Abstract:
A data center is disclosed that includes a container; a server; a rack installed within the container and storing the server; and a curtain fixed to at least one point of the rack or the container and separating an internal space of the container between a cold side and a hot side; wherein the rack is configured to enable the circulation of air from the cold side to the hot side. The curtain is fixed by a removable clamping mechanism. The data center further includes a modular refrigeration unit configured to attach to the container and direct cold air into the cold area. At least one prop is positioned below a bottom of the housing and connected to a container bottom, the prop is configured to absorb vibration of the container or housing.

Description:
[0001]    This application is based upon and claims the benefit of priority from the prior Japanese Patent Application No. 2011-166089, filed on Sep. 28, 2011, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. 
       FIELD 
       [0002]    Following embodiments relate generally to a computing data center. More specifically, a modular data center with modular components suitable for use with rack or shelf mount servers or computing systems, for example, is disclosed. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0003]    A modular data center is able to correspond flexibly to a requirement of expanding servers. Compared to construction of an existing data center inside an existing building, construction of the modular data center is able to be completed in a short time. 
         [0004]    The modular data center is able to take in open air with ease and achieving energy savings is expected by using the open air for cooling inside the data center. 
         [0005]    Research and development of eco-friendly technology including the module and the modular data center have been done. 
         [0006]    Structures of a module or a modular data center are required to withstand a big earthquake. When the modular or modular data center is put in the ship on the sea, the structures are required to withstand the swaying of the ship at sea or anchor. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0007]      FIG. 1  is a perspective diagram illustrating the configuration of a module and an air conditioning unit according to a first embodiment; 
           [0008]      FIG. 2  is a dismantlement perspective diagram illustrating the configuration of a module according to a first embodiment; 
           [0009]      FIG. 3  is a dismantlement perspective diagram illustrating the configuration of a module according to a first embodiment; 
           [0010]      FIG. 4  is a connection diagram illustrating the connection of a module and a rack according to a first embodiment; 
           [0011]      FIG. 5  is a magnified diagram illustrating the configuration of a curtain according to a first embodiment; 
           [0012]      FIG. 6  is a sectioned diagram illustrating the configuration of X-Z cross section of a module according to a first embodiment; 
           [0013]      FIG. 7  is a sectioned diagram illustrating the configuration of X-Y cross section of a module according to a first embodiment; and 
           [0014]      FIG. 8  is a magnified diagram illustrating the configuration of a curtain according to a first embodiment. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0015]    A modular data center according to one embodiment includes a housing; a cooled medium mounted on a first position within the housing; and a curtain fixed at least one point of the cooled medium or the housing, stretching in response to movement of the cooled medium from the first position, and dividing the housing. 
       First Embodiment 
       [0016]    A first embodiment is described by referring to the drawings. 
         [0017]      FIG. 1  is a perspective diagram illustrating the configuration of a module and an air conditioning unit according to a first embodiment.  FIG. 2  is a dismantlement perspective diagram illustrating the configuration of a module according to a first embodiment.  FIG. 3  is a dismantlement perspective diagram illustrating the configuration of a module according to a first embodiment. 
         [0018]    The modular data center  10 , as shown in  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2 , includes a housing  12  shaped rectangular or hexahedral structure and a rack or plural racks stored in the housing  12 .  FIG. 2  shows eight racks  14 . According to the first embodiment, the modular data center  10  and the air conditioning unit  40  are connected by a two-way air traffic constituent such as a pipe or a metal can through the air inlet  22  and the outlet  24 . The module may be installed on land, on sea, on a ship on the sea, on a plane in the sky, in the sea or in space. The module may connect to a container which includes a generator providing electrical power to servers or air conditioning unit such as UPS stands for uninterruptible power supply or a cooling tower. The modular data center  10  may be called the container data center, the module data center, or the cell modular datacenter. 
         [0019]    The air conditioning unit  40  is illustrated as an air-cooling system, but the air conditioning unit  40  may use a liquid cooling system that circulates a heating medium or a solution such as water to a cooled medium when the modular data center  10  is installed near a lake, river or ocean. The modular data center  10  may be installed inside structures such as a building or outside of structures. When a data center accommodates plural containers or modules, a part of the plural containers or modules may be installed inside of buildings and the others installed outside of buildings. The modular data center  10  may connect with a cooling tower, a generator such as a gas electric power generator, a thermal electric power generator, or a nuclear electric power generator, an emergency power supply unit, a computer, a management server, or a container or module which accommodates those equipment illustrated above. The modular data center  10  may connect with an external wired or wireless communication network. The modular data center may have solar panels or wind power generator thereon. The modular data center  10 , a part of or every components or elements are tested or assembled at a factory or installed location. The modular data center  10  or the air conditioning unit  40  may be managed by a remote supervision through an external circuit such as an internet. 
