JP2014049515A - Electronic apparatus with cooling device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To switch between closed cooling based on internal circulation and a mode using outside air by accurately grasping the temperature/humidity of air outside of a rack casing in order to reduce cooling power of an electronic apparatus.SOLUTION: A rear door 3 comprises: a first duct connected with a first opening through which air at a back side of a server 4 flows in; a second duct connected with a second opening 16 and a second fan 24 for exhausting air to the outside of a casing; a third duct connected with a third opening 15 and a third fan 23 for taking in air outside of the casing; and a fourth duct connected with a duct of a rack casing including an air conditioner. Within the rear door, a four-way valve is installed for connecting the first to fourth ducts. Further, within the third duct, a first sensor 26 is included for monitoring the temperature and humidity of outside air, and in an outlet of a duct including heat exchangers 19, 20 inside of the casing, a second sensor 41 is disposed for monitoring the temperature and humidity of air.

Description

  The present invention relates to an electronic device apparatus provided with a cooling device, for example, a cooling device inside a rack housing on which a plurality of electronic devices such as server devices are mounted, and in particular, the inside of the rack housing is in an environment suitable for cooling electronic devices. It is related with the technique for keeping the air-conditioning power small while maintaining.

As a background art in this technical field, there is JP-T 2008-530484 (Patent Document 1). Here, for the purpose of power saving, a method of providing a heat exchanger in a sealed casing and cooling an electronic device mounted therein is shown. In particular, here, a method is described in which a device for aerosolizing moisture condensed by a heat exchanger is attached to keep the internal humidity constant.
As a background art in this technical field, there is JP-A-2007-324514 (Patent Document 2). Here, the first heat exchanger is provided in the sealed enclosure, the compressor, the second heat exchanger, and the electronic expansion valve are provided at the lower part of the enclosure, and the compressor, the second heat exchanger, and the electronic expansion are provided. A method of cooling an electronic device mounted inside by flowing a refrigerant cooled by a valve to a first heat exchanger is shown. In particular, here, a system is shown in which dew condensation is avoided by managing the temperature of the refrigerant.

As described above, there has conventionally been a technology for providing a cooling device inside a housing in which an electronic device such as a server is mounted, and maintaining the intake air temperature of the server appropriately only by air circulation inside the housing. Intake air temperature and humidity management have been traditionally cited.
As another background art of this technical field, there is JP-A-2003-289195 (Patent Document 3). This includes heat exchanging means configured by a plurality of heat exchanging methods housed in one casing so as to cool the casing containing the device including the heating element, and the heat exchanging means includes A system is described which is composed of a circulation system, a natural refrigerant circulation system, and a ventilation system, and is switched to an optimum cooling system by temperature detection means.

  Moreover, there exists Unexamined-Japanese-Patent No. 2003-294287 (patent document 4) as background art of this technical field. This is installed on the outer wall of the heating element storage box to form an air flow path inside the box that takes in the air inside the box and exhausts it into the box and circulates it, and an outside air flow path that takes in the outside air and discharges it into the outside air. An air blower for conveying the air in both air paths, a heat exchanger disposed at the intersection of the outside air path and the air air path in the box, and an outside air temperature sensor 8 for measuring the outside air temperature, the outside air path and the inside of the box It is possible to switch between the air path structure in which both air paths pass through the heat exchanger and the air path structure in which outside air is directly supplied into the box without passing through the heat exchanger by opening and closing the damper. The supplied air heat exchanger is described.

  In this way, a cooling device that combines a structure for switching between an air intake / exhaust port and a heat exchanger, an outside air flow path and a non-use air path is installed on the wall surface of the housing containing the electronic equipment such as a server, A structure for controlling the intake of outside air based on information has been conventionally shown.

  As another background art in this technical field, there is JP-A-7-294187 (Patent Document 5). This describes a system that measures the temperature and humidity of server exhaust and outdoor air, compares the server exhaust and outdoor air enthalpy values calculated from the measured values, and makes a decision to take outdoor air into the room where the server is located. Has been. As described above, as an air conditioning method for each room, a structure for saving energy by taking outdoor air into the room based on temperature / humidity information of indoor and outdoor air has been conventionally shown.

JP 2008-530484 A JP 2007-324514 A JP 2003-289195 A JP 2003-294287 A JP-A-7-294187

  An object of the present invention is to maintain an electronic device such as a server device mounted on a housing in an appropriate temperature / humidity environment, and to suppress the power of a cooling device provided in the housing as small as possible in order to realize this. .

  The appropriate environment of electronic equipment such as server equipment varies depending on the device. Here, as an example of a general server, there is a server in which a temperature range of 10 ° C. to 35 ° C. and a relative humidity of 20% to 80% are used as a guarantee environment during operation. This operation guarantee environment is assumed that the server inhales air having the same temperature and humidity as the surrounding environment, and finally, the intake air of the server must have a temperature and humidity within the range of the operation guarantee environment.

  The range of the above-mentioned guaranteed operating temperature and humidity is determined by each problem. For example, the lower temperature limit is due to the risk of short-circuiting of electrical wiring due to condensation or the temperature characteristics of the performance of the semiconductor used. It is well known that the characteristics of a semiconductor may change depending on the temperature, and the expected characteristics may not be obtained even at low temperatures. The upper temperature limit is a value determined to ensure the upper temperature limit of the semiconductor to be used and the expected product life. In particular, the CPU built in the server may generate a heat value of around 100 W, which is higher than the heat value of the surrounding semiconductor. In order to cool this, a cooling device such as a heat radiating fin is attached. In order to cool this within the operation guarantee range of the CPU, it is necessary to lower the air temperature used for cooling. The low humidity side is a value determined in consideration of the danger of electronic equipment due to the generation of static electricity, and the high humidity side is a value determined in consideration of the danger of short-circuiting due to condensation.

