JP5102323B2 - Electronic equipment storage rack - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an electronic device storage rack that stores electronic devices such as server computers.

  Conventionally, when managing electronic devices such as server computers and network devices, an electronic device storage rack has been used (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

  A plurality of electronic devices are vertically arranged on the rack body of the electronic device storage rack, and each electronic device is attached so that the front surface thereof is exposed forward. Each electronic device is provided with a fan with a built-in electronic device. By taking in air from the front of the electronic device and discharging it from the back with the fan with a built-in electronic device, the heat inside the electronic device is transferred to the back space of the rack body. It is configured so that it can be discharged.

  On the other hand, the electronic equipment storage rack is provided with a rack mounting fan so that the air exhausted from each electronic equipment to the back space in the rack main body can be forcibly discharged to the outside of the rack main body. Thus, the heat stored in the rack body can be discharged to the outside.

As the rack mounting fan, one that is on / off controlled or rotationally controlled according to the temperature in the rack body is known , and can be controlled independently from the electronic device built-in fan provided in each electronic device. The temperature inside the rack body is controlled so as not to exceed a set value.

JP 2005-019857 A

  However, in such a conventional electronic equipment storage rack, when the air volume of the rack mounting fan is larger than the total air volume of the electronic equipment built-in fan of each electronic equipment, the inside of the rack body becomes negative pressure, and the pressure difference between the inside and outside is It grows gradually.

  Then, this pressure difference acts as a force for forcibly increasing the rotation speed of the electronic device built-in fan, and the load applied to the electronic device built-in fan is large, which may shorten the life.

  On the other hand, when the air volume of the rack mounting fan is smaller than the total air volume of the electronic device built-in fans, the ability to exhaust the heat in the rack body to the outside is reduced, and the original cooling capacity cannot be fully exhibited. .

  For this reason, the rack-mounted fan must always be rotated at the maximum air volume, and power consumption cannot be reduced according to the required air volume.

  The present invention has been made in view of such a conventional problem, and provides an electronic equipment storage rack that can reduce power consumption of a rack mounting fan while reducing a load applied to a built-in fan of the electronic equipment. It is for the purpose.

  In order to solve the above-described problem, in the electronic device storage rack according to claim 1 of the present invention, heat is discharged into the rack body by the built-in fan of the electronic device housed in the rack body. In the electronic equipment storage rack having a function of discharging to the outside of the rack main body by the mounted rack mounting fan, pressure input means for inputting the internal atmospheric pressure inside the rack main body and the external atmospheric pressure outside the rack main body, and the internal atmospheric pressure And a rotation control means for controlling the rotation of the rack mounting fan based on the difference between the external pressure and the outside air pressure.

  That is, when the internal temperature of the electronic device stored in the rack body becomes higher than the set value, the electronic device rotates the internal fan or increases the rotational speed in order to increase the internal cooling efficiency. Then, the internal pressure inside the rack body becomes higher than the external pressure outside the rack body. On the other hand, when the internal temperature of the electronic device becomes lower than a set value, the built-in fan is stopped or the rotational speed is reduced in order to reduce the cooling efficiency. Thereby, the internal pressure becomes lower than the external pressure.

  At this time, in the electronic equipment storage rack, the internal pressure and the external pressure are input, and the rotation of the rack mounting fan is controlled based on the difference between the internal pressure and the external pressure.

  For this reason, on the structure that controls the rack mounting fan according to the temperature in the rack body, compared with the conventional case of controlling the rack mounting fan regardless of the state of the internal pressure and the state of the external pressure, Control for suppressing the difference between the internal atmospheric pressure and the external atmospheric pressure is possible.

  At this time, the heat discharged from the electronic device is discharged to the outside of the rack body according to the amount of discharge. For this reason, when the internal temperature of the electronic device becomes high and the discharge amount from the electronic device increases, the discharge amount to the outside of the rack body increases accordingly, and the heat exhaust efficiency is improved. Further, when the internal temperature of the electronic device is lowered and the discharge amount from the electronic device is reduced, the discharge amount to the outside of the rack body is reduced accordingly, thereby reducing the power consumption of the rack mounting fan. It can be suppressed.

