초록 ▼

A data center can include at least one computing room, and at least one rack system disposed in the computing room. The rack system includes a rack housing that at least substantially encapsulates an interior space, and a plurality of computing devices mounted to the rack in the interior space. The

A data center can include at least one computing room, and at least one rack system disposed in the computing room. The rack system includes a rack housing that at least substantially encapsulates an interior space, and a plurality of computing devices mounted to the rack in the interior space. The data center can further include a cooling system. The cooling system includes a conduit that is disposed in the interior space of the rack housing and a fluid that flows through the conduit, wherein heat is transferred from air in the interior space to the fluid to produce cooled air in the rack housing.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A data center comprising: at least one computing room;at least one rack system disposed in the at least one computing room, the at least one rack system including 1) a rack housing that encapsulates an interior space of the at least one rack system so as to seal the interior space of the at least

1. A data center comprising: at least one computing room;at least one rack system disposed in the at least one computing room, the at least one rack system including 1) a rack housing that encapsulates an interior space of the at least one rack system so as to seal the interior space of the at least one rack system with respect to airflow in and out of the interior space, the rack housing including an access door that is continuously solid along its entirety and is movable between an open position that provides access to the interior space and a closed position, and 2) a plurality of computing devices mounted to the rack in the interior space, wherein the plurality of computing devices each defines an air intake, an air outlet, and a fan that draws air from the sealed interior space of the rack housing through the air intake and out through the air outlet, wherein heat is dissipated from electrical components of each of the plurality of computing devices into the interior space of the rack housing; anda cooling system including a conduit that extends through the rack housing into the interior space, the cooling system further including a fluid that flows through the conduit and a heat exchanger disposed in the rack housing between the computing devices, wherein heat is transferred by the heat exchanger from air in the interior space to the fluid to produce cooled air in the rack housing that is drawn into the air intakes of the plurality of computing devices, and the fluid transports the transferred heat out of the rack housing,wherein movement of the door from the open position to the closed position causes the rack housing to seal the interior space with respect to airflow in and out of the interior space when the fan of each of the computing devices is drawing air from the interior space into the air intakes and out the air outlets. 2. The data center as recited in claim 1, wherein the access door is at a front end of the rack housing, the rack housing defines a rear end opposite the front end, the conduit defines a fluid intake, a fluid outlet, and a heat exchanger region disposed between the fluid intake and the fluid outlet, and the heat exchanger region is disposed in the rack housing between the computing devices and at least one of the front door and the rear wall. 3. The data center as recited in claim 1, wherein the cooling system is a closed system wherein the fluid intake is in fluid communication with the fluid outlet, such that the fluid flows through a heat rejection apparatus between the fluid outlet and the fluid intake. 4. The data center as recited in claim 1, wherein the fluid has a fluid temperature and flows through the conduit at a fluid flow rate, and the conduit comprises a first temperature sensor configured to measure the fluid temperature at a first location and a second temperature sensor configured to measure the fluid temperature at a second location that is disposed downstream of the first location, and the cooling system 1) increases the fluid flow rate through the conduit when a difference between the fluid temperature at the first and second locations is greater than a threshold value, and 2) decreases the fluid flow rate through the conduit when the difference between the fluid temperature at the first and second locations is less than a threshold value. 5. The rack system as recited in claim 1, wherein the at least one rack system comprises first and second rack systems disposed in the computing room, and the conduit extends from the rack housing of the first rack system through the rack housing of the second rack system, into the interior space of the rack housing of the second rack system, and out of the rack housing of the second rack system, such that heat is transferred from air in the interior space of the second rack system to the fluid to produce cooled air in the rack housing of the second rack system that is drawn into the air intakes of the plurality of computing devices of the second rack system, and the fluid transports the transferred heat out of the rack housing of the second rack system. 