Abstract:
A system for building multistory data centers using prefabricated modules that can be both juxtaposed side-by-side and stacked vertically, with fluid communication across stories to create two-way vertical airflow for efficient and cost effective high density heat management.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    The present patent application claims the benefits of priority of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/117,388, entitled “VERTICAL DATA CENTER VENTILATION SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR MULTI FLOOR BUILDINGS” and filed at the United States Patent and Trademark Office on Feb. 17, 2016. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The present invention generally relates to data centers and more particularly to data center modules for building high density multistory data centers that incorporate cross-floor vertical airflow for cooling the computing infrastructure. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    In recent years, most of the modular data center market has revolved around the form factor of a shipping container. The main advantage of this form factor is to allow for easy transportation of prefabricated data center modules, complete with their power and cooling subsystems, as well as their computing machinery. This approach allows for rapid and cost effective deployment of self-contained computing infrastructure. It is particularly interesting and effective if this infrastructure needs to be redeployed multiple times, for instance in military operations. It&#39;s downside, however, is that the dimensions of a standard shipping container can greatly constrain the layout of the computing machinery inside the modules, and can make the access to individual computing cabinets and subsystems more difficult, which in turn impacts the general maintainability of the modular data center. 
         [0004]    Inside these data center modules, when the computing cabinets are arranged into rows, the width of a standard shipping container, typically 8-foot, allows for a single row of typically 42-inch deep cabinets, juxtaposed side-by-side. This typical cabinet size barely leaves 2-feet on each side of the row to make aisles for accessing the equipment. One way to circumvent this limitation is to place the computing cabinets on sliding rails to move them forward or backward for maintenance, which is hardly practical, albeit possible. 
         [0005]    Another way to circumvent this limitation is by juxtaposing two shipping containers side-by-side and removing the party wall that separates the two containers. In this way, two facing cabinet rows can be formed with enough space for three 3-foot-wide aisles that is typically two lateral cold-aisles and one central hot-aisle. But the next problem is to be able to fit all of the other air handling and air conditioning subsystems within a relatively small space. And because of this small space, many smaller power and cooling subsystems must be integrated which in turn can make the data center costlier, less efficient, and less reliable. 
         [0006]    Another popular idea is that of stacking multiple data centers in shipping containers, one on top of the other, to maximize the amount of computing capacity per unit of real-estate. This approach, however, compounds the accessibility problem, and does nothing to reduce the number of components and reliability issues that can stem from it. Redundancy is good, but having too many smaller components instead of a smaller number of larger components can be detrimental to efficiency and reliability. Moreover, making a heap of small data centers does not provide the same flexibility as having one large data center. 
         [0007]    Finally, in the context of high power density computing cabinets, for high performance computing, there is a certain misconception about thinking that water needs to be brought all the way to the computing cabinet, even sometimes all the way to the main boards and processors. Even though it is true that carrying heat in water is much more energy efficient than carrying the same amount of heat into air, using water cooling for high performance computing also has its drawbacks, mostly cost and risk of leaks. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0008]    A data center module according to the principles of the present invention generally mitigates at least some of the shortcomings of prior data center modules by vertically stacking a plurality of identical modules that exploit two-way vertical airflow, and by juxtaposing side-by-side a plurality of these modular stacks to form spacious, cost-effective, energy efficient, high density, and high resiliency multistory data centers. 
         [0009]    In some aspects of the present disclosure, a data center module in accordance with the present disclosure may be prefabricated and easily transported, much like a shipping container. The said data center module may have dimensions similar to those of a shipping container, but without being a stand-alone complete data center. It is the main brick that enables the construction of full-scale multistory data centers, complete with spacious aisles and high ceilings, capable of accommodating any size of computing cabinets and any power distribution and regulation systems, as usually found in more conventional data centers. 
         [0010]    In some aspect of the present disclosure, the data center module aims at being cost-effective as it is essentially a weight-bearing structure which may be assembled using commonly available metal beams and columns. The structure of the data center module is the same or substantially similar for all modules and thus can be produced in series. The data center module comprises HVAC components having simple industrial parts like cooling coils, dampers, filters, and gratings, all of which can, as an example, be ordered by catalogue from many different manufacturers at low cost. 
