JP2018081344A - Air conditioning system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an air conditioning system capable of reducing power of an air conditioning mechanism necessary for supplying conditioned air to an air conditioning target room.SOLUTION: There is provided an air conditioning system for managing a temperature of an air conditioning target room in which a row of racks for accommodating information processing equipment is disposed. The air conditioning system comprises: a first compartment for, in the air conditioning target room, partitioning a first space contacted with the air supply surface of the rack row and a second space contacted with the exhaust surface of the rack row; a second compartment for partitioning the ceiling space formed on the upper side of the air conditioning target room into a first layer and a second layer; a first communicating portion for communicating the first space with the first layer; a second communicating portion for communicating the second space with the second layer; and a pair of air conditioning equipment rooms formed adjacently on both sides of the air conditioning target room in a direction in which the row of racks extends and communicating with the second layer respectively.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to an air conditioning system for managing the temperature of an air conditioning target room in which a plurality of racks that accommodate information processing devices are arranged.

  With the rapid development of information communication technology in recent years, large-scale data centers and the like are being constructed. In such a data center, a plurality of racks that accommodate information processing devices such as server devices that provide various functions and communication devices for constructing a network are arranged and arranged.

  As such an air conditioning system of a data center, a space called “cold aisle” in which conditioned air (cold air) supplied from a cooling unit mainly exists, and a “hot aisle” in which generated exhaust heat air mainly exists. A configuration is adopted in which air is circulated between these spaces.

  In order to stably operate information processing devices arranged in the data center, the data center is always maintained and managed at a temperature suitable for the device operation. On the other hand, in such a data center, it is necessary to continuously operate the air conditioner for temperature maintenance, and accordingly, a relatively large amount of power is consumed.

  Typically, a configuration is adopted in which conditioned air supplied from a cooling unit is supplied to a rack that is an object to be cooled through an underfloor space, and exhaust heat space discharged from the rack is recovered through a ceiling space. .

  On the other hand, another configuration has been proposed for reliably cooling the information processing apparatus and reducing power consumption by performing cooling more efficiently. For example, an approach that multi-layers the ceiling space has been proposed.

  For example, Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2006-023874 (Patent Document 1) discloses a configuration of an air conditioning system that employs a double-structure ceiling and further reduces power consumption in such a structure.

  Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2013-047577 (Patent Document 2) discloses a configuration in which cool air from an outside air cooler is supplied to each cold aisle via a triple ceiling space of a computer room.

  Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2012-017934 (Patent Document 3) blows out conditioned air from a blow-out opening provided on the ceiling in front of both rack rows with one air conditioner even when the ceiling back space is used as a substitute for a duct. A data center capable of being disclosed is disclosed.

  Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2012-038100 (Patent Document 4) discloses a data center in which fan power is reduced and energy saving is further improved while maintaining a sufficient cooling effect for each rack.

  Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2006-091524 (Patent Document 5) discloses a configuration for adjusting the temperature of intake air to an electronic device when a part of the exhaust from the electronic device is circulated.

JP, 2006-023874, A JP 2013-047577 A JP 2012-017934 A JP 2012-038100 A Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2006-091524

  The configurations disclosed in Patent Documents 1 to 5 described above have the following problems. For example, in the configuration disclosed in Patent Document 1, a blower is disposed in each of the ducts associated with a rack that is an object to be cooled. When such a configuration is adopted, redundancy may be provided. In the case of failure of the blower, the cooling capacity for the cooling target cannot be secured.

  In the configuration disclosed in FIG. 9 and the like of Patent Document 2, a blower fan and an exhaust fan used for taking in outside air are respectively arranged at the ends of the spaces of the triple ceiling, and between the blower fan and the exhaust fan. Because it is necessary to maintain the air volume balance, the fan control is complicated.

  In the configuration disclosed in FIG. 3 of Patent Document 3, FIG. 4 of Patent Document 4, and the like, the hot air passage and the conditioned air passage are combined with each other. For this reason, it is difficult to back up when the air conditioner breaks down, and the flow path in the ceiling is complicated, and the construction is expensive.

  Note that the configuration disclosed in Patent Document 5 is directed to a direct outside air cooling method in which outside air (cold air) is directly taken into the data center, and is directed to a completely different idea from a configuration using a cooling unit. .

  The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and an object thereof is to provide an air conditioning system capable of reducing the power of an air conditioning mechanism necessary for supplying conditioned air to an air conditioned room. It is to be.

