion, wherein the flexible portion is configured to direct cooling air from the lower duct portion to the upper duct portion, and
- wherein the lower duct portion comprises a lower duct cross-sectional area, wherein the cross-sectional area of the flexible portion increases from a first cross-sectional area where the flexible portion couples to the lower duct portion to a second cross-sectional area where the flexible portion couples to the upper duct portion, wherein the upper duct portion is above the flexible portion, wherein the upper duct portion comprises a passageway configured to direct air that is downstream from the flexible portion of increasing passage size through the opening in the ceiling, wherein the upper duct portion comprises an upper duct cross-sectional area that is larger than the second, increased cross sectional area of the flexible portion;
- a ceiling plenum above the opening in the ceiling;
- and
- an exit duct configured to extend into and through the ceiling plenum, wherein the exit duct forms an enclosure configured to segregate exit air exiting a rack system coupled to the at least one stack and passing through the exit duct from air circulating within the ceiling plenum and air entering the ceiling plenum from one or more other rack systems in the computer room, such that air circulating within the ceiling plenum and air entering the ceiling plenum from one or more other rack systems is recirculated to the computer room and air passing through the exit duct passes into ambient air outside the ceiling plenum.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.