Modular data center

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11698951-B2
Application number	US-202117316458-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 10, 2021
Priority date	Dec 4, 2017
Publication date	Jul 11, 2023
Grant date	Jul 11, 2023

Abstract

Provided is a rack, comprising: a plurality of rack units; and a plurality of lockers each housing a different respective subset of the rack units, wherein respective lockers among the plurality comprise: a first respective barrier disposed between a respective pair of the rack units; a second respective barrier disposed between another respective pair of the rack units; a third respective barrier that is orthogonal to the first barrier and the second barrier, the third respective barrier being moveably or removeably coupled to the rack; a respective volume configured to receive one or more computing devices; and a respective lock configured to secure the third respective barrier to the rack in the closed position when in a locked state.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus, comprising:
a compute housing configured to house computing equipment of an edge modular data center, the compute housing comprising:
an exterior configured to protection an interior of the compute housing from weather;
a first door having an electronic lock;
an access control vestibule accessible via the first door;
a rack assembly enclosure configured to house the computing equipment;
a barrier separating the access control vestibule from the rack assembly enclosure;
a plurality of lockers, each having a respective lock, and each configured to house at least some of the computing equipment, wherein
the electronic lock is configured to selectively provide access to the access control vestibule from outside the compute housing responsive to a technician presenting a first security credential;
the barrier is configured to selectively provide access to at least some of the lockers responsive to the technician presenting a second security credential;
the lockers are configured to selectively provide access to interiors of the respective lockers responsive to the technician presenting a third security credential; and
the compute housing is configured to be transported by truck; and

one or more cooling modules coupled to the compute housing and configured to cool and circulate air into a first region of the rack assembly enclosure, through the lockers, and into a second region of the rack assembly enclosure, wherein:
the one or more cooling modules are configured to be transported separately from the compute housing by truck and attached to the compute housing at an installation site, wherein the one or more cooling modules are configured to provided more than 150 kW of cooling to the compute housing and the compute housing is smaller than 237.5 square feet.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
the computer housing comprises a security interface configured to wirelessly sense that the technician has presented the first security credential and, in response, unlock the electronic lock.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , comprising:
a plurality of the cooling modules attached to the compute housing.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the racks separate a hotter aisle from a cooler aisle of the rack assembly enclosure.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , comprising a drone and a drone mount coupled to the edge modular data center.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein at least some of the lockers are arrayed in a two-dimensional matrix.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein at least some of the lockers have different associated uninterruptible power supplies.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein each locker has a different respective uninterruptable power supply.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first credential, the second credential, or the third credential comprises:
a pin code; and
a near field communication card.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , comprising:
a plurality of security cameras coupled to the edge modular data center;
a backup power system of the edge modular data center; and
a fire suppression system of the edge modular data center.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the barrier comprises a second door that selectively provides access to the rack assembly enclosure, and wherein the first door and the second door are interlocked.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the compute module and one or more cooling modules are modular and configured to be interchangeable with other types of compute modules or cooling modules.

13. The apparatus of claim 1 , comprising:
means for controlling a facility and rack-mounted computing equipment in the edge modular data center.

14. The apparatus of claim 1 , comprising:
means for remotely controlling the edge modular data center.

15. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
the first credential and the second credential are the same credential;
the lockers are not configured to move relative to the rack assembly enclosure, other than doors of the lockers;
the compute housing is configured to be transported by truck in pre-assembled form from a factory; and
the compute housing is coupled to a cellular tower with which the edge modular data center is colocated.

16. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
the compute housing has lateral dimensions smaller than or equal to lateral dimensions of an intermodal shipping container.

17. The apparatus of claim 1 , comprising:
the computing equipment disposed in the lockers; and
workload applications installed in memory of the computing equipment.

Assignees

• Vapor Io Inc

Inventors

• Crawford Colton Malone
• White Steven
• Chavez Ben
• Basso Frank

Classifications

• G05B2219/2639

  Energy management, use maximum of cheap power, keep peak load low · CPC title

• H05K7/2079

  within rooms for removing heat from cabinets · CPC title

• H05K7/1498

  Resource management, Optimisation arrangements, e.g. configuration, identification, tracking, physical location (thermal management H05K7/20836) · CPC title

• H05K7/183

  support rails therefor · CPC title

• G06F21/31 Primary

  User authentication · CPC title