  According to an aspect of the present invention, an air conditioning system for managing the temperature of an air conditioning target room in which a rack row that accommodates information processing devices is arranged is provided. The air conditioning system includes: a first partition section that partitions a first space in contact with an air supply surface of a rack row and a second space in contact with an exhaust surface of the rack row; A second partition section that partitions the ceiling space formed on the side into a first layer and a second layer, a first communication section that communicates the first space and the first layer, and a second A pair of second communication portions that communicate with the second layer and the second layer, and are formed adjacent to both sides of the air-conditioned room in the direction in which the rack row extends and communicate with the second layer, respectively. Air conditioning equipment room. Openings that communicate the air conditioning equipment room and the second layer are formed in correspondence with the arrangement of the rack rows. The air conditioning system is disposed in each of the pair of air conditioning equipment rooms, and has a plurality of air conditioning mechanisms that respectively supply conditioned air generated by cooling air existing in the air conditioning equipment room to the first layer.

  Preferably, the plurality of air conditioning mechanisms are respectively disposed in the pair of air conditioning equipment rooms, and the second layer is formed on the upper side of the first layer.

  Preferably, the first communication part is formed of an opening formed in a surface that divides the ceiling space and the air-conditioning target room, and the second communication part is in an area where the second space of the air-conditioning target room exists. It is formed in correspondence.

  Preferably, the air conditioning system maintains a static pressure difference sensor for measuring a static pressure difference between the first layer and the second layer, and a static pressure difference measured by the static pressure difference sensor within a predetermined range. As described above, the control device further includes a control device that controls operating states of the plurality of air conditioning mechanisms.

  Preferably, the air conditioning system includes a first temperature sensor that measures a temperature of air existing in the first layer, and a second temperature sensor that measures a temperature of air present in the second layer. The control device predicts the amount of heat generated in the rack row based on the temperature measured by the first temperature sensor and the temperature measured by the second temperature sensor, and controls the operation state of the plurality of air conditioning mechanisms. To do.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the air conditioning system which can reduce the motive power of an air-conditioning mechanism required in order to supply conditioned air to an air-conditioning object room can be provided.

It is a side view (XZ plane) of the air-conditioning system according to this Embodiment. It is the top view (XY plane) of the air conditioning system seen from the II-II arrow direction of FIG. It is sectional drawing (YZ plane) of the air conditioning system seen from the III-III arrow direction of FIG. It is a top view (XY plane) of the air-conditioning system seen from the IV-IV line arrow direction of FIG. It is a top view (XY plane) of the air-conditioning system seen from the VV line arrow direction of FIG. It is a top view (XY plane) of the air-conditioning system seen from the VI-VI arrow direction of FIG. It is a schematic diagram which shows the structure for implement | achieving the control function of the air conditioning system according to this Embodiment. It is a schematic diagram which shows an example of the control logic for implement | achieving the control function of the air conditioning system according to this Embodiment.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Note that the same or corresponding parts in the drawings are denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof will not be repeated.

[A. Overview]
The air conditioning system according to the present embodiment divides the ceiling of the air conditioning target room into two layers of a heat insulating structure, uses one layer as an air supply layer for supplying conditioned air (cold air), and uses the other layer as the air supply layer. Used as a return air layer for recovering exhaust heat air. Hereinafter, a specific example in which the air conditioning system according to the present embodiment is applied to a server room will be described.

  In the air conditioning system according to the present embodiment, a space (hereinafter also referred to as “cold aisle”) in which conditioned air (cold air) supplied from an arbitrary cooling mechanism mainly exists, and exhaust heat exhausted from the object to be cooled. A space in which air (hot air) mainly exists (hereinafter also referred to as “hot aisle”) is partitioned, and air is circulated to achieve temperature management for the object to be cooled.

[B. Overall configuration of air conditioning system]
FIG. 1 is a side view (XZ plane) of air conditioning system 1 according to the present embodiment. FIG. 2 is a plan view (XY plane) of the air conditioning system 1 as viewed from the direction of arrows II-II in FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view (YZ plane) of the air conditioning system 1 as seen from the direction of arrows III-III in FIG. 1-3, the horizontal plane of the server room is defined as the XY plane, and the gravity direction of the server room is defined as the Z direction. The same applies to the other drawings.

  1 to 3, air conditioning system 1 according to the present embodiment includes a server room, which is an example of air conditioning target room 2 whose temperature is to be managed, and a mechanism that realizes air conditioning.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, in the server room, a plurality of aggregates (hereinafter, also referred to as “rack row 4”) composed of a plurality of racks arranged adjacent to each other are arranged. The plurality of rack rows 4 are constituted by units (sets) of two (a pair) rack rows. The example shown in FIG. 1 shows an example in which three sets of rack groups are arranged. Of course, the air conditioning system 1 according to the present embodiment can be applied to any rack arrangement. That is, the number of rack rows to be arranged and the number of racks constituting each rack row can be arbitrarily changed as necessary.

  Each rack constituting the rack row 4 includes various server devices (typically blade type devices) such as business servers, data servers, and Web servers, and information processing devices such as communication devices such as routers and switching hubs. Be contained.

  The air conditioning system 1 according to the present embodiment manages the temperature of the air conditioning target room 2 in which the rack row 4 that accommodates information processing devices is arranged.

