Patent Description:
Computer systems inherently generate heat during operation. Typical heat generating sources in a computer system include central processing units (CPUs), graphics cards, mechanical storage drives, power supplies, and the like. This heat needs to be managed such that the maximum operating temperature of the various components of each computer system is not exceeded.

Individual computer systems, such as servers, typically use heat sinks to remove heat from heat generating sources. The heat is then evacuated outside the computer system housing by one or more internal mechanical fans which draw in cooler air from outside the computer system housing and exhaust warmed air through an exhaust vent. Typically computer systems are designed to draw air in through a vent on the front of the system and to exhaust warmed air through a vent in the rear of the system.

When arranged in data centers, computer equipment is generally installed in a frame or enclosure, such as a server enclosure rack, a rackable cabinet, or a server rack. Hereinafter structures suitable for housing computer equipment are referred to as equipment enclosures. An equipment enclosure may house multiple items of computer equipment. Generally the depth of the equipment enclosure is chosen to have the approximately the same depth as the computer equipment installed therein. The rear panels of equipment enclosures are generally either not present, or are perforated to enable suitable ventilation of the installed computer equipment. In this way, air from outside the equipment enclosure is drawn into the computer equipment through a computer equipment front inlet vent, and is exhausted out of the computer equipment through a computer equipment rear exhaust vent. In such an arrangement, outside air heated by the computer equipment does not enter the equipment enclosure.

Data centers also generally use computer room air conditioning units that supply cooled air to the front of the equipment enclosures and evacuate heated air from the back of the equipment enclosures to enhance cooling of the computer equipment.

Accordingly, a significant proportion of the operating cost of a data center can come arise from the operation of cooling systems, both within individual computer equipment and at the data center infrastructure level. <CIT> discloses an enclosure in which a plurality of heat generating sources are thermally coupled to a heat exchanger. The enclosure includes an inlet on a side wall near the heat exchanger and an outlet on an upper surface of the enclosure above the heat exchanger. <CIT> discloses a thermal management system for an electronic device including a first thermal energy transfer assembly that is thermally coupled between a heat generating structure located on a circuit card and a first thermal interface surface that is spaced away from the heat generating structure. A second thermal energy transfer assembly includes a second thermal interface surface which is arranged in confronting relation to the first thermal interface surface. <CIT> discloses a heat dissipation apparatus includes a heat absorption device coupled to a board, the heat absorption device configured to absorb heat generated by an electrical device mounted on the board, a heat dispersion device configured discretely from the heat absorbing device and the board for dispersing heat input thereto and a heat transporting device coupled between the heat absorption device and the heat dispersion device for transporting heat absorbed by the heat absorption device to the heat dispersion device. <CIT> relates to a computer system including a chassis defining a front and a rear. The chassis includes a vertically oriented midplane disposed therein, the midplane including a plurality of front module slots for receiving front electronic modules from the front of the chassis, and a plurality of rear module slots for receiving rear electronic modules from the rear of the chassis. A cooling system is provided within the chassis and generates an upwardly-directed front air flow within the chassis directed at selected ones of the front electronic modules and an upwardly-directed rear air flow within the chassis directed at selected ones of the rear electronic modules. The front air flow is separate from and independent of the rear air flow. The selected front and rear electronic modules are disposed in the chassis so as to separate the front air flow into a plurality of substantially equal front air streams and the rear air flow into a plurality of substantially equal rear air streams, respectively. <CIT> relates to an electronic equipment enclosure comprising a frame structure formed from a plurality of support posts and at least partially enclosed by a plurality of panels. The panels include at least side, top and back panels defining an enclosure having a top, a bottom and a rear thereof. The top panel includes an opening there through that is rectangular in shape. The equipment enclosure further comprises an exhaust air duct extending upward from the top panel of the enclosure. The exhaust air duct is rectangular in cross-section and is disposed in surrounding relation to, and in fluid communication with, the top panel opening. The exhaust air duct is adapted to segregate hot air being exhausted from the enclosure from cool air entering the enclosure. <CIT> relates to a system including a substantially sealed, substantially airtight cabinet sized for housing a vertical array of heat-producing units, the cabinet having an exterior shell and the system including an interior divider wall disposed inside the cabinet, the shell and divider wall providing an equipment chamber adapted to support the array such that the array cooperates with the shell and divider wall in use to define a first plenum, the first plenum having a first inlet defined by the divider wall for receiving a flow of cooling gas and having a first outlet defined by a plurality of openings through the array whereby the first plenum communicates with the openings in use to exhaust substantially all of the flow of cooling fluid through the openings and hence through the array, wherein the divider wall is configured to allow the first inlet to admit the gas to the first plenum in a substantially horizontal direction. JPH0697338A describes an electronic circuit casing constituted in such a way that it has an L-shaped cross section. A cooling casing for cooling a liquid refrigerant is connected and fitted to this L-shaped electronic circuit casing by means of couplings, whereby the entire casings are assembled into a rectangular-parallelopiped single unit. <CIT> describes hybrid-cooled electronics chassis and boards. Such boards may be plugged in a chassis and connected to a common liquid-cooling loop shared by two or more of the boards inside that chassis. Liquid cooling conduits between the electronics board/module and the chassis are engaged and disengaged with little or no manual intervention. For instance, the connections between such cooling conduits may utilize quick coupling connectors that allow for automatic or near automatic engagement and disengagement upon the engagement of the electronics board/module with the electronics chassis. In one arrangement, a chassis includes a base portion that has a fan, liquid cooling system and heat exchanger mounted thereon. An electronics module is selectively engageable with the base portion in a manner to have air displaced across the electronics module when engaged as well establish liquid flow through the electronics module when engaged.

