GB2464839A

GB2464839A - Adjustable floor air inlet duct for uniform cooling of server racks

Info

Publication number: GB2464839A
Application number: GB0919579A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Karl Heinz Uhl; Michael Schaefer; Walter Weber; Marc Griffel
Original assignee: International Business Machines Corp
Current assignee: International Business Machines Corp
Priority date: 2008-12-03
Filing date: 2009-11-10
Publication date: 2010-05-05
Anticipated expiration: 2029-11-10
Also published as: GB2464839B; GB0919579D0

Abstract

Air flow to a server rack (202) from floor vents 350 is controlled by air inlet duct 201 on a raised floor and by an air-intake side of the rack, where the conditioning the air flow is preferably provided at a specific temperature and humidity. The air inlet duct has adjustable separation sheets 251,252 to adjusting the air flow to provide a plurality of zones in the rack with a substantially uniform temperature, a pressure, and a humidity. The duct has a ground plate (260 fig 2) that is remove-able attached to the rack preventing the server rack from tilting. The duct is preferably installed in place of a conventional rack door and may be constructed to reduce the noise emanating using aluminium or iron.

Description

CONTROLLABLE AIR INLET DUCT FOR SERVER RACKS

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Field of the Invention

The present invention generally relates to a controllable air inlet duct for server racks, and more specifically to an apparatus, method, and system related to providing controlled, constant temperature and humidity and a balanced air flow to electronic equipment provided in server racks.

Description of the Related Art

II is common for unfavorable air, temperatures, or humidity to spread to server racks in a conventional raised floor computer center. Inlet air that is provided for electronic devices in higher rack positions has a higher temperature and a lower relative humidity than inlet air provided to electronic devices in rack positions nearer to the floor which have a lower temperature and higher relative humidity.

A number of reasons exist for the lack of uniformity in delivering inlet air for cooling electronic components housed in server racks. Warm outlet air from the back of the server racks may merge with the cold air provided from the floor below. Electronic devices situated in lower rack positions may steal cold air from that optimally would be delivered to devices in higher rack positions. Perforated tiles may not allow for a sufficient air flow at a front side of the rack, preventing cold air from arriving in a controlled fashion at the rack.

Known solutions primarily address the problem of the merging warm air emanating from the server rack with fresh raised floor air. However, the solutions lack the ability of controlled air provisioning to various zones of the rack. As is exemplarily illustrated in the conventional server rack cooling system of Figure 1, basic physics rules apply for relative humidity -which is higher in the cold air emanating the raised floor and lower on the upper part of the rack where the air temperature is higher. With no control implemented, the cool air emanating from the raised floor clearly becomes warmer as the air travels further upward to reach electronic components provided at a higher rack position. Thus, the electronic components provided at the higher rack position are clearly exposed to air at a warmer temperature. Thus, the electronic components at the higher rack position are not able to transfer as much heat energy to the air. Unfavorable air, temperature, and humidity are spread to all positions of the server rack in a conventional server rack cooling system.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In view of the foregoing and other exemplary problems, drawbacks, and disadvantages of the conventional methods and structures, an exemplary object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus, system, and method of providing controlled, constant temperature and humidity and a balanced air flow to electronic equipment provided in server racks.

An exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes a method of controlling an air flow to a server rack. The method includes providing an air inlet duct on a raised floor and on an air-intake side of the server rack, the raised floor including a plurality of cooling vents for delivering the air flow to the server rack, the air inlet duct including a ground plate, the providing the air inlet duct including forming the air inlet duct with one of aluminum and iron such that a noise emanating from the air inlet duct is lowered, and forming a plurality of separation sheets in the air inlet duct such that the plurality of separation sheets are adjustable to a plurality of positions, the plurality of separation sheets including a metal, closing an entirety of the plurality of cooling vents that do not supply the air flow to the air inlet duct and opening an entirety of the plurality of cooling vents that supply the air flow to the air inlet duct, conditioning the air flow at a specific temperature and humidity, using the air inlet duct to provide the air flow to a plurality of zones of the server rack, the using the air inlet duct occurring after the conditioning the air flow and including adjusting the air flow and the plurality of separation sheets to provide the plurality of zones with an amount of the air flow required to be delivered to the plurality of zones such that a temperature, a pressure, and a humidity of the air flow is substantially uniform across the plurality of zones, and preventing the server rack from tilting, the preventing the server rack including fixing the ground plate of the air inlet duct to the server rack. The air inlet duct is removable.

