Mixed/multi-mode cooling using air handling units (ahu) providing directed controlled cooling to a modular data center

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016198593-A1
Application number	US-201514590829-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jan 6, 2015
Priority date	Jan 6, 2015
Publication date	Jul 7, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A cooling system that provides cooling air for an operating space of a large scale information handling system (IHS) by using an air handling unit (AHU) configured to direct cooling air through the IHS. A controller is in communication with an ambient condition interface and the AHU to cause the cooling system to (i) detect the outside ambient condition; (ii) determine whether the outside ambient condition has first condition values that support use of normal cooling mode or second condition values that requires/triggers a hybrid cooling mode; and (iii) in response to determining that the outside ambient condition has the second condition values, perform a hybrid mode mixing of the outside air with recirculated air to moderate the outside air to more efficiently cool the IHS. The cooling system is thus responsive to current/detected conditions and provides an operational mode that yields highest cooling efficiency for the existing ambient condition/s.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A cooling system that provides cooling air for an operating space of a large scale information handling system (IHS), the cooling system comprising:
an air handling unit (AHU) configured to direct cooling air through an information technology (IT) module within the IHS; an ambient condition interface in communication with at least one outside ambient condition sensor that detects an ambient condition outside of the IHS; and a controller in communication with the ambient condition interface and the AHU to cause the cooling system to:
detect the outside ambient condition;
determine whether the outside ambient condition is within a first range of condition values that requires normal cooling mode or within a second range of condition values that requires a hybrid cooling mode;
in response to determining that the outside ambient condition falls within the first range of condition values, configure the AHU to circulate cooling air through the IHS by:
intaking outside air; and
circulating the outside air through the IHS operating space; and

in response to determining that the outside ambient condition falls within the second range of condition values, configure the AHU to circulate cooling air through the IHS by:
intaking outside air;
performing a hybrid mode mixing of the outside air with recirculated air to moderate the outside air and bring a condition value of the moderated outside air into the first range of condition values; and
circulating the moderated outside air through the IHS operating space.

2 . The cooling system of claim 1 , wherein:
the ambient condition comprises at least one of an outside temperature and an outside humidity, and the ambient condition sensor comprises a respective outside sensor and an outside humidity sensor; when the ambient condition includes both the outside temperature and the outside humidity:
detecting the ambient condition includes detecting an outside temperature value and an outside humidity value;
the first range of condition values include a first range of temperature values and a first range of humidity values;
the second range of condition values include a second range of temperature values and a second range of humidity values; and
the hybrid cooling mode accounts for both the temperature and the humidity of the outside air when moderating the outside air to bring a final temperature and a final humidity of the moderated outside air within the first range of temperature values and the first range of humidity values; and
when the ambient condition includes only one of the outside temperature and the outside humidity being outside of a respective first range of values, the hybrid cooling mode accounts for only the one condition that falls outside of its respective first range of values.

3 . The cooling system of claim 1 , wherein:
the controller further triggers the AHU to implement the hybrid cooling mode to moderate the outside air by mixing a recirculated portion of air that is warmed by the IHS with the outside air to warm and/or dry the outside air by: partially opening a recirculation damper between an air intake chamber and a hot air return plenum that are both in fluid communication with the IT module; opening an exhaust damper between the hot air return plenum and an exhaust portal; and closing an outside air intake damper at an outside air intake to the air intake chamber.

4 . The cooling system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a humidifier that controllably increases humidity of air within the AHU; a de-humidifier that controllably reduces humidity from within the air in the AHU; wherein the controller further triggers the AHU to implement the hybrid cooling mode to moderate by: triggering the AHU to change the outside temperature value of the outside air to a moderated temperature value that is in the first temperature range; determining a moderated humidity value of the moderated outside air that results from changing the outside air to the moderated temperature value; in response to the moderated humidity value being greater than the normal operating space, activating the de-humidifier to dehumidify the moderated outside air; and in response to the moderated humidity value being less than the first range of humidity values, activating the humidifier to humidify the moderated outside air.

5 . The cooling system of claim 1 , further comprising: a direct expansion cooling unit that can be controlled to cool air within the AHU; wherein, in response to the detected outside ambient condition indicating that a humidity of the outside air is not within the first range of values, the controller further implements the hybrid cooling mode to moderate the outside air by activating at least a portion of the direct expansion cooling unit to mechanically trim the outside air.

6 . The cooling system of claim 5 , wherein the AHU further comprises:
a hot air return plenum in fluid communication with a hot aisle of the IT module and having an exhaust portal; an air intake chamber in fluid communication with the hot air return plenum and having an air intake and air outlet; an outlet chamber in fluid communication (i) with the air intake chamber via the air outlet and (ii) with a cold aisle of the IT module; a recirculation damper between the hot air return plenum and the air intake chamber; an outside air intake damper between the outside air intake and the air intake chamber; an exhaust damper between the hot air return plenum and the exhaust portal; and an air mover positioned to move air from the outlet chamber to the cold aisle of the IT module; and wherein the controller further triggers the AHU to mechanically trim the outside air by closing the recirculation damper, opening the exhaust damper, opening the outside air intake damper, and activating the air mover.

7 . The cooling system of claim 6 , wherein the air mover comprises a motor-driven air plenum blower positioned to draw air from the air intake chamber to the cold aisle of the IT module that in turn passes air through rack-mounted IHSes to the hot aisle of the IT module and ultimately to the hot air return plenum.

8 . The cooling system of claim 6 , wherein the controller further:
determines whether outside temperature and humidity values are outside of both the first and second ranges of condition values; and in response to the outside temperature and humidity values being outside of both the first and second ranges of condition values, configures the AHU to mechanically cool recirculated air through the IT module by opening the recirculation damper; closing the outside air intake damper; closing the exhaust damper; and activating the direct expansion cooling unit to cool air recirculated within the AHU.

9 . The cooling system of claim 6 , wherein the controller further, in response to determining that the outside temperature and humidity values are within the first range of condition values, configures the AHU to perform a normal mode of outside air cooling by: closing the recirculation damper; opening the outside air intake damper; opening the exhaust damper; and activating the air mover.

10 . The cooling system of claim 6 , further comprising: a chiller system having an insulated storage tank containing a liquid that is cooled by the direct expansion cooling unit and which exchanges heat in the AHU.

11 . A method for cooling information technology (IT) modules within a large scale information handling system (IHS) having an air handling unit (AHU), the method comprising:
detecting an outside ambient condition; determining whether the outside ambient condition is within a first range of con

Assignees

• Dell Products Lp

Inventors

• Schmitt Ty
• Bailey Mark
• Wiederhold Trey
• Duncan Tyler

Classifications

• H05K7/20745 Primary

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

• H05K7/20836

  Thermal management, e.g. server temperature control · CPC title