초록 ▼

A preheat damper preheats ambient air being directed to an air handling unit of a data center to mitigate ice accumulation caused by the ambient air. The ambient air can be preheated upstream of a mist eliminator, which removes moisture from the ambient air upstream of the air handling unit, to miti

A preheat damper preheats ambient air being directed to an air handling unit of a data center to mitigate ice accumulation caused by the ambient air. The ambient air can be preheated upstream of a mist eliminator, which removes moisture from the ambient air upstream of the air handling unit, to mitigate ice accumulation in the mist eliminator. The preheat damper directs exhaust air from an exhaust air plenum. The preheat damper can be adjusted based on the ambient temperature, and can be upstream of a return damper which directs exhaust air from the exhaust air plenum based on characteristics of the cooling air supplied to cool data center equipment. The return damper can be adjusted in counter-opposition with one or more intake dampers to maintain cooling air characteristics, and concurrently with the preheat damper to direct ambient air to the air handling unit through the exhaust air plenum.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A system for cooling computer systems in a room of a data center, comprising: an exhaust air plenum configured to receive exhaust air from computer systems in the room of the data center;an air handling unit configured to supply cooling air to the computer systems in the room of the data center,

1. A system for cooling computer systems in a room of a data center, comprising: an exhaust air plenum configured to receive exhaust air from computer systems in the room of the data center;an air handling unit configured to supply cooling air to the computer systems in the room of the data center, the air handling unit comprising: an air cooling unit configured to remove heat from the cooling air;at least one air filter upstream from the air cooling unit;at least one intake air damper configured to control a supply of intake air to the air cooling unit; andat least one return air damper configured to control a supply of exhaust air from the exhaust air plenum to mix with the intake air at a first location upstream of the air cooling unit;an intake air plenum configured to direct ambient air into the air handling unit as intake air;at least one mist eliminator device upstream from the intake air plenum and upstream of the first location, wherein the at least one mist eliminator device is configured to remove moisture from ambient air directed into the intake air plenum;at least one preheat air damper configured to direct exhaust air from the exhaust air plenum to mix with the ambient air at a second location upstream of the mist eliminator device and upstream of the first location; andat least one controller coupled to the preheat air damper, the controller configured to adjustably position the preheat air damper, based at least in part upon the ambient air temperature, to at least partially mitigate ice accumulation in the mist eliminator device. 2. The system of claim 1, wherein: the at least one intake air damper comprises: a minimum intake air damper configured to supply, to the air handling unit, a minimum flow rate of intake air that corresponds to a minimum cooling requirement of the room of the data center; anda primary intake air damper configured to supply, to the air handling unit, a primary flow rate of intake air; andthe at least one controller comprises an air handling unit controller coupled to at least the primary intake air damper and the return air damper, wherein the air handling unit controller is configured to adjustably position both the primary intake air damper and the return air damper in counter-opposition based at least in part upon at least a temperature of the cooling air downstream of the air handling unit. 3. The system of claim 2, wherein: the minimum intake air damper and the primary intake air damper are coupled to an upper portion of the air handling unit; andthe primary intake air damper is coupled to the upper portion at a position that is beneath the minimum intake air damper. 4. The system of claim 1, wherein: the least one controller is further configured to adjustably position the preheat air damper and the return air damper, based at least in part upon a determined pressure difference across the mist eliminator device, to route ambient air into the air handling unit as intake air via at least a portion of the exhaust air plenum. 5. A method, comprising: providing an air handling unit, wherein the air handling unit is configured to supply cooling air to a computer room of a data center, and wherein the air handling unit includes an air cooling system that cools air to produce the cooling air supplied to the computer room of the data center; anddirecting intake air to the air handling unit to provide the cooling air, wherein directing intake air to the air handling unit comprises: directing ambient air from an ambient environment to the air handling unit, via a mist eliminator upstream of the air handling unit, to provide the intake air;adjustably positioning a return flow control element to direct exhaust air received from the computer room, via an exhaust air plenum, to mix with the intake air upstream of the air cooling system, at a first location downstream of the mist eliminator and upstream of the air cooling system, in response to a determination that a first set of control conditions is met; andadjustably positioning a preheat flow control element to direct exhaust air received from the computer room, via the exhaust air plenum, to mix with the ambient air, at a second location upstream of the mist eliminator and upstream of the first location, in response to a determination that a second set of control conditions is met. 6. The method of claim 5, wherein: directing ambient air from the ambient environment to the air handling unit comprises directing the intake air through a set of intake flow control elements, which are downstream of the mist eliminator, into a mixing plenum that is upstream of the air handling unit. 7. The method of claim 6, wherein: the first set of control conditions comprises a determination that a cooling air temperature associated with the cooling air is less than a predetermined threshold cooling air temperature; andthe second set of control conditions comprises a determination that an ambient temperature associated with the ambient air is less than a predetermined threshold ambient air temperature. 