JP5897319B2 - Self-standing wall type exhaust cooling unit and electronic device cooling method - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a self-supporting wall-type exhaust cooling unit and an electronic device cooling method, and more specifically, a self-supporting system that cools the exhaust of an electronic device in units of a group of electronic devices to remove heat from the electronic device such as a server. The present invention relates to a wall-type exhaust cooling unit and an electronic device cooling method.

  The construction of data centers, IT equipment management facilities or mobile phone base station server rooms, computer rooms or communication equipment rooms that accommodate high-load electronic equipment such as a large number of server equipment, routers, IT equipment, and communication equipment has increased rapidly in recent years. ing. This type of facility accommodates a large number of electronic devices that generate a large amount of sensible heat in a room, and thus requires a high-load air conditioning system for removing the sensible heat of the electronic devices.

  For example, server devices in data centers and the like have become particularly highly integrated and dense in recent years, and as a result of the generation of a large amount of sensible heat in the server room, the power consumption required for cooling the server room has increased rapidly. There is a tendency to Many server devices have a structure in which cool air is sucked in from the front and warm air is exhausted from the back. In general, a group of server devices are accommodated in a rack or cabinet such as a server rack or cabinet.

  In such a server room, a hot aisle in which the intake surface on the front side of the server rack is opposed to form a cold aisle between the intake surfaces, and the exhaust surface on the back side of the server rack is arranged to face to form a hot aisle between the exhaust surfaces. An aisle and cold aisle layout is commonly used to improve thermal efficiency. Such a hot aisle / cold aisle server room air conditioning system is disclosed in, for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2009-140421 (Patent Document 1), Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2006-208000 (Patent Document 2), and Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2004-184070. No. (Patent Document 3).

  FIG. 17 is a longitudinal sectional view conceptually and schematically showing the configuration of an air conditioning system for a server room according to the prior art. In the figure, the air conditioning system is shown by the relative positional relationship of the server room, the plenum chamber, the air conditioner, the heat exchanger, etc., and the flow of the air flow circulating through the air conditioning air circulation circuit is conceptually indicated by arrows. It is shown.

  A server rack 100 containing a plurality of servers is arranged in the server room 111. The server room is defined by the ceiling 119, the floor structure 110 and the wall body 113. The floor structure 110 has a double floor structure such as a free access floor or a network floor, and an air supply (supply side) plenum chamber 112 is provided between a floor surface component 118 and a floor slab 117 such as a concrete slab. Formed.

  Each server rack 100 incorporates a fan (not shown) for taking in cool air from the front surface 101 of the casing that constitutes the operation surface and exhausting heat from the rear surface 102 of the casing into the server room 111. The server rack 100 is arranged in the aforementioned hot aisle / cold aisle system that is generally employed in this type of server room. In the hot aisle / cold aisle layout, the casing front surfaces 101 that require air supply are arranged to face each other, a cold aisle C is formed between the casing front faces 101, and the casing rear faces 102 that perform heat exhaustion Are arranged opposite to each other, and a hot aisle H is formed between the housing back surfaces 102. A shielding plate 105 that shields the cold aisle C from the indoor upper space is disposed so as to bridge the upper part of the adjacent server racks 100. The floor constituent material 118 of the cold aisle C is provided with an air supply port (not shown) for blowing cooling air upward.

  An air conditioner 107 including a heat exchanger (cooling coil) 115 for circulating air cooling and a blower 116 is disposed in the air conditioning machine room 114. The air conditioning machine room 114 is partitioned from the server room 111 by a partition wall 120. The air conditioner 107 blows cooling air (cold air) to the air supply plenum chamber 112 under the floor. The cold air is blown upward to the cold aisle C through the air supply port of the cold aisle C, and is sucked into the server rack 100 from the intake surface (housing front surface 101) of the server rack 100. The air heated by removing heat from the server equipment in the server rack 100 (warm air) is exhausted from the exhaust surface (the housing rear surface 102) of the server rack 100 to the hot aisle H and the indoor upper space, as indicated by solid arrows. It returns to the air conditioner 107 through the return air chamber 121 on the back of the ceiling, or returns to the air conditioner 107 through the indoor upper space as indicated by a broken line arrow.

  Such a hot aisle / cold aisle type air conditioning system is configured to cool all server devices in the server room by an air conditioner that air-conditions the entire server room, but the server device is individually cooled in each server rack unit. As a technique for doing this, a cooling device having a configuration in which a heat exchanger is incorporated in a rear door of a server rack is known. FIG. 18 is a longitudinal sectional view schematically showing the configuration of the server rack in which the heat exchanger is incorporated in the rear door as described above. In FIG. 18, the air flow is conceptually indicated by arrows.