According to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the air inlet duct provides a controllable, constant temperature and humidity, and a balanced air flow to the computer equipment installed in server racks. The air inlet duct also provides an extended hardware lifetime expectation due to lower operating temperatures. Further, the air inlet duct provides increased energy efficiency due to reduced chilled air leakage and reduced intermix of cool and hot air.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The foregoing and other exemplary purposes, aspects and advantages will be better understood from the following detailed description of exemplary embodiments of the invention with reference to the drawings, in which: Figure 1 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a temperature and humidity profile of the conventional server rack cooling system; Figure 2 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a controllable air inlet duct for a server rack of the present invention; Figure 3 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a temperature and humidity profile of the present invention; Figure 4 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of the adjustment of the separation sheets of the present invention; Figure 5 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a method of the present invention; and Figure 6 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a system of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS OF THE

INVENTION

Referring now to the drawings, and more particularly to Figures 2-6, there are shown exemplary embodiments of the structures and method according to the present invention.

Figure 2 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a controllable air inlet duct for a server rack of the present invention. An air inlet duct 201 is placed to cover an air-intake side 221 of a server rack 202 such that a controllable, constant temperature and humidity as well as a balanced air flow is provided to the electronic equipment installed in the server rack 202. Air that is conditioned at a specific temperature and humidity is provided separately to different zones 231, 232, 233 of the server rack 202. The actual air flow to the zones 231, 232, 233 can be individually adjusted according to the needs of a specific zone.

The air inlet duct 201 is an enclosure installed on a computer center raised floor 240 in place of a conventional server rack front door. An exemplary aspect of the air inlet duct 201 is constructed with one of aluminum and iron such that a noise emanating from the air inlet duct is lowered. Within the air inlet duct 201, several separation sheets 251, 252, preferably, but not necessarily, constructed in metal, provide an adjustable airflow to various sections of the server rack 201. The separation sheets 251, 252 can be adjusted to different positions in order to accommodate different situations requiring different amount of air to be provided to the different zones 231, 232, 233 of the server rack 201.

To allow maintenance access to the electronic components in the server rack 202, the air inlet duct 201 can be taken off the ground plate 260. The ground plate 260 is fixed to the server rack 202 to prevent the server rack 202 from tilting. While the air inlet duct 201 is removed, a floor cut-out provided in the ground plate 260 would be covered with a closing plate which Figure 3 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a temperature and humidity profile of the present invention. The chilled air from the raised floor 301 is piped directly into the air inlet duct 201. The only cooling vents needed for operation are the cooling vents 350 feeding the air inlet duct 201 through the raised floor 350. All other cooling vents, whether provided in the raised floor 301 or in another location, can be closed. This minimizes the area on the raised floor 301 which has to be opened for cooling the system.

Within the air inlet duct 201, several separation sheets 251, 252 provide an adjustable airflow to various sections of the server rack. By doing so, the chilled air is distributed to the different zones 231, 232, 233 of the server rack 202 with substantially the same temperature, pressure, and humidity.

Figure 4 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of the adjustment of the separation sheets of the present invention. The separation sheets 251, 252 are adjustable into different positions to enable the control of the amount of air being provided for specific zones of the server rack 202. As is exemplarily illustrated in Figure 4, the separation sheets 251, 252 have been adjusted to have a diagonal orientation with respect to the server rack 202.