  In order to keep the electronic devices such as servers in an appropriate environment, conventionally, air temperature / humidity management has been performed on a room basis by using an air conditioner or a humidifier provided in the room. In this method, temperature and humidity management is performed in a room-sized space, so there is a temperature distribution in which the environmental temperature increases in places that are far from the air conditioner or where there are electronic devices that generate large amounts of heat locally. Occur. Considering the temperature distribution in the room, it is necessary to increase the airflow of the air conditioner and lower the temperature of the cool air so that the environmental temperature of the entire electronic equipment falls within the set range. This led to an increase in power. In addition, the heat generation amount of an electronic device changes every moment depending on the electronic device to be used. In the cooling method for each room, the electronic device with the maximum heat generation amount in the electronic device installed in the room is cooled. It is necessary to operate the air conditioner so that it can be reduced. For this reason, even when the calorific value of other electronic devices is very small, the power of the air conditioner cannot be greatly reduced.

  In order to solve these problems, a system for cooling an electronic device housed in a housing unit smaller than the rooms shown in Patent Documents 1 to 4 is being studied. Thus, the power of the air blower of an air conditioner can be made small by reducing the volume to cool. In addition, since the temperature distribution becomes small, it is not necessary to excessively reduce the cold air blowing temperature of the air conditioner. In addition, since the cooling is performed in units of housings, when the heat generation amount of the stored electronic device is reduced, the air conditioning power can be reduced accordingly.

  As a technique for reducing the air conditioning power, as shown in Patent Document 3 to Patent Document 5, it is known to use air outside the housing or outside the housing. Generally, the temperature and humidity of the air outside the enclosure are measured, and outside air is taken in if the air temperature is within the appropriate environmental temperature range of the electronic equipment inside the enclosure or below. In particular, Patent Document 5 uses a method of judging from both sides of temperature and humidity by using the enthalpy of air for the judgment.

  However, there are some problems in attaching a function of taking in air around the rack to a rack housing having an electronic device such as a server and having a heat exchanger inside. One of them is humidity management in the enclosure. When air is circulated in an enclosed casing as shown in Patent Document 1 or Patent Document 2 to cool an internal electronic device, if the initial humidity is an appropriate value, Patent Document 1 In this way, the water that has been condensed in the heat exchanger is returned to the air again, or the refrigerant temperature is controlled so that condensation does not occur as in Patent Document 2, so that the initial appropriate humidity can be maintained for a long period of time. Is possible. However, when air outside the housing is used, the humidity inside the housing may change, and humidity management may not be possible with the above method alone.

  Moreover, when taking in outdoor air like patent document 5, the special designation | designated is not required for the place which measures the temperature and humidity of outdoor air to take in. Of course, in order to accurately measure the outdoor air temperature, there is no direct sunlight, no reflection, etc., and the environment should not be directly exposed to water droplets such as rain. However, the housing that houses the electronic equipment is usually placed indoors. In particular, a room such as a server room has a temperature distribution depending on the arrangement of surrounding electronic devices and air conditioners as described above. When considering the installation of a housing in such a space, it is important to appropriately measure the temperature and humidity of the air taken into the housing. When using the enclosure considering the introduction of outside air shown in Patent Literature 3 and Patent Literature 4 in a room with temperature distribution, how to accurately capture the temperature and humidity of the outside air of the enclosure and how to control the values The problem is whether to reflect this in When a temperature / humidity sensor is installed outside the housing, it cannot be said that there is no temperature difference between the air at the location where the sensor is installed and the air taken in by the housing. Therefore, it is desirable to provide the temperature / humidity sensor in a duct for taking in air outside the housing. However, it is conceivable that the housing with the electronic device that generates heat inside is at a higher temperature than the outside air. For this reason, the temperature inside the duct is higher than that of the external air taken in. There is a possibility. Further, the temperature difference between the casing and the outside depends on the amount of heat generated by the internal electronic equipment, and this also changes from moment to moment.

  In addition, the housing on which the electronic device is mounted needs to be compact. This is to minimize the area occupied by the room as much as possible. In particular, rack housings on which servers are mounted may be installed side by side. In this case, it is conceivable that the side surfaces of the housing cannot be used to take in air outside the rack. Since the front and rear of the rack chassis serve as doors for accessing the server, no separate chassis is installed side by side on the front and rear sides. Under these conditions, the front and rear sides of the rack chassis or the ceiling and bottom surfaces are suitable for the air intake outside the rack chassis. Further, since it is necessary to open the door while the server is operating, it is necessary to supply air in an environment suitable for the electronic device such as the server even when the door is opened.

  In a room such as a server room or a data center where a large amount of electronic devices such as servers are used, as disclosed in Patent Document 5, introduction of outside air is being studied in order to suppress the power of the air conditioner as much as possible. There is also a movement to reduce the power consumption by reducing the annual air conditioning usage time as much as possible by expanding the range in which outside air can be taken. In this case, the indoor environment temperature / humidity is not necessarily within the guaranteed range of the electronic device. In addition, a housing that can cool the electronic equipment in the housing may be installed in a room that has only a ventilation function and no air conditioning function. In this case, the temperature and humidity environment of the air is the same as that of the outdoor, even indoors.

  As described above, the problem of the present invention is that the air environment outside the enclosure does not significantly impair the compactness of the rack enclosure on which the electronic equipment such as a conventional server is mounted and the access during operation of the electronic equipment. Even in various temperature and humidity environments, the temperature and humidity of the air outside the enclosure are accurately measured, and if this temperature and humidity are within the allowable range, outside air is taken in, thereby reducing air conditioning power. is there.

  In order to solve the above problems, for example, the configuration described in the claims is adopted.