  The plurality of rack rows 4 are arranged on the floor 5 of the air-conditioning target room 2, and an underfloor space 6 having a predetermined thickness is formed below the floor 5. A floor space 6 is formed below the floor 5 along the Z-axis direction. In the underfloor space 6, a cable for supplying power to the information processing equipment accommodated in the rack row 4, a cable for exchanging information with the information processing equipment, and the like are laid. That is, the underfloor space 6 is mainly used as a wiring space. When the underfloor space 6 is not provided, a cable for supplying electric power may be laid on the top of the rack row 4.

  An upper space 14 extending along the XY plane exists above the plurality of rack rows 4, and a ceiling space 20 extending along the XY plane exists further above the upper space 14. The ceiling space 20 is partitioned into at least two layers including a return air layer 22 for collecting the exhaust heat air 32 and an air supply layer 24 for supplying conditioned air 34 by the partition part 28. The return air layer 22 and the air supply layer 24 each have a heat insulating structure so that at least thermal influence between the layers does not occur. The partition unit 28 partitions the ceiling space 20 formed on the upper side of the air conditioning target room 2 into a return air layer 22 and an air supply layer 24.

  In consideration of air specific gravity and the like, the return air layer 22 is preferably formed on the upper side of the air supply layer 24.

  A pair of opposing surfaces of the air conditioning target room 2 communicate with the air conditioning equipment room 8, respectively. In the present embodiment, air conditioning equipment rooms 8 are respectively formed on both sides of a pair of surfaces corresponding to the air conditioning target room 2 in the X direction. In the air conditioner room 8, a plurality of cooling units 10 are arranged side by side along a direction (Y direction) in which the plurality of rack rows 4 are arranged. The number of cooling units 10 to be installed is determined so as to have a sufficient margin for the heat load of the air-conditioning target room 2 in order to provide redundancy. As described above, the pair of air-conditioning target chambers 2 are formed adjacent to both sides of the air-conditioning target chamber 2 in the direction in which the rack row 4 extends, and communicate with the return air layer 22.

  The cooling unit 10 is a part of an air-conditioning mechanism for supplying conditioned air 34 to the air-conditioned room 2. Typically, each of the cooling units 10 includes a dry coil unit including a heat exchanger and at least one fan 11 that generates an air flow for heat exchange with the heat exchanger. Each of the cooling units 10 communicates with the air supply layer 24 through the supply duct 12, and the conditioned air 34 generated by each of the cooling units 10 is supplied to the air supply layer 24 through the supply duct 12. The exhausted hot air 32 collected through the return air layer 22 is buffered in the air conditioning equipment room 8 and then taken into the respective cooling units 10 and cooled to be regenerated as conditioned air 34.

  As described above, the plurality of cooling units 10 are disposed in each of the pair of air conditioning equipment rooms 8 and also generate conditioned air 34 generated by cooling the air (exhaust heat air 32) existing in the air conditioning equipment room 8. Each is supplied to the air supply layer 24. As shown in FIG. 2, the plurality of cooling units 10 are preferably arranged at positions corresponding to the pair of air conditioner rooms 8.

  Although it depends on the grade required for the data center, in general, considering the case where the cooling unit 10 fails, the minimum number of cooling units 10 required for the assumed thermal load is determined. Assuming N units, N units, (N + 1) units added to the N units, or 2 × N units fully duplexed may be installed.

  Provided with a damper for separating the failed cooling unit 10 from the return air layer 22 or the supply air layer 24, assuming that some of the cooling units 10 are out of order. Also good. In the example shown in FIG. 1, a check damper 16-1 is provided on the path of the supply duct 12 that connects the cooling unit 10 and the air supply layer 24, and between the air conditioning equipment room 8 and the return air layer 22. An example in which a check damper 16-2 is provided in the existing opening 26 is shown. Instead of these check dampers, a motor damper that detects and closes a failure may be provided.

  In addition, when the wall surface 9 that partitions the air-conditioning target room 2 and the air-conditioning equipment room 8 is set in different fire-proofing sections by the Fire Service Act or the like, the air-conditioning target room 2 and the air-conditioning equipment room 8 are partitioned. A fire damper may be provided between the wall surface 9 and the opening 26 and the wall surface 9.

  As shown in FIG. 3, each rack constituting the rack row 4 has an air supply port for sucking conditioned air 34 for cooling information processing equipment accommodated therein, and information processing accommodated therein. And an exhaust port for discharging the exhaust heat air 32 after being used for cooling the device. Air-conditioned air 34 flows into the rack 4 from a surface (hereinafter also referred to as “air-supply surface”) provided with an air inlet for sucking the air-conditioned air 34 of each rack, and between the information processing devices. Heat exchanged. The conditioned air 34 that has become the exhaust heat air 32 is discharged out of the rack from a surface provided with an exhaust port (hereinafter also referred to as “exhaust surface”).