         [0020]    The container  12  is a box-like housing that is formed of steel, aluminum, or FRP, which is fiber-reinforced plastics. The container  12  may have a hook to be picked itself up, or a breathable wall to maintain an air exchange. Generally, the container lengths are 10′, 12′, 20′, 24′, 44′, 45′, 46′, 53′, 56′, or less than 10′. Generally, the container width and height are 8′, 8′6″, 9′, or 9′6″. Various ISO standard containers are able to be used as the container  12 . 
         [0021]    A pre-designed container not exceeding the highway&#39;s weight limit such as 20 tons is suitable for the container  12 , but other container may be used. Containers are used to explain in this embodiment, but any other module or housing may be used. Containers or modules having any other size in length, in width, or in height may be used. Containers constructed at the place such as a factory that is a different location from an installation location and are able to be transported to the installation location by moving medium such as truck, railway, or containership are suitable for the container  12 . Modules are able to be constructed with ease such as a temporary dwelling. The structure of the container  12  may have polyhedral structure, columnar structure, or spherical structure in addition to the above-mentioned hexahedral structure. 
         [0022]    The rack  14  is a grid-shaped housing that is formed of steel, aluminum, or FRP, which is fiber-reinforced plastics. The rack  14  is able to accommodate a thin server shaped blade. The rack  14  has a plurality of housing units separated by walls and the plurality of housing units accommodate the servers. The servers are arranged in same direction. The arrangement of servers makes a cold area and hot area. At the cold area, air inlet  22  intakes, air cooling the servers, and at the hot area, outlet  24  emits warm air to the outside of the container  12 . For instance, EIA standard&#39;s racks which have 19 inches in width and 1.75 inch in height (any length in depth) are able to be used as the container  12 . In addition to the container, JIS standard&#39;s racks are able to be used. Substituted for the rack having eight server racks, the rack having one or more server racks is able to be used. Substituted for the rack having a server, the rack having an air conditioner is able to be used. It is also possible to place the rack having a server and the rack having an air conditioner alternately. When there are gaps between the rack  14  and container  12  (upper surface)a, or between the rack  14  and the container  12  (under surface)c, separator for separating the internal space of the container into a hot area and a cold area may be used at the top or bottom of the rack  14 . The pallet  20  and the rack  14  are able to slide or move along the surface with continuous contact on that surface and with each other. Their relative position is able to be shifted by a shaking of an earthquake or etc. 
         [0023]    In place of servers which are accommodated in the rack  14 , generators or any other products are able to be put into the place. Curtain  16  is a curtain that separates in the container  12 . For instance, the curtain  16  separates an internal space of the container  12  into a hot area and a cold area. For materials, flexible material impervious to air such as polyvinyl chloride or metal is preferable. Substituted for these materials, coarse textured clothes or any other materials can be used. The curtain  16  is fixed on the rack  14  or inner peripheral surface of the container  12 . A member subject such as a clip is used to fix on the curtain to the container  12 . A magnet can be used to fix the curtain  16  having magnets put in four points to the container  12 , rack  14  or Separator  18 . People are able to walk around inside the container  12  having this detachable structure. In place of the curtain, a member subject having a dividing or separating function and a stretch function is able to be used. 
         [0024]    When the container  12 , the rack  14  or the separator  18  fix on the curtain  16  at one point, having hardness above a certain level is needed for the curtain  16  to separate the area inside the container  12 . As the curtain  16 , a fold type curtain such as an accordion curtain is preferable. When the container  12 , the rack  14  or the separator  18  fix on the curtain  16  at many points such as a line, flexible materials such as polyvinyl chloride or cloth are able to be used. 
         [0025]    What the curtain  16  is not fixed on the upper side of the pallet  26  or the container  12  is preferable. If the earthquake hits the modular data center and the pallet  26  moves in the direction of lateral vibration, the rack  14  is able to slide while holding both ends of the curtain  16 . In the case that the curtain  16  having elastic force above a certain level and/or hardness above a certain level is able to absorb the vibration energy generated by the transportation such as ship, train, track, car or earthquake because of the flexibility and/or rigidity. 
         [0026]    The pallet  26  supports the rack  14  and the pallet  26  is connected with the container  12  through the prop  28 . The pallet  26  is able to be used as an aisle that people can move on. 
         [0027]    The pallet  26  is shaking according to the vibration of the prop  28  when the module is swayed by an earthquake. After the end of the vibration of the prop  28 , the pallet  26  gets back in place. 
         [0028]    The prop  28  is a positioning member to position the place of the rack  14 . 