  FIG. 18 shows a rear exhaust type server rack 200 that houses a plurality of server devices 210 (shown by broken lines). The indoor space of the server room 211 is partitioned by a floor surface component 218, a ceiling structure 219, and a partition wall (not shown), and the server rack 200 is installed on the floor surface component 218. The server rack 200 includes a fan 208 that takes in indoor air from the front surface 201 of the housing and exhausts the air in the server rack 200 to the indoor space via the breathable rear door 202 on the back surface of the housing. The rear door 202 includes a plate fin heat exchanger 203. An underfloor wiring / piping space 212 is formed between the floor surface component 218 and the floor slab 217. A cold water or refrigerant supply pipe 204 and a reflux pipe 205 connected to a cold water or refrigerant heat source device (not shown) are connected to the heat exchanger 203. The cold water or refrigerant of the heat source device circulates in a cold water or refrigerant circulation circuit including the heat exchanger 203, the supply pipe 204 and the reflux pipe 205. The air in the server rack 200 heated up by exchanging heat with the server equipment is cooled by cooling with cold water or refrigerant circulating in the heat exchanger 203 and cooled down, and then flows into the indoor space as indicated by an arrow. It flows again into the server rack 200 from the front surface 201.

  Server racks of the type in which the heat exchanger is integrated into the rear door in this way are disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2009-133544 (Patent Document 4), Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2009-133561 (Patent Document 5), This is described in US Patent Application Publication No. US2006 / 0232945 (Patent Document 6) and US Patent Application Publication No. US2008 / 0232069 (Patent Document 7).

JP 2009-140421 A JP 2006-208000 Gazette JP 2004-184070 A JP 2009-133544 JP JP 2009-133561 US Patent Application Publication No. US2006 / 0232945 US Patent Application Publication No. US2008 / 0232069

  However, in the above-mentioned server room (FIG. 17) equipped with a hot aisle / cold aisle type air conditioning system, the warm air heated by removing heat from the server equipment mainly flows through the indoor upper space and returns to the air conditioner. Alternatively, since it is configured to return to the air conditioner via the return air chamber on the back of the ceiling, a relatively large ceiling is formed to form the indoor upper space or the back of the ceiling that constitutes the return air flow path. It becomes necessary to secure the height or floor height. An increase in the ceiling height or floor height is a factor that increases or extends the height of the entire building, construction cost, construction period, and the like, and therefore, a countermeasure for avoiding such an increase in ceiling height or floor height is desired.

  In this type of air conditioning system, the relatively hot air that has flowed out to the rear side of the server rack is short-circuited to the front side of the server rack, and the temperature of the air flow flowing into the server rack is localized or transient. Therefore, the air intake temperature (design condition) on the front of the server rack is set to a slightly higher temperature in order to adapt to the increase in the cooling load caused by such warm and cold air mixing. It is necessary to set the cool air blowing temperature (design condition) to a slightly lower temperature. As a means for preventing such a mixture of warm and cool air, a measure for installing a shielding plate that shields the cold aisle from the indoor upper space is known as described above. However, such a shielding plate is installed in a server rack. There is a tendency to restrict the degree of freedom of design such as layout, structure, shape and size.

  Furthermore, in order to remove a large amount of heat generated due to high integration and high density of server equipment, it is necessary to increase the amount of air blown by the air conditioner. Problems such as an increase in the cross-sectional dimension and cross-sectional area of the air conveyance path, a decrease in responsiveness or controllability of heat load control, and the like occur.

  On the other hand, in a server rack of a type in which a heat exchanger is integrated into the rear door, such a problem is unlikely to occur because each server rack can handle a thermal load. Since the structure and function of the built-in heat exchanger are closely related to the structure and function of the server rack, there is a situation in which the heat exchanger has to be manufactured in advance as a server rack component. For this reason, when adopting this type of server rack, the manufacturer, model, specifications, shape, structure, dimensions, etc. of the server rack are limited in advance, so the server rack can be selected freely, versatility, compatibility, There are difficulties in terms of extensibility. In addition, the server rack in which the heat exchanger is integrated into the rear door in this way is expensive in price, and the type of heat source is limited according to the specifications of the server rack. It is difficult to arbitrarily select the optimum heat source in relation to the air conditioning heat source of the entire building. Therefore, the adoption of such a server rack with built-in heat exchanger makes it possible to optimize the energy efficiency or thermal efficiency of the entire building, It tends to make it difficult to make equipment cooling means redundant.

  The present invention has been made in view of such problems, and its object is to receive structural and functional restrictions due to specifications, shapes, etc. of a cradle or housing that accommodates a group of electronic devices. It is difficult to provide a self-standing wall type exhaust cooling unit and an electronic device cooling method that can individually process heat loads in units of a group of electronic devices housed in each gantry or casing.

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention cools indoor air heated by heat exchange with the electronic device to remove heat from a plurality of electronic devices housed in a gantry or casing, A self-standing wall-type exhaust cooling unit that allows air to flow into the indoor space,
A plurality of pillars that are erected on the downstream side in the flow direction of the indoor air after the temperature rise and spaced from the gantry or housing and supported by building components;
An opening / closing door that is supported by the columns so as to be openable and closable between the columns, and that faces the back of the gantry or housing;
The heated room air that has flowed into the exhaust flow region formed between the support column and the open / close door and the mount or the case from the back of the mount or the case, A wind-shielding means for preventing upward flow ,
The open / close door incorporates a heat exchanger that cools the indoor air after the temperature rise exhausted from the back of the gantry or the casing and flows it out into the indoor space.
The wind shield means includes a wind shield plate supported by a support column and extending toward the mount frame or the housing, and closing a gap between the mount frame or the housing body and the support column. The difference in the relative distance or relative position between the column and the gantry or the case is compensated by the change in the angle of the wind shielding plate with respect to the column. A self-standing wall type exhaust cooling unit which prevents the air flow flowing out into the exhaust flow region from flowing out to the side and above the exhaust flow region and guides the air flow to the heat exchanger. I will provide a.

