초록 ▼

An airflow arrester is provided and configured to reside between electronics racks disposed in a row within a data center. The airflow arrester includes a panel, which when operatively disposed, has a first vertical end, a second vertical end, and a central vertical hinge located intermediate the fi

An airflow arrester is provided and configured to reside between electronics racks disposed in a row within a data center. The airflow arrester includes a panel, which when operatively disposed, has a first vertical end, a second vertical end, and a central vertical hinge located intermediate the first and second vertical ends. The airflow arrester further includes an attachment mechanism at the first vertical end and at the second vertical end, and when operatively disposed between a first and second structures, the airflow arrester has a single V-shaped configuration, and is sized and constructed to block airflow from passing therebetween. The single V-shaped configuration provides operational stability to the airflow arrester by translating net twisting forces applied to the airflow arrester to normal forces applied to the first and second structures at the attachment points of the airflow arrester to the first and second structures.

대표청구항 ▼

1. An apparatus comprising: an airflow arrester, the airflow arrester comprising a panel which when operatively disposed includes a first vertical end, a second vertical end, and a central vertical hinge located intermediate the first vertical end and the second vertical end, and wherein the airflow

1. An apparatus comprising: an airflow arrester, the airflow arrester comprising a panel which when operatively disposed includes a first vertical end, a second vertical end, and a central vertical hinge located intermediate the first vertical end and the second vertical end, and wherein the airflow arrester further comprises a first attachment mechanism at the first vertical end and a second attachment mechanism at the second vertical end for facilitating securing of the first vertical end and the second vertical end to a respective one of a first structure and a second structure, at least one of the first structure or the second structure comprising an electronics rack of a data center;wherein when operatively positioned between the first structure and the second structure, the airflow arrester has a single V-shaped configuration, and is sized and constructed to block airflow from passing between the first structure and the second structure, wherein the single V-shaped configuration provides operational stability to the airflow arrester by translating airflow forces applied to the airflow arrester in a first direction to normal forces applied to the first and second structures in a second direction, wherein the second direction is substantially perpendicular to the first direction;wherein the airflow arrester further comprises a first vertical hinge disposed adjacent to the first attachment mechanism at the first vertical end thereof and a second vertical hinge disposed adjacent to the second attachment mechanism at the second vertical end thereof, wherein with the airflow arrester operatively disposed between the first structure and the second structure, the first vertical end with the first attachment mechanism is in parallel opposing relation to and attached to a first side of the first structure and the second vertical end with the second attachment mechanism is in parallel opposing relation to and attached to a second side of the second structure, wherein the first vertical hinge and the second vertical hinge facilitate defining the single V-shaped configuration in combination with positioning of the first vertical end and the second vertical end in parallel opposing relation to the first side and the second side, respectively, of the first and second structures, thereby facilitating translating of airflow forces applied to the single V-shaped configuration of the airflow arrester to normal forces applied to the first and second sides of the first and second structures; andwherein the first structure comprises a first electronics rack, and the second structure comprises a second electronics rack, the first electronics rack and second electronics rack being spaced apart in a row within a data center, and wherein the first side comprises a first rack side of the first electronics rack and the second side comprises a second rack side of the second electronics rack, the first rack side and the second rack side being in spaced opposing relation, and wherein at least one of the first electronics rack or the second electronics rack has a rack height Hrack, and wherein the panel height Hpanel is greater than rack height Hrack of the at least one first electronics rack or second electronics rack, and wherein the panel further comprises a plurality of horizontal score lines on each side of the central vertical hinge to facilitate customizing the panel height Hpanel, each horizontal score line facilitating breaking of the panel along the horizontal score line, and at least two horizontal score lines of the plurality of horizontal score lines opposite sides of the central vertical hinge are aligned horizontal score lines. 2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first vertical hinge is formed of a first integral notch in the panel and the second vertical hinge is formed of a second integral notch in the panel, and wherein the central vertical hinge located intermediate the first vertical end and the second vertical end is formed of another integral notch in the panel. 3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the panel comprises a corrugated panel configured to lie flat for storage and assume the single V-shaped configuration when operatively disposed between the first structure and the second structure. 4. The apparatus of claim 2, further comprising acoustically absorbent material disposed on each side of the panel to facilitate noise attenuation outside the first electronics rack and the second electronics rack. 5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first attachment mechanism comprises one of a hook and loop type fastener, mating U-shaped clip fasteners, or a magnetic strip, wherein if a hook and loop type fastener, the apparatus further comprises a first adhesive strip for securing one of a hook portion or a loop portion of the hook and loop type fastener to the first rack side of the first electronics rack and the first vertical end of the panel comprises the other of the hook portion or loop portion of the hook and loop type fastener, and a second adhesive strip for securing one of the hook portion and loop portion to the second rack side of the second electronics rack and the second vertical end comprises the other of the hook portion or loop portion of the hook and loop type fastener, and wherein if mating U-shaped clip fasteners, the first attachment mechanism further comprises a first adhesive strip for securing a first U-shaped clip to the first rack side of the first electronics rack and a second adhesive strip for securing a second U-shaped clip to the second rack side of the second electronics rack, and wherein the first vertical end and the second vertical end each comprise U-shaped clips configured and sized for mating with a respective one of the first U-shaped clip or the second U-shaped clip. 6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the airflow arrester is a first airflow arrester, and wherein the apparatus further comprises a second airflow arrester comprising a second panel, which when operatively disposed includes a first vertical end sized and configured for mating with and attaching to a portion of one of the first vertical end or second vertical end of the first airflow arrester. 