         [0029]    The following describes the structure of the container  12  comprising the modular data center  10 . As shown in  FIG. 1  though  FIG. 4 , the container  12  is comprised by an upper surface, an enclosure surface that has four sides, and an under surface. At least one surface of the container  12  (upper surface)a, the container  12  (enclosure surface)b, and the container  12  (under surface)c has an air exhausted opening that exhausts air from the hot area that is mentioned later. At least one surface of the container  12  (upper surface)a, the container  12  (enclosure surface)b, and the container  12  (under surface)c has an air supply opening that supplies air from the cold area. The air exhausted opening  24  exhausts the air in the hot area. The air supply opening  22  supplies the air that is colder than the air in the hot area from the air conditioner  40  or the outside of the container  12 . These openings make the container possible to circulate the airs and achieve an effective cooling system 
         [0030]    The container  12  in this embodiment has the outside door  18  that make it possible for people to go inside and out from the outside of the container  12 . The inside door  20  separates the inside of the container  12 . These two doors make the container  12  having the rack  14  possible to keep the temperature, humidity, and/or air pressure therein. 
         [0031]    The rack  14  in this embodiment is designed smaller than the internal floor area of the container  12 . The space between the container  12  (enclosure surface)b and rack  14  is able to be used as an aisle. In this embodiment, people are able to pass on the pallet  26 . When the container  12  doesn&#39;t have the pallet  26 , people are able to pass on the container  12  (under surface)c. 
         [0032]    The curtain  16  in this embodiment achieves the efficiency of air conditioning by separating the hot and cold area. When the container  12  doesn&#39;t have the curtain  16 , the heat transfers actively between the hot area and the cold area and the hot air does not evacuate efficiently and the cold air does not supply to the rack  14 . 
         [0033]    As shown in  FIG. 5 , the fixture  30  fixes the curtain  16 . The fixture  30  is removable. The fixture  30  is comprised of magnets or removable and zipping material. This mechanism makes the people pass inside the container  12  when the fixture  30  is unfastened. 
         [0034]    As described above, the container or module with quake-absorbing structure separates the hot area and cold area inside the container or the module. By adopting the movable material (open and close mechanism) such as the curtain  16 , people can pass inside the container or the module. When the data center is shaken and the difference of shake occurred between the container  12  and the internal structure such as the rack  14 , the curtain  16  is able to keep the separate function regardless of the difference by the elasticity. 
       Second Embodiment 
       [0035]    The difference of the module and modular data center described in the second embodiment and in the first embodiment is the quake-absorbing structure. In this embodiment, the module and modular data center put in the building are supposed. 
         [0036]    The prop  28  is an elastic organ to absorb a vibration of the earthquake. As the elastic organ, a spring or rubber is used. The prop  28  and the pallet  26  are able to be formed together. The prop  28  and the container  12  are able to be formed together. 
         [0037]    The position of the rack  14  having the server as a cooled medium inside the container  12  is located by the prop  28  and the pallet  26 . This sort of positioning member such as a hanging rod or hanging chain is able to locate the rack  14  from top or side part thereof. Pluralities of poisoning members are able to locate the rack  14  from top, side and/or bottom part. When the container  12  is inside the ship, the container  12 , the rack  14 , and the pallet  26  are able to shake respectively by the elasticity of the prop  28 . The difference of each shaking realizes base isolated system and prevents damage to the server. 
       Third Embodiment 
       [0038]    The difference of the module and modular data center described in the third embodiment and in the first and second embodiment is the curtain  16 . 
         [0039]    In this embodiment, the curtain  16  may not be able to maintain the shape by the pressure difference between hot and cold area and/or circulation of the air. To cope with this, inserting the fixture  34  that attached to the curtain  16  to the sash  32  that arranged on the pallet  26  and/or the inner surface of the container  12  is adopted. The curtain  16  is fixed to the vertical direction toward the direction of opening the curtain  16 , which the direction is perpendicular to the direction of air pressure extended on the curtain  16 . 
         [0040]    Other retaining mechanism such as a magnet is able to be used as the sash  32  and/or the fixture  34 . 
         [0041]    As a result, even if the curtain  16  is made of a soft material, it is possible to maintain the shape and the function of separation of the area. 
         [0042]    While certain embodiments have been described, these embodiments have been presented by way of example only, and are not intended to limit the scope of the inventions. Indeed, the novel embodiments described herein may be embodied in a variety of other forms; furthermore, various omissions, substitutions and changes in the form of the embodiments described herein may be made without departing from the spirit of the inventions. The accompanying claims and their equivalents are intended to cover such forms or modifications as would fall within the scope and spirit of the inventions.