Powering electronic devices in a data center

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11503735-B2
Application number	US-201916659288-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 21, 2019
Priority date	Dec 30, 2016
Publication date	Nov 15, 2022
Grant date	Nov 15, 2022

Abstract

A data center power system includes an electrical power conductor that includes a live conductor surface and is configured to carry direct current (DC) power from a power source through a human-occupiable workspace of a data center; a grounded conductor positioned in the human-occupiable workspace apart from the electrical power conductor; a first electrical connector configured to mount to a data center rack that supports a plurality of electronic devices, the first electrical connector moveable to electrically contact the live conductor surface of the electrical power conductor; and a second electrical conductor positioned on the rack and configured to electrically contact the grounded conductor.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A data center power system, comprising:
a live electrical power conductor assembly configured to carry direct current (DC) power from a power source through a human-occupiable workspace of a data center, the live electrical power conductor assembly comprising:
a continuous, planar conductor surface that extends two-dimensionally across a width and a length of the human-occupiable workspace of the data center at a height above a plurality of data center racks that support a plurality of electronic devices, the data center racks arranged in at least one of i) at least two parallel rows or ii) a non-linear configuration within the human-occupiable workspace, where the planar conductor surface, a floor of the data center, and one or more walls of the data center define at least a portion of the human-occupiable workspace of the data center, and
a grid of criss-crossing electrical conductors in electrical contact with, and configured to deliver the DC power to, the planar conductor surface, the grid of criss-crossing electrical conductors comprising a first plurality of electrical conductors directed in a first direction across the human-occupiable workspace and a second plurality of electrical conductors directed in a second direction across the human-occupiable workspace that is orthogonal to the first direction, the planar conductor surface disposed between an outer surface of the grid of criss-crossing electrical conductors and the data center racks;

a grounded conductor positioned in the human-occupiable workspace apart from the live electrical power conductor assembly; and
an electrical connector configured to mount to a data center rack that supports a portion of the plurality of electronic devices, the electrical connector moveable to bear against and electrically contact the planar conductor surface of the live electrical power conductor assembly.

2. The data center power system of claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the planar conductor surface is exposed to the human-occupiable workspace.

3. The data center power system of claim 2 , wherein the electrical connector is configured to mount to a top portion of the data center rack.

4. The data center power system of claim 1 , wherein the grid of criss-crossing electrical conductors is attached to the structure of the data center.

5. The data center power system of claim 1 , wherein the electrical connector is biased to move away from the data center rack to electrically contact the planar conductor surface.

6. The data center power system of claim 5 , wherein the electrical connector comprises a pantograph.

7. The data center power system of claim 1 , wherein the live electrical power conductor assembly comprises a first live electrical power conductor assembly, the system further comprising a second live electrical power conductor assembly configured to carry DC power from the power source through the human-occupiable workspace of the data center to the planar conductor surface.

8. The data center power system of claim 6 , wherein the electrical connector is moveable to simultaneously electrically contact the planar conductor surface of the first and second live electrical power conductors.

9. The data center power system of claim 8 , wherein the live electrical power conductor assembly comprises a first live electrical power conductor assembly, the system further comprising a second live electrical power conductor assembly configured to carry DC power from the power source through the human-occupiable workspace of the data center to the planar conductor surface.

10. The data center power system of claim 9 , wherein the electrical connector is moveable to electrically contact the planar conductor surface to receive DC power from the first and second live electrical power conductors.

11. The data center power system of claim 1 , wherein the DC power comprises between 750 VDC and 1000 VDC.

12. The data center power system of claim 11 , wherein the DC power is transformed from the 750 DC to 1000 VDC power to a lower DC power value at the plurality of data center racks.

13. The data center power system of claim 12 , further comprising at least one rack stop configured to position at least a portion of the plurality of data center server racks in the human-occupiable workspace.

14. A method of delivering direct current (DC) power to a data center rack, comprising:
providing DC power to a live electrical power conductor assembly from a data center power source, the live electrical power conductor assembly comprising:
a grid of criss-crossing electrical conductors that extend through a human-occupiable workspace of a data center, the grid of criss-crossing electrical conductors comprising a first plurality of electrical conductors directed in a first direction across a human-occupiable workspace of the data center and a second plurality of electrical conductors directed in a second direction across the human-occupiable workspace that is orthogonal to the first direction, and
a continuous, planar conductor surface that receives the DC power from the grid of criss-crossing electrical conductors, the planar conductor surface extending two-dimensionally across a width and a length of the human-occupiable workspace of the data center at a height above a plurality of data center racks, the data center racks arranged in at least one of i) at least two parallel rows or ii) a non-linear configuration within the human-occupiable workspace, where the planar conductor surface, a floor of the data center, and one or more walls of the data center define at least a portion of the human-occupiable workspace of the data center, the planar conductor surface disposed between an outer surface of the grid of criss-crossing electrical conductors and the data center racks;

moving a data center rack of the plurality of data center racks that support a plurality of electronic devices into a position in the human-occupiable workspace near the live electrical power conductor assembly;
based on the data center rack being at the position, moving an electrical connector that is mounted on the data center rack to bear against and electrically contact the planar conductor surface;
based on the data center rack being at the position, electrically contacting a grounded conductor positioned in the human-occupiable workspace apart from the live electrical power conductor assembly with a second electrical conductor positioned on the rack to complete an electrical power circuit; and
providing DC power from the live electrical power conductor assembly to the plurality of electronic devices supported by the data center rack based on the completed electrical power circuit.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein moving the electrical connector comprises moving the electrical connector away from a top portion of the data center rack to electrically contact the planar conductor surface exposed to and extending through the human-occupiable workspace above the top portion of the data center rack.

16. The method of claim 14 , wherein the grid of criss-crossing electrical conductors is attached to the structure of the data center.

17. The method of claim 14 , wherein moving the electrical connector comprises biasing the electrical connector away from the data center rack to electrically contact the planar conductor surface with a biasing device.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the biasing device comprises a pantograph.

19. The method of claim 14 , wherein the DC power comprises between 750 VDC and 1000 VDC.

Assignees

• Google Llc

Inventors

• Sakalkar Varun
• Sastry Jyoti
• Kennedy James
• Lao Eduardo
• Malone Christopher Gregory
• Kam Pascal

Classifications

• H05K7/1497

  Rooms for data centers; Shipping containers therefor · CPC title

• H05K7/1492 Primary

  having electrical distribution arrangements, e.g. power supply or data communications · CPC title

• G06F1/26

  Power supply means, e.g. regulation thereof (for memories G11C) · CPC title