7. A data center comprising: a plurality of electronics racks aligned in a row, each electronics rack of the plurality of electronics racks comprising an air inlet side and an air outlet side for facilitating ingress and egress of external air through the electronics rack wherein the air inlet sides of the electronics racks are disposed facing a cold air aisle of the data center and the air outlet sides of the electronics racks are disposed facing a hot air aisle of the data center;at least one airflow arrester, each airflow arrester comprising a panel including a first vertical end, a second vertical end, and a central vertical hinge located intermediate the first vertical end and the second vertical end, and wherein each airflow arrester further comprises a first attachment mechanism at the first vertical end for securing the first vertical end to a first structure comprising one of an electronics rack of the plurality of electronics racks, or a vertical end of another airflow arrester, and a second attachment mechanism at the second vertical end for securing the second vertical end to a second structure comprising one of an electronics rack of the plurality of electronics racks or a vertical end of another airflow arrester;wherein each airflow arrester of the at least one airflow arrester has a single V-shaped configuration and is sized and constructed to block airflow from passing between the first and second structures, wherein the single V-shaped configuration translates airflow forces applied to the airflow arrester in a first direction to normal forces applied to the first and second structures in a second direction, wherein the second direction is substantially perpendicular to the first direction;wherein the airflow arrester further comprises a first vertical hinge disposed adjacent to the first attachment mechanism at the first vertical end thereof and a second vertical hinge disposed adjacent to the second attachment mechanism at the second vertical end thereof, wherein with the airflow arrester operatively disposed between the first structure and the second structure, the first vertical end with the first attachment mechanism is in parallel opposing relation to and attached to a first side of the first structure and the second vertical end with the second attachment mechanism is in parallel opposing relation to and attached to a second side of the second structure, wherein the first vertical hinge and the second vertical hinge facilitate defining the single V-shaped configuration in combination with positioning of the first vertical end and the second vertical end in parallel opposing relation to the first side and the second side, respectively, of the first and second structures, thereby facilitating translating of airflow forces applied to the single V-shaped configuration of the airflow arrester to normal forces applied to the first and second sides of the first and second structures; andwherein the first structure comprises a first electronics rack of the plurality of electronics racks, and the second structure comprises a second electronics rack of the plurality of electronics racks, the first electronics rack and the second electronics rack being spaced apart in, the row of electronics racks, and wherein the first side comprises a first rack side of the first electronics rack and the second side comprises a second rack side of the second electronics rack, the first rack side and the second rack side being in spaced opposing relation, and wherein at least one of the first electronics rack or the second electronics rack has a rack height Hrack and the panel has a panel height Hpanel, the panel height Hpanel being greater than the rack height Rrack of the at least one first electronics rack or second electronics rack, and wherein the panel further comprises a plurality of horizontal score lines on each side of the central vertical hinge to facilitate customization of panel height Hpanel, each horizontal score line facilitating breaking; of the panel along the horizontal score line, and at least two horizontal score lines of the plurality of horizontal score lines on opposite sides of the central vertical hinge are aligned horizontal score lines. 8. The data center of claim 7, wherein the first vertical hinge is formed of a first integral notch in the panel and the second vertical hinge is formed of a second integral notch in the panel, and wherein the central vertical hinge located intermediate the first vertical end and the second vertical end is formed of another vertical notch in the panel. 9. The data center of claim 8, wherein the panel comprises a corrugated panel configured to lie flat for storage and assume the single V-shaped configuration when operatively disposed between the first structure and the second structure. 10. The data center of claim 8, further comprising acoustically absorbent material disposed on each side of the panel to facilitate noise attenuation outside the first electronics rack and the second electronics rack. 11. The data center of claim 7, wherein the airflow arrester is a first airflow arrester, and wherein the first structure is a second airflow arrester comprising a second panel including a first vertical end, a second vertical end, and a central vertical hinge located intermediate the first vertical end and the second vertical end, and wherein the second airflow arrester includes a first attachment mechanism at the first vertical end and a second attachment mechanism at the second vertical end, wherein the second attachment mechanism at the second vertical end of the second airflow arrester is secured to the first attachment mechanism at the first vertical end of the first airflow arrester. 12. The data center of claim 11, wherein the first and second attachment mechanisms at the first vertical ends and second vertical ends of the first airflow arrester and the second airflow arrester comprise one of hook and loop type fasteners, mating U-shaped clip fasteners or magnetic strips. 13. A method of facilitating cooling of an electronics rack, the method comprising: employing an airflow arrester to block airflow between a first structure and a second structure within a data center, the airflow arrester comprising a panel including a first vertical end, a second vertical end and a central vertical hinge located intermediate the first vertical end and the second vertical end, wherein the employing comprises securing the first vertical end to the first structure and securing the second vertical end to the second structure, wherein the airflow arrester disposed between the first and second structures has a single V-shaped configuration, and is sized and constructed to block airflow from passing between the first and second structures, wherein the single V-shaped configuration provides operational stability to the airflow arrester by translating airflow forces applied in a first direction to the airflow arrester to normal forces applied to the first and second structures; andwherein the airflow arrester comprises a first airflow arrester, the first structure comprises a first electronics rack, the second structure comprises a second electronics rack, and a rack height Hrack of the first electronics rack is greater than a rack height Hrack of the second electronics rack, and wherein the method further comprises customizing a second airflow arrester to reside over the second electronics rack, and securing one vertical end of the second airflow arrester to one of the first vertical end or second vertical end of the first airflow arrester, wherein the customizing comprises breaking the second airflow arrester along one horizontal score line of a plurality of horizontal score lines predefined within the second airflow arrester, and wherein the securing comprises placing the second airflow arrester over the second electronics rack and securing the one vertical end thereof to one of the first vertical end or second vertical end of the first airflow arrester.