The present application includes a plurality of means for solving the above-described problems. To give an example, a housing in which an electronic device is installed, and a housing having door portions on the front side and the back side, In the door portion, a first flow path connected to the first opening through which air on the back side of the electronic device flows, a second flow path connecting to the second opening and the one fan for exhausting air to the outside of the housing And a third flow path for connecting air outside the housing, a third flow path connected to another fan, and a fourth flow path connected to a flow path having an air conditioner. It has a four-way valve structure that connects the first to fourth flow paths inside, a first sensor that monitors the temperature and humidity of external air in the third flow path, It has the 2nd sensor which monitors the temperature and humidity of air in a flow path, It is characterized by the above-mentioned.

  Further, the housing has a first heat exchanger and a second heat exchanger, and the first heat exchanger includes a first compressor, a first heat radiation side heat exchanger, and a first expansion valve. And the second heat exchanger is connected to the second compressor, the second heat radiation side heat exchanger, and the second expansion valve by a pipe.

  In addition, a humidifier is disposed in the fourth flow path. In addition, a filter is disposed in the fourth flow path.

  In addition, a vane whose rotation is controlled by a motor is installed at the intersection of the first to fourth flow paths, and switching of the flow of wind through the flow path and distribution of the flow rate are controlled by the vanes.

  In addition, the fourth flow path has a portion arranged on the side surface of the casing so as to connect the back side and the front side of the casing.

  In addition, the present invention is characterized in that a flow path is provided in the column arranged in the vicinity of the four corners of the housing in a direction in which air flows from the rear surface side of the housing to the entire front surface side.

  Further, the housing for installing an electronic device having an internal area that can accommodate the electronic device, a front door portion, and a rear door portion inside, the back door of the electronic device A first flow path connected to the first opening through which air flows, a second opening for exhausting outside the housing and a second flow path connected to the fan, and a third opening for taking in air outside the housing And a third flow path connected to the fan and a fourth flow path connected to the flow path in which the air conditioner is disposed, and the first to fourth flow paths are provided inside the door portion on the back side. Has a 4-way valve structure, has a first sensor that monitors the temperature and humidity of the external air in the third flow path, and monitors the temperature and humidity of the air at the outlet of the fourth flow path And a second sensor.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to always accurately monitor the temperature of air when air outside the housing is taken in. As a result, when the air temperature outside the enclosure is not suitable for the server to be installed, air is circulated inside the enclosure for cooling, and when the air temperature outside the enclosure is suitable for the server to be installed, External air can be taken in and air conditioner power can be greatly reduced.

It is an example which shows the structure of the general rack housing | casing as a comparative example. It is an example of sectional drawing which shows the internal structure of the general server as a comparative example. It is a figure which shows the cross-sectional position of FIG. It is an example of sectional drawing of the common rack housing | casing as a comparative example. FIG. 3 is an example of a diagram illustrating a configuration of a rack housing according to the first embodiment. FIG. 3 is an example of a diagram illustrating a configuration of a rack housing according to the first embodiment. It is an example of the figure which shows the inside which removed the side plate of the rack housing | casing of Example 1. FIG. It is a figure which shows the cross-sectional position of sectional drawing which shows Example 1 and Example 2. FIG. 2 is an example of a cross-sectional view illustrating a configuration of a rack housing according to Embodiment 1. FIG. 2 is an example of a cross-sectional view illustrating a configuration of a rack housing according to Embodiment 1. FIG. 2 is an example of a cross-sectional view illustrating a configuration of a rack housing according to Embodiment 1. FIG. 2 is an example of a cross-sectional view illustrating a configuration of a rack housing according to Embodiment 1. FIG. 2 is an example of a cross-sectional view illustrating a configuration of a rack housing according to Embodiment 1. FIG. FIG. 3 is an example of a diagram illustrating a configuration of a rack housing according to the first embodiment. It is an example of sectional drawing which shows the structure of the rack housing | casing of Example 2. FIG. It is a figure which shows an example of the server room which uses the rack housing | casing of Example 1 and Example 2. FIG. It is an example of the figure which shows the front door side duct structure support | pillar of Example 1 and Example 2. FIG. It is an example of the figure which shows the rear door side duct structure support | pillar of Example 1 and Example 2. FIG.

  Hereinafter, examples will be described with reference to the drawings. In addition, since the structure attached | subjected with the code | symbol same as the code | symbol already demonstrated has the same function, those description may be abbreviate | omitted.

  Hereinafter, Example 1 will be described in comparison with a general example (comparative example). FIG. 1 shows a general rack-mount server device as a conventional example (comparative example) of an electronic device to which a cooling system according to the present invention is applied. In the figure, the server device includes a rack housing 1 and a front door 2 and a rear door 3 as lids, and for example, an IEC (International Electrical Commission) standard / EIA (Electrical Industries Association) standard, etc. A plurality (seven in this example) of servers 4 formed in a predetermined shape and size based on the specific standard are provided. The front door 2 and the rear door 3 shown in this figure are provided with openings so that air can pass through. Even when the front door 2 and the rear door 3 are closed, the inflow of air from the outside of the rack and the inside of the rack In this structure, there is an air outflow from the rack to the outside of the rack, thereby cooling the internal server. Further, as shown in the figure, it is common to install a plurality of racks (three in this embodiment) side by side so that the front door 2 and the rear door 3 can be opened and closed.

FIG. 2 shows a cross-sectional structure of a general server 4 as an example (comparative example) of an electronic apparatus to which the cooling system according to the present invention is applied. The server 4 has an electronic substrate 9 inside a server housing 5 that is a box. On the electronic substrate 9, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 7, a memory 11, and a semiconductor component (not shown) An integrated circuit or the like is mounted. The server also includes an information recording device such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) 10 and a power supply device (not shown) that converts AC power into DC power. These internal components of the server not only generate heat but also have their respective guaranteed operating temperatures, and the server built-in fan 6 causes air to enter the server as indicated by an arrow 201 so as not to exceed the guaranteed operating temperatures. To cool down. Openings are provided on the front door side and the rear door side of the server housing 5 so that air can be supplied into the server and exhausted.
In order to cool the CPU having a particularly large amount of heat generation, the radiation fins 8 are attached to the CPU surface via thermal conductive grease. The upper limit value of the temperature guarantee range of the CPU differs depending on the product, but there is a value such as 70 ° C., for example. Further, although the maximum heat generation amount of the CPU varies depending on the product, there is a value such as 100 W, for example. In the conventional server, the service range of the temperature of the air supplied to the server is determined to be 35 ° C. or less. For this reason, the size and shape of the radiating fins 8 are designed so that the temperature of the CPU is equal to or lower than the upper limit value of the guaranteed temperature of the CPU when air of 35 ° C. or lower is flowed into the server.