The present invention also allows indoor air to flow into the gantry or housing to remove heat from the plurality of electronic devices housed in the gantry or housing, and cools the indoor air heated by heat exchange with the electronic device. In the electronic device cooling method for exhausting the cooled indoor air into the indoor space,
A plurality of columns are erected on the downstream side in the flow direction of the indoor air after the temperature rise and spaced from the gantry or housing, and the columns are supported by building components,
A door incorporating a heat exchanger is detachably attached between and supported by the column, and an exhaust flow region is formed between the column and the door and the gantry or housing,
Airflow control means prevents the airflow that has flowed into the exhaust flow region from the back of the gantry or casing from flowing out sideward and upward of the exhaust flow region, and the airflow is controlled by the airflow control means. The guide plate is guided to the exchanger, and the wind shield plate constituting the airflow control means is projected from the support column. And compensate for the difference in relative distance or relative position between the gantry or the housing,
The electronic apparatus is characterized in that the temperature of the electronic device is increased by cooling, and the indoor air exhausted from the rear surface of the gantry or casing to the exhaust flow region is cooled by the heat exchanger and flows out into the indoor space. Provide a method for cooling equipment.

  According to the above configuration of the present invention, the self-standing wall type exhaust cooling unit includes a column that is erected at a distance from a base or a housing such as a server rack, and an opening / closing unit that is supported by the column and includes a heat exchanger. With a door. The support column and the door are disposed at a distance behind the gantry or the casing. The column and the door are independent of the gantry or the housing, and therefore, the exhaust cooling unit can be designed without any structural or functional restrictions due to the specifications, shape, etc. of the gantry or the housing. In addition, the open / close door that can selectively open the area between the columns allows the electronic device to be maintained / managed or operated from the back side of the gantry or the casing. Furthermore, since the relatively high temperature indoor air exhausted from the back of each gantry or casing is cooled by a heat exchanger incorporated in the door, the group of electronic devices housed in each gantry or casing The heat load can be individually processed in units.

  According to the present invention, it is difficult to receive structural or functional restrictions due to specifications, shapes, etc. of a gantry or a housing that accommodates a group of electronic devices, and moreover, a group of electronic devices accommodated in each gantry or housing. It is possible to provide an exhaust cooling unit and an electronic device cooling method capable of individually processing heat loads in units. Further, according to the present invention, the optimum heat source can be arbitrarily selected as the heat source of the heat exchanger in relation to the air conditioning heat source of the entire building, so that the energy efficiency of the entire building can be improved and the electronic device cooling means Redundancy and the like can be performed relatively easily.

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a configuration of a self-standing wall type exhaust cooling unit according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the exhaust cooling unit shown in FIG. FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective view of the exhaust cooling unit shown in FIG. FIG. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view and a plan view showing the entire configuration of the server room in which the server rack and the exhaust cooling unit are arranged. FIG. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view showing another configuration of the server room in which the server rack and the exhaust cooling unit are arranged. FIG. 6 is a plan view showing a configuration in which a plurality of server racks and exhaust cooling units are arranged in a server room. FIG. 7 is a longitudinal sectional view taken along the line II of FIG. 8 is a longitudinal sectional view taken along line II-II in FIG. 8 is a longitudinal sectional view taken along line III-III in FIG. FIG. 10 is a system configuration diagram schematically showing the configuration of the heat source system of the heat exchanger. FIG. 11 is a plan view of the server room showing an example of use of the exhaust cooling unit. FIG. 12 is a plan view of a server room showing another example of use of the exhaust cooling unit. FIG. 13 is a plan view of a server room showing still another usage example of the exhaust cooling unit. FIG. 14 is a plan view of a server room showing still another usage example of the exhaust cooling unit. FIG. 15 is a partially enlarged perspective view showing the configuration of the drain receiving device provided at the lower part of the open / close door shown in FIGS. 6 to 9. FIG. 16 is a longitudinal sectional view of the open / close door showing the configuration of the auxiliary pumping device additionally provided in the open / close door shown in FIGS. 6 to 9. FIG. 17 is a longitudinal sectional view conceptually and schematically showing the configuration of an air conditioning system for a server room according to the prior art. FIG. 18 is a cross-sectional view conceptually and schematically showing the configuration of another conventional technique for cooling a server device.

  According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the opening / closing door is pivotally supported by the column so as to be rotatable about an axis parallel to the column. If desired, the column extends to the ceiling structure of the building located above the door, and a curtain that closes the space formed between the ceiling structure and the door is supported by the column or the ceiling structure. The

  Preferably, a plurality of heat exchangers are arranged in series in the flow direction of the air flow, and each of the heat exchangers is supplied with cold water or a refrigerant of a separate heat source. According to such a configuration, the electronic device cooling means can be made redundant relatively easily.

