EP2430894A1

EP2430894A1 - Data centre

Info

Publication number: EP2430894A1
Application number: EP10726342A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Ronaldus Jacobus Houtenbos; Hermanus Bartel Woltering
Original assignee: Imtech Nederland BV
Current assignee: Imtech Nederland BV
Priority date: 2009-05-11
Filing date: 2010-05-10
Publication date: 2012-03-21
Also published as: WO2010131954A1; NL2002867C2

Abstract

Data centre comprising a building having at least a first floor for supporting ICT equipment, and cooling means for said ICT-equipment which is arranged to subject the said ICT- equipment to a cooling air flow from a cold aisle at a first side of the ICT-equipment to a hot aisle at a second side of the ICT-equipment opposite to the first side, wherein the cold aisle is directly or indirectly connected with at least one fan for cooling air, which fan is controllable such that its operation depends on a measured pressure difference between the hot aisle and a pre-selected one of the group comprising the cold aisle and a first room from which the cold aisle (10) receives the cooling air.

Description

Data centre

The invention relates to a data centre comprising a building having at least a first floor for supporting ICT equipment, and cooling means for said ICT-equipment which is arranged to subject the said ICT-equipment to a cooling air flow from a cold aisle at a first side of the ICT-equipment to a hot aisle at a second side of the ICT-equipment opposite to the first side.

Data centres have gained increased importance with the growing of telecommunication and of data processing and digital data communication within countries and also cross-border. Data centres are quite complex in that they are the result of a joint effort from different engineering disciplines, such as civil engineering, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering and ICT-engineering .

One of the problems that relates to known data centres is that the design and size of the building of such data centres, and the required amount of ancillary equipment to be used in the data centre is determined by the expected amount of data- processing and the necessary amount of ICT-equipment that is to be installed for that purpose in the data centre. This means how- ever, that during the life-time of the data centre, only when all the envisaged ICT-equipment is installed the design considerations underlying the economical feasibility of the data centre will prove to be valid. At all other situations wherein the full capacity of the data centre is not used, the costs of operation of the data centre will be too high or at least will not be at a level corresponding to the original design parameters of the data centre .

Another problem of the known data centre is that the cooling applied to the installed ICT-equipment, is not always ef- fective and moreover depending on various circumstances relating to the amount of ICT-equipment installed, and also depending on ancillary measures that are taken to secure that efficient cooling air will flow through each separate piece of ICT-equipment. This also means that whenever further ICT-equipment is installed or even if ICT-equipment is removed the cooling conditions of the remaining ICT-equipment will change. In practice this will mean that every change relating to the installed ICT-equipment per se, or the amount of ICT-equipment that is installed will also re- quire maintenance to adjust to the new situation, in order to secure that each piece of ICT-equipment will receive adequate cooling. Obviously, this situation results in a relatively high cost of operation of the known data centre . Still a further problem of the known data centre is that it is not at all times secured that hot spots in the installed ICT-equipment are effectively prevented.

It is the purpose of the invention to address at least part of these problems and to realise advantages, which may be come apparent from the following disclosure.

In order to realise the said purpose and said objectives, the data centre of the invention is preferably characterized by one or more of the appended claims.

One of the features of the data centre of the invention is that the cold aisle at the first side of the ICT-equipment is directly or indirectly connected with at least one fan for cooling air, which fan is controllable such that its operation depends on a measured pressure difference between the hot aisle and a pre-selected one of the group comprising the cold aisle and a first room from which the cold aisle receives the cooling air. In this way, it is possible to secure adequate cooling for the ICT- equipment that is independent from the circumstances, which may vary through the life-time of the data centre. Due to the application of a controlled fan having operational parameters that de- pend on the measured pressure difference between the hot aisle and either the cold aisle or a first room from which the cold aisle receives the cooling air, it is easily possible to maintain optimal cooling conditions for the ICT-equipment.