  Moreover, since the server may perform maintenance such as replacement of internal components, it is required to be detachable from the rack housing. Furthermore, since many of the components inside the server use electricity, there is a risk of malfunction or failure due to condensation or water leakage. For this reason, air is generally used for cooling. In particular, since there is a risk of malfunction or failure due to the occurrence of condensation or static electricity, the range of the humidity of the air used for cooling is also determined. Generally, this humidity tolerance is 20-80% relative humidity.

  In general, the front door side of the server 4 may have a power switch, an indicator lamp, an HDD mounting port, and the like, and the rear door side has a communication wiring mounting port such as a LAN and a power cord mounting port. There is. For this reason, it is essential for maintenance that the front door side and the rear door side of the server 4 are accessible even after being installed in the rack housing.

  FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a general rack mount server device as a conventional example (comparative example) of an electronic device to which the cooling system according to the present invention is applied. The position of the cross section is the position indicated by the cross section 301 of the housing 1 in FIG. The conventional rack housing includes a front door-side column 101, a rear door-side column 104, a server fixing column 102 having a hole for fixing the server 4, a side plate 105 fixed to the column, and the like. There is also an example in which an intermediate column 103 is inserted to increase the strength. As described above, as shown in the air flow 201 in FIG. 4, the front door 2 and the rear door 3 have openings in order to supply wind to the server 4 from the front door 2 side and exhaust the air to the rear door 3 side. Is provided. An air flow 201 is created by a fan built in the server 4. As shown in FIG. 4, there has conventionally been a space between the server 4 and the side plate 105, but in order to maintain the strength of the rack housing, an intermediate column 103 combined with sheet metal has been arranged. In addition, if the pressure loss in this space is reduced, the high-temperature server exhaust discharged to the rear door side also flows into the front door side through this space, so there is a large amount of air in this space. I couldn't do it.

  FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating the structure of the server chassis according to the first embodiment. In the first embodiment, the rear door exhaust port 16 for releasing high-temperature server exhaust is sandwiched between the rear door 3 and the rear door intake port 15 for taking in air around the rack housing in the rack housing 1. Provided. In the first embodiment, the heat radiating unit 12 is provided at the upper part of the rack housing as a device for radiating the heat absorbed by the heat exchanger mounted in the rack housing to the outside. This is equivalent to an outdoor unit of an air conditioner, and after cooling the air with a heat exchanger inside the housing and evaporating the refrigerant gas, the refrigerant is pressurized by the compressor and then condensed in the heat radiating unit heat exchanger inside the heat radiating unit. It is a device for. In order to cool the heat radiating unit heat exchanger, the heat radiating unit 12 has a heat radiating unit fan 13. In this embodiment, in particular, the air around the rack housing is taken in from the air inlet 14 for the heat radiating unit provided on the front door 2 side and the rear door 3 side of the heat radiating unit 12 and is exhausted to the ceiling side by the heat radiating unit fan 13. It was. As a result, by providing the exhaust duct on the ceiling where the rack housing of the present embodiment is installed, it becomes possible to efficiently collect high-temperature exhaust and discharge it outside the room. Moreover, since the air temperature suck | inhaled by an air conditioner is high by making the inlet of an air conditioner come instead of an exhaust duct, it becomes possible for an air conditioner to replace | exchange heat | fever indoors efficiently.

  FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating the structure of the server chassis of the first embodiment. In the first embodiment, when the air around the rack housing 1 is not taken into the rack housing 1, the server is cooled by circulating the air inside the rack housing 1. For this reason, it is necessary to ensure airtightness so that air around the rack body does not enter. Therefore, the front door 2 in the figure needs to have a structure that does not have an opening that is the conventional structure. In the first embodiment, the air exhausted to the rear door 3 side through the server 4 is returned to the front door 2 side using the space between the server 4 and the side plate 105 in the rack housing. At this time, a cold air supply port 17 is provided in the front door-side column of the rack housing 1 so that the wind goes to the server 4 side without applying wind to the front door 2. Thereby, it is possible to attach a rubber packing or sponge-like material for maintaining airtightness to the surface of the rack housing on the front door side. Further, by blowing cold air through the cold air supply port 17 perpendicularly to the intake direction of the server 4 and in the vicinity of the inlet, the ratio of air outside the rack housing being reduced even when the front door 2 is opened is reduced. Even when the air temperature is high, the risk of damage caused by the air temperature can be reduced.

  FIG. 7 is an example of a diagram illustrating the inside of the rack case of Example 1 with the side plate 105 removed. As shown in this figure, by providing the air conditioning fan 21, the first heat exchanger 19, and the second heat exchanger 20 on the side surface of the rack housing, the high-temperature air exhausted to the rear door 3 side is cooled. Thus, it is returned to the front door 2 side. Moreover, the air-conditioning fan 21 can be configured to arrange a plurality of fans, thereby ensuring redundancy for maintaining a certain degree of cooling performance even when the fan fails. In the present embodiment, the first heat exchanger 19 and the second heat exchanger 20 are assembled as separate refrigeration cycles. That is, the first heat exchanger 19 and the second heat exchanger 20 each have one compressor, a heat radiating unit heat exchanger, and an electronic expansion valve. Thereby, even when a problem occurs in the refrigeration cycle on one side, it is possible to ensure redundancy for maintaining cooling only on one side. The electronic expansion valve is a valve that can electrically adjust its internal pressure loss, and by combining this with the compressor speed control, it is possible to control the flow rate of refrigerant flowing through the heat exchanger and the evaporation temperature. is there.

