Container air handling unit and cooling method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10244664-B2
Application number	US-201514662807-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 19, 2015
Priority date	Jun 2, 2009
Publication date	Mar 26, 2019
Grant date	Mar 26, 2019

Abstract

A modular cooling system configured to treat IT air generated by a data center includes a frame and a plurality of cooling sub-system modules supported by the frame. The plurality of cooling sub-system modules are configured to operate in parallel to achieve total cooling effect or a lesser cooling effect with some level of redundancy within the data center. Each cooling sub-system module includes a housing configured to support cooling equipment, an air-to-air heat exchanger supported by the housing to cool IT air generated by the data center, the air-to-air heat exchanger having at least one tube configured to direct IT from one end of the air-to-air heat exchanger to an opposite end of the air-to-air heat exchanger and configured so that outdoor air circulates around the at least one tube, and a mechanical cooling system supported by the housing. The mechanical cooling system is configured to receive IT air treated by the air-to-air heat exchanger and to provide further cooling to the treated IT air. Other embodiments of the cooling system and methods of cooling are further disclosed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A modular cooling system to treat IT air generated by a data center, the modular cooling system comprising:
an ISO container;
a supply duct coupled to the ISO container to deliver IT air to the data center from the ISO container;
a return duct coupled to the ISO container to deliver IT air to the ISO container from the data center;
a cooling sub-system module positioned within the ISO container, the cooling sub-system module configured to provide cooling within the data center, the cooling subsystem module comprising:
a housing configured to support cooling equipment,
an air-to-air heat exchanger supported by the housing to cool IT air supplied by the return duct from the data center, the air-to-air heat exchanger having at least one tube configured to direct IT air from one end of the air-to-air heat exchanger to an opposite end of the air-to-air heat exchanger and configured so that outdoor air circulates around at least one tube, where conditioned IT air is delivered by the supply duct to the data center, and
a mechanical cooling system supported by the housing, the mechanical cooling system being configured to receive IT air treated by the air-to-air heat exchanger and where the air-to-air heat exchanger has not sufficiently cooled the IT air, the mechanical cooling system is activated to provide further cooling, including a compressor provided at a bottom of the housing, a refrigerator condenser coil disposed directly above the air-to-air heat exchanger, and an evaporator coil located downstream from the air-to-air heat exchanger, the arrangement being such that IT air treated by the air-to-air heat exchanger travels through the evaporator coil and is directed to an outlet port in fluid communication with the supply duct; and

a fluid transfer system that interconnects the cooling sub-system to the ISO container to deliver fluid to and collect fluid from the cooling sub-system module.

2. The modular cooling system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a second cooling sub-system module positioned within the ISO container, the first and second cooling sub-system modules being configured to operate in parallel to achieve a cooling effect within the data center; and
a control system for determining the operational state of each cooling sub-system positioned within the ISO container.

3. The modular cooling system of claim 2 , wherein determining the operational state of each of the cooling sub-system modules includes logic to monitor the operational state and balance the output of the sub-system modules to maintain output of IT air to the data center.

4. The modular cooling system of claim 2 , further comprising a plurality of sub-system cooling modules.

5. The modular cooling system of claim 2 , further comprising a plurality of ISO containers and a plurality of sub-system cooling modules.

6. The modular cooling system of claim 2 , further comprising an ISO container coincident with and coupled to the data center.

7. A modular cooling assembly to treat IT air generated by a data center, the modular cooling assembly comprising:
an ISO container;
an opening in the ISO container configured to allow the placement of a sub-system cooling module within the ISO container;
a supply duct coupled to the ISO container to deliver IT air to the data center from the ISO container;
a return duct coupled to the ISO container to deliver IT air to the ISO container from the data center;
a communication network configured to connect between the ISO container with the cooling sub-system module;
an electrical network configured to connect between the ISO container with the cooling sub-system module;
a fluid distribution network configured to connect between the ISO container with the cooling sub-system module to deliver fluid from the ISO container to the cooling sub-system module;
a fluid collection network within the ISO container and configured to connect with the cooling sub-system module to collect fluid to the ISO container from the cooling sub-system module; and
an air distribution network within the ISO container configured to connect with the cooling sub-system module to deliver IT air to the ISO container from the cooling sub-system module.

8. The modular cooling assembly of claim 7 , further comprising an air distribution system configured to restrict air flow to the ISO container from the cooling sub-system.

9. The modular cooling assembly of claim 8 , wherein the fluid collection network is configured to restrict fluid flow to the ISO container from the cooling sub-system.

10. A cooling sub-system module for use within a modular cooling system assembly, the sub-system module comprising:
a housing configured to support cooling equipment;
a sub-system cooling module housing configured to allow the placement within an opening of an ISO container assembly;
an air-to-air heat exchanger supported by the housing to cool IT air supplied by the return duct from the data center, the air-to-air heat exchanger having at least one tube configured to direct IT air from one end of the air-to-air heat exchanger to an opposite end of the air-to-air heat exchanger and configured so that outdoor air circulates around at least one tube, where conditioned IT air is delivered by the supply duct to the data center;
a mechanical cooling system supported by the housing, the mechanical cooling system being configured to receive IT air treated by the air-to-air heat exchanger and where the air-to-air heat exchanger has not sufficiently cooled the IT air, the mechanical cooling system is activated to provide further cooling, including a compressor provided at a bottom of the housing, a refrigerator condenser coil disposed directly above the air-to-air heat exchanger, and an evaporator coil located downstream from the air-to-air heat exchanger, the arrangement being such that IT air treated by the air-to-air heat exchanger travels through the evaporator coil and is directed to an outlet port in fluid communication with the supply duct;
a communication network configured to connect between the cooling sub-system module and the ISO container assembly;
an electrical network configured to connect between cooling sub-system module and the ISO container assembly;
a fluid distribution network configured to connect between the cooling sub-system module and the ISO container assembly to deliver fluid to the cooling sub-system module from the ISO container assembly;
a fluid collection network configured to connect the cooling sub-system module and within the ISO container assembly to collect fluids from the cooling sub-system module to the ISO container assembly; and
an air distribution network configured to connect the cooling sub-system module and within the ISO container assembly to deliver IT air from the cooling sub-system module to the ISO container assembly.

11. The cooling sub-system module for use as a modular cooling system of claim 10 , further comprising an air distribution system configured to restrict air flow from the cooling sub-system to the ISO container assembly.

12. The sub-system module for use as a modular cooling system of claim 11 , wherein the fluid collection network is configured to restrict fluid flow from the cooling sub-system to the ISO container assembly.

Assignees

• Schneider Electric It Corp

Inventors

• Bean Jr John H

Classifications

• H05K7/20345

  Sprayers; Atomizers · CPC title

• H05K7/2039

  characterised by the heat transfer by conduction from the heat generating element to a dissipating body (arrangements for increasing/decreasing heat-transfer, e.g. fins details, F28F13/00) · CPC title

• H05K7/20318

  Condensers · CPC title

• H05K7/20745 Primary

  within rooms for removing heat from cabinets, e.g. by air conditioning device · CPC title

• H05K7/20827

  within rooms for removing heat from cabinets, e.g. air conditioning devices · CPC title