         [0011]    The data center module aims at reducing energy consumption when compared to prior art systems and methods as airflow is managed through large cross-sections and moved using high efficiency and high-capacity variable drive industrial blowers. Energy consumption may be further reduced as heat is efficiently transferred from air to water through large multi row, high efficiency coils. 
         [0012]    The data center module further aims at supporting high power densities as the data center may be configured for large volume of air to be moved by high capacity blowers, at relatively low velocity through large cross-sections. The data center module may be further configured for large amount of heat to be removed from the module by using large cross-section high efficiency cooling coils. Moreover, higher power densities may be achieved by bringing water close to the computing cabinets, but not all the way to them. 
         [0013]    The data center module also aims at improving resiliency. The resiliency may be improved by configuring the data center for having enough space to allow all or most of HVAC components to be redundant within every module and by configuring adjacent modules to be in fluid communication with one another. Such configuration allows for the redundant capacity of one module to compensate for the partial failure of a neighbour module. 
         [0014]    Another aspect of the present invention is the stacking of a plurality of multistory modular data centers to create high-rise modular data centers, and to the juxtaposition of a plurality of modular high-rise modular data centers to create high-rise modular data center complexes with shared infrastructure. 
         [0015]    In one aspect of the invention, a data center module is provided for receiving a plurality of computing cabinets comprising at least one computer, the data center module comprising A first and second internal portions, each internal portion comprising a first area and a second area: The first area is configured to allow air to flow in a substantially downward direction and the second area is configured to allow the air to flow in the computer cabinets. The first and second portion further comprise a heat exchanger unit in fluid communication with the first area and the second area and a mean for diverting air from each first area to the heat exchanger unit. The data center module further comprises a third internal portion configured to exhaust air warmed by the at least one computer of the computer cabinets in a generally upward airflow and a support structure adapted to support the vertical stacking of a plurality of modules, the support structure comprising a top portion and a bottom portion being adapted to allow passage of the airflow of each first area of the first and second internal portions and of the third internal portion. 
         [0016]    In a further aspect, an air-handling module comprising a support structure adapted to support the vertical stacking of a plurality of modules is provided. The air-handling module further comprises first and second portions, each portion being configured to allow air to flow in a generally downward direction; a third portion configured to allow air to flow in a generally upward vertical airflow, a first blowing mean to transfer a proportion of the upward vertical airflow of the third portion to the first portion and a second blowing means to transfer a proportion of the upward vertical airflow of the third portion to the second portion. 
         [0017]    In yet another aspect of the invention, an access module is provided to give access to a data center module as described herein above. The access module generally comprising a first internal access door adapted to access the first area of the first portion of the data center module, a second internal access door adapted to access the first area of the second portion of the data center module, a third internal access door adapted to access the third portion of the data center module, a fourth internal access door adapted to access the second area of the first portion of the data center module and a fifth internal access door adapted to access the second area of the second portion of the data center module The access module is adapted to be juxtaposed to a data center module. 
         [0018]    The invention is yet directed to an access module to provide access to an air-handling module as described herein above. The access module comprises a first internal access door adapted to access the first portion of the air-handling module, a second internal access door adapted to access the second portion of the air-handling module, a third internal access door adapted to access the third portion of the air-handling module. The access module is adapted to be juxtaposed to the air-handling module. 
         [0019]    In another aspect of the invention, a data center is disclosed, the data center comprising a plurality of data center slices. Each data center slice comprises a plurality of data center modules, as described herein above, being vertically stacked and at least one air-handling module, as described herein above, being positioned on top of the top most data center module, wherein at least two of the plurality of data slices are juxtaposed to each other. 
         [0020]    In another aspect of the invention, a data center is disclosed, the data center comprising a plurality of data center slices. Each data center slice comprises: a plurality of data center modules, as described herein above, being vertically stacked and at least one air-handling module, as described herein above, the at least one air-handling module being positioned below the lower most data center module; wherein at least two of the plurality of data slices are juxtaposed to each other. 
