Multi-mode cooling system and method with evaporative cooling

A method for cooling computer systems in a room of a data center, the method comprising:

• providing one or more air-channeling sub-systems configured to provide cooling air to the computer systems in the room of the data center, at least one of the one or more air-channeling sub-systems comprising a mechanical cooling section configured to remove heat from air and a direct evaporative cooling section downstream from the mechanical cooling section, wherein the direct evaporative cooling section is configured to evaporate water into the cooling air;
• determining whether a first set of control conditions or a second set of control conditions is met based, at least in part, on at least one characteristic of ambient air measured by at least one sensor;
• and
• channeling cooling air through the one or more air-channeling sub-systems and into the room, wherein channeling cooling air through the one or more air-channeling sub-systems comprises:
• operating at least one of the one or more air-channeling sub-systems in an economizer mode if the first set of control conditions is met, wherein operating in the economizer mode comprises channeling cooling air through the direct evaporative cooling section to evaporate water into the cooling air and controlling a humidity of supply air to the room by controlling an amount of water evaporated into the cooling air in the direct evaporative cooling section;
• and
• operating at least one of the one or more air-channeling sub-systems in a free cooling mode if the second set of control conditions is met, wherein operating in the free cooling mode comprises shutting down or inhibiting operation of the mechanical cooling section and the direct evaporative cooling section, channeling air from an outside through the room while the mechanical cooling section and the direct evaporative cooling section are shut down or inhibited from operation, and exhausting air from the room to an ambient environment.

A computer system comprising:

• a memory;
• and
• one or more processors programmed to cause the computer system to control one or more air-channeling sub-systems, wherein the one or more air-channeling sub-systems comprise:
• a mechanical cooling section configured to remove heat from air;
• and
• a direct evaporative cooling section downstream from the mechanical cooling section, the direct evaporative cooling section being configured to evaporate water into the cooling air,
• wherein to perform said control, the one or more processors are programmed to cause the computer system to:
• modulate at least one of a plurality of devices associated with the one or more air-channeling sub-systems to control airflow in the one or more air-channeling sub-systems to cool electronic equipment in a data center in a first operating mode, based at least in part upon a determination that a first set of control conditions is met;
• and
• modulate at least one of the plurality of devices to control airflow in the one or more air-channeling sub-systems to cool electronic equipment in a data center in a second operating mode, based at least in part upon a determination that a second set of control conditions is met,
• wherein the determination that the first set of control conditions is met or the determination that the second set of control conditions is met is based, at least in part on at least one characteristic of ambient air measured by at least one sensor.