  In each set of rack rows 4, the racks included in each rack row 4 are arranged adjacent to each other such that the exhaust surfaces of the racks face each other. Therefore, in each space sandwiched between each set of rack rows, exhaust heat air 32 from the rack rows 4 located on both sides is collected. The space where the exhaust heat air 32 gathers corresponds to the hot aisle 42. Air conditioned air 34 is supplied to a space where the hot aisle 42 is not formed, that is, a space where the intake surfaces of the racks included in each rack row 4 face each other in each set of rack rows 4. A space to which the conditioned air 34 is supplied corresponds to the cold aisle 44.

  The upper space 14 is partitioned so as to communicate with the exhaust surface (hot aisle 42) and the intake surface (cold aisle 44) of the rack row 4 and the air supply layer 24 and the return air layer 22, respectively. The cold aisle 44 and the hot aisle 42 are also thermally partitioned.

  In the present embodiment, the hot aisle 42 is configured as an enclosure and communicated with the return air layer 22. More specifically, a shielding channel 48 extending upward is formed along a plane substantially parallel to the exhaust surface of the rack row 4. The shielding flow path 48 is surrounded by a heat insulation member 46 having high heat insulation properties, and shields the exhaust heat air 32 discharged from the rack row 4 from returning to the cold aisle 44. The heat shield member 46 corresponds to a partition portion, and in the air-conditioning target chamber 2, a cold aisle 44 (first space) that comes into contact with the air supply surface of the rack row 4 and a hot aisle 42 (in contact with the exhaust surface of the rack row 4 ( 2nd space).

  The shield channel 48 is formed by being partitioned using a shield plate arranged so as to surround the outer periphery of each set of the rack row 4. A communication path 38 formed so as to penetrate the air supply layer 24 is connected to the tip of the shielding channel 48. A part of the housing of the rack row 4 is used for the shielding channel 48 that partitions the hot aisle 42 and the cold aisle 44. The shielding plate forming the shielding flow path 48 is provided in the upper space 14 between each set of rack rows 4 and the ceiling so as to surround the outer periphery of each set of rack rows. In addition, in order to shield the space sandwiched between the sets of opposing rack rows 4, shielding doors are provided at both ends in the longitudinal direction of each set of rack rows 4 as part of the shielding plate. In order to maintain each rack of the rack row 4 from the hot aisle 42 side, this shielding door may be attached to be openable and closable so that an operator or the like can enter the hot aisle 42 (details are shown). Not)

  By providing the shielding flow path 48 and the communication path 38, the exhaust heat air 32 discharged from the rack row 4 to the hot aisle 42 is guided to the return air layer 22 through the shielding flow path 48 and the communication path 38. The shield channel 48 and the communication path 38 correspond to a communication member that communicates the hot aisle 42 and the return air layer 22. The shield channel 48 and the communication path 38 include an opening formed on a surface that divides the ceiling space 20 and the air-conditioned room 2.

  On the other hand, the conditioned air 34 is supplied from the air supply layer 24 to the cold aisle 44. Specifically, a plurality of openings 36 are provided on the lower surface of the air supply layer 24 so as to correspond to the cold aisle 44, and the conditioned air 34 buffered in the air supply layer 24 passes through the openings 36. It is supplied to each cold aisle 44. The plurality of openings 36 correspond to communication members that allow the cold aisle 44 and the air supply layer 24 to communicate with each other. The opening 36 that communicates the cold aisle 44 and the air supply layer 24 is preferably formed in association with the region where the cold aisle 44 of the air-conditioning target room 2 exists.

  As a typical configuration example, the space volume of the cold aisle 44 is configured to be larger than the space volume of the hot aisle 42. With such a configuration, the power required to send the conditioned air 34 to the cold aisle 44 can be reduced.

  Next, the details of the return air layer 22 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 4 is a plan view (XY plane) of the air conditioning system 1 viewed from the direction of arrows IV-IV in FIG.

  Referring to FIG. 4, the return air layer 22 is a uniform space having a spread corresponding to the XY plane of the ceiling space 20, and an opening corresponding to the communication path 38 is provided on the lower surface side. Yes. The communication path 38 communicates with a shield channel 48 extending in the Z-axis direction from the hot aisle 42 so that the exhaust heat air 32 of the hot aisle 42 is recovered to the return air layer 22. Note that the positional relationship (arrangement order in the Z-axis direction) of the return air layer 22 and the supply air layer 24 in the ceiling space 20 may be any, but the return air layer 22 is more than the supply air layer 24 due to the air density. Is preferably arranged on the upper side in the direction of gravity.

  FIG. 4 shows an example in which the communication path 38 is formed corresponding to the entire region of the hot aisle 42. However, the communication path 38 having such a shape is not necessarily formed, and the communication path having a smaller area is not necessarily formed. A plurality of 38 may be formed. For example, a total of three small regions may be formed at the center and both ends of each hot aisle 42. About the shape of the communicating path 38, what is necessary is just to design suitably according to the calorie | heat amount of the exhaust heat air 32 which generate | occur | produces from the rack row | line | column 4 which is a cooling object.