         [0021]    In a further aspect of the present invention, a data center complex comprising a plurality of any of the data centers described above is disclosed. The data center complex may comprise at least one of the data centers being stacked on top of another of the data centers. The data center complex may further be adapted so at least one data centers is juxtaposed to another of the data centers. 
         [0022]    The features of the present invention which are believed to be novel are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0023]    The above and other objects, features and advantages of the invention will become more readily apparent from the following description, reference being made to the accompanying drawings in which: 
           [0024]      FIG. 1 a    is a side sectional view of a data center module configured to host a plurality of rows of computing cabinets in accordance with the principles of the present invention. 
           [0025]      FIG. 1 b    is a top-sectional view of the data center module of  FIG. 1   a.    
           [0026]      FIG. 2 a    is a side sectional view of an air-handling module configured to be used with at least one data center module in accordance with the principles of the present invention. 
           [0027]      FIG. 2 b    is a top-sectional view of the data center module of  FIG. 2   a.    
           [0028]      FIG. 3  is a side sectional view of an embodiment comprising three modules, two data center modules and one air handling module, stacked one on top of the other forming a data center slice in accordance with the principles of the present invention. 
           [0029]      FIG. 4  is a top sectional view of an embodiment comprising three data center modules juxtaposed side-by-side in accordance with the principles of the present invention. 
           [0030]      FIG. 5  is a top sectional view of an embodiment comprising three air-handling modules juxtaposed side-by-side in accordance with the principles of the present invention. 
           [0031]      FIG. 6  is a perspective view of the data center module of  FIGS. 1 a    and  1   b.    
           [0032]      FIG. 7  is a perspective view of the air-handling module of  FIGS. 2 a    and  2   b.    
           [0033]      FIG. 8  is a perspective view of an embodiment of a four-story tall of a complete data center comprising a total of twelve data center modules in accordance with the principles of the present invention. 
           [0034]      FIG. 9  is a perspective view of an embodiment of the four-story data center of  FIG. 8  without an outer envelope. 
           [0035]      FIG. 10  is a perspective view of an embodiment of a high-rise data center in accordance with the principles of the present invention. 
           [0036]      FIG. 11  is a perspective view of a plurality of high-rise data centers juxtaposed side-by-side to form a large scale data center complex in accordance with the principles of the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       [0037]    A novel vertical data center modules and a method for their large-scale deployment to allow building of high-rise data centers will be described hereinafter. Although the invention is described in terms of specific illustrative embodiments, it is to be understood that the embodiments described herein are by way of example only and that the scope of the invention is not intended to be limited thereby. 
         [0038]    Now referring to  FIGS. 1 a  and 1 b   , an embodiment of a data center module  100  large enough to accommodate two rows of computing cabinets  110  is shown. More specifically,  FIG. 1 a    is a side sectional view of the module, while  FIG. 1B  is a top-sectional view of the same module. The data center module  100  has a long axis  130  and a narrow axis  140 . In such an embodiment, a plurality of rows of cabinets  110 , typically two, are aligned along the narrow axis of the data center module. In the specific illustrated embodiment, the narrow axis of the data center module is about 10 feet wide to accommodate up to five cabinets of standard width (24″) per row, while still being narrow enough to make transportation practical. In another embodiment, the data center module could be made narrower, for instance to the width of a common shipping container, which is typically 8″ wide. In that case, however, the rows of cabinets  110  would allow only four cabinets per row. The data center module could also be made wider, but a preferred embodiment is to juxtapose a plurality of data center modules side-by-side to reach the desired row length, as will be shown in  FIG. 4 . 
         [0039]    The data center module  100  comprises five distinct areas  101 ,  102 ,  103 ,  104 , and  105 . A middle area  103  separates the data center module  100  into a first and a second portion or section, typically left and right portions. The first and second portions are typically configured to be a mirror image of the other. In areas  101  and  105 , the airflow is substantially vertical and substantially downward. 