  More preferably, the exhaust cooling unit detects the air temperature of the room air flowing into the gantry or the casing, the room air in the exhaust flow region (room air after the temperature rise), or the room air flowing out from the heat exchanger. It has a temperature detection means and a cooling control means for variably controlling the cooling capacity of the heat exchanger based on the detection result of the temperature detection means.

  In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the open / close door includes a drain receiving device that receives the condensed water dripped from the heat exchanger, and an evaporation unit that vaporizes the condensed water staying in the drain receiving device with room air after the temperature rises. And have. The condensed water dripped from the heat exchanger is received in the lower drain receptacle of the open / close door, and the condensed water staying in the drain receptacle is vaporized by the room air after the temperature rises. According to such a configuration, it is possible to omit the construction of the drain pipe.

  In another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the open / close door has air conveying means for compensating for the pressure loss of the air flow passing through the heat exchanger or increasing the air flow. According to such a configuration, a sufficient indoor air circulation air volume can be secured relatively easily.

  Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

  1, 2 and 3 are a longitudinal sectional view, a transverse sectional view and a schematic perspective view showing a configuration of a self-standing wall type exhaust cooling unit according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view and a plan view showing an overall configuration of a server room in which the exhaust cooling units shown in FIGS. In the following drawings including FIGS. 1 to 4, the flow of airflow is conceptually indicated by arrows.

  FIG. 1 shows a server room 5 partitioned by a floor structure 50, a ceiling structure 59, and a wall 53 (FIG. 4). The floor structure 50 includes a non-breathable floor surface component 58 that forms a floor surface of the server room 5 and a floor slab 57 that divides the server room 5 horizontally with respect to a lower floor or the like. Between the floor surface component 58 and the floor slab 57, a piping / wiring space 52 for wiring / piping the electrical wiring, control wiring, communication wiring, heat medium piping, control piping, etc. of the server room 5 is defined. The

  The air-cooled server rack 1 is disposed on the upper surface of the floor surface component 58, that is, on the floor surface 51. A plurality of server devices 2 are mounted in the housing 9 of the server rack 1 as indicated by broken lines. The server rack 1 includes a rear door 7 that is a single-open rear hingedly connected to the housing 9. As shown by a broken line in FIG. 2, the rear door 3 is opened to the outside (rear), thereby opening the area in the server rack 1 and performing operations such as maintenance / management, repair, expansion, removal of the server device 2. be able to. The housing front surface 6 of the server rack 1 constituting the operation surface has air permeability through which room air can be easily circulated, and the rear door 3 also has air permeability through which room air can be easily circulated. The server rack 1 includes a plurality of built-in fans 8 (shown by broken lines) for performing heat exhaust of the server device 2 from the housing rear surface 7 of the rear door 3 constituting the heat exhaust surface. The server rack 1 takes in indoor air (cold air) from the front surface 6 of the housing under the induction pressure of the internal fan 8 and forcibly exhausts the air in the server rack 1 to the rear of the housing under the discharge pressure of the internal fan 8.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, a self-standing wall type exhaust cooling unit 10 is disposed behind the server rack 1. The exhaust cooling unit 10 includes a pair of left and right vertical columns 11 erected on the rear side of the server rack 1 (downstream in the flow direction of room air), an opening / closing door 12 disposed between the columns 11, And a curtain plate 13 for closing the upper region. The support | pillar 11 consists of a square-shaped metal tube material, for example, a square steel pipe, the square tube material made from aluminum, or stainless steel.

  The column 11 is erected at a predetermined position by mooring the base plate 14 fixed to the lower end portion of the column 11 to the floor slab 57 by an anchor bolt (not shown). The column 11 extends vertically upward through the floor surface component 58. The upper end part of the support | pillar 11 is fixed to the ceiling structure 59, or penetrates the ceiling structure 59 and is fixed to the floor slab 57 (FIG. 4) on the upper floor.

  The open / close door 12 is pivotally attached to one column 11 by a plurality of hinges (hinges) or hinges 15 (FIG. 2) separated in the vertical direction, and is supported so as to be rotatable around the column 11 as indicated by broken lines in FIG. Is done. The hinge (hinge) or the hinge 15 is attached to the support column 11 with an interval in the vertical direction. The front and back surfaces of the open / close door 12 are formed by a face material 16 having air permeability. As the face material 16, for example, a punching metal, a metal mesh material, or the like can be suitably used. A plate fin type heat exchanger 20 having a heat transfer coil in the form of a panel is accommodated between the front and back face materials 16 and is installed inside the open / close door 12. The cooling capacity of the heat exchanger 20 is arbitrarily set by setting the number of rows and density of the heat transfer coils. The rear surface of the opening / closing door 12 facing the rear door 3 is disposed at a predetermined interval from the housing rear surface 7, and an exhaust flow region 30 is formed between the server rack 1 and the opening / closing door 12.