  The exhaust heat air 32 buffered in the return air layer 22 is guided to the air conditioning equipment room 8 through the opening 26. The opening 26 may be provided at any position, but is basically provided in a space between the adjacent cooling units 10. As described above, the opening 26 that communicates the air conditioning equipment room 8 and the air supply layer 24 is formed in association with the arrangement of the rack rows 4.

  Next, the details of the air supply layer 24 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 5 is a plan view (XY plane) of the air conditioning system 1 as viewed from the direction of the arrows VV in FIG.

  Referring to FIG. 5, the air supply layer 24 is a uniform space having a spread corresponding to the XY plane of the ceiling space 20, and an opening corresponding to the cold aisle 44 is provided on the lower surface side. Yes. Further, the communication passage 38 communicating with the return air layer 22 in the upper layer passes therethrough, and the conditioned air 34 does not exist in the portion where the communication passage 38 exists. However, it does not mix with the exhaust heat air 32 inside the communication path 38 and is thermally shielded, so that the temperature of the conditioned air 34 does not increase.

  FIG. 5 shows an example in which the opening is formed corresponding to the entire region of the cold aisle 44. However, it is not always necessary to form such an opening, and a plurality of openings having a smaller area are formed. You may make it form. For example, a total of three small regions may be formed at the center and both ends of each cold aisle 44. About the shape of an opening part, what is necessary is just to design suitably according to the thermal load etc. of the rack row | line | column 4 which is a cooling target object.

  Next, the details of the air conditioning equipment room 8 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 6 is a plan view (XY plane) of the air conditioning system 1 as viewed from the direction of arrows VI-VI in FIG. 5.

  Referring to FIG. 6, a plurality of cooling units 10 are provided in the air conditioning equipment room 8. The number of the cooling units 10 may be determined according to the heat load of the air-conditioning target room 2, but the number of cooling units 10 may be determined so as to have a certain degree of redundancy assuming a failure of the cooling unit 10. In the air conditioning system 1 according to the present embodiment, the air supply layer 24 that buffers the conditioned air 34 is a uniform space, so that only a part of the plurality of cooling units 10 is operating. It may be.

  The conditioned air 34 generated in the cooling unit 10 is supplied to the supply layer 24 through the supply duct 12. Further, the exhaust heat air 32 recovered from the return air layer 22 through the opening 26 is buffered in the air conditioning equipment room 8 and sucked into the cooling unit 10. The exhaust heat air 32 is cooled in each of the cooling units 10 and regenerated as conditioned air 34.

[C. Control method for air conditioning system]
Next, a control method and the like in air conditioning system 1 according to the present embodiment will be described.

  In the air conditioning system 1 according to the present embodiment, the number of operating cooling units 10 and / or the air volume is optimized using the static pressure difference generated between the return air layer 22 and the air supply layer 24 that constitute the ceiling space 20. Execute control to

  Air conditioning system 1 according to the present embodiment includes a temperature sensor and a static pressure difference sensor as sensors for determining the cooling state. Referring to FIG. 1 again, the air conditioning system 1 includes an exhaust temperature sensor 62 near the opening 26 of the return air layer 22, and an intake air temperature sensor 64 near the supply duct 12 connected to the air supply layer 24. A static pressure difference sensor 66 for detecting a difference between the static pressure generated in the return air layer 22 and the static pressure generated in the air supply layer 24 is disposed. The exhaust temperature sensor 62 measures the temperature of air existing in the return air layer 22, and the intake air temperature sensor 64 measures the temperature of air present in the supply air layer 24.

  In addition, in order to detect the state of the air-conditioning target room 2, it is preferable to arrange a plurality of sensors. For example, the exhaust temperature sensor 62 is preferably arranged in the same number as the openings 26 of the return air layer 22, and the intake air temperature sensor 64 is preferably arranged in the same number as the supply duct 12 connected to the air supply layer 24. .

  The static pressure difference sensor 66 measures a static pressure difference between the return air layer 22 and the supply air layer 24. It is preferable that a plurality of the static pressure difference sensors 66 be arranged at a predetermined interval according to the size of the air conditioning target chamber 2.

  FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration for realizing the control function of air conditioning system 1 according to the present embodiment. Referring to FIG. 7, air conditioning system 1 includes a controller 100, an exhaust temperature sensor 62, an intake air temperature sensor 64, and a static pressure difference sensor 66. For example, L, M, and N exhaust gas temperature sensors 62, intake air temperature sensors 64, and static pressure difference sensors 66 are provided, respectively. The controller 100 acquires measurement values from these sensors.