  Further, in the electronic equipment storage rack according to claim 2, the rotation control means increases the discharge amount by increasing the number of rotations of the rack mounting fan when the inner pressure is higher than the outer pressure, while the inner pressure is increased. When the air pressure is lower than the outside air pressure, the number of rotations of the rack mounting fan is reduced to reduce the discharge amount, and the inside air pressure and the outside air pressure are controlled to be substantially the same pressure or the inside air pressure is slightly negative. .

  That is, when the internal pressure becomes higher than the external pressure, the amount of discharge to the outside of the rack body can be increased by increasing the rotation speed of the rack mounting fan. On the other hand, when the internal air pressure is lower than the external air pressure, the amount of discharge to the outside of the rack body can be reduced by lowering the rotation speed of the rack mounting fan. It can be controlled such that the external air pressure is substantially the same pressure or the internal air pressure is slightly negative.

  As described above, in the electronic device storage rack according to the first aspect of the present invention, the built-in fan of the electronic device is controlled based on the internal temperature of the electronic device stored in the rack body. When a differential pressure is generated between the internal air pressure inside the rack body and the external air pressure outside the rack body, the rotation of the rack mounting fan provided in the rack body can be controlled based on the differential pressure.

  For this reason, the rack mounting fan is controlled in accordance with the temperature in the rack body, so that the rack mounting fan is controlled regardless of the state of the internal air pressure and the state of the external air pressure. Thus, a pressure difference that can occur between the inside and outside of the rack body can be suppressed.

  In addition, in order to obtain a sufficient cooling performance, when the air volume of the rack mounting fan is set to be high, the built-in fan is forced to rotate by this negative pressure, such as when the inside of the rack body is always at a negative pressure. As compared with the above, it is possible to reduce the external burden applied to the built-in fan.

  As the internal temperature of the electronic device rises, the discharge amount from the electronic device increases, and when the pressure difference changes, the discharge amount to the outside of the rack body by the rack mounting fan increases. Thus, exhaust heat efficiency can be increased. On the other hand, when the internal temperature of the electronic device is lowered, the discharge amount from the electronic device is reduced, and the pressure difference is changed, the rotation of the rack mounting fan is suppressed accordingly, and the outside of the rack main body is suppressed. By reducing the amount of discharge to the rack, the power consumption of the rack mounted fan can be suppressed.

  Therefore, it is possible to achieve both the extension of the life of the built-in fan of the housed electronic device and the power saving of the rack mounting fan.

  In the electronic equipment storage rack according to claim 2, when the internal air pressure in the rack body becomes higher than the external air pressure outside the rack body, the rotation speed of the rack mounting fan is increased to The amount of discharge can be increased. On the other hand, when the internal air pressure is lower than the external air pressure, the amount of discharge to the outside of the rack body can be reduced by reducing the rotation speed of the rack mounting fan.

  In this way, by controlling the rotation speed of the rack-mounted fan based on the pressure difference between the internal air pressure and the external air pressure, the internal air pressure and the external air pressure are approximately the same pressure or the internal air pressure is slightly negative. The pressure can be controlled.

  Therefore, it is possible to maintain the load state on the built-in fan and the power consumption of the rack mounted fan in an appropriate state.

It is a schematic diagram which shows 1st embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows operation | movement of 1st embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows operation | movement of 2nd embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows operation | movement of 3rd embodiment.

  (First embodiment)

  Hereinafter, a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an electronic device storage rack 1 according to the present embodiment. The electronic device storage rack 1 is installed in a server room or the like and stores and manages electronic devices 2 such as server computers and network devices. To do.

  The rack body 11 of the electronic device storage rack 1 includes a frame (not shown) constituting a skeleton, and a bottom plate 12 constituting a bottom surface is provided at the bottom of the frame. A top plate 13 is provided on the top of the frame, and both side portions constituting the side surface are covered with side plates 14. Further, a back door 15 is provided at the back of the frame so as to be openable and closable, and is configured to be opened from the maintenance back side of the electronic device 2 by being opened.

