Cold aisle/hot aisle containment system for computer servers in a data center

Abstract

A cold aisle/hot aisle containment system for cooling computer servers on a raised floor in a data center is provided. The system includes a pedestal support system and a cold aisle is defined by at least one row of air-grate floor panels located between at least two banks of server racks. The floor panels including a perforated top plate with a support frame. The support frame includes reinforcing beam members and directional air flow vanes. Computer server cabinets include a cold air inlet, in a front cabinet panel, and a hot air exhaust, in a back cabinet panel. The server cabinets are mounted in the banks of server racks so that the front panels are facing each other on opposite sides of the cold aisle. An air flow damper door is adapted to cover at least a portion of at least one of the front or back cabinet panels so that damper blade members operate to direct a flow of cooling air through the cabinets.

1 . A hot aisle/cold aisle containment system for cooling computer servers on a raised floor in a data center, comprising:
 (a) a pedestal support system having a plurality of vertically extending pedestal supports each having an upper end connected to a pedestal support head and a lower end connected to a pedestal support base, the pedestal supports each connected in a matrix orientation with a plurality of horizontal stringers;   (b) a cold aisle defined by at least one row of air-grate floor panels located between at least two banks of server racks, said floor panels including a top plate having at least one slotted perforation through an upper and a lower surface, and a support frame including reinforcing beam members connected to the lower surface, said air-grate support frame carried on the pedestal support system, and wherein one of each of said banks of server racks is supported on the raised floor on each side of the cold aisle;   (c) a plurality of computer server cabinets, said server cabinets having a cold air inlet in a front cabinet panel and a hot air exhaust in a back cabinet panel, said server cabinets mounted in said server racks in an alignment so that the front panels are facing each other on opposite sides of the cold aisle; and   (d) an air flow damper door adapted to cover at least a portion of at least one of said cabinet panels, said damper door including a damper frame having a top, bottom and side walls defining a damper opening, and wherein said damper opening includes a plurality of damper blade members pivotally mounted in said damper frame extending side to side in a direction normal to the damper frame side walls so that the blade members operate to direct a flow of cooling air through the cabinets.   
     
     
         2 . The system according to  claim 1 , wherein the damper frame sidewalls include oppositely aligned pivot pin retaining holes and the damper blade members further comprise a central pivot pin formation extending outwardly along a central pivot axis at opposite ends thereof so that the pivot pin formations are pivotally received in the pivot pin retaining holes. 
     
     
         3 . The system according to  claim 1 , wherein the damper frame sidewalls include oppositely aligned central pivot pin formations extending inwardly along a central pivot axis and the damper blade members include pivot pin retaining holes for pivotally receiving the pivot pin formations. 
     
     
         4 . The system according to  claim 1 , wherein the air-grate support frame is supported on the pedestal support heads so that the slotted openings are aligned to extend in a direction which is normal to the damper blade members. 
     
     
         5 . The system according to  claim 1 , wherein the top plate of the air-grate floor panel defines four corner portions, wherein each of said corner portions includes a clear hole through the top plate, a threaded collar connected to the lower surface of the top plate in axial alignment with the clear hole, and a set screw having an upper tool receiving end, accessible through the clear hole, and a lower foot end which is capable of biasing against, but not connecting to, the pedestal support head of the pedestal support system so that in operation the set screw rotatably adjusts the upper surface of the air-grate to a predetermined level in relation to the raised floor. 
     
     
         6 . The system according to  claim 1 , wherein the cold aisle is a single row of rectangular air-grate floor panels. 
     
     
         7 . The system according to  claim 1 , wherein the air-grate support frame includes at least two air-flow vanes defining a directional air-flow portion. 
     
     
         8 . The system according to  claims 1 , wherein the damper blade members include a bend defining an outer air deflecting flange portion having a radius curve outer edge. 
     
     
         9 . The system according to  claim 1 , wherein the damper door is adapted to cover the hot air exhaust in the back cabinet panel and the damper blade members are capable of directing a heated air flow from the cabinet outwardly through the hot air exhaust and upwardly into a hot aisle in the data center. 
     
     
         10 . The system according to  claim 1 , wherein the damper door is adapted to cover the cold air inlet, of the front cabinet panel, and the damper blade members are adapted to direct a flow of cooling air from the cold aisle into the computer server cabinet. 
     
     
         11 . The system according to  claim 1 , wherein the air-grate support frame includes at least two vertical airfoil vane members having an upper inclined and a lower vertical planar surfaces demarcated by a longitudinal axis of the vane members, the vane members connected to the air-grate support frame in a crosswise spaced relationship to the reinforcing beam members, and wherein the slotted openings are positioned between the reinforcing beams and the airfoil vanes so that the upper inclined planar surface is capable of directing cooling air from a lower plenum of a raised floor through the openings on an inclined plane toward a cold air intake of a data server cabinet to be cooled. 
     
     
         12 . The system according to  claim 1 , wherein the air-grate support frame includes at least two vertical airfoil vane members having an lower inclined and an upper vertical planar surfaces demarcated by a longitudinal axis of the vane members, the vane members connected to the air-grate support frame in a crosswise spaced relationship to the reinforcing beam members, and wherein the slotted openings are positioned between the reinforcing beams and the airfoil vanes so that the upper inclined planar surface is capable of directing cooling air from a lower plenum of a raised floor through the openings on an inclined plane toward a cold air intake of a data server cabinet to be cooled. 
     
     
         13 . The system according to  claim 1 , wherein the air-grate support frame includes at least two vertical airfoil vane members having an lower inclined and an upper vertical planar surfaces demarcated by a longitudinal axis of the vane members, and wherein the vane members are connected to the air-grate support frame in a concentrically spaced relationship to the reinforcing beam members so that the vane members are capable of directing cooling air from a lower plenum of a raised floor through the openings on an inclined plane in at least two directions. 
     
     
         14 . The system according to  claim 1 , wherein the reinforcing beam members further include a plurality of longitudinal spaced clear holes. 
     
     
         15 . The system according to  claim 6 , wherein the rectangular floor panel is substantially 60 cm×90 cm. 
     
     
         16 . The system according to  claim 7 , wherein the air-grate is positioned on the support frame so that the air flow vanes are in parallel alignment with the damper blade members. 
     
     
         17 . The system according to  claim 7  wherein the air flow vanes define a chord length and include a bend extending along the chord length so that a flanges portion is defined to redirect a flow of under-floor-plenum air upwardly into the cold aisle of the data center. 
     
     
         18 . The system according to  claim 17  wherein the air flow vanes are connected to the air-grate support frame in an alignment which is concentric and outwardly tapering. 
     
     
         19 . A hot aisle/cold aisle containment system for cooling computer servers on a raised floor in a data center, comprising:
 (a) a pedestal support system;   (b) a cold aisle defined by at least one row of air-grate floor panels located between at least two banks of server racks, wherein said floor panels include a perforated top plate and a support frame including reinforcing beam members and at least two directional air flow vanes;   (c) a plurality of computer server cabinets include a cold air inlet, in a front cabinet panel, and a hot air exhaust, in a back cabinet panel, wherein said server cabinets are mounted in the banks of server racks so that the front panels are facing each other on opposite sides of the cold aisle; and   (d) a damper door is adapted to cover at least a portion of at least one of the front or back cabinet panels so that damper blade members operate to direct a flow of cooling air through the cabinets.   
     
     
         20 . The system according to  claim 19 , wherein the air-grate support frame includes slotted perforations and the air-grate is supported on pedestal support heads so that the slotted openings are aligned to extend in a direction which is normal to the damper blade members.