  Further, in order to increase the amount of dehumidification by the heat exchanger, it is necessary to lower the evaporation temperature of the refrigerant in the heat exchanger. However, if the evaporation temperature of the refrigerant is lowered, the amount of heat exchange increases, so the air temperature at the outlet of the heat exchanger may be too low. However, for example, if the supply of the refrigerant to the first heat exchanger 19 is stopped or the evaporation temperature is kept high and the evaporation temperature of the refrigerant in the second heat exchanger 20 is reduced, the final heat exchanger outlet The amount of dehumidification can be increased without excessively reducing the air temperature. This is because the heat exchange performance is lowered by halving the surface area of the heat exchanger used, and the evaporation temperature of the refrigerant can be lowered by that amount. In addition, if a four-way valve is provided in the refrigeration cycle and a heating cycle is also possible, it is possible to heat the air temperature that has fallen too much to dehumidify with one heat exchanger. However, operation that lowers the evaporation temperature of the refrigerant and heating operation lead to an increase in power consumption, so it is better to circulate the air inside and to take in the air around the rack chassis even after dehumidification as described above Needs to be considered. In consideration of dehumidification, a structure for receiving the condensed liquid is required under the first heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger. Further, by providing an interval between the heat exchanger and the air conditioning fan, it is possible to drop the droplets condensed by the heat exchanger and blown by the wind. Thereby, it is possible to prevent droplets from going to the server side.

  The intake of ambient air around the rack is adjusted by a damper provided on the rear door 3, and a damper motor 18 is attached to the rear door 3 in order to adjust the damper.

  FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the rack housing according to the first embodiment, and particularly shows a cross section indicated by AA in FIG. In the heat radiating unit 12, a heat radiating unit heat exchanger 22 is provided on each of the front door 2 side and the rear door 3 side, and heat is radiated by sucking air from each direction by a heat radiating unit fan 13 provided in the center. It has become. Two compressors 25 are installed at the bottom of the rack housing 1. Two refrigeration cycles can be obtained by combining the two heat dissipating unit heat exchangers 22 and the two compressors 25 with the first heat exchanger 19 and the second heat exchanger 20 through a refrigerant pipe (not shown). Is making. Although not shown, it is desirable to ensure redundancy by using two heat dissipating unit fans 13. In addition, the code | symbol 24 in FIG. 9 shows the rear door exhaust fan.

  FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of the rack housing according to the first embodiment, and in particular, a cross section indicated by BB in FIG. FIG. 10 shows a structure in which 100% of the air flow rate necessary for server cooling is realized by taking in air around the rack chassis. As described above, the air conditioning fan 21, the first heat exchanger 19, and the second heat exchanger 20 are arranged on the side surface of the rack housing, and both sides are sandwiched between the side plates 105 and the inside is sandwiched between thin plates. That makes the channel. Here, it will be described that by making it possible to remove the inner thin plate, it is possible to access the side surface of the server 4 and the maintainability is improved. Further, the rear door 3 is provided with a rear door intake fan 23 inside the rear door corresponding to the rear door inlet 15, and a rear door exhaust fan 24 inside corresponding to the rear door exhaust 16. Also, damper blades 27 are provided in the flow path inside the rear door so that the flow path can be switched between circulation cooling only inside the rack housing and cooling taking in air outside the rack housing. Further, a first temperature / humidity sensor 26 is provided in the flow path near the rear door intake fan 23 inside the rear door. The first temperature / humidity sensor 26 monitors the air temperature and humidity outside the rack chassis, and determines switching between circulating cooling only inside the rack chassis and cooling incorporating air outside the rack chassis. In addition, the rack housing columns are provided with a duct structure as shown in the rear door side duct structure column 107 and the front door side duct structure column 106 so that air can flow easily while maintaining strength. Moreover, a rectifying effect can be obtained by adopting a duct structure.

  As shown by the wind flow 201 in FIG. 10, the air taken in by the rear door intake fan 23 of the rear door 3 passes through the flow path in the rear door, and further passes through the rear door side duct structure support column 106, In some cases, the heat exchanger 19 and the second heat exchanger 20 are cooled when passing, pass through the air conditioning fan 21, and are blown from the front of the server 4 from the side by the front door side duct structure. The air sucked into the server 4 cools the internal heat-generating components, rises in temperature, and is then exhausted. The rear door exhaust fan 24 exhausts the air outside the rack chassis. If the air temperature outside the rack housing is within a temperature / humidity range suitable for server operation, it is not necessary to cool with a heat exchanger, leading to power saving. If the air temperature outside the rack housing is lower than that of the server exhaust and the humidity is in an appropriate range, the amount of heat to be cooled by the heat exchanger is less than that for cooling the server exhaust, leading to power saving.

A second temperature / humidity sensor 41 is attached inside the front door duct structure column 106. Thus, the temperature and humidity of the cold air supplied to the server 4 are monitored, and the mixing ratio of the heat exchanger or rack ambient air and the server exhaust is adjusted based on this information.

  In this embodiment, a four-way valve structure will be described. The rack housing is provided with a flow path for allowing air to flow from the rear door 3 side, which is the exhaust side of the server, to the front side, which is the server intake side, in which a heat exchanger (for example, corresponding to reference numerals 19 and 20) and A fan (for example, corresponding to reference numeral 21) is installed.