  As shown in FIG. 1, a heat medium feeding pipe 21 and a heat medium reflux pipe 22 connected to a heat source of cold water or a refrigerant are connected to a heat medium inflow port 20a and a heat medium outflow port 20b of the heat exchanger 20. A drain pipe 23 (shown by a broken line) for discharging condensed water from the heat exchanger 20 is connected to the lower end of the open / close door 12. Preferably, in order to facilitate the rotation of the opening / closing door 12, the heat medium feeding pipe 21, the heat medium reflux pipe 22, and the drain pipe 23 are at least partially formed by flexible pipes. If desired, the heat medium feeding pipe 21 and the heat medium reflux pipe 22 can be piped in an indoor upper space or the like.

  Flow rate control valves 24 and 25 for controlling supply and discharge of a heat medium fluid such as cold water or a refrigerant are interposed in the heat medium supply pipe 21 and the heat medium return pipe 22. The flow control valves 24 and 25 are connected to the control unit 40 by a control signal line (indicated by a one-dot chain line in FIG. 1). The control unit 40 is connected to the temperature detectors 41 and 42 by a control signal line (indicated by a one-dot chain line in FIG. 1). The temperature detector 41 is disposed, for example, on the front surface 6 of the server rack 1 and detects the intake air temperature of the server rack 1. The temperature detector 42 is disposed, for example, on the indoor side portion of the column 11 and detects the temperature of the cooling air flowing out from the exhaust cooling unit 10 into the room.

  The exhaust cooling unit 10 further includes an upper wind shield 31 and a side wind shield 32 for partitioning the exhaust flow region 30. The wind shield 31 is pivotally attached to the curtain plate 13 by a hinge 33 (FIG. 1), and rotates about a horizontal axis. The wind shielding plate 31 is installed between the curtain plate 13 and the server rack 1 and prevents the air in the exhaust flow region 30 from flowing upward. The pair of left and right wind shielding plates 32 are pivotally attached to the left and right support columns 11 by hinges 34 (FIG. 2), respectively, and rotate around the vertical axis. The wind shielding plate 32 is disposed between the support column 11 and the server rack 1, and prevents the air in the exhaust flow region 30 from flowing out to the side, and the air flow flowing into the exhaust flow region 30 is converted into a heat exchanger. It functions as an airflow control means for guiding the airflow toward 20. A telescopic structure capable of adjusting the size of the wind shielding plates 31 and 32, for example, a sliding type, in order to improve the variability of the setting of the separation distance or the relative position between the opening / closing door 12 and the housing rear surface 7 or the degree of freedom of design. You may design to a structure, a nested structure, etc. Further, a flexible material, a flap, a sealing means, etc. for appropriately closing a slight gap formed between the wind shielding plates 31 and 32 or between the wind shielding plates 31 and 32 and the housing 9. May be provided on the wind shielding plates 31 and 32.

  As shown by arrows in FIGS. 1 to 3, the server rack 1 sucks indoor air from the front surface 6 of the housing into the housing 9 by the operation of the built-in fan 8. The room air removes heat from the server device 2 and rises in temperature, and then flows out into the exhaust flow region 30 under the discharge pressure of the built-in fan 8. Since the exhaust flow region 30 is partitioned by the wind shielding plates 31 and 32, the air flowing into the exhaust flow region 30 passes through the heat exchanger 20 of the open / close door 12 and flows out into the indoor space. The air flowing through the heat exchanger 20 is cooled by exchanging heat with cold water or refrigerant circulating through the heat exchanger 20. The air that has fallen in temperature and has flowed into the indoor space is again sucked into the server rack 1 from the housing front surface 6 through the indoor space. Thus, the server device 2 is heat-removed by the room air circulating in the server rack 1, and the room air is cooled by cold water or refrigerant circulating in the heat exchanger 20.

  Generally, the exhaust temperature of the server rack 1 is about 25 to 35 ° C. Therefore, the ambient temperature of the exhaust flow region 30 defined by the wind shielding plates 31 and 32 is about 25 to 35 ° C. The outlet air temperature (target value) of the heat exchanger 20 is set to a temperature within the range of 18 to 22 ° C. The cooling air cooled by the heat exchanger 20 circulates through the indoor space and is sucked into the server rack 1 from the front surface 6 of the server rack 1. However, the temperature rises slightly due to an indoor heat load or the like. The intake air temperature (target value) 1 is set to a temperature in the range of 20 to 25 ° C. Note that the exhaust flow region 30 is partitioned by the wind shielding plates 31 and 32, and therefore, it is possible to reliably prevent a short circuit in which a part of the exhaust of the server rack 1 is sucked directly into the housing front surface 6 of the server rack 1. Since it can do, it is also possible to set the exit air temperature (target value) of the heat exchanger 20 to the temperature within the range of 20-25 degreeC. Moreover, since the outside air temperature-controlled and humidity-controlled by the outside air conditioner is introduced into the indoor space of the server room 5 and mixed with the air circulating through the server rack 1, the influence of outside air mixing is further considered as necessary. It is desirable to do.

