Incremental data center infrastructure commissioning

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9983248-B1
Application number	US-201514663138-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Mar 19, 2015
Priority date	Mar 19, 2015
Publication date	May 29, 2018
Grant date	May 29, 2018

Abstract

Power distribution infrastructure is incrementally deployed and commissioned to enable incremental infrastructure deployment to support incremental changes in computing capacity in a data center, where interaction between infrastructure being commissioned and installed computer systems is mitigated. Power distribution system commissioning includes coupling busway stub segments to a downstream end of the power distribution system and operating load banks, coupled to each busway stub segment, to simulate the power distribution system supporting electrical power consumption by multiple sets of computer systems through the busway stub segments. A power busway, installed via coupling busway segments to a busway stub segment, is commissioned while electrically isolated from the power distribution system via coupling a load bank and secondary power distribution system to opposite ends of the busway and operating the load bank to simulate the power busway supporting electrical power consumption by a set of computer systems, via reserve power, throughout the busway length.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for commissioning a power distribution infrastructure in a data center, wherein the method comprises:
installing a power distribution system in the data center, where the power distribution system comprises a set of power distribution components configured to supply electrical power from at least one of a utility power feed or a generator power feed;
installing a set of busway disconnect switches in the data center, where the installing comprises electrically coupling the busway disconnect switches in parallel to a downstream end of the power distribution system;
installing a set of busway stub segments in the data center, where the installing comprises coupling the separate busway stub segments to separate busway disconnect switches;
verifying that the power distribution system is configured to support electrical power consumption by a plurality of sets of rack computer systems, wherein the verifying comprises:
electrically coupling a load bank, wherein the load bank is configured to simulate electrical power consumption by a set of rack computer systems, to a particular busway stub segment of the set of busway stub segments; and
operating the load bank, such that electrical power support of electrical power consumption by the set of rack computer systems by the power distribution system is simulated;

installing at least one power busway in at least one portion of the data center, wherein the installing comprises:
electrically isolating the particular busway stub segment from the power distribution system, via operation of a busway disconnect switch coupled to the particular busway stub segment; and
coupling at least one additional busway segment to the particular busway stub segment, such that the at least one power busway comprises, at a proximate end, the particular busway stub segment and, at a distal end, the at least one additional busway segment; and

verifying that the at least one power busway is configured to support electrical power consumption by the set of rack computer systems, wherein the verifying comprises:
electrically coupling at least one load bank, to the proximate end of the at least one power busway;
electrically coupling a secondary power distribution system to the distal end of the at least one power busway; and
operating the at least one load bank, such that electrical power support of electrical power consumption by the set of rack computer systems through an entire length of the at least one power busway is simulated; and

installing the set of rack computer systems in the data center, wherein the installing comprises:
electrically decoupling the at least one power busway from the at least one load bank;
electrically decoupling the at least one power busway from the secondary power distribution system;
electrically coupling the set of rack computer systems to the at least one power busway; and
electrically coupling the at least one power busway to the power distribution system.

2. The method of claim 1 , comprising:
installing at least one additional power busway in the data center and electrically coupling at least one additional set of rack computer systems to the at least one additional power busway, prior to installing the at least one power busway in the data center;
wherein the verifying that the at least one power busway is configured to support electrical power consumption by at least one additional set of rack computer systems comprises:
operating the at least one load bank coupled to the proximate end of the at least one power busway concurrently with the at least one additional power busway distributing electrical power received from the power distribution system to the at least one additional set of rack computer systems, such that the at least one additional set of rack computer systems consumes electrical power supplied by the power distribution system concurrently with the at least one power busway, electrically isolated from the power distribution system, being verified as being configured to support electrical power consumption by at least one set of rack computer systems.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
each busway stub segment, of the set of separate busway stub segments, is coupled to a separate busway disconnect switch at an end of a separate aisle space, such that each separate busway stub segment is configured to supply electrical power to rack computer systems installed in the respective separate aisle space.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the secondary power distribution system is installed in the data center subsequent to verifying that the power distribution system is configured to support electrical power consumption by a plurality of sets of rack computer systems and prior to verifying that the at least one power busway is configured to support electrical power consumption by set of rack computer systems.

5. A method, comprising:
verifying that a power distribution system in a data center is configured to support electrical power consumption by a plurality of sets of rack computer systems, wherein the verifying comprises:
electrically coupling a set of busway stub segments in parallel to a downstream end of the power distribution system;
electrically coupling a load bank to a particular busway stub segment of the set of busway stub segments, wherein the load bank is configured to simulate electrical power consumption by a set of rack computer systems; and
operating the load bank, such that electrical power support by the power distribution system, of electrical power consumption by the set of rack computer systems, is simulated;

installing at least one power busway in at least one aisle in the data center, wherein the installing comprises:
electrically isolating the particular busway stub segment, located adjacent to an end of the at least one aisle, from the power distribution system; and
coupling at least one additional busway segment to the particular busway stub segment, such that the at least one power busway comprises, at a proximate end, the particular busway stub segment and, at a distal end, at least one additional busway segment; and

verifying that the at least one power busway is configured to support electrical power consumption by the set of rack computer systems, wherein the verifying comprises:
electrically coupling at least one load bank, to the proximate end of the at least one power busway;
electrically coupling a secondary power distribution system to the distal end of the at least one power busway; and
operating the at least one load bank, such that electrical power support of electrical power consumption by the set of rack computer systems, through an entire length of the at least one power busway, is simulated.

6. The method of claim 5 , comprising:
installing at least one additional power busway in at least one other aisle in the data center and electrically coupling at least one additional set of rack computer systems to the at least one additional power busway, prior to installing the at least one power busway in the at least one aisle in the data center;
wherein the verifying that the at least one power busway is configured to support electrical power consumption by at least one additional set of rack computer systems comprises:
operating the at least one load bank coupled to the proximate end of the at least one power busway concurrently with the at least one additional power busway distributing electrical power received from the power distribution system to the at least one additional set of rack computer systems, such that the at least one additional set of rack computer systems consumes electrical power supplied by the power distribution system concurrently with the at least one power busway, electrically isolated from the p

Assignees

• Amazon Tech Inc

Inventors

• Ramirez Antonio William Vasquez
• Kaplan Faran Harold
• Wilding Robert David
• Towner Richard Chadwick

Classifications

• G01R31/021 Primary

  Physics · mapped topic

• H05K7/1492 Primary

  having electrical distribution arrangements, e.g. power supply or data communications · CPC title

• H04B3/00

  Line transmission systems (combined with near-field transmission systems H04B5/00) · CPC title