NOISE-REDUCING SIDE CHAMBERS FOR AIR EXHAUST FROM COMPUTER RACKS AND A METHOD OF EXHAUSTING AIR AND REDUCING NOISE BY USING THE SAME

A method of exhausting exhaust air and reducing exhaust-air associated noise from a computer rack includes exhausting the exhaust air and the exhaust-air associated noise from a rear-mounted blower directly through a side opening at a rear portion of the computer rack, channeling the exhaust air and the exhaust-air associated noise through an acoustically absorptive side chamber, the acoustically absorptive side chamber sealed to the side opening of the computer rack such that the exhaust air and the exhaust-air associated noise is ducted through the acoustically absorptive side chamber and exits the acoustically absorptive side chamber at an upper portion of the acoustically absorptive side chamber in a vertical direction towards a ceiling of a data center in which the computer rack is installed, and using an acoustically absorptive duct of the acoustically absorptive side chamber to significantly attenuate the exhaust-air associated noise prior to radiating the exhaust-air associated noise from the upper portion of the acoustically absorptive side chamber.