Patent ID: 7992402

Claim:
A system for cooling a data center, the system comprising: a plurality of racks configured to house rack-mounted components, each of the racks having a front face, wherein the plurality of racks are arranged in a first row and a second row horizontally displaced from each other such that front faces of the racks of the first row are facing front faces of the racks of the second row to define a common area between the front faces, the racks being configured to allow air to be drawn in from the common area through the front faces and to allow heated air to be expelled from the racks to outside of the common area; a first baffle extending between the front face of a first rack of the racks in the first row and the front face of a first rack of the racks in the second row, the first baffle being configured to inhibit horizontal airflow into and out of the common area; a second baffle extending between the first rack in the first row and another rack in the first row, the second baffle being configured to inhibit horizontal airflow into and out of the common area through a gap between the first rack and the another rack in the first row; a cold air delivery mechanism configured and coupled to deliver cold air via an air passageway into the common area, wherein the air passageway is vertically separated from the racks; and a roof configured and disposed to substantially cover the common area, wherein the common area is substantially enclosed by (1) the front faces of the racks, (2) the first and second baffles, (3) a floor of the data center, and (4) a third baffle or a wall of the data center.