Quite another aspect, which may be applied separate from the just mentioned application of a controlled fan, the operation of which depending on said measured pressure difference, is that the first room occupies the area below the first floor and is arranged to house power lines for feeding the ICT-equipment through said first floor. With this measure, several advantages come within reach.

A first advantage is that the ICT-equipment can be made an exclusive area for maintenance people having to deal directly with the ICT-equipment per se, and that personnel having to deal with for instance powering the ICT-equipment do not have to enter the room for the ICT-equipment, but can do their job in the first room below the first floor supporting the ICT-equipment .

The just mentioned advantage is even further promoted by arranging that the building is provided with a walking bridge or bridges suspended from a ceiling above the ICT-equipment, which bridge or bridges are further provided with cable-trays for guiding data-cables to and from the ICT-equipment. This has furthermore the advantage that the data cables can be placed distant from the power lines for the ICT-equipment, therewith effectively reducing undue interference from the power lines on the data transport occurring via the data cables.

It is even further preferred that the building is provided with a floor level below the first room, which floor level is arranged for heavy electrical and mechanical equipment for supporting the operation of the data centre. This way a further separation of places which may only be entered by personal of specific expertise areas is feasible, which is not only beneficial to prevent undesired access by different people to in particular the first floor supporting the ICT-equipment. A very important further advantage is that this way of organizing the data centre of the invention allows that the data centre may be organized from the outset with only those facilities that match the need of the day. Expansion of the data centre is then simply possible by installing the required further ICT-equipment, together with the required supporting ancillary equipment at the levels below the first floor supporting the ICT-equipment. Still a further advantage of this arrangement is that the ICT-equipment can be placed exclusively on the first floor without room on said first floor being taken by other equipment such as power distribution units for powering the ICT-equipment or air handling units for (cooling) the ICT-equipment. An effective use of costly floor area is therefore one of the beneficial aspects of the data centre of the invention.

From the above discussion, it will be clear that it is preferable that the first room is positioned below the first floor supporting the ICT-equipment.

Furthermore, in order to provide for an effective and controlled cooling of the ICT-equipment it is preferred that the first room and/or the cold aisle, the hot aisle and the fan or fans are part of a closed circuit for air circulation, which cir- cuit is further provided with one or more air-coolers. An effective use of the available floor area can further be realised by placing the ICT-equipment in two rows, having the cold aisle positioned in-between said rows.

Desirably the first room from which the cold aisle re- ceives the cooling air connects to an outlet to the cold aisle that is provided in the first floor between the said two rows of ICT-equipment .

It is further beneficial that the said first room from which the cold aisle receives the cooling air has a second supply room for cooling air, which supply room is comprised in said first room and immediately connects to the outlet for cooling air to the cold aisle, and which supply room is further provided with a controllable air-valve or air-valves to control the flow-rate of the cooling air to the cold aisle. By an adequate operation of the controllable air-valve (s) a quick responding to different cooling conditions, for instance caused by heavy data traffic or intensive processor activity of particular ICT-equipment, can thus be secured.

A suitable way of providing the controllable air-valve or air-valves is by having them placed in the supply room's wall or walls, and to control the flow rate of the cooling air, depending on a measured pressure difference between the cold aisle and the hot aisle.

The invention will hereinafter be further elucidated with reference to a preferred embodiment of the data centre of the invention and with reference to the drawing.

In the drawing:

- Fig. 1 shows a part of a data centre in accordance with the invention in a cross-sectional view with particular emphasis to the control of a cooling air flow; and

- Fig. 2 shows a preferred embodiment of a data centre in accordance with the invention in a cross-sectional view.

Wherever in the figures the same reference numerals are applied, these numerals refer to the same parts. With reference first to Fig. 2, a data centre 1 in accordance with the invention is shown, having a building 2 with at least a first floor 3, for supporting ICT-equipment 4.

