Modular data center

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9345173-B2
Application number	US-201313833925-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 15, 2013
Priority date	Sep 28, 2009
Publication date	May 17, 2016
Grant date	May 17, 2016

Abstract

A modular computing system for a data center includes one or more data center modules including rack-mounted computer systems. An electrical module is coupled to the data center modules and provides electrical power to computer systems in the data center modules. One or more air handling modules are coupled to the data center modules. The data center module may include two pre-fabricated portions, each portion including a row of racks of computer systems. The two computing module portions of the data center module may combine to form a computing space when coupled to one another.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A data center module, comprising:
a first data center module portion comprising a first row of racks of computer systems and a first open space located between the first row of racks and an exterior boundary of the first data center module portion;
a second data center module portion comprising a second row of racks of computer systems and a second open space located between the second row of racks and an exterior boundary of the second data center module portion;
wherein the first data center module portion and the second data center module portion are configured to be:
separately transported to a data center site, and
laterally combined, at the data center site, via a lateral coupling of the respective exterior boundaries of the first data center module portion and the second data center module portion to form a sealed module configured to laterally supply air received into the sealed module to both the first row of racks and the second row of racks and comprising:
the first row of racks and the second row of racks extending in parallel with each other at a common elevation, and
a joint aisle, formed from a lateral combination of the first open space and the second open space, which extends laterally between the first row of racks and the second row of racks and is configured to laterally direct air received into the sealed module through the joint aisle and out of the joint aisle through the first row of racks and the second row of racks.

2. The data center module of claim 1 , wherein the first data center module portion and the second data center module portion are pre-fabricated.

3. The data center module of claim 1 , wherein the first data center module portion and the second data center module portion are pre-fabricated and interchangeable with one another.

4. The data center module of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the racks of the first row of racks is configured to receive air from the joint aisle and exhaust air from the at least one rack of the first row, and wherein at least one of the racks of the second row of racks is configured to receive air from the joint aisle and exhaust air from the at least one rack of the second row.

5. The data center module of claim 1 , further comprising one or more air handling modules configured to couple to at least one of the first data center module portion or the second data center module portion, such that the one or more air handling modules are configured to provide cooling air to at least one computer system in at least one of the first row of racks or the second row of racks.

6. The data center module of claim 5 , wherein at least one of the one or more air handling modules comprises a first air handling module portion and a second air handling module portion coupled with one another, wherein the at least one air handling module is configured to mix air provided by first air handling module portion with air provided by the second air handling module portion.

7. The data center module of claim 6 , wherein the at least one air handling module is configured to supply the mixed air to the joint aisle formed by the first data center module portion and the second data center module portion.

8. A method, comprising:
positioning, at a data center site, a first data center module portion comprising a first row of racks of computer systems and a first open space located between the first row of racks and an exterior boundary of the first data center module portion;
positioning, at the data center site, a second data center module portion comprising a second row of racks of computer systems and a second open space located between the second row of racks and an exterior boundary of the second data center module portion, wherein the second data center module is transported to the data center site separately from the first data center module portion; and
laterally coupling, at the data center site, the first data center module portion to the second data center module portion, via laterally coupling the respective exterior boundaries of the separate first data center module portion and the second data center module portion, to form, at the data center site, a sealed data center module configured to laterally supply air received into the sealed data center module to both the first row of racks and the second row of racks and comprising:
the first row of racks and the second row of racks extending in parallel with each other at a common elevation, and
a joint aisle, formed from a lateral combination of the first open space and the second open space, which extends laterally between the first row of racks and the second row of racks and is configured to laterally direct air received into the sealed module through the joint aisle and out of the joint aisle through the first row of racks and the second row of racks.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the first data center module portion and the second data center module portion are pre-fabricated.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the first data center module portion and the second data center module portion are pre-fabricated and interchangeable with one another.

11. The method of claim 8 , wherein at least one of the racks of the first row of racks is configured to receive air from the joint aisle and exhaust air from the at least one rack of the first row, and wherein at least one of the racks of the second row of racks is configured to receive air from the joint aisle and exhaust air from the at least one rack of the second row.

12. The method of claim 8 , further comprising coupling one or more air handling modules to at least one of the first data center module portion or the second data center module portion, such that the one or more air handling modules provide cooling air to at least one computer system in at least one of the first row of racks or the second row of racks.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein at least one of the one or more air handling modules comprises a first air handling module portion and a second air handling module portion coupled with one another, wherein the at least one air handling module is configured to mix air provided by first air handling module portion with air provided by the second air handling module portion.

14. The method of claim 13 , comprising operating the at least one air handling module to supply mixed air to the joint aisle formed by the first data center module portion and the second data center module portion.

15. A modular computing system for a data center, comprising:
a first data center module portion comprising a first row of racks of computer systems and a first open space located between the first row of racks and an exterior boundary of the first data center module portion;
a second data center module portion comprising a second row of racks of computer systems and a second open space located between the second row of racks and an exterior boundary of the second data center module portion; and
one or more air handling modules configured to couple to at least one of the first data center module portion or the second data center module portion, such that the one or more air handling modules provide cooling air to at least one computer system in at least one of the first row of racks or the second row of racks;
wherein the first data center module portion and the second data center module portion are configured to be separately transported to a data center site and coupled to one another, at the data center site and via a lateral coupling of the exterior boundaries of the first data center module portion and the second data center module por

Assignees

• Amazon Tech Inc

Inventors

• Czamara Michael Phillip
• Morales Osvaldo P

Classifications

• H05K7/1488

  Cabinets therefor, e.g. chassis or racks or mechanical interfaces between blades and support structures · CPC title

• H05K7/1497 Primary

  Rooms for data centers; Shipping containers therefor · CPC title

• H05K7/20718

  Forced ventilation of a gaseous coolant (in closed loop H05K7/20754) · CPC title

• G06F1/20

  Cooling means · CPC title

• H05K7/20736 Primary

  within cabinets for removing heat from server blades · CPC title