  Each side plate 14 (only one is shown) is configured such that a fixing bracket can be attached at an arbitrary height position, and the electronic device 2 is provided by a fixing bracket provided at a position facing the both side plates 14. It is comprised so that it can support.

  As a result, the rack body 11 is configured to be able to hold a plurality of electronic devices 2,... In a vertically arranged state. In the empty space 21 in which the electronic device 2 is not mounted, a blank panel is provided. By providing 22, the free space 21 can be prevented from being opened.

  Each of the electronic devices 2,... Is configured to be attached with its front surface 31 facing the front of the rack body 11, and is provided on the front surface 31 of each electronic device 2,. It is configured to be able to operate switches and confirm displays.

  The rack body 11 is set to have a depth dimension so that a back space 41 can be secured on the back side of each of the electronic devices 2. Thereby, it is comprised so that the wiring etc. of the cable which connects between each electronic device 2, ... can be performed in the said back surface space 41. FIG.

  Each of the electronic devices 2,... Has a cooling electronic device built-in fan 51 for generating heat during use. The electronic device built-in fan 51 is controlled by the electronic device 2 and is configured to operate when the internal temperature of the electronic device 2 reaches a set temperature or to increase the rotational speed. The electronic device built-in fan 51 is configured to take in cooling air from the front surface 31 and discharge it from the back surface 52, and is configured to discharge heat generated inside to the back space 41. .

  The set temperature of the electronic device 2 is set to a different temperature for each electronic device 2,..., And is set to a temperature suitable for each electronic device 2,. Therefore, the amount of air discharged from each of the electronic devices 2,... Varies greatly depending on the state of each of the electronic devices 2,. In order to manage the temperature of the back space 41, complicated control is required.

  On the other hand, the top plate 13 of the rack body 11 is provided with an opening 61 on the back side, and a rack mounting fan 62 is provided in the opening 61. The rack mounting fan 62 is connected to a control device 63 provided in the rack body 11, and is configured to be controlled by an output from the control device 63. As a result, the heat dissipated in the rack main body 11 by the electronic device built-in fans 51 of the electronic devices 2,. The rack body 11 is configured to be discharged to the outside.

  An inner pressure sensor 71 and an outer pressure sensor 72 are connected to the control device 63. Each of the pressure sensors 71 and 72 is configured to detect pressure and output the detected pressure as an electrical signal to the control device 63. For example, the pressure sensors 71 and 72 include components whose electrical resistance changes according to the pressure. .

  The inner pressure sensor 71 is provided inside the rear door 15, detects the pressure in the rack body 11, specifically, the rear space 41, and outputs the pressure to the control device 63. It is configured. The outer pressure sensor 72 is provided outside the rear door 15 and is configured to detect the pressure outside the rack body 11 and output the pressure to the control device 63.

  The control device 63 is mainly configured by a microcomputer incorporating a ROM and a RAM, and is configured to control the rack mounting fan 62 by operating according to a program stored in the ROM.

  Thus, based on the pressure difference between the internal air pressure inside the rack body 11 input from the inner pressure sensor 71 and the external air pressure outside the rack body 11 input from the outer pressure sensor 72, It is comprised so that rotation can be controlled.

  That is, when the microcomputer of the control device 63 starts to operate in accordance with the program stored in the ROM, as shown in the flowchart of FIG. 2, the rack mounted fan 62 is set to a default rotational speed preset in the ROM or the like. (S1), the internal pressure inside the rack body 11 is inputted from the inner pressure sensor 71 and the outside pressure outside the rack body 11 is inputted from the outer pressure sensor 72 (S2). And the external pressure are compared (S3).

  At this time, if the internal pressure and the external pressure are the same pressure or the internal pressure is a slightly lower negative pressure, the process proceeds to step S2 without doing anything, while the internal pressure is higher than the external pressure First, the number of rotations of the rack mounting fan 62 is increased to increase the amount of discharge out of the rack body 11 (S4), and the process proceeds to step S2. On the other hand, when the internal pressure is lower than the external pressure, the rotational speed of the rack mounting fan 62 is decreased to reduce the discharge amount to the outside of the rack body 11 (S5), and the process proceeds to step S2.