6. A rack system comprising: a rack housing defining an interior space, the interior space having a front end and a rear end opposite the front end, the rack housing including an access door that defines the front end, the access door movable between an open position that provides access to the interior space and a closed position;a rack supported by the rack housing in the interior space, the rack defining a plurality of bays, the bays sized to receive respective ones of a plurality of computing devices that each defines an air intake, an air outlet, and a fan that draws air that is sealed inside the interior space through the air intake and out through the air outlet, such that heat is dissipated from electrical components of each of the plurality of computing devices into the interior space of the rack housing; andat least one conduit disposed in the rack housing, the at least one conduit defining at least one heat exchanger region that is disposed in the interior space and is configured to retain a fluid that flows therethrough so as to transfer heat from the air in the interior space to the fluid wherein the heat exchanger region is disposed in the rack housing between the computing devices,wherein the rack housing is configured to seal the interior space when 1) the door is in the closed position, and 2) the fans of the computing devices draw air through the intakes and out through the outlets. 7. The rack system as recited in claim 6, wherein the fluid is a liquid. 8. The rack system as recited in claim 7, wherein the at least one heat exchanger region is disposed at a location adjacent the bays. 9. The rack system as recited in claim 6, wherein the at least one heat exchanger region is disposed at least at one of the front end of the interior space and the rear end of the interior space. 10. The rack system as recited in claim 6, wherein the at least one heat exchanger region comprises a first heat exchanger region and a second heat exchanger region that support fluid flow in opposite directions with respect to each other. 11. The rack system as recited in claim 6, wherein fans of the plurality of computing devices draw air along respective air intake paths through the air intakes, and the at least a portion of the conduit is disposed between the air intakes and the rack housing so as to be positioned in the respective air intake paths. 12. The rack system as recited in claim 6, wherein the fans of the plurality of computing devices exhaust air out the air outlet along respective air exhaust paths, and the at least a portion of the conduit is disposed between the air outlets and the rack housing so as to be positioned in the respective air exhaust path. 13. The rack system as recited in claim 6, wherein 1) the fans of the plurality of computing devices draw air along respective air intake paths through the air intakes, and exhaust air out the air outlets along respective air exhaust paths, 2) the at least a portion of the conduit defines a first region disposed between the air intakes and the rack housing so as to be positioned in the respective air intake paths, and 3) the at least a portion of the conduit defines a second region disposed between the air outlets and the rack housing so as to be positioned in the respective air exhaust path. 14. The rack system as recited in claim 6, further comprising a cooling system including a first temperature sensor configured to measure fluid temperature in the conduit at a first location, and a second temperature sensor configured to measure fluid temperature in the conduit at a second location that is disposed downstream of the first location, and a flow regulator configured to regulate a flow rate of the fluid within the conduit, wherein the cooling system 1) increases the fluid flow rate through the conduit when a difference between the fluid temperature at the first and second locations is greater a threshold value, and 2) decreases the fluid flow rate through the conduit when the difference between the fluid temperature at the first and second locations is less than a threshold value. 15. The rack system as recited in claim 6, further comprising a cooling system including a controller configured to 1) receive temperature signals from at least one of the computing devices that indicates a temperature of the at least one of the computing devices, and 2) provide an indication if the temperature of the at least one of the computing devices is greater than a predetermined threshold. 16. The rack system as recited in claim 6, wherein the fans of the computing devices are the only fans in the interior space. 17. A data center comprising: the rack system as recited in claim 6; anda second rack system including: a second rack housing defining a second interior space, the second interior space having a second front end and a second rear end opposite the second front end, the second rack housing including a second access door that defines the second front end, the second access door movable between an open position that provides access to the second interior space and a closed position; anda second rack supported by the second rack housing in the second interior space, the second rack defining a second plurality of bays, the second plurality of bays sized to receive respective ones of a second plurality of computing devices that each defines a second air intake, a second air outlet, and a second fan that draws air that is sealed inside the second interior space through the second air intake and out through second the air outlet, such that heat is dissipated from electrical components of each of the second plurality of computing devices into the second interior space of the second rack housing,wherein the second rack housing is configured to seal the second interior space when 1) the second door is in the closed position, 2) the second fans of the second computing devices draw air through the second intakes and out through the second outlets, and 3) no other air movers located in the second interior space and outside the second computing devices direct air flow in the interior space, andwherein at least one conduit further extends into the second rack housing, the at least one conduit defining at least one heat exchanger region that is disposed in the second interior space and is configured to retain a fluid that flows therethrough so as to transfer heat from the second interior space to the fluid. 