  The control unit 40 variably controls the opening degree or opening / closing of the flow rate control valves 24, 25 based on the detection results of the temperature detectors 41, 42, and the outlet air temperature (cooling air temperature) of the heat exchanger 20 and the server rack. The intake air temperature of 1 is controlled to a temperature set value (target value).

  FIGS. 4A and 4B are a longitudinal sectional view and a plan view showing an overall configuration of the server room 5 in which the server rack 1 and the exhaust cooling unit 10 are arranged throughout the room.

  4A and 4B show the overall configuration of a server room 5 in which a large number of server racks 1 having a plurality of server devices 2 (FIG. 1) are arranged in parallel. The server room 5 is partitioned by a floor structure 50, a ceiling structure 59 and a wall 53. The server rack 1 is arranged in a state in which the housing front surfaces 6 that require air supply are opposed to each other, as in the conventional hot aisle / cold aisle rack arrangement. Exhaust cooling units 10 corresponding to the respective server racks 1 are arranged along the housing rear surface 7 of each server rack 1. The maintenance passage E formed between the opposing exhaust cooling units 10 constitutes an exhaust passage. The maintenance passage S formed between the opposite housing front surfaces 6 constitutes an air supply passage.

  The indoor air in the server room 5 is sucked into the server rack 1 under the suction pressure of the built-in fan 8 of the server rack 1, the temperature is raised by removing heat from the server device 2, and then cooled by the exhaust cooling unit 10 to be maintained in the maintenance passage. E is exhausted. The exhaust cooling unit 10 arranged in parallel with the server rack 1 that is not used (and therefore the operation of the built-in fan 8 is stopped) is stopped from supplying cold water or refrigerant to the heat exchanger 20. However, the heat removal function of each server rack 1 depends on the cooling capacity of the corresponding exhaust cooling unit 10. That is, the server heat removal function in each server rack 1 in use is not affected by the use / non-use of other server racks 1. In addition, the amount of circulating air in the entire server room decreases as some server racks 1 are not used, but the server heat removal function in each server rack 1 in use is due to the reduction in the amount of circulating air in the entire server room. Not substantially affected. Thus, the individual air conditioning for each server rack is realized by the circulation of the indoor air by the built-in fan 8 of the server rack 1 and the cooling action of the heat exchanger 20 of the exhaust cooling unit 10. The server device 2 is heat-removed for each server rack.

  FIG. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view showing another configuration of the server room 5 in which the server rack 1 and the exhaust cooling unit 10 are arranged in parallel.

  The server room 5 shown in FIGS. 1 to 4 is configured to circulate indoor air in the indoor space with emphasis on reducing the floor height of the server room 5, but the server room 5 shown in FIG. An air (supply side) plenum chamber 54 is formed between a floor surface component 58 and a floor slab 57, and cooling air in the maintenance passage E is supplied through a floor surface exhaust port (not shown). The air flows into the air plenum chamber 54 and is supplied to the maintenance passage S through a floor air supply port (not shown). According to such a configuration, the floor height of the server room 5 increases as compared with the server room 5 shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, but the room is used to remove the heat generated by the wiring and piping arranged in the underfloor space. Space cooling air can be used.

  6 is a plan view showing a configuration in which a plurality of server racks 1 and exhaust cooling units 10 are arranged in the server room 5, and FIGS. 7, 8, and 9 are taken along lines II and II- in FIG. It is sectional drawing in the II line and the III-III line.

  6 to 9 show a configuration of a server room 5 in which a large number of server racks 1 in which server equipment 2 (FIG. 1) is housed are arranged in two rows on a floor surface 51. An exhaust cooling unit 10 corresponding to each server rack 1 is arranged along the rear surface 7 of the housing of the server rack 1 that performs thermal exhaust. A spare exhaust cooling unit 10 considering the future expansion of the server racks 1 may be additionally installed as shown in FIG. 6, and in this case, a larger number of exhaust cooling units 10 than the number of server racks 1 may be installed. Is disposed in the server room 5. As in the server room 5 shown in FIG. 5, the cooling air in the maintenance passage E flows into the air supply plenum chamber 54 via the floor exhaust port 55 (FIG. 9), and enters the floor air supply port 56 (FIG. 9). To the maintenance passage S.

  The exhaust cooling unit 10 shown in FIGS. 1 to 5 includes a curtain plate 13 made of a single panel, but in the exhaust cooling unit 10 shown in FIGS. 6 to 9, the curtain plate 13 has a top 11 a of the column 11. It is formed by the horizontal member 17 to be bridged and the panel member 18 fitted between the horizontal member 17 and the ceiling structure 59. The top portion 11a of the support column 11 is connected to the ceiling structure 59 by a connector 11b, and the wind shield plate 31 is pivotally attached to the horizontal member 17 so as to be rotatable about a horizontal axis.

  Moreover, in the exhaust cooling unit 10 shown in FIGS. 1-5, although the opening / closing door 12 has the structure which equipped the single heat exchanger 20, the opening / closing door 12 shown in FIGS. 6-9 is a heat exchanger. 20 has a dual structure in which a heat exchanger 60 is further installed on the outside (or inside). Since the heat exchangers 20 and 60 arranged in a superimposed or superposed manner are positioned in series with the passing airflow, the maximum cooling capacity of the exhaust cooling unit 10 is greatly increased or doubled.