  And it is comprised so that the said internal pressure and the said external pressure can be controlled so that it may become substantially the same pressure or the said internal pressure may become a little negative pressure by repeating the process of said step S2-said step S5.

  In the present embodiment according to the above configuration, when the internal temperature of each electronic device 2,... Housed in the rack body 11 is higher than the set temperature set for each electronic device 2,. Each electronic device 2,... Rotates the electronic device built-in fan 51 or increases the rotational speed in order to increase the internal cooling efficiency. Then, the internal air pressure in the rack body 11 becomes higher than the external air pressure outside the rack body 11.

  On the other hand, when the internal temperature of each of the electronic devices 2,. Thereby, the internal pressure becomes lower than the external pressure.

  At this time, the control device 63 of the electronic device storage rack 1 inputs the internal pressure and the external pressure (S2), and based on the difference between the internal pressure and the external pressure (S3), The rotation of the rack mounting fan 62 is controlled (S4, S5).

  More specifically, when the internal air pressure inside the rack body 11 becomes higher than the outside air pressure outside the rack body 11, the number of rotations of the rack mounting fan 62 is increased to move outside the rack body 11. The amount of discharge can be increased. On the other hand, when the internal air pressure is lower than the external air pressure, the amount of discharge to the outside of the rack body 11 can be reduced by reducing the rotational speed of the rack mounting fan 62.

  In this way, the electronic device built-in fans 51,... Of the electronic devices 2,... Are controlled based on the internal temperature of the electronic devices 2,. Accordingly, when a differential pressure is generated between the internal air pressure in the rack body 11 and the external air pressure outside the rack body 11, the rotation of the rack mounting fan 62 provided in the rack body 11 based on the pressure difference. Can be controlled. Thereby, it can control so that the said internal pressure and the said external pressure become substantially the same pressure, or the said internal pressure becomes a little negative pressure.

  For this reason, the rack mounting fan 62 is controlled regardless of the state of the internal air pressure and the state of the external air pressure because of the structure for controlling the rack mounting fan 62 according to the temperature in the rack body 11. The pressure difference that can occur between the inside and the outside of the rack body 11 can be suppressed.

  Further, in order to obtain a sufficient cooling performance, the air volume of the rack mounting fan 62 is set to be high so that the inside of the rack body 11 always has a negative pressure, and the electronic device built-in fan 51 is forcibly rotated by the negative pressure. In comparison with this, it is possible to reduce the external burden applied to the electronic device built-in fan 51.

  When the amount of discharge from the electronic devices 2,... Increases as the internal temperature of the electronic devices 2,. The exhaust heat efficiency can be increased by increasing the amount of discharge to the outside of the rack body 11.

  On the other hand, when the internal temperature of the electronic devices 2,... Decreases, the discharge amount from the electronic devices 2,. By suppressing the rotation of the fan 62 and reducing the discharge amount to the outside of the rack body 11, the power consumption of the rack mounting fan 62 can be suppressed.

As a result, the load state on the electronic device built-in fan 51 and the power consumption of the rack mounting fan 62 can be maintained in an appropriate state. 51,... And a power saving of the rack mounting fan 62 can be achieved.

  (Second embodiment)

  FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the operation of the second embodiment of the present invention, and shows the operation of the control device 63 by the microcomputer when the rack-mounted fan 62 is PWM-controlled.

  That is, when the microcomputer of the control device 63 starts to operate in accordance with the program stored in the ROM, the rack mounting fan 62 is output by outputting a PWM control signal having a duty ratio preset in the ROM to the rack mounting fan 62. 62 is rotated at the default rotational speed (SB1), the internal pressure inside the rack body 11 is inputted from the inner pressure sensor 71 and the outside air pressure outside the rack body 11 is inputted from the outer pressure sensor 72 ( SB2), the internal pressure and the external pressure are compared (SB3).

  At this time, when the internal air pressure and the external air pressure are the same pressure or the internal air pressure is a slightly low negative pressure, the PWM control signal is output to the rack mounting fan 62 while maintaining the current duty ratio. Thus, the rotation speed of the rack mounting fan 62 is maintained (SB4), and the process proceeds to Step SB2.