         [0040]    In a preferred embodiment, the airflow travels from a first module towards a second module located below the first module. Part of the downward airflow is horizontally diverted to areas  102  and  104  in order to feed the computing cabinets  110  with a proportion of cool air allowing the computer to operate in a predetermined range of temperatures, such as the range of temperatures specified by the manufacturer of these computing cabinets. Areas  102  and  104  form two cold aisle plenums that feed the computing cabinets  110  with cold air. Area  103  is a shared hot aisle adapted to exhaust the heat produced by the computing hardware in a generally upward vertical airflow, which is the opposite direction of the vertical airflow in areas  101  and  105 . 
         [0041]    In another embodiment of the data center module  100 , the vertical airflow could be reversed, that is being in the general upward direction for areas  101  and  105 , and in the general downward direction for area  103 . 
         [0042]    Within the data center module  100 , the areas  101  and  105  are respectively in fluid communication with areas  102  and  104  through a system of coils  111 , dampers  112  and, optionally, filters  113 . The coils  111  are used to extract the heat present in the airflow and bring the air temperature to a level recommended for operating computing machinery. The filters  113  are adapted to protect both the coils and the computing machinery from contaminants that may be present in the airflow. 
         [0043]    In a further embodiment, the dampers  112  may be motorized. The motorized dampers  112 , usually in a fully open state, may be used to produce a pressure drop and thus control the volume of air that may divert from the vertical airflow into the horizontal airflow. The data center module may further comprise a differential pressure sensor  117  between areas  102  and  103  and between areas  104  and  103 . Such differential pressure sensor  117  is adapted to regulate the opening of the dampers in such a way that there exists at all times a small positive pressure in the cold aisles  102  and  104 . 
         [0044]    A data center module  100  comprises a support structure that enables the vertical stacking of a plurality of modules, one on top of the other. This structure is typically made of beams and columns configured to distribute the load on four main weight-bearing columns  120 . In some embodiments, the floor of the data center module  100  is made of grating  115  in areas  101 ,  103 , and  105 . Such flooring aims at allowing and optimizing vertical airflow. In further embodiments, electrical busways  118  are attached to the bean structure to distribute energy to the computing cabinets  110 . 
         [0045]    Now referring to  FIGS. 2 a  and 2 b   , an air-handling module  200  is shown. The air-handling module  200  may be used in conjunction with a plurality of data center modules  100 , stacked either below or above the air-handling module  200 . The air-handling module  200  comprises three distinct areas  201 ,  203 , and  205 . The area  203  is in fluid communication with an area  103  of a data center module  100  immediately below the air-handling module  200  (or above if airflow is reversed). The areas  201  and  205  of the air-handling module  200  are respectively in fluid communication with areas  101  and  105  of the data center module  100  immediately below (or above if airflow is reversed). The objects of the air-handling module  200  is two-fold: to transfer an upward vertical airflow coming from a module below into a downward vertical airflow returning below, or vice-versa if the airflow is reversed, and to create a strong controllable positive pressure to force the airflow across stories, using two fan walls of blowers  211 , one for each area  201  and  205 . Each blower  211  of these fan walls comprises at least one damper  212 , typically in a fully open state. The damper  212  may be closed to inhibit any possibility of air recirculation through the blower  211  if the blower  211  needs to be shutdown. In a preferred embodiment, the support structure and dimensions of the air handling module  200  are substantially identical to those of the data center module  100 , including the weight-bearing columns  220 , thus enabling the vertical stacking of any module type, one on top of the other. 
         [0046]      FIG. 3  illustrates a side sectional view of an embodiment of data center slice comprising three modules stacked one on top of the other. In such an embodiment, the data center slice comprises two data center modules  100  and one air-handling module  200 . It should be understood that the number of data center modules  100  sharing an air-handling is typically three or four. One skilled in the art shall understand that the number of data center modules  100  may be higher or lower depending on the requirements of the configurations. Indeed, for low power density configurations, the number of data center modules may be higher depending on the CFM capacity of the fan walls  211 , on the cross-section surface of areas  101 ,  103 , and  105 , which affects the air velocity of each vertical airflow, on the cross-section surface of the cooling coils  111 , which affects the air velocity of the cold aisles  102  and  104  airflow, and on the power requirements of installed computing cabinets  110  within the data center modules  100 . 