Embodiments of various systems and methods will now be described, by way of non-limiting example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:.

One aspect of the present invention provides an equipment enclosure according to claim <NUM>. Another aspect of the present invention provides a facility according to claim <NUM>. Another aspect of the present invention provides a data center according to claim <NUM>. Further features are provided by the dependent claims.

Referring now to <FIG>, there is shown a simplified section view of an equipment enclosure 102a according to a first illustrative example, and an equipment enclosure 102b according to a second illustrative example. The equipment enclosures 102a and 102b each comprise a substantially closed enclosure, with notably no exhaust vents in the rear of the equipment enclosure. The equipment enclosures also comprise a number of rails or other mounting means in which a number of a number of equipment enclosure-mountable computer equipment elements 104a, 104b, 104c, and 104d may be mounted or installed.

For simplicity only two pieces of computer equipment are shown per equipment enclosure, however those skilled in the art will appreciate that equipment enclosures may also contain many more pieces of computer equipment. The computer equipment may be, for example, computer servers, with each piece of equipment comprising one or more electronic heat generating sources, such as central processing units, graphics cards, DVD drives, power supplies, and the like.

In equipment enclosure 102a at least some of the heat generating sources of the computer equipment 104a and 104b are thermally coupled to a heat pipe <NUM>. For example, heat generating sources may be thermally coupled directly to the heat pipe, or indirectly through separate heat pipes, thermosiphons, or in any other appropriate manner. The heat pipe <NUM> is additionally thermally coupled to a heat exchanger 108a housed within the equipment enclosure 102a.

In equipment enclosure 102b at least some of the heat generating sources of the computer equipment 104c and 104d are thermally coupled to a thermosiphon <NUM>. For example, heat generating sources may be thermally coupled directly to the thermosiphon <NUM>, or indirectly through separate heat pipes, thermosiphons, or in any other appropriate manner. The thermosiphon <NUM> is additionally thermally coupled to a heat exchanger 108b housed within the equipment enclosure 102b.

The heat pipe <NUM> and thermosiphon <NUM> transfer heat from the heat sources to which they are thermally coupled to their respective heat exchangers. This prevents a build up of excess heat in the computer equipment 104a, 104b, 104c, and 104d, enabling the computer equipment to operate within its predetermined temperature operation range.

In one example, the heat exchangers 108a and 108b are suitable for being air cooled, such as a tubed and finned heat exchanger, or the like. The precise type and technical characteristics of the heat exchanger may be determined by taking into account various parameters including, for example, the maximum outside air temperature, maximum operating temperature of the computer equipment, density of computer equipment, and the altitude of the data center.