  In addition, the controller 100 gives various commands (operation stop command and fan speed command) to the cooling unit 10 and acquires a status signal indicating a status value from the cooling unit 10. In the case where bypass dampers 18 (see FIG. 1) for short-circuiting between the return air layer 22 and the conditioned air 34 are provided, the controller sends various commands (open / close commands and Opening command) is given.

  The controller 100 is typically a kind of computer, and includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 102, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 104, and a ROM (Read Only Memory) 106. When the CPU 102 develops the control program 108 stored in the ROM 106 in the RAM 104 and executes it, the following control logic is realized.

  In the air conditioning system 1 according to the present embodiment, the plurality of cooling units 10 are controlled based on the static pressure difference between the return air layer 22 and the air supply layer 24 that are multi-layered. That is, group control for the plurality of cooling units 10 is performed. In this group control, at least a static pressure difference generated between the return air layer 22 and the air supply layer 24 is used. In addition, a temperature difference between the exhaust heat air 32 and the conditioned air 34 may also be used.

  FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram showing an example of control logic for realizing the control function of the air conditioning system 1 according to the present embodiment. Each function and each module illustrated in FIG. 8 are realized by the CPU 102 of the controller 100 executing the control program 108.

  Referring to FIG. 8, the control logic of controller 100 includes a static pressure difference control module 166. The static pressure difference control module 166 operates the plurality of cooling units 10 so that the static pressure difference measured by the static pressure difference sensor 66 is maintained within a predetermined range centered on the differential pressure target value 150. To control. More specifically, the static pressure difference control module 166 includes an air supply layer-return air interlayer static pressure model 152, a rack row supply / exhaust static pressure prediction model 154, a number control unit 156, and an operating state determination unit. 162.

  The operation state determination unit 162 receives a state signal (the state of the cooling unit 10) from each cooling unit 10 and determines how many cooling units 10 among the plurality of cooling units 10 are being operated. Information on the number of operating units determined by the operating state determining unit 162 is provided to the supply air / return air interlayer static pressure model 152, the rack row supply / exhaust static pressure prediction model 154, and the number control unit 156.

  The air supply layer-return air interlayer static pressure model 152 models the structures of the return air layer 22 and the air supply layer 24 formed in the target ceiling space 20, and is measured by the respective static pressure difference sensors 66. The state of the air flow generated in the return air layer 22 and the air supply layer 24 and the capacity (mass) of the whole air are estimated from the respective static pressure differences and the number of the cooling units 10 in operation. The supply air-return air interlayer static pressure model 152 is given a differential pressure target value 150, and the operation is performed so that the respective static pressure differences measured by the static pressure difference sensor 66 coincide with the differential pressure target value 150. Output an estimate as a quantity.

  A plurality of static pressure difference sensors 66 may be arranged, a representative value may be calculated by statistical processing from the measured values from each of the static pressure difference sensors 66, and the representative value of the static pressure difference may be used for control. Some of the measured values may be used for control. For example, when only a part of the plurality of cooling units 10 is operated, the static pressure difference sensor 66 to be used may be selected according to the position of the operated cooling unit 10.

  The estimated value from the air supply layer-return air interlayer static pressure model 152 is given to the rack row supply air-exhaust static pressure prediction model 154. The rack row air supply-exhaust static pressure prediction model 154 is the air introduced from the air supply surface between the air supply surface and the exhaust surface of the rack row 4 arranged in the air-conditioning target chamber 2, that is, in each rack row 4. Is a model of the route from the exhaust surface to the exhaust. The air supply layer 24 communicates with the air supply surface of the rack row 4, and the return air layer 22 communicates with the exhaust surface of the rack row 4. Therefore, with respect to the rack row air supply-exhaust static pressure prediction model 154, an estimated value from the air supply layer-return air interlayer static pressure model 152 (including state values of the return air layer 22 and the air supply layer 24), And by inputting the number of the cooling units 10 in operation, the speed of the airflow flowing through the target rack row 4 and the moving capacity per unit time can be estimated.

  The estimated value from the rack row supply / exhaust static pressure prediction model 154 is given to the number control unit 156. The number control unit 156 determines the number of cooling units 10 to be operated from the estimated value from the rack row air supply-exhaust static pressure prediction model 154 and the number of cooling units 10 in operation. That is, when the number control unit 156 determines that the number of the cooling units 10 in operation is excessive with respect to the heat load generated in the rack row 4, the operation is stopped for any of the cooling units 10 in operation. Command 158 is output. Conversely, when the number control unit 156 determines that the number of cooling units 10 in operation is insufficient with respect to the heat load generated in the rack row 4, the number control unit 156 operates on any of the stopped cooling units 10. A stop command 158 is output. Thus, the number control unit 156 determines the number of operating cooling units 10 according to the state of the thermal load in the rack row 4 arranged in the air conditioning target room 2.