  A first flow path connected to a first opening through which air on the back side of the server 4 flows into the rear door 3 side, a second opening (for example, corresponding to reference numeral 16) for exhausting air to the outside of the housing, and a second A second flow path connected to the fan (corresponding to reference numeral 24), a third opening (for example corresponding to reference numeral 15) for taking in air outside the housing, and a third fan (for example corresponding to reference numeral 23). A fourth flow path connected to the connected third flow path and the flow path of the rack housing having an air conditioner (e.g., corresponding to reference numerals 19, 20, and 21) is disposed. Inside the rear door 3, damper wings 27 functioning as a four-way valve connecting the first to fourth flow paths are installed.

  With this four-way valve structure, in the case of rack enclosure internal circulation (for example, corresponding to the case of FIG. 12 described later), the first flow path and the fourth flow path are connected, and the second flow path and the third flow path are connected. Connect the channels. When the inside of the enclosure is cooled with air outside the rack enclosure (for example, corresponding to the case of FIG. 10), the first flow path and the second flow path are connected, and the third flow path and the fourth flow path are connected. tie.

  Further, in the intermediate state (for example, corresponding to the case of FIG. 11 described later), the flow from the first flow path is divided into the second flow path and the fourth flow path, and the third flow path. Flow is divided into a fourth flow path and a second flow path. This division ratio can also be adjusted by the four-way valve structure. Further, the first sensor 26 for monitoring the temperature and humidity of the external air is provided in the third flow path, and the temperature and humidity of the air are monitored at the outlet of the flow path having the heat exchanger inside the housing. Two sensors 41 are arranged.

  FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of the rack housing according to the first embodiment, and particularly shows a cross section indicated by BB in FIG. Further, FIG. 11 shows a structure when cooling is realized by mixing 50% of the air flow rate necessary for server cooling with air surrounding the rack housing and the remaining 50% with server exhaust. In the drawing, a part of the server exhaust is released to the outside of the rack chassis by the rear door exhaust fan 24 by the damper blade 27, but the remaining part of the server exhaust is a rack sucked by the rear door intake fan 23. The air is mixed with the air outside the housing, and then flows to the flow path on the side surface of the rack housing.

  For example, this condition can realize energy saving when the air temperature around the rack is lower than the allowable temperature of the server, when the temperature is lower, and when the humidity is higher than the allowable humidity of the server. The position of the damper blade 27 in the figure is 50% of the air around the rack housing and 50% of the server exhaust. The damper blade 27 can be freely moved by the damper motor 18 (not shown) described above. Is possible. By properly adjusting the opening degree of the damper structure, it is possible to adjust the mixing ratio between the low-temperature rack chassis surrounding air and the server exhaust, and to adjust the temperature and humidity so that the air is suitable for the server. The damper opening may be adjusted using the monitor value of the second temperature / humidity sensor 41.

  In addition, although the air temperature outside the rack housing is low, in the case of high humidity, it may lead to power saving if it is appropriately mixed with high temperature server exhaust and then cooled and dehumidified with a heat exchanger. When such usage is also assumed, it is desirable to obtain information on the server exhaust temperature. For this purpose, it is necessary to provide a temperature sensor on the server exhaust side. The humidity information of the server exhaust can be roughly calculated assuming that the absolute humidity of the air is calculated from the information of the second temperature / humidity sensor 41 and this absolute humidity is maintained. Further, if the air volume passing through the server can be predicted in advance, it is possible to obtain the temperature rise of the server from the power consumption of the server and predict the temperature of the server exhaust. In order to measure the amount of air passing through the server, an anemometer or an air meter may be installed in the flow path on the side of the rack housing.

  FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view of the rack housing of the first embodiment, and in particular, a cross section indicated by BB in FIG. FIG. 12 shows a structure in which server cooling is realized only by circulation inside the rack chassis without taking in air around the rack chassis. As indicated by the wind flow 201 in the figure, 100% of the server exhaust flows to the flow path on the side of the rack housing, and is cooled and then supplied to the server again. Also at this time, the rear door intake fan 23 continues to be moved so that the air flow outside the rack housing strikes the first temperature / humidity sensor 26. Thereby, the air temperature outside a rack housing | casing can be measured correctly. When there is no air flow, high temperature server exhaust continues to hit the rear door 3, so the temperature tends to increase, which may cause the first temperature / humidity sensor 26 to measure a higher temperature. In this case, even when the air outside the rack housing changes to a temperature suitable for the server, there is a possibility that a correct determination cannot be made. In addition, the rear door intake fan 23 can be controlled in the number of rotations, so that the number of rotations is reduced during the cooling inside the rack case, and the first temperature / humidity sensor 26 adjusts the air temperature outside the rack case. If only a flow rate that can be measured accurately is secured, the power consumption can be kept small.

  Further, when the first temperature / humidity sensor 26 is not provided in the intake duct for the outside air of the rack chassis as in the present embodiment, for example, when placed outside the rack chassis, the environment in which the sensor is placed and the rack chassis. If there is a temperature difference with the air taken in, there is a risk of supplying air of an inappropriate temperature to the server. Basically, it is considered that the capacity of the heat exchanger is adjusted based on the information of the second temperature / humidity sensor 41, and it is possible to cope with the rack ambient air temperature within a certain range. Before taking in the ambient air, a preliminary operation such as turning on the heat exchanger is necessary. If the temperature and humidity of the air taken into the rack housing are accurately measured, this preliminary operation can be minimized, leading to power saving.

  FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view of the rack housing according to the first embodiment, and particularly has a cross section indicated by BB in FIG. FIG. 13 shows a structure during maintenance while the server 4 is operating. As shown in the figure, even when the front door 2 and the rear door 3 are opened at the same time, the air cooled by the heat exchanger in the flow path on the side surface of the rack body is sent from the cold air supply port 17 of the front door side duct structure support column 106. By blowing cool air into the intake port of the server 4, the amount of air that directly enters the server 4 from the front door side can be suppressed, so that the cooling of the server 4 is not greatly hindered. At this time, based on the information of the first temperature / humidity sensor, the temperature of the ambient air of the rack directly entering the server from the front door side is predicted, and the cold air temperature is set to be lower than usual so that the server 4 is not seriously cooled. It is also necessary to make it lower. The cold air temperature can be monitored by the second temperature / humidity sensor 41. The blowout temperature of the cold air can be predicted if the amount of rack ambient air that is directly taken into the server 4 from the front door side is obtained in advance.