As the heat exchangers <NUM> heat up, as a result of being thermally coupled to one or more heat generating sources, the air 110a and 110b in contact with the heat exchangers rises and is exhausted through exhaust vents <NUM> located in the top of the equipment enclosure housings. This action draws in cooler air from outside the equipment enclosures through inlet vents <NUM> located in the front side of the equipment enclosure housing.

Adequate space is provided within the equipment enclosure to house the heat pipe and to enable sufficient air circulation from the inlet vents <NUM> to the exhaust vents <NUM> to cool the heat exchanger <NUM>. For example, in the present embodiments space is left between the rear of the computer equipment and the rear of the equipment enclosure to enable the heat exchanger to be cooled by natural stack effect ventilation. In other examples alternative space arrangements may be used.

Due to the efficiency at which the heat pipes and thermosiphons remove heat from the heat generating sources, the computer equipment 104a, 104b, 104c, and 104d does not require the use of internal mechanical fans to cool the heat generating sources. This leads to improved energy savings and a consequent reduction in operating costs. Since no fans are needed, the computer equipment 104a, 104b, 104c, and 104d also do not require traditional inlet and outlet vents, since the heat is effectively removed by the heat pipe <NUM> or thermosiphon <NUM>. In this case, outside air drawn in through inlet vents <NUM> does not need to circulate within the computer equipment 104a and 104b, enabling the computer equipment housings to be substantially closed to the outside air.

<FIG> shows an equipment enclosure <NUM> arrangement according to a further illustrative example. Like references with <FIG> indicate like elements. The equipment enclosure <NUM> houses computer equipment 201a and 201b each having an inlet vent <NUM> located at the front of the computer equipment, and an exhaust vent <NUM> located at the rear of the computer equipment.

In one example, the equipment enclosure <NUM> is arranged such that outside air may only be drawn into the equipment enclosure <NUM> through the inlet vents <NUM> and the outlet vents <NUM> of the computer equipment 201a and 201b. This may be achieved, for example, by using blanking plates or brushes on any empty equipment enclosure placements, or by mounting the computer equipment in such a way that substantially no space is left vertically between different computer equipment elements. In this way, the stack effect ventilation responsible for cooling the heat exchanger <NUM> additionally helps remove any residual heat in the computer equipment 201a and 201b not removed by the heat pipe <NUM>. In the illustrative example of <FIG>, which is not in accordance with the present invention, a single air path is used for cooling both the computer equipment <NUM> and the heat exchanger <NUM>.

<FIG> shows an example according to the present invention. The example is similar to that shown in <FIG>, but the equipment enclosure <NUM> has an additional inlet vent <NUM> through which outside air is drawn, by stack effect ventilation, to directly cool the heat exchanger <NUM>. The equipment enclosure also has an internal baffle <NUM> which segregates the air drawn in through inlet vent <NUM> from the air drawn in through inlet vents <NUM> in the computer equipment 201a and 201b. In this way two separate and parallel air paths are established. The first path cools the heat exchanger directly using outside air, the second path directly cools the computer equipment, again using stack effect ventilation, using outside air. The heated exhaust air in both paths is evacuated through the exhaust vent <NUM>.

This approach may provide improvements since not all heat generating components within the computer equipment <NUM> need be thermally coupled to the heat pipe <NUM>. For example, components generating only a small to moderate amount of heat may be suitable cooled by stack effect ventilation.

In the present embodiments, stack effect ventilation is made possible by concentrating the heat generated by the different computer equipment in each equipment enclosure in a single equipment enclosure-located heat exchanger.

<FIG> shows a simplified section view of a data center <NUM> according to another illustrative example.

The data center <NUM> includes a number of rows of equipment enclosures, such as the equipment enclosures <NUM>, each housing computer equipment <NUM>. The data center may be, for example, a purpose built 'bricks and mortar' data center, or a containerized data center such as a portable on-demand (POD) data center. In further embodiments, the data center may be populated with other types or combinations of equipment enclosures such as, for example, those previously described herein.