  The number control unit 156 refers to the cooling unit operation time table 164 when changing the number of operating cooling units 10. In the cooling unit operation time table 164, the time at which operation is stopped or started for each installed cooling unit 10, the total operation time, and the like are sequentially recorded. The number control unit 156 refers to the cooling unit operation time table 164 to determine the cooling unit 10 to be operated or stopped so that the total operation time is balanced with each other.

  Specifically, the number of operating cooling units 10 is determined so that the static pressure difference generated between the return air layer 22 and the air supply layer 24 constituting the ceiling space 20 matches the differential pressure target value 150. For example, when the measured static pressure difference exceeds the differential pressure target value 150, the number of operating cooling units 10 is reduced. Conversely, when the measured static pressure difference is less than the differential pressure target value 150, cooling is performed. Increase the number of units 10 in operation.

  Thus, by using the static pressure difference control module 166, the number of operating cooling units 10 can be controlled using the static pressure difference generated between the return air layer 22 and the air supply layer 24 constituting the ceiling space 20. . By adopting such a control method, the required air conditioning capacity can be adjusted flexibly in accordance with the increase / decrease in the rack row 4 installed in the air conditioning target room 2 and the increase / decrease in the heat load in the rack row 4. This minimizes the energy required for air conditioning.

  Further, in the present embodiment, by adopting the cooling unit operation time table 164 that manages the total operation time of each cooling unit 10, when the increase or decrease of the cooling units 10 to be operated occurs, The target cooling unit 10 can be selected using equalization as an index.

  When a configuration having a variable speed fan is adopted as the cooling unit 10, in addition to the operation / stop control of the cooling unit 10, fan speed control may be linked. In this case, priority may be given to fan speed control, and control may be performed to change the number of cooling units 10 to be operated when any one of the cooling units 10 falls below the allowable minimum air volume (minimum rotation speed).

  When the fan speed control is implemented, the control logic of the controller 100 includes a representative server temperature difference prediction model 172 and a speed calculation unit 184 as shown in FIG.

  The representative server temperature difference prediction model 172 models a thermal load in a representative server arranged in the rack row 4. The representative server temperature difference prediction model 172 includes the temperature of the exhaust heat air 32 present in the return air layer 22 measured by the exhaust temperature sensor 62 and the conditioned air 34 present in the air supply layer 24 measured by the intake air temperature sensor 64. The cooling state in a typical server is estimated based on the temperature of the server. The control logic of the controller 100 predicts the amount of heat generated in the rack row 4 based on the temperature measured by the exhaust temperature sensor 62 and the temperature measured by the intake air temperature sensor 64, and Control the operating state. The estimated value from the representative server temperature difference prediction model 172 is given to the speed calculation unit 184.

  The speed calculation unit 184 determines the fan speed in each cooling unit 10 based on the estimated value from the rack row supply / exhaust static pressure prediction model 154 and the estimated value from the representative server temperature difference prediction model 172. . Then, a cooling unit fan speed command 186 is output to the target cooling unit 10.

  In addition, when the bypass damper 18 (see FIG. 1) for reducing the blowing power is mounted by short-circuiting between the return air layer 22 and the conditioned air 34, the bypass damper 18 is used. May be. In this case, the control logic of the controller 100 has a bypass control unit 188 as shown in FIG. The bypass control unit 188 determines the cooling unit based on the static pressure difference measured by the static pressure difference sensor 66 and the fan speed from the speed calculation unit 184 based on the estimated value from the rack row supply / exhaust static pressure prediction model 154. When it is determined that the circulation amount of the conditioned air including 10 needs to be minimized, an opening / closing command / opening degree command 190 is given to the bypass damper 18.

  By increasing the opening degree of the bypass damper 18, the minimum circulation in the cooling unit 10 can be realized, and the blowing power can be reduced.

  Furthermore, temperature sensors are arranged on the entry side and the exit side of the cooling unit 10 respectively, and in addition to the temperature difference between the cold aisle and the hot aisle, the temperature difference between the entry and exit of the cooling unit 10 (for example, a difference of about 10 ° C.) Therefore, the control of the number of operating cooling units 10 and the fan speed control of the cooling units 10 may be integrated and performed.

  In addition, by using the cooling unit operation time table 164, it is possible not only to equalize the total operation time but also to realize control that increases redundancy. For example, when the operation of the cooling unit 10 is stopped due to failure, inspection, or other reasons, the number of the cooling units 10 operated before the occurrence of the stop event is stored, and the stored number The operation of the same number of cooling units 10 may be continued.

[D. advantage]
According to the air conditioning system according to the present embodiment, the ceiling space 20 includes at least two layers including the return air layer 22 for collecting the exhaust hot air 32 and the air supply layer 24 for supplying the conditioned air 34. Divide into Then, the entire partitioned layers are communicated with the hot aisle and the cold aisle, and the air conditioning equipment chambers 8 are formed on both sides of the return air layer 22. The air conditioner room 8 functions as a kind of buffer and is cooled by each cooling unit 10 after uniformizing the temperature distribution of the collected exhaust heat air 32.