The building 2 is also provided with a first room 5, that is provided below the first floor 3 supporting the ICT- equipment 4, and Fig. 2 clearly shows that this first room 5 can occupy the entire area below the first floor 3. In accordance with the invention the power lines for feeding the ICT-equipment 4 are preferably arranged in this first room 5, such that the required power connections to the ICT-equipment 4 can be provided through the first floor 3 so as to make these power connections to the ICT-equipment 4 as short as possible. A further advantage is that the power lines in the first room 5 are cooled. This reduces energy losses and promotes an optimal dimensioning of the power lines. Fig. 2 further shows that the building 2 can be provided with a walking bridge, or bridges 6, that is or are suspended from a ceiling 7 above the ICT-equipment 4. Said bridge or bridges 6 are preferably further provided with cable-trays 8 for guiding data cables 2 and from the ICT-equipment 4. Clearly, this is very beneficial to prevent interference between the power lines that are running in the first room 5 for feeding the ICT- equipment 4, and the data cables that are running through said cable-trays 8. Also the engineers that need to work with the data cables in the cable-trays can thus be kept out of immediate con- tact with the ICT-equipment 4.

As Fig. 2 further shows the building 2 can further be provided with a floor level 9, below the first room 5, which floor level 9 is preferably arranged for heavy electrical and mechanical equipment for supporting the operation of the entire data centre 1. This construction not only allows to prevent maintenance people for this heavy equipment to enter the room for the ICT-equipment 4, it is also beneficial for easily moving in or out said heavy equipment, if expansion of the data centre 1 by further ICT-equipment 4 is required and for that purpose addi- tional heavy electrical or mechanical equipment needs to be installed. Likewise, when this equipment needs to be removed for maintenance or other purposes, this can also easily be implemented, without adverse effects on the installed ICT-equipment. With reference now to Fig. 1, a detail is shown of the building 2, particularly the part of the first floor 3 supporting the ICT-equipment 4, and the first room 5 that is provided below the first floor 3 supporting the ICT-equipment 4.

Fig. 1 shows the preferred arrangement that the ICT- equipment 4 is provided into rows 4', 4'' having a cold aisle 10 positioned in between said rows 4', 4''. For both rows 4', 4'' of the ICT-equipment 4, the cold aisle 10 is thus placed on a first side of the ICT-equipment 4, and from this cold aisle 10, a cooling air flow indicated with arrows 11 is maintained through the ICT-equipment 4 to a so-called hot aisle 12, which is positioned on a second side of the ICT-equipment 4 opposite to the first side where the cold aisle 10 is located.

In order to entertain the cooling air flow 11 from the cold aisle 10 to the hot aisle 12, the cold aisle 10 is directly or - as the embodiment of Fig. 1 shows - indirectly connected with a fan 13 for cooling air. This fan 13 is controllable such that its operation depends on a measured pressure difference between the hot aisle 12 and - in the shown embodiment - the first room 5 from which the cold aisle 10 receives the cooling air. For this purpose a pressure difference transmitter 14 is used that measures the pressure difference between the hot aisle 12 and the first room 5, and that provides its measured pressure difference to a pressure difference controller 15 that controls the fan 13 for cooling air.

Fig. 1 further shows that the said first room 5, the cold aisle 10, the hot aisle 12 and the fan 13 are part of a closed circuit for air circulation, whereby this circuit is further provided with an air cooler 16, provided in the return air- duct 17 and a fan 13. Said return airduct 17 provides the connection between the hot aisle 12 and said air cooler 16. Fig. 1 also clearly shows that the first room 5 from which the cooled aisle 10 receives the cooling air, eventually connects to an outlet 18 that is provided in the first floor 3 between the two rows 4', 4'' of ICT-equipment 4. Further, the said first room 5 has a second supply room 19, which supply room 19 is entirely comprised in the first room 5, and immediately connects to said outlet 18 for cooling air to the cold aisle 10.

It is further shown in Fig. 1 that the second supply room 19 is provided with controllable air-valves 20 that control the flow rate of the cooling air (symbolised by the arrows 21) to the cold aisle 10.