  FIG. 14 is a diagram illustrating the structure of the rack housing according to the first embodiment. As shown in this figure, three compressors 25 are accommodated in the lower part of the rack housing 1. Although not shown, each compressor 25 is connected to the first heat exchanger 19 or the second heat exchanger 20 by piping. Also, the heat radiating unit heat exchanger 22 is connected by piping.

  In this embodiment, a server device having another shape according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.

  Here, the filter 39 and the rack housing humidifier 38 are provided in the flow path on the side surface of the rack housing. By providing the filter 39, it can be used even when there is dust outside the rack housing that is not suitable for the intake of the server. It is desirable that the filter 39 be easily replaceable. The filter does not flow the dust to be removed, but may be a combination of fibers or a porous material as long as it allows air to pass through. For example, when a chemical substance in the air is included as a substance to be removed, it is possible to install a substance that adsorbs this component.

  Further, by providing the rack housing humidifier 38, it is possible to use the air outside the rack housing even when the outside of the rack housing has a low humidity. In addition, since the temperature of the air can be lowered by humidification, the heat exchanger (the first heat exchanger 19 and / or the first heat exchanger 19 and / or the first heat exchanger 19) is controlled by controlling the ability of the humidifier based on the information of the second temperature / humidity / humidity sensor 41. The time for using the two heat exchangers 20) can be greatly reduced.

  FIG. 16 is an example of a server room using the server device of any one of Example 1 and Example 2, which is Example 3 of the present invention. When the outside air has a temperature and humidity suitable for the server room 28, the air taken in by the outside air intake fan 36 is supplied as it is to the server room 28 through the server room fan 37, and the exhaust heat of the server is supplied by the ventilation fan 32. Can be operated without using an air conditioner.

  Here, the rack 31 having the structure according to the embodiment of the present invention incorporates a server having a conventional general temperature guarantee range, and the conventional rack 30 includes a server having a wide guaranteed temperature range (for example, 10 ° C. to 45 ° C. ). Since the rack 31 having the structure according to the embodiment of the present invention can adjust the temperature inside the rack case, the temperature of the server room 28 may be a temperature that matches the guaranteed range of the server mounted on the conventional rack (that is, here). Then, 10 to 45 ° C). If the temperature in the server room 28 can be widened as described above, the time that can be handled by using the outdoor air as it is without using the air conditioning power can be greatly extended.

  When the outdoor air cannot be used as it is, the temperature adjustment chamber 29 is provided in the room adjacent to the server room 28, and the air conditioning indoor unit 33 and the humidifier 35 are provided here. The air conditioning indoor unit 33 is connected to the air conditioning outdoor unit 34 via a pipe. As a result, the outside air taken in from the outside air intake fan 36 is adjusted so that the temperature and humidity are appropriate for the server room 28 by operating the air conditioning indoor unit 33 and the humidifier 35, and the server room fan 37 is used to adjust the server room 28. If it is sent to the server, the server can be operated. Even in this case, setting the inside of the server room 28 to 45 ° C. or less, for example, can be cooled with a smaller air conditioning power than conventional setting to 35 ° C. or less.

  Furthermore, if the outside air temperature is too low, the exhaust heat of the server room 28 may be returned to the temperature adjustment chamber 29 by the exhaust heat utilization fan 42 and mixed with the low outside air.

  FIG. 17 is a diagram illustrating the structure of the front door side duct structure support column 106 applied to the first and second embodiments. By adopting a structure in which the ducts are combined in this way, the structure maintains the strength without suppressing the air flow 201 from the rear door side to the front door side. Here, the rack fixing hole 40 is provided in the front door side duct structure support column 106. As a result, the intake surface on the front door side of the server is immediately beside the cold air supply port 17, and the cold air can be directly supplied to the server.

  FIG. 18 is a diagram illustrating the structure of the rear door side duct structure support column 107 applied to the first and second embodiments. By adopting a structure in which the ducts are combined in this way, the structure maintains the strength without suppressing the air flow 201 from the rear door side to the front door side.

  As described above, for example, as a method for reducing the cooling power of an electronic device such as a server, a closed cooling system in which an air conditioner is provided inside the rack housing on which the electronic device such as a server is mounted, and air is circulated and cooled inside the rack housing. Is known to be effective. However, for further energy saving, it is necessary to have air around the rack without using an air conditioner when the air outside the rack housing has a temperature and humidity suitable for the server. However, for this purpose, there are problems such as accurately grasping the temperature and humidity of the rack housing external air, switching between the closed cooling by internal circulation and the mode using the external air.

  In order to solve this problem, for example, a rack housing is provided with a flow path for flowing air from the rear side, which is the exhaust side of the server, to the front side, which is the server intake side, in which a heat exchanger and a fan are provided. Is installed. A first flow path connected to the rear door and a first opening through which air on the back side of the server flows, a second flow path connected to the second opening and the second fan for exhausting air to the outside of the housing; A third flow path connected to the third opening for taking in air outside the chassis and the third fan, and a fourth flow path connected to the flow path of the rack chassis having the air conditioner. Is provided with a four-way valve connecting the first to fourth flow paths. Due to the four-way valve structure, in the case of circulation inside the rack case, the first flow path and the fourth flow path are connected, the second flow path and the third flow path are connected, and the outside of the rack case is connected with the outside of the rack case. In the case of cooling, the first flow path and the second flow path are connected, and the third flow path and the fourth flow path are connected. In the intermediate state, the flow from the first flow path is divided into the second flow path and the fourth flow path, and the flow of the third flow path is the fourth flow path and the second flow path. Divides into roads and flows. This division ratio can also be adjusted by the four-way valve structure. Further, the second flow path has a first sensor for monitoring the temperature and humidity of the external air in the third flow path, and monitors the temperature and humidity of the air at the outlet of the flow path having the heat exchanger inside the housing. Place the sensor.