  FIG. 10 is a system configuration diagram (piping system diagram) schematically showing the configuration of the heat source system of the heat exchangers 20 and 60. In FIG. 10, the heat source system of the heat exchanger 20 is indicated by a solid line, and the heat source system of the heat exchanger 60 is indicated by a broken line.

  The heat exchangers 20 and 60 have cold heat source systems 70 and 80 that are independent of each other. The cold heat source system 70 includes a cold heat source device 71 such as a turbo refrigerator, a cold water circulation pump 72 that circulates cold water, a heat exchanger 75 for cold water and refrigerant, a cold water supply pipe 73 and a cold water reflux pipe 74. It consists of a circulation circuit. The cold heat source system 80 includes cold heat source equipment 81 such as a centrifugal chiller, a cold water circulation pump 82 that circulates cold water, a heat exchanger 85 for cold water and refrigerant, a cold water supply pipe 83 and a cold water reflux pipe 84. It consists of a circulation circuit. The cold water of the cold heat source device 71 circulates in the circulation circuit of the cold water supply pipe 73, the heat exchanger 75 and the cold water reflux pipe 74 under the pressure of the cold water circulation pump 72, and the cold water of the cold heat source device 81 is cooled by the cold water circulation pump 82. The circulation circuit of the cold water supply pipe 83, the heat exchanger 85, and the cold water reflux pipe 84 is circulated under the pressure of.

  The heat exchanger 75 is connected to the heat medium feeding pipe 21 and the heat medium reflux pipe 22, and the heat medium feeding pipe 21 and the heat medium reflux pipe 22 are connected via the branch pipes 21a, 21b, 22a, 22b and the like. It is connected to the heat exchanger 20 of each exhaust cooling unit 10. A heat medium feeding pipe 61 and a heat medium reflux pipe 62 are connected to the heat exchanger 85. The heat medium feeding pipe 61 and the heat medium reflux pipe 62 are connected to each heat exchanger 60 via branch pipes 61a, 61b, 62a, 62b and the like. The heat exchangers 20 and 75, the heat medium feeding pipe 21, and the heat medium reflux pipe 22 (including the branch pipe) constitute, for example, a refrigerant natural circulation system (VCS (registered trademark)) and are condensed in the heat exchanger 75. The refrigerant (heat medium fluid) flows down in the heat medium feed pipe 21 under gravity and is supplied to the evaporator 26 of the heat exchanger 20. The refrigerant vaporized in the evaporator 26 passes through the heat medium return pipe 22. Is raised and refluxed to the heat exchanger 75. Similarly, the heat exchangers 60 and 85, the heat medium feeding pipe 61, and the heat medium reflux pipe 62 (including the branch pipe) also constitute, for example, a refrigerant natural circulation system (VCS (registered trademark)) to perform heat exchange. The refrigerant condensed in the evaporator 85 flows down in the heat medium feeding pipe 61 under gravity and is supplied to the evaporator 66 of the heat exchanger 60. The refrigerant evaporated in the evaporator 66 passes through the heat medium reflux pipe 62. Ascend and return to the heat exchanger 85. Such a refrigerant natural circulation system (VCS) is described in detail in, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 11-230577, and further detailed description thereof is omitted.

  The supply amount of the refrigerant to the heat exchanger 20 is adjusted or adjusted by the flow control valve 24 under the control of the control unit 40 (FIG. 1), and the supply amount of the refrigerant to the heat exchanger 60 is adjusted to the control unit 40 (FIG. 1). Is adjusted or adjusted by the flow control valve 64 under the control of the above. For example, the cold water supply temperature of the cold heat source devices 71 and 81 is set to about 5 ° C., and the cold water reflux temperature of the cold heat source devices 71 and 81 is set to about 10 ° C. The refrigerant condensation temperature of the heat exchangers 75 and 85 is set to about 11 ° C., and the refrigerant vaporization (evaporation) temperature of the heat exchangers 20 and 60 is set to 14 ° C. The exhaust of the server rack 1 passing through the open / close door 12 is cooled by exchanging heat with the refrigerant circulating in the heat exchangers 20 and 60. The exhaust temperature of the server rack 1 is set to about 35 ° C., and the outlet temperature of the open / close door 12 is set to about 20 ° C.

  Each of the exhaust cooling units 10 shown in FIGS. 6 to 10 has the heat exchangers 20 and 60 that are double-arranged in this way, and each of the heat exchangers 20 and 60 is connected to an independent cold heat source system 70 and 80. Therefore, not only can the maximum cooling capacity of the door 20 be increased, but also the server rack cooling system can be made redundant by duplicating the heat source system.

  11 to 14 are plan views of a server room showing an example of use of the exhaust cooling unit 10.

