Cooling air stack for computer equipment

摘要

A cooling system for a computer room includes a forced air system. The forced air system moves cooling air through computers in one or more rack systems in the computer room. Stacks are coupled between the rack systems and the ceiling of the computer room. Each stack may include a flexible portion between an inlet portion and an exit portion of the stack. The stacks direct cooling air exiting from exit ports on the rack systems to openings in the ceiling.

主权项

1. A cooling system for directing cooling air from a rack-mounted computer system, comprising:
a stack, comprising:
an inlet configured to couple with a rack system at an exit of the rack;a lower duct portion;an exit of the stack configured to couple with a ceiling at an opening in the ceiling, wherein the opening in the ceiling includes a flow restriction device; andan upper duct portion configured to extend downwardly from the ceiling; and an exit duct, coupled with the exit of the stack, and configured to extend into and through a ceiling plenum above the opening in the ceiling, wherein the exit duct forms an enclosure configured to segregate exit air exiting the rack system and passing through the exit duct from air circulating within the ceiling plenum and air entering the ceiling plenum from one or more other rack systems, such that air circulating within the ceiling plenum and air entering the ceiling plenum from one or more other rack systems is recirculated and the exit air passing through the exit duct passes into ambient air outside the ceiling plenum; a flexible portion of increasing passage size coupled between the lower duct portion and the upper duct portion, wherein the flexible portion is coupled with the upper duct portion at a point below the ceiling, wherein the lower duct portion is configured to direct cooling air from the inlet to the flexible portion, wherein the flexible portion is configured to direct cooling air from the lower duct portion to the upper duct portion, wherein the lower duct portion comprises a lower duct cross-sectional area, wherein the cross-sectional area of the flexible portion increases from a first cross-sectional area where the flexible portion couples to the lower duct portion to a second cross-sectional area where the flexible portion couples to the upper duct portion, wherein the upper duct portion is above the flexible portion, wherein the upper duct portion comprises a passageway configured to direct air that is downstream from the flexible portion of increasing passage size through the opening in the ceiling, wherein the upper duct portion comprises an upper duct cross-sectional area that is larger than the second, increased cross sectional area of the flexible portion.