8. The method of claim 7, wherein: the predetermined threshold ambient air temperature is associated with ice formation in at least a portion of the mist eliminator. 9. The method of claim 6, wherein: the set of intake flow control elements comprises a minimum intake flow control element and a primary intake flow control element. 10. The method of claim 9, wherein: directing the ambient air through the set of intake flow control elements into the mixing plenum comprises: adjustably positioning the minimum intake flow control element into a fully-open position to direct a minimum flow rate of cooling air to the computer room, wherein the minimum flow rate of cooling air corresponds with minimum ventilation requirements of computer systems mounted in the computer room; andadjustably positioning both the primary intake flow control element and the return flow control element in counter-opposition to maintain one or more characteristics of the cooling air supplied to the computer room. 11. The method of claim 10, wherein: the preheat flow control element is configured to direct exhaust air into an upper ambient air flow directed through the mist eliminator, independently of a lower ambient air flow, to mitigate ice buildup on an upper portion of the mist eliminator. 12. The method of claim 10, wherein: the minimum intake flow control element is located above the primary intake flow control element, such that an upper intake air flow directed through the minimum intake flow control element has a greater temperature than a lower intake air flow directed through the primary intake flow control element, based at least in part upon relative air densities associated with the upper intake air flow and the lower intake air flow. 13. The method of claim 9, wherein directing the ambient air through the set of intake flow control elements into the mixing plenum further comprises: adjustably positioning the minimum intake flow control element to adjust a flow rate of intake air into the air handling unit, based at least in part upon a determination that a cooling air temperature associated with the cooling air is less than a predetermined threshold cooling air temperature, wherein the return flow control element is in a fully-open position, and the primary intake flow control element is in a fully-closed position. 14. The method of claim 6, wherein directing intake air to the air handling unit comprises: adjustably positioning the preheat flow control element and the return flow control element to direct ambient air to the mixing plenum via the exhaust air plenum, at least partially bypassing an intake air plenum, based at least in part upon a determination that a pressure difference between the ambient environment and the intake air plenum exceeds a predetermined threshold pressure difference value. 15. A method, comprising: directing ambient air from an ambient environment through an air handling unit to provide cooling air into a room, wherein the directing comprises: adjustably preheating ambient air directed to the air handling unit, based at least in part upon at least one measured characteristic of ambient air in the ambient environment, wherein the adjustably preheating includes mixing, at a first location, the ambient air with a first portion of exhaust air from the room to produce preheated air, and wherein the first portion of the exhaust air is directed from the room to the first location by an exhaust air plenum; andadjustably mixing, at a second location downstream from the first location and upstream of an air cooling system, the preheated air with a second portion of the exhaust air from the room to produce mixed air, wherein the second portion of the exhaust air is directed from the room to the second location by the exhaust air plenum, and wherein the air cooling system is to cool air to produce the cooling air provided to the room. 16. The method of claim 15, wherein adjustably preheating ambient air directed to the air handling unit based at least in part upon at least one measured characteristic of ambient air in the ambient environment comprises: adjustably preheating ambient air directed to the air handling unit based at least in part upon a determination that an ambient temperature associated with the ambient air is less than a predetermined threshold temperature. 17. The method of claim 15, wherein: adjustably preheating ambient air directed to the air handling unit comprises adjustably positioning a preheat flow control element to adjustably control a preheat air flow of the first portion of the exhaust air from the exhaust air plenum to an ambient air plenum to mix with the ambient air at the first location; andadjustably mixing the preheated air with the second portion of the exhaust air comprises adjustably positioning a return flow control element to adjustably control a return air flow of the second portion of the exhaust air from the exhaust air plenum to a mixing air plenum to mix with the ambient preheated air at the second location. 18. The method of claim 17, wherein directing ambient air from the ambient environment through the air handling unit to provide cooling air into the room comprises: adjustably positioning the preheat flow control element and the return flow control element to direct the ambient air from the ambient environment to the air handling unit via at least a portion of the exhaust air plenum, based at least in part upon a determination that a pressure difference between the ambient environment and an intake air plenum exceeds a predetermined threshold pressure difference value. 19. The method of claim 17, wherein: adjustably preheating ambient air directed to the air handling unit comprises adjustably positioning the preheat flow control element to adjustably control the preheat air flow of the first portion of the exhaust air from the exhaust air plenum to mix with the ambient air upstream of at least one intake flow control element to the air handling unit; andadjustably mixing the preheated air with the second portion of the exhaust air comprises adjustably positioning the return flow control element and the at least one intake flow control element in counter-opposition to adjustably control relative flow rates of the preheat air flow and the return air flow into the mixing air plenum. 20. The method of claim 15, wherein adjustably preheating the ambient air directed to the air handling unit comprises: adjustably preheating air upstream of a mist eliminator, where the mist eliminator is upstream of at least one filter assembly of the air handling unit, to at least partially mitigate ice formation in the mist eliminator.