The controllable air-valves 20 of the second supply room 19 are preferably provided within said supply room's wall or walls, and control the flow rate of the cooling air 21 depending on a measured pressure difference between the cold aisle 10 and the hot aisle 12. For this purpose a further pressure difference transmitter 22 is used measuring the pressure difference between said cold aisle 10 and hot aisle 12, which measured pressure difference is used as an input signal for pressure difference controller 23, that operates the controllable air-valves 20 of the second supply room 19. Particularly, by this control loop an effective, reliable and stable flow of cooling air 21 can be provided to the cold aisle 10 for cooling the ICT-equipment 4.

It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, that the specific disclosure of the embodiment with reference to the drawing of Fig. 1 en Fig. 2, is only one of the possible embodiments according to which the invention may be implemented. The description of this embodiment and the reference to the drawing of Fig. 1 and Fig. 2 may therefore not be construed as limiting the appended claims, but serves merely as an elucidation of pos- sible ambiguities residing in these claims.

The protective scope that merits the invention is therefore exclusively determined by the claims and the applicable rules of law that pertain to the meaning of these claims.

Claims

1. Data centre (1) comprising a building (2) having at least a first floor (3) for supporting ICT equipment (4), and cooling means for said ICT-equipment (4) which is arranged to subject the said ICT-equipment to a cooling air flow (11) from a cold aisle (10) at a first side of the ICT-equipment (4) to a hot aisle (12) at a second side of the ICT-equipment (4) opposite to the first side, characterized in that the cold aisle (10) is directly or indirectly connected with at least one fan (13) for cooling air, which fan (13) is controllable such that its opera- tion depends on a measured pressure difference between the hot aisle (12) and a pre-selected one of the group comprising the cold aisle (10) and a first room (5) from which the cold aisle (10) receives the cooling air.

2. Data centre (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the first room (5) is positioned below the first floor

(3) supporting the ICT-equipment (4) .

3. Data centre (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the first room (5) and/or the cold aisle (10), the hot aisle (12) and the at least one fan (13) are part of a closed circuit for air circulation, which circuit is further provided with one or more air-coolers (16) .

4. Data centre (1) according to any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that the ICT-equipment (4) is provided in two rows (4', 4'') having the cold aisle (10) positioned in-between said rows .

5. Data centre (1) according to claim 4, characterized in that the first room (5) from which the cold aisle (10) receives the cooling air connects to an outlet (18) to the cold aisle (10) that is provided in the first floor (3) between the said two rows (4', 4'') of ICT-equipment (4).

6. Data centre (1) according to claim 4 or 5, characterized in that the said first room (5) from which the cold aisle (10) receives the cooling air has a second supply room (19) for cooling air, which supply room is comprised in said first room (5) and immediately connects to the outlet (18) for cooling air to the cold aisle (10), and which supply room (19) is further provided with a controllable air-valve or air-valves to control the flow-rate of the cooling air (21) to the cold aisle (10) .

7. Data centre (1) according to claim 6, characterized in that the controllable air-valve or valves (20) of the second supply room (19) are provided in said supply room's wall or walls and control the flow-rate of the cooling air (21) depending on a measured pressure difference between the cold aisle (10) and the hot aisle (12) .

8. Data centre (1) according to any one of claims 1-7, characterized in that the first room (5) occupies the area below the first floor (3) and is arranged to house power lines for feeding the ICT-equipment (4) through said first floor (3).

9. Data centre (1) according to any one of claims 1-8, characterized in that the building (2) is provided with a walking bridge or bridges (6) suspended from a ceiling (7) above the ICT- equipment (4), which bridge or bridges (6) are further provided with cable-trays (8) for guiding data-cables to and from the ICT- equipment (4) .

10. Data centre (1) according to any one of claims 1-9, characterized in that the building (2) is provided with a floor- level (9) below the first room (5), which floor level (9) is ar- ranged for heavy electrical and mechanical equipment for supporting the operation of the data centre.