18. A method of managing a rack system that is disposed in a computing room, the rack system including a rack housing, a rack supported by the rack housing in an interior space of the rack housing that is sealed by the rack housing with respect to airflow in and out of the interior space, computing devices mounted to the rack within the interior space of the rack housing, and the computing devices each including an air intake, an air outlet, and a fan that draws air from the sealed interior space of the rack housing through the air intake and out through the air outlet, the method comprising the steps of: causing a fluid to flow through a conduit that is at least partially disposed in the interior space of the rack housing, the fluid having a temperature less than that of ambient air in the rack housing;transferring heat from air in the rack housing to the fluid so as to produce cooled air through a heat exchanger disposed in the rack housing between the computing devices;drawing the cooled air from the sealed interior space of the rack housing into air intakes of each of the respective computing devices;exhausting warm air from an air outlet of each of the respective computing devices, the warm air having a temperature greater than that of the cooled air; andmaintaining the seal of the interior space by the rack housing during the drawing and exhausting steps without inducing any airflow in the interior space beyond the drawing and exhausting steps. 19. The method as recited in claim 18, further comprising the step of transferring heat from the warm air to the fluid. 20. The method as recited in claim 18, wherein the drawing step further comprises the step of creating an airflow path in the rack housing from each of the air intakes that causing at least some of the air being drawn to flow past the conduit prior to being drawn into the air intakes. 21. The method as recited in claim 18, wherein the exhausting step further comprises the step creating an airflow path in the rack housing from each of the air outlets that causes at least some of the warm air to flow past the conduit. 22. The method as recited in claim 21, wherein the drawing step further comprises the step of creating the airflow path in the rack housing from each of the air intakes that causes at least some of the air being drawn to flow past the conduit prior to being drawn into the air intakes. 23. The method as recited in claim 18, wherein the fluid has a fluid temperature and flows through the conduit at a fluid flow rate, the method further comprising the steps of: measuring a difference in the fluid temperature between a first location and a second location that is disposed downstream of the first location with respect to the fluid flow;decreasing the fluid flow rate through the conduit when the difference is below a threshold value; andincreasing the fluid flow rate through the conduit when the difference is above a threshold value. 24. The method as recited in claim 23, wherein the decreasing and increasing steps each further comprises the step of actuating a valve in the conduit. 25. The method as recited in claim 18, wherein the fluid comprises water, and the causing step further comprises the steps of receiving the water in the conduit from a water manifold, and removing the water out the interior space after heat has transferred from air in the rack housing to the water. 26. The method as recited in claim 18, further comprising the steps of 1) opening an access door into the rack housing so as to access at least one of the computing devices, the opening step causing the interior space of the rack housing to be placed in temporary air flow communication with the computing room, and 2) closing the access door so as to seal the rack housing with respect to air flow both from the interior space into the computing room and from the computing room into the interior space. 27. A method of constructing a rack system, the method comprising the steps of: constructing a rack housing in an ambient environment, the rack housing including a door that is movable between an open position to provide access to the interior, and a closed position, wherein the door is continuously solid such that moving the door to the closed position causes the rack housing to seal an interior space of the rack housing;supporting a rack in the rack housing, the rack configured to support a plurality of computing devices that each include an air intake, an air outlet, and a fan that is configured to draw air that is sealed in the rack housing through the air intake and out through the air outlet, wherein heat is dissipated from electrical components of each of the plurality of computing devices into the interior space of the rack housing;supporting at least one conduit in the rack housing such that the conduit enters the interior space at a first location of the rack housing, extends in the interior space, and exits the interior space at a second location of the rack housing that is different than the first location; andplacing the at least one conduit in fluid communication with a fluid source, such that fluid can flow from the fluid source through the conduit and through a heat exchanger disposed in the rack housing between the computing devices. 28. The method as recited in claim 27, further comprising placing the conduit in communication with a drain such that fluid that has flown from the fluid source through the conduit exits the conduit into the drain.