Expandable, modular information technology facility with modularly expandable cooling

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016198592-A1
Application number	US-201514590156-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jan 6, 2015
Priority date	Jan 6, 2015
Publication date	Jul 7, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

An Expandable Modular Information Technology (EMIT) Facility (EMITF) includes: an EMIT Building Infrastructure (EMITBI) having an initial enclosure that includes: a base pad providing a fixed usable space area on which one or more modular IT components are placed; and a plurality of exterior walls, including at least one removable expansion wall (REW) that enables expansion of the usable space area of the EMITBI; a plurality of modular IT components placed within the EMITBI on the usable space, and which dissipate heat; and at least one air handling unit (AHU) in fluid communication with the enclosure to support cooling of one or more of the IT components within the enclosure. As the EMITBI is expanded to include more IT components, additional AHUs are added to the EMITF in fluid communication with a respective area of the EMITBI to provide cooling to the added IT components.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An Expandable Modular Information Technology (IT) Facility (EMITF) that supports a large-scale modularly-constructed and expandable information handling system (LMIHS) comprising:
an Expandable Modular Information Technology (IT) Building Infrastructure (EMITBI), the EMITBI having an initial enclosure comprised of: an initial base pad providing a fixed area of usable space on which one or more modular sub-components of the LMIHS can be placed; a plurality of exterior walls extending vertically from an outer perimeter of the base pad and connected to a roof structure, the plurality of exterior walls and roof structure collectively providing an outer perimeter of the initial enclosure of the EMITBI, within which a first maximum number of modular IT components can be housed, the plurality of exterior walls including at least one exterior wall that is constructed as a removable expansion wall (REW) that enables expansion of the usable space of the EMITBI, wherein the EMITBI protects the IT gear located therein and is expandable via the REW, without affecting the operation of the existing LMIHS within an initial enclosed segment of the EMITBI; a plurality of modular IT components placed within the EMITBI on the usable space and operational as the LMIHS, wherein the EMITBI provides a protective enclosure (with a controlled environment) within which the LMIHS can operate with minimal exposure to an environment outside of the plurality of exterior walls, and wherein at least one of the plurality of modular IT components dissipate heat; and at least one air handling unit (AHU) in fluid communication with the enclosure to support cooling of one or more of the IT components within the enclosure.

2 . The EMITF of claim 1 , wherein the EMITBI includes multiple segments each having a specific number of IT components that require cooling and an AHU bay defined within the exterior wall section of the segment, such that each of the at least one AHU interfaces with a corresponding AHU bay to be in fluid communication with the corresponding segment of the EMITBI to provide cooling to the IT components located within the corresponding segment of the EMITBI.

3 . The EMITF of claim 1 , wherein the EMITBI is an expanded EMITBI and the at least one AHU includes a plurality of AHUs, including initial AHUs in fluid communication on initial assembly of the EMITBI and added AUHs in fluid communication post expansion of the EMITBI.

4 . The EMITF of claim 1 , wherein the at least one AHU comprises a first set of AHUs in fluid communication with the first segment of an expanded EMITBI and at least one second AHU in fluid communication with a second segment of the expanded EMITBI, wherein the second AHU provides cooling for additional IT components placed within the second segment of the expanded EMBRI.

5 . The EMITF of claim 1 , wherein the first and second AHUs are connected to a single primary temperature control that receives temperature readings from the different segments of the EMITBI and provides facility level balancing of temperature within the EMITBI utilizing the first and second AHUs, and wherein the first and second AHUs can cool specific segments/areas of the expanded EMITBI independent of other areas of the expanded EMITBI.

6 . The EMITF of claim 1 , wherein the AHUs are located on top of the EMITBI to reduce a footprint of the EMITF relative to usable ground space, wherein addition of AHUs occur with the new physical support walls or atop the roof structure so that further expansion of the usable space is not interfered with by a physical location of the AHUs.

7 . The EMITF of claim 1 , wherein the AHUs are placed on the outside of the exterior wall adjacent to the IT component that the AHU is being utilized to cool, and the AHU is placed in fluid communication with the interior segment prior to functionally operating the IT component within the enclosure, wherein AHUs are added as needed when expansion of the EMITBI occurs.

8 . A method for cooling IT components within an interior of an EMITBI, the method comprising:
cooling a first set of IT components within an initial configuration of the EMITBI via an initial set of air handling units (AHUs), each in fluid communication with different interior sections of the initial configuration of the EMITBI; and when an expansion of the IT components is to be provided within the EMITBI, installing at least one additional AHU to provide cooling for the additional IT components, wherein the additional AHU unit is installed and placed in fluid communication with the EMITBI before operation of the additional IT components within the EMITBI.

9 . The method of claim 8 , further comprising:
when an expansion of the EMITBI is being undertaken via adjacent expansion of the usable space and surrounding exterior walls, installing at least one additional AHU to an expanded section of the expanded EMITBI to enable cooling for any additional IT components placed within the expanded usable space, wherein the additional AHU unit is installed and placed in fluid communication with the expanded section of the EMITBI before addition and operation of the additional IT components within the expanded EMITBI, and wherein the additional AHU is installed prior to removal of a removable exterior wall (REW) separating the initial usable space from the expanded usable space during the expansion.

Assignees

• Dell Products Lp

Inventors

• Schmitt Ty
• Bailey Mark

Classifications

• H05K7/20745 Primary

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

• H05K7/1497

  Rooms for data centers; Shipping containers therefor · CPC title

• G06F1/20 Primary

  Cooling means · CPC title