  And by taking such a structure, the temperature of the air at the time of taking in the air outside a housing can always be monitored correctly. As a result, when the air temperature outside the enclosure is not suitable for the server to be installed, air is circulated inside the enclosure for cooling, and when the air temperature outside the enclosure is suitable for the server to be installed, By taking in external air, the power of the air conditioner can be greatly reduced.

In addition, this invention is not limited to an above-described Example, Various modifications are included. For example, the above-described embodiments have been described in detail for easy understanding of the present invention, and are not necessarily limited to those having all the configurations described. Further, a part of the configuration of one embodiment can be replaced with the configuration of another embodiment, and the configuration of another embodiment can be added to the configuration of one embodiment. Further, it is possible to add, delete, and replace other configurations for a part of the configuration of each embodiment.
Each of the above-described configurations, functions, processing units, processing means, and the like may be realized by hardware by designing a part or all of them with, for example, an integrated circuit. Each of the above-described configurations, functions, and the like may be realized by software by interpreting and executing a program that realizes each function by the processor. Information such as programs, tables, and files for realizing each function can be stored in a recording device such as a memory, a hard disk, an SSD (Solid State Drive), or a recording medium such as an IC card, an SD card, or a DVD.
Further, the control lines and information lines indicate what is considered necessary for the explanation, and not all the control lines and information lines on the product are necessarily shown. Actually, it may be considered that almost all the components are connected to each other.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Rack housing | casing 2 Front door 3 Rear door 4 Server 5 Server housing 6 Server built-in fan 7 CPU
8 Heat radiation fin 9 Electronic board 10 HDD
11 Memory 12 Heat Dissipation Unit 13 Heat Dissipation Unit Fan 14 Heat Dissipation Unit Inlet 15 Rear Door Inlet 16 Rear Door Exhaust 17 Cold Air Supply 18 Damper Motor 19 First Heat Exchanger 20 Second Heat Exchanger 21 Air Conditioning Fan 22 Heat Dissipation Unit Heat Exchanger 23 Rear Door Intake Fan 24 Rear Door Exhaust Fan 25 Compressor 26 First Temperature / Humidity Sensor 27 Damper Blade 28 Server Room 29 Temperature / Humidity Adjustment Chamber 30 Conventional Rack 31 Structure of Embodiment of the Present Invention Rack 32 Ventilation fan 33 Air conditioning indoor unit 34 Air conditioning outdoor unit 35 Humidifier 36 Outside air intake fan 37 Fan for server room 38 Rack humidifier 39 Filter 40 Server fixing hole 41 Second temperature / humidity sensor 101 Front door side column 102 Server fixed column 103 Middle column 104 Rear Cross-sectional position of the flow 301 cross-sectional view of the side strut 105 side plate 106 front door duct structural support 107 rear door duct structural support 201 air

Claims (8)

It is a housing that installs electronic equipment inside, and has a door portion on the front side and the back side,
The back side door portion is connected to a first flow path connected to a first opening through which air on the back side of the electronic device flows, a second opening portion that exhausts air to the outside of the housing, and one fan. A second flow path, a third flow path connected to another fan and a third opening for taking in air outside the housing, and a fourth flow path connected to a flow path having an air conditioner,
Inside the back side door portion has a four-way valve structure connecting the first to fourth flow paths,
A first sensor for monitoring the temperature and humidity of external air in the third flow path;
An electronic apparatus apparatus comprising a cooling device, wherein the fourth flow path outlet has a second sensor for monitoring air temperature and humidity. In claim 1,
Inside the housing has a first heat exchanger and a second heat exchanger,
The first heat exchanger is connected to the first compressor, the first heat radiation side heat exchanger, the first expansion valve, and a pipe,
The second heat exchanger is connected to the second compressor, the second heat radiating side heat exchanger, the second expansion valve, and a pipe, and is an electronic device device provided with a cooling device. In claim 1,
An electronic apparatus device comprising a cooling device, wherein a humidifier is disposed in the fourth flow path. In claim 1,
An electronic device apparatus comprising a cooling device, wherein a filter is disposed in the fourth flow path. In claim 1,
Installed blades whose rotation is controlled by a motor at the intersection of the first to fourth flow paths,
An electronic device apparatus provided with a cooling device, wherein switching of wind flow through the flow path and flow rate distribution are controlled by the blades. In claim 1,
The electronic device apparatus provided with a cooling device, wherein the fourth flow path has a portion disposed on a side surface of the housing so as to connect the back side and the front side of the housing. In claim 1,
An electronic apparatus apparatus provided with a cooling device, characterized in that a flow path is provided in a support column disposed in the vicinity of the four corners of the casing in a direction in which air flows from the rear side of the casing to the entire front side. An enclosure in which an electronic device having an internal area that can accommodate electronic devices, a front door portion, and a rear door portion is installed,
The door on the back side has a first flow path connected to a first opening through which air on the back side of the electronic device flows, a second opening for exhausting air to the outside of the housing, and a second flow connected to the fan. A flow path, a third flow path connected to the third opening for taking in air outside the housing and the fan, and a fourth flow path connected to the flow path where the air conditioner is arranged,
Inside the back side door portion has a four-way valve structure connecting the first to fourth flow paths,
A first sensor for monitoring the temperature and humidity of external air in the third flow path;
A housing capable of installing an electronic device therein, comprising: a second sensor for monitoring air temperature and humidity at an outlet of the fourth flow path.