Google's Mystery Barges Likely Mobile Data Centers, According to 2009 Patent

It seems like something out of a Neal Stephenson novel, but, increasingly, it looks like the large barges floating off the coasts of the United States are truly Google data centers.

Though the Mountain View giant has not commented on them, two large barges, built with shipping containers and scaffolding that have been seen floating off the coast of San Francisco, California and Portland, Maine, are probably giant floating servers for Google.

The purported data flotillas have been stirring up rumors about what they do and why they're floating off of the coast of the northwestern and northeastern United States, but according to CNBC, the U.S. Coast Guard was able to throw a little light on the mysterious barges.

"We can confirm that Google is involved or associated with the barge but there is a nondisclosure agreement in effect; the Coast Guard is unable to discuss or divulge any further details at this time," said Coast Guard spokesperson Petty Officer 1^st Class Thomas McKenzie to CNBC.

That the barges might be data centers comes from a patent filed and granted to Google in 2009, which describes the exact same idea. The patent, which can be found on Google's patent site (via the Washington Post) describes a "floating platform-mounted computer data center" powered by a "sea-based electrical generator" and taking advantage of "sea-water cooling units for providing cooling to the plurality of computing units."

Google's idea in building a floating data center is for additional hubs in the internet's "backbone" that can be transported near where data needs are greatest, distributing computing power in a mobile fashion. This includes temporary data needs that can be better accessed by sea rather than by immobile land-based data centers. As Google's patent says, "it can be beneficial to distribute computing power closer to users. As such, data centers may be moved closer to users, with relevant content sent from a central facility out to regional data centers only once, and further transmissions occurring over shorter regional links. As a result, every request from a user need not result in a transmission cross-country and through the internet backbone-network activity may be more evenly balanced and confined to local areas."

Temporary data needs are addressed as well, as Google's patent claims, "Also, transient needs for computing power may arise in a particular area. For example, a military presence may be needed in an area, a natural disaster may bring a need for computing or telecommunication presence in an area until the natural infrastructure can be repaired or rebuilt, and certain events may draw thousands of people who may put a load on the local computing infrastructure."

Another theory for the floating barge is that it's a floating store for Google, specifically Google Glass - built as a marketing move. However, Google has looked at unconventional ideas for spreading internet access before, including floating balloons broadcasting broadband to remote locations, so a data barge looks to be the most likely explanation.

What do you think it could be? Tell us in the comments below.