  When the internal pressure is higher than the external pressure, the duty ratio of the PWM control signal is increased and output to the rack mounting fan 62 to increase the rotation speed of the rack mounting fan 62, and the rack The discharge amount to the outside of the main body 11 is increased (SB5), and the process proceeds to Step SB2.

  On the other hand, when the inner pressure is lower than the outer pressure, the duty ratio of the PWM control signal is reduced and output to the rack mounting fan 62, thereby reducing the rotation speed of the rack mounting fan 62 and The discharge amount to the outside of the main body 11 is reduced (SB6), and the process proceeds to Step SB2.

  Then, by repeating the processing of Step SB2 to Step SB6, the internal pressure and the external pressure are controlled to be substantially the same pressure or the internal pressure is slightly negative.

  Thereby, the same effect as 1st embodiment mentioned above can be acquired.

In addition, since the rotation speed of the rack mounting fan 62 is controlled by the duty ratio of the PWM control signal, the digital signal output from the microcomputer can be used without D / A conversion, and the circuit configuration is simplified. be able to.

  (Third embodiment)

  FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the operation of the third embodiment of the present invention, and shows the operation of the control device 63 by the microcomputer when the rack-mounted fan 62 is voltage-controlled.

  That is, when the microcomputer of the control device 63 starts to operate according to the program stored in the ROM, the rack mounting fan 62 is output by outputting a control signal having a voltage value preset in the ROM to the rack mounting fan 62. Is rotated at the default rotational speed (SC1), and the internal pressure inside the rack body 11 is inputted from the inner pressure sensor 71 and the outside air pressure outside the rack body 11 is inputted from the outer pressure sensor 72 (SC2). ), The internal pressure and the external pressure are compared (SC3).

  At this time, when the internal air pressure and the external air pressure are the same pressure or the internal air pressure is a slightly low negative pressure, the control signal is output to the rack mounting fan 62 while maintaining the current voltage value. The rotation speed of the rack mounting fan 62 is maintained (SC4), and the process proceeds to step SC2.

  Further, when the internal pressure is higher than the external pressure, the voltage value of the control signal is increased and output to the rack mounting fan 62, thereby increasing the rotation speed of the rack mounting fan 62 and the rack body. 11 Increase the discharge amount to the outside (SC5), and proceed to step SC2.

  On the other hand, when the internal air pressure is lower than the external air pressure, the voltage value of the control signal is reduced and output to the rack mounting fan 62, thereby reducing the rotation speed of the rack mounting fan 62 and the rack body. 11 The amount discharged to the outside is reduced (SC6), and the process proceeds to step SC2.

  Then, by repeating the processing of Step SC2 to Step SC6, the internal pressure and the external pressure are controlled to be substantially the same pressure or the internal pressure is slightly negative.

  Thereby, the same effect as 1st embodiment mentioned above can be acquired.

  Further, since the rotation speed is controlled by changing the voltage value applied to the rack mounting fan 62, the rack mounting fan 62 can be smoothly rotated.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Electronic device storage rack 2 Electronic device 11 Rack main body 51 Fan with a built-in electronic device 62 Rack mounting fan 63 Control apparatus 71 Inner pressure sensor 72 Outer pressure sensor

Claims (2)

In an electronic device storage rack having a function of discharging heat discharged into the rack body by the built-in fan of the electronic device stored in the rack body to the outside of the rack body by a rack mounting fan provided in the rack body,
Pressure input means for inputting the internal atmospheric pressure inside the rack body and the external air pressure outside the rack body;
Rotation control means for controlling the rotation of the rack mounting fan based on the difference between the internal pressure and the external pressure;
An electronic equipment storage rack comprising:   The rotation control means increases the amount of discharge by increasing the number of rotations of the rack-mounted fan when the internal pressure is higher than the external pressure, while increasing the discharge amount of the rack-mounted fan when the internal pressure is lower than the external pressure. 2. The electronic device housing according to claim 1, wherein the amount of discharge is reduced by lowering the number of revolutions, and the internal air pressure and the external air pressure are controlled to be substantially the same pressure or the internal air pressure is slightly negative. rack.

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