Elevated automatic transfer switch cabinet

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9537291-B1
Application number	US-201514733837-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Jun 8, 2015
Priority date	Jun 8, 2015
Publication date	Jan 3, 2017
Grant date	Jan 3, 2017

Abstract

An elevated automatic transfer switch (ATS) cabinet provides modular and incremental power support redundancy to a set of electrical loads which reduces capital waste and increases the floor space which can be occupied by electrical loads. The cabinet includes a mounting element which can be coupled to a free-standing structure proximate to the floor space, so that the cabinet is supported by the structure in an elevated position and is freed from occupying floor space. The cabinet includes slots in which separate ATS modules can be installed via blind mate connections, thereby enabling modular and incremental installation of ATS support capacity in the cabinet based on incremental installation of electrical loads. The cabinet can physically couple with power cables extending from separate electrical loads, so that the cabinet electrically couples ATS modules to electrical loads independently of branch circuits between the cabinet and the electrical loads.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A data center comprising:
at least two power distribution systems configured to supply separate power feeds; and
a computer space configured to support computing operations by two parallel rows of rack computer systems, wherein the computer space comprises:
an aisle space comprising a long axis and at least two separate rows of rack computer systems, wherein each row of rack computer systems is positioned on an opposite side of the long axis, and each rack computer system is configured to receive intake air on a front side facing the long axis and to discharge exhaust air on a rear side that faces away from the long axis;
at least two free-standing exhaust plenum structures, each mounted adjacent to rear sides of separate ones of the at least two rows of rack computer systems on opposite sides of the cold aisle space, wherein each free-standing exhaust plenum structure comprises a set of frame members which are configured to provide structural support to an enclosure of an internal exhaust air plenum which is configured to receive the exhaust air from the rear side of an adjacent row of rack computer systems; and
at least two elevated automatic transfer switch (ATS) cabinets which are each mounted in elevated positions above a separate row of rack computer systems and are each configured to selectively supply power, to the separate rows of rack computer systems, from a selected power feed of the separate power feeds, wherein each elevated ATS cabinet comprises:
a mounting arm element configured to couple the elevated ATS cabinet with a frame member of a separate free-standing exhaust plenum structure;
at least two power bus systems configured to carry electrical power from separate power feeds;
a set of cabinet outlet receptacles which are each configured to physically couple with a separate power cable extending from a separate rack computer system, independently of any branch circuits; and
a set of ATS modules installed in separate ATS module slots, wherein each ATS module comprises an ATS configured to distribute electrical power from a selected power feed, of the separate power feeds, to a separate cabinet outlet receptacle, and wherein the ATS modules and the ATS module slots comprise blind mate connections configured to electrically couple ATS modules installed in ATS module slots with the power bus systems and separate cabinet outlet receptacles via blind mate connections.

2. The data center of claim 1 , wherein:
the at least two elevated ATS cabinets comprise at least two sets of elevated ATS cabinets which are each coupled with separate free-standing exhaust plenum structures above separate rows of rack computer systems;
each separate set of elevated ATS cabinets comprises a separate plurality of elevated ATS cabinets which are each mounted proximate to a separate limited selection of rack computer systems, of the separate row of rack computer systems; and
each elevated ATS cabinet in each set of elevated ATS cabinets is electrically coupled to power cables of a separate limited selection of rack computer systems.

3. The data center of claim 1 , wherein:
each free-standing exhaust plenum structure comprises an enclosure gap which is located proximate to an elevated ATS cabinet coupled to the respective free-standing exhaust plenum structure; and
each elevated ATS cabinet comprises:
a set of removable air moving devices configured to induce an airflow of exhaust air, out of a rear end of the respective elevated ATS cabinet which is proximate to the respective free-standing exhaust plenum structure to which the respective elevated ATS cabinet is coupled, that removes heat generated by one or more heat generating components included in the respective elevated ATS cabinet; and
a baffle element configured to establish a conduit, between the rear end of the elevated ATS cabinet and an enclosure gap in the respective free-standing exhaust plenum structure, which partitions the airflow of exhaust air from entering the aisle space and directs the airflow of exhaust air to flow to the exhaust air plenum of the respective free-standing exhaust plenum structure via the enclosure gap.

4. The data center of claim 1 , wherein each elevated ATS cabinet comprises:
a bypass device configured to bypass one or more ATS modules, of the set of ATS modules, wherein to bypass the one or more ATS modules, the bypass device is configured to:
route electrical power carried on at least one power bus system, independently of the one or more ATS modules, to one or more cabinet outlet receptacles coupled to the one or more ATS modules, such that the electrical power bypasses the one or more ATS modules; and
electrically isolate the one or more ATS modules from the power bus systems and the one or more cabinet outlet receptacles; and

a selector device which comprises a user interface and is configured to selectively command the bypass device to bypass the one or more ATS modules based on user interaction with the user interface.

5. An apparatus comprising:
an elevated automatic transfer switch (ATS) cabinet configured to provide power support to a set of electrical loads via a set of ATS modules which are each configured to selectively distribute power to separate electrical loads from one of a set of power feeds, wherein the elevated ATS cabinet comprises:
a mounting arm element configured to physically couple with a structural frame member, such that the elevated ATS cabinet is structurally supported by a structure in a suspended elevated position over a floor element; and
a set of ATS module slots, each comprising a set of blind-mate slot power feed connectors which are electrically coupled to separate power feeds, wherein each ATS module slot is configured to electrically couple a separate ATS module installed in the respective ATS module slot with the separate power feeds based on blind-mate connections between the set of blind-mate slot power feed connectors and blind-mate ATS inlet connectors of the separate ATS module.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the elevated ATS cabinet comprises:
a set of cabinet outlet receptacles which are each configured to electrically couple an ATS outlet of a separate ATS module, installed in a separate ATS module slot, with a separate electrical load independently of any branch circuits extending between the elevated ATS cabinet and the separate electrical load.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein, to electrically couple ATS outlets of separate ATS modules with separate electrical loads independently of any branch circuits, the set of cabinet outlet receptacles are each configured to physically couple with a separate power cable connector of a separate power cable extending from a separate electrical load.

8. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein:
the set of ATS module slots comprises a plurality of sets of ATS module slots; and
each separate set of ATS module slots is configured to electrically couple ATS modules installed in the set of ATS module slots to a separate phase of at least one power feed, of the separate power feeds.

9. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein:
the elevated ATS cabinet comprises an air moving device assembly which is configured to induce an airflow, through the elevated ATS cabinet, which removes heat generated by one or more heat generating components included in the elevated ATS cabinet and is further configured to be reversibly removed from the elevated ATS cabinet.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the elevated ATS cabinet comprises:
an indicator configured to provide a visually observable indication of a failure of the air moving device.

11. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the eleva

Assignees

• Amazon Tech Inc

Inventors

• Wilding Robert David
• Ross Peter George
• Kaplan Faran Harold
• Eichelberg John William

Classifications

• H05K7/20836

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

• H02B1/36 Primary

  with withdrawable units · CPC title

• H02B1/306

  Accessories, e.g. windows · CPC title

• H05K7/20145

  Means for directing air flow, e.g. ducts, deflectors, plenum or guides · CPC title

• H05K7/20736

  within cabinets for removing heat from server blades · CPC title