         [0047]      FIG. 4  illustrates a top sectional view of an embodiment of a data center slice comprising three data center modules  100 , juxtaposed side-by-side, for creating longer rows of computing cabinets. It should be understood that the present disclosure is not limited by a number of juxtaposed data center modules  100  as juxtaposing any number of data center modules  100  does not affect airflow, neither vertical nor horizontal. In practice, the number of data center modules  100  that can be juxtaposed is limited only by practical considerations like the walking distance to reach the farthest cabinets of each row, as well the maximum amp rating of the electrical busways that distribute energy to the cabinets. 
         [0048]      FIG. 5  illustrates a top sectional view of an embodiment of the data center slice comprising three air handling modules  200 , juxtaposed side-by-side. Again, it should be understood that any number of air-handling modules may be juxtaposed without affecting the airflows, neither vertical nor horizontal. The number of juxtaposed air-handling modules  200  is simply the same as the number of juxtaposed data center modules  100  below or above it. In other words, it is the data center slices of  FIG. 3  which are juxtaposed side-by-side to form complete vertical data centers. 
         [0049]      FIG. 6  and  FIG. 7  respectively are perspective views of the data center module  100  and the air-handling module  200 . The perspective view presents a typical support structure having weight-bearing columns  120  or  220 . 
         [0050]    Now referring to  FIG. 8  an embodiment of a four-story tall embodiment  800  of a complete data center comprising a total of twelve data center modules  100  arranged in four slices of three modules each, stacked one on top of the other, with four juxtaposed air handling modules  200  at the top level is shown. To these four data center slices, similar to the one illustrated by  FIG. 3 , a fifth slice of stacked access modules  801  and  802  are added to provide human access to areas  101 ,  102 ,  103 ,  104 , and  105  of each level of data center modules  100 , and to areas  201 ,  203 , and  205  of the upper level of air handling modules  200 . These access modules  801  and  802  typically have the same dimensions as the other two module types, and share the same support structure and weight-bearing columns. They serve as entrance and provide access controls. They can be used for staging equipment or for storing spare parts. They mainly provide internal access doors for accessing each area of each data center story. In the shown embodiment, the access module  801  comprises five internal access doors, one for each of five areas of the data center module  100 , while access module  802  comprises three internal access doors, one for each of the three areas of the air-handling module  200 . The four-story data center  800  is shown in  FIG. 8  with an outer-envelope that makes it a complete weatherproof building. It should be understood that any mean, method or skilled in the art of construction may be used to build the outer-envelope. 
         [0051]      FIG. 9  illustrates an embodiment of the four-story data center of  FIG. 8  without an outer envelope. 
         [0052]    Now referring to  FIG. 10  an embodiment of a high-rise data center  1000  is shown. The high rise data center  1000  comprises two independent data centers  800 , similar to the data center  800  illustrated in  FIG. 8 , stacked one on top of the other. The high-rise data center  1000  comprises an additional juxtaposed modular structure  1010  to provide stairs and freight elevators for accessing each floor of the high-rise data center. It should be understood that the maximum number of data centers  800  that can be stacked is not limited to two, but depends mostly on the weight-bearing capacity of the underlying modules. The strength of this structure must be adjusted according to the height that needs to be reached. 
         [0053]    It should also be understood that a plurality of high-rise data centers  1000  can also be juxtaposed side-by-side to form large scale data center complexes like the one illustrated by  FIG. 11 , sharing stairs, corridors and freight elevator access  1010 , as well as centralized access controls, electrical power substation, diesel-powered emergency generators, and chilled-water production facilities  1120 . 
         [0054]    While illustrative and presently preferred embodiment(s) of the invention have been described in detail hereinabove, it is to be understood that the inventive concepts may be otherwise variously embodied and employed and that the appended claims are intended to be construed to include such variations except insofar as limited by the prior art.