Figure 5 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a method 500 of the present invention. The method 500 of cooling electronic equipment in a server rack includes providing (501) an air inlet duct on a raised floor and on an air-intake side of the server rack, the raised floor including a plurality of cooling vents for delivering the air flow to the server rack, the air inlet duct including a ground plate, the providing the air inlet duct including forming (5011) the air inlet duct with one of aluminum and iron such that a noise emanating from the air inlet duct is lowered, and forming (5012) a plurality of separation sheets in the air inlet duct such that the plurality of separation sheets are adjustable to a plurality of positions, the plurality of separation sheets including a metal, closing (502) an entirety of the plurality of cooling vents that do not supply the air flow to the air inlet duct and opening an entirety of the plurality of cooling vents that supply the air flow to the air inlet duct, conditioning (503) the air flow at a specific temperature and humidity, using (504) the air inlet duct to provide the air flow to a plurality of zones of the server rack, the using the air inlet duct occurring after the conditioning the air flow and including adjusting the air flow and the plurality of separation sheets to provide the plurality of zones with an amount of the air flow required to be delivered to the plurality of zones such that a temperature, a pressure, and a humidity of the air flow is substantially uniform across the plurality of zones, and preventing (505) the server rack from tilting, the preventing the server rack including fixing the ground plate of the air inlet duct to the server rack.

Figure 6 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a system 600 of the present invention. The system 600 of cooling electronic equipment in a server rack includes an air inlet duct providing module (601) for providing an air inlet duct on a raised floor and on an air-intake side of the server rack, the raised floor including a plurality of cooling vents for delivering the air flow to the server rack, the air inlet duct including a ground plate, the air inlet duct providing module including an air inlet duct forming module (6011) for forming the air inlet duct with one of aluminum and iron such that a noise emanating from the air inlet duct is lowered, and a separation sheets forming module (6012) for forming a plurality of separation sheets in the air inlet duct such that the plurality of separation sheets are adjustable to a plurality of positions, the plurality of separation sheets including a metal, a cooling vent closing and opening module (602) for closing an entirety of the plurality of cooling vents that do not supply the air flow to the air inlet duct and opening an entirety of the plurality of cooling vents that supply the air flow to the air inlet duct, an air flow conditioning module (603) for conditioning the air flow at a specific temperature and humidity, an air inlet duct using module (604) for using the air inlet duct to provide the air flow to a plurality of zones of the server rack, the using the air inlet duct occurring after the conditioning the air flow and including adjusting the air flow and the plurality of separation sheets to provide the plurality of zones with an amount of the air flow required to be delivered to the plurality of zones such that a temperature, a pressure, and a humidity of the air flow is substantially uniform across the plurality of zones, and a server rack tilt-preventing module (605) for preventing the server rack from tilting, the preventing the server rack including fixing the ground plate of the air inlet duct to the server rack.

Improvements and modifications can be made to the foregoing without departing from the scope of the present invention.

It will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art that the present invention is not limited to what has been particularly shown and described hereinabove. Rather, the scope of the present invention includes both combinations and sub-combinations of the various features described hereinabove, as well as variations and modifications thereof that are not in the prior art, which would occur to persons skilled in the art upon reading the foregoing description.

Claims

CLAIMS1. A method of controlling an air flow to a server rack, said method comprising: providing an air inlet duct on a raised floor and on an air-intake side of said server rack, said raised floor comprising a plurality of cooling vents for delivering said air flow to said server rack, said air inlet duct comprising a ground plate, said providing said air inlet duct comprising: forming said air inlet duct with one of aluminum and iron such that a noise emanating from said air inlet duct is lowered; and forming a plurality of separation sheets in said air inlet duct such that said plurality of separation sheets are adjustable to a plurality of positions, said plurality of separation sheets comprising a metal; closing an entirety of said plurality of cooling vents that do not supply said air flow to said air inlet duct and opening an entirety of said plurality of cooling vents that supply said air flow to said air inlet duct; conditioning said air flow at a specific temperature and humidity; using said air inlet duct to provide said air flow to a plurality of zones of said server rack, said using said air inlet duct occurring after said conditioning said air flow and comprising adjusting said air flow and said plurality of separation sheets to provide said plurality of zones with an amount of said air flow required to be delivered to said plurality of zones such that a temperature, a pressure, and a humidity of said air flow is substantially uniform across said plurality of zones; and preventing said server rack from tilting, said preventing said server rack comprising fixing said ground plate of said air inlet duct to said server rack, wherein said air inlet duct is removable.