In one embodiment, the data center <NUM> includes a cold air plenum <NUM> through which outside air <NUM> may enter through inlet vent <NUM>. The data center <NUM> also includes a hot air ceiling void <NUM> through which heated air may be exhausted outside of the data center <NUM> through an exhaust vent <NUM>. The ceiling void <NUM> additionally has vents <NUM> arranged in fluid communication with the exhaust vents <NUM> of the equipment enclosures <NUM>, thereby allowing air heated by the heat exchangers <NUM> within each equipment enclosure to be evacuated outside of the data center <NUM>. As previously described, stack effect ventilation created by the exhausting of air <NUM> heated by the heat exchangers causes cooler outside air <NUM> to be drawn into the data center <NUM> and into the equipment enclosures <NUM>, thereby cooling the heat exchangers <NUM> and hence the computer equipment <NUM>.

<FIG> shows a simplified section view of a data center <NUM> according to yet further illustrative example. Like elements with <FIG> are shown having like references.

The data center <NUM>, for example, includes a number of rows of equipment enclosures, such as the equipment enclosures 102a and <NUM>, each housing computer equipment. Since the equipment enclosures 102a and <NUM> do not have rear exhaust vents, it is possible to arrange the equipment enclosures in a back-to-back manner whereby no or little space is left between the rear panels of opposing equipment enclosures. Arranging the equipment enclosures in this manner may improve the data center since it enables a higher density of equipment enclosures, and hence a higher density of computer equipment, to be housed within the data center <NUM>. Such an arrangement does away with the need to have a hot aisle between the rear panels of rows of opposing equipment enclosures, in one embodiment.

In some embodiments, a data center can be improved in that they do not require an external supply of cooled air or water. In this way, the data centers according to some embodiments are substantially self-contained, requiring, at a bare minimum only external power and computer network connections. This allows such containerized data centers, for example, to be deployed in diverse locations without requiring an extensive existing infrastructure.

Due to the efficiency of heat pipes and thermosiphons at removing heat directly from the heat sources in one or more embodiments, the computer equipment elements do not require the use of internal mechanical fans to cool the heat sources. Furthermore, cooling of the computer equipment by stack effect ventilation removes the requirement for mechanical cooling elements, such as fans, computer room air conditioning units, and the like, leading to even greater potential energy savings.

If, however, stack effect ventilation is insufficient to provide adequate cooling, further embodiments provide supplemental cooling elements. This may be the case, for example, when the outside ambient conditions are unsuitable.

For example, in further embodiments, a mechanical fan may be arranged to provide forced cooling of the heat exchanger within each equipment enclosure when required. A fan may, for example, be mounted within the equipment enclosure, above the equipment enclosure, or in any other suitable location.

Within a data center, supplementary cooling elements may also be added to cool or chill the outside air using, for example, cooling coils, adiabatic coolers, computer room air conditioning units, and the like.

Although the embodiments described herein use thermosiphons or heat pipes, those skilled in the art will appreciate that other suitable heat transfer elements or conductors may be used. Such as, for example, a pumped liquid loop or mechanical refrigeration loop.

Claim 1:
An equipment enclosure (<NUM>), comprising:
a plurality of equipment elements (201a, 201b), each equipment element having one or more heat generating sources, the equipment elements (201a, 201b) having inlet (<NUM>) and exhaust (<NUM>) vents located in their housings at the front and the rear respectively;
a heat exchanger (<NUM>) mounted towards the top of the equipment enclosure (<NUM>), the heat exchanger being thermally coupled to at least some of the heat generating sources;
an exhaust vent (<NUM>) in the top of the equipment enclosure through which rising air (<NUM>) heated by the heat exchanger, which heats up as a result of the heat exchanger being thermally coupled to at least some of the heat generating sources, may be evacuated;
an equipment enclosure inlet vent (<NUM>) through which air from outside the equipment enclosure may be drawn into the equipment enclosure to directly cool the heat exchanger by stack effect ventilation; and
a baffle (<NUM>) to segregate outside air drawn into the equipment enclosure through the equipment element inlet vents (<NUM>) from outside air drawn through the equipment enclosure inlet vent (<NUM>) to establish first and second separate and parallel air paths, the first air path to cool the heat exchanger directly using stack effect ventilation, and the second air path to cool the equipment elements directly using stack effect ventilation, wherein heated exhaust airfrom the first and second air paths is evacuated through the exhaust vent.