Patent ID: 8164897

Claim:
An apparatus for facilitating cooling of an electronics rack of a data center, the apparatus comprising: an airflow director configured for the electronics rack, wherein air moves through the electronics rack from an air inlet side to an air outlet side thereof, and wherein the airflow director is configured to redirect airflow exhausting from the electronics rack at the air outlet side thereof via an airflow return pathway back towards the air inlet side of the electronics rack, wherein the airflow return pathway is configured for redirected airflow to exit the airflow return pathway into the data center to mix with air of the data center at the air inlet side of the electronics rack; at least one air-to-liquid heat exchange assembly disposed within the airflow return pathway for cooling redirected airflow exhausting from the air outlet side of the electronics rack before exiting into the data center to mix with air of the data center at the air inlet side of the electronics rack; at least one air temperature sensor for monitoring air temperature of the redirected airflow; and an automated isolation door associated with the airflow director for automatically blocking airflow exhausting from the air outlet side of the electronics rack from passing through the airflow return pathway back towards the air inlet side of the electronics rack responsive to temperature of the redirected airflow exceeding a defined temperature threshold.