  By forming the return air layer 22 and the air supply layer 24 in the ceiling space 20 and circulating the air, there is some obstacle to the air circulation path in the operation process compared to the case where the air is circulated using the underfloor space. It is possible to reduce the possibility of occurrence.

  In addition, since the exhaust heat air 32 collected in the air conditioning equipment room 8 is made uniform, efficient cooling is possible even when only a part of the plurality of cooling units 10 is operated. Become. In addition, since the entire space including the return air layer 22 and the air conditioning equipment room 8 and the entire space including the air supply layer 24 can be used as air flow paths, the power required to circulate the air can be reduced.

  In the air conditioning system according to the present embodiment, the plurality of cooling units 10 may be arranged at random positions in each of the pair of air conditioning equipment rooms 8. Therefore, even if the places where the heat load is generated are dispersed at the time of completion, the conditioned air can be distributed to the necessary places as necessary. Further, as the heat load increases, a necessary number of cooling units 10 can be added afterwards, so that a system that can be flexibly expanded according to the heat load can be realized.

  Further, in the air conditioning system according to the present embodiment, since the control is performed based on the static pressure difference generated between the return air layer 22 and the air supply layer 24 constituting the ceiling space 20, the number of operating cooling units 10 is excessive. Can be avoided.

  By adopting the configuration as described above, it is possible to realize an air conditioning system capable of reducing the power of the air conditioning mechanism necessary for supplying conditioned air to the air conditioned room.

  The embodiment disclosed this time should be considered as illustrative in all points and not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is defined by the terms of the claims, rather than the description above, and is intended to include any modifications within the scope and meaning equivalent to the terms of the claims.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Air-conditioning system, 2 Air-conditioning object room, 4 rack rows, 5 floors, 6 under-floor space, 8 air-conditioning equipment room, 9 wall surface, 10 cooling unit, 11 fan, 12 supply duct, 14 upper space, 16-1, 16-2 Check damper, 18 Bypass damper, 20 Ceiling space, 22 Return air layer, 24 Air supply layer, 26, 36 Opening, 28 Partition, 32 Waste heat air, 34 Air-conditioned air, 38 Communication path, 42 Hot aisle, 44 Cold aisle, 46 thermal member, 48 shielded flow path, 62 exhaust temperature sensor, 64 intake air temperature sensor, 66 static pressure difference sensor, 100 controller, 102 CPU, 104 RAM, 106 ROM, 108 control program, 150 differential pressure target value, 152 Air supply layer-return air interlayer static pressure model, 154 rack row supply-exhaust static pressure prediction model, 156 units , 158 operation stop command, 162 operation state determination unit, 164 cooling unit operation time table, 166 static pressure difference control module, 172 representative server temperature difference prediction model, 184 speed calculation unit, 186 cooling unit fan speed command, 188 bypass control unit 190 Open / close command / opening command.

Claims (5)

An air conditioning system for managing the temperature of an air conditioning target room in which a rack row that accommodates information processing equipment is arranged,
In the air-conditioning target chamber, a first partition section that partitions a first space in contact with the air supply surface of the rack row and a second space in contact with the exhaust surface of the rack row;
A second partition section that partitions the ceiling space formed on the upper side of the air conditioning target room into a first layer and a second layer;
A first communication portion that communicates the first space with the first layer;
A second communication portion that communicates the second space and the second layer;
A pair of air conditioning equipment chambers formed adjacent to both sides of the air conditioning target room in a direction in which the rack row extends and communicated with the second layer, respectively, and the air conditioning equipment room and the first The opening communicating with the two layers is formed in association with the arrangement of the rack rows,
An air conditioning system comprising a plurality of air conditioning mechanisms that are arranged in each of the pair of air conditioning equipment rooms and that supply conditioned air generated by cooling air existing in the air conditioning equipment rooms to the first layer. . The plurality of air conditioning mechanisms are respectively disposed in the pair of air conditioning equipment rooms,
The air conditioning system according to claim 1, wherein the second layer is formed on an upper side of the first layer. The first communication portion includes an opening formed on a surface that divides the ceiling space and the air-conditioning target chamber.
The air conditioning system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the second communication portion is formed in association with an area where the second space of the air conditioning target room exists. A static pressure difference sensor for measuring a static pressure difference between the first layer and the second layer;
2. The air conditioning system according to claim 1, further comprising: a control device that controls operating states of the plurality of air conditioning mechanisms so that the static pressure difference measured by the static pressure difference sensor is maintained within a predetermined range. . A first temperature sensor for measuring the temperature of air present in the first layer;
A second temperature sensor that measures the temperature of the air present in the second layer,
The controller is
Based on the temperature measured by the first temperature sensor and the temperature measured by the second temperature sensor, the amount of heat generated in the rack row is predicted to control the operation state of the plurality of air conditioning mechanisms. The air conditioning system according to claim 4.

Images