  Since the exhaust cooling unit 10 has a structure independent of the server rack 1, the exhaust cooling unit 10 and the server rack 1 can be arbitrarily arranged. For example, as shown in FIG. 11, the exhaust cooling units 10 are regularly arranged in two rows, while the server racks 1 are irregularly arranged, and the space of the server racks 1 to be added in the future is set at an arbitrary position. Can leave. In addition, as shown in FIG. 12, the exhaust cooling unit 10 may not be installed in the space where the server rack 1 is to be added in the future, but the exhaust cooling unit 10 may be added at the same time when the server rack 1 is added. . Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 13, it is also possible to arrange the server racks 1 having different dimensions and shapes. In such an example of use, for example, a design in which a plurality of or specially shaped wind shields 32 are attached to the column 11 or a plurality or specially shaped windshields 31 are attached to the curtain plate 13 is considered. The Furthermore, a space C in which the server rack 1 should be added in the future may be partitioned by a partition wall 19 such as a panel material as shown in FIG. 14, and the space C may be used as a storage space such as a warehouse. Further, the space C may be used as an outside air introduction chamber, or the space C may be used for an exhaust chamber or the like. In the former case, the outside air introduced into the space C is temperature-controlled and / or humidity-controlled by the heat exchangers 20, 60, and then supplied to the indoor space via the open / close door 12.

  FIG. 15 is a partially enlarged perspective view showing the configuration of the drain receiving device 90 provided at the lower part of the open / close door 12 shown in FIGS. 6 to 9.

  FIG. 15 shows a drain receiving device 90 that receives the condensed water of the heat exchangers 20 and 60. The drain receiver 90 includes a metal or resin bowl-shaped drain receiver 91 that extends over the entire width of the heat exchangers 20 and 60 and a flexible fiber that is suspended from the lower ends of the heat exchangers 20 and 60. And a face material 94. The drain receiver 91 is attached to the lower side of the open / close door 12 by locking the left and right side wall top portions to the four-circumferential frame 27 of the open / close door 12. Circular vent holes 92 and 93 are formed in the side wall of the drain receiver 91. The circular vent 92 communicates with the exhaust flow region 30, and the vent 93 communicates with the indoor space. The lower part of the face material 94 is immersed in the liquid reservoir W staying at the bottom of the drain receiver 91, and the region in the drain receiver 91 is divided by the face material 94.

  Condensed water dripped from the heat exchangers 20 and 60 stays at the bottom of the drain receiver 91 as a liquid reservoir W and is sucked up by the face material 94 by the capillary force of the face material 94. The relatively high-temperature exhaust gas that has flowed into the exhaust flow region 30 flows into the drain receiver 91 from the vent hole 92 as shown by the dashed arrows in FIG. 15, passes through the face material 94, and enters the indoor space from the vent hole 92. leak. Since the server chamber 5 generally has a relatively small latent heat load, the relatively high-temperature and low-humidity indoor air exhausted into the exhaust flow region 30 is not free from the condensed water in the liquid reservoir W sucked up by the capillary force of the face material 94. Vaporize. For this reason, the dew condensation water in the liquid reservoir W disappears with the continuous operation of the exhaust cooling unit 10. When such a drain receiving device 90 is used, the piping of the drain pipe 23 (FIG. 1) can be omitted.

  In general, it is desirable to set the heat transfer surface temperature of the heat exchangers 20 and 60 to a temperature equal to or higher than the dew point temperature of the indoor air so as not to generate condensed water or to employ a means for preventing the generation of condensed water. However, when it is necessary to set the heat transfer surface temperature of the heat exchangers 20 and 60 below the dew point temperature of the room air due to the relationship between the heat load of the server rack 1 and the heat transfer area of the heat exchangers 20 and 60, The adoption of such a drain receiving device 90 is advantageous.

  FIG. 16 is a longitudinal sectional view of the open / close door 12 showing the configuration of the auxiliary pumping device 95 additionally provided in the open / close door 12 shown in FIGS. 6 to 9.

  In each of the above-described embodiments, the indoor air is circulated by the server rack built-in fan 8. However, when the pressure loss of the heat exchangers 20 and 60 increases due to an increase in the number of coil rows or the like. Depending on the static pressure (total pressure) of the built-in fan 8, a condition in which it is difficult to sufficiently secure the indoor air circulation air volume may occur. FIG. 16 shows an auxiliary pumping device 95 that can be mounted on the surface (inner side surface) of the door 12 under such conditions.

  The auxiliary pumping device 95 includes a metal or resin exhaust duct 96 fixed to the four-frame frame 28 of the open / close door 12, and a line fan 97 disposed in the duct 96. The exhaust duct 96 entirely covers the breathable face material 16 of the open / close door 12. The exhaust flow path 98 of the exhaust duct 96 guides the exhaust gas flowing out from the face material 16 to the suction port of the line fan 97. The line fan 97 is connected to an external power supply via the control unit 40 (FIG. 1). The discharge port of the line fan 97 opens into the exhaust chamber 99 of the exhaust duct 96. The air in the exhaust passage 98 flows out from the exhaust chamber 99 into the indoor space under the pressure of the line fan 97.

  According to the exhaust cooling unit 10 provided with such an auxiliary pressure feeding device 95 as an air conveying means, the shortage of the static pressure (total pressure) of the server rack built-in fan 8 is compensated by the static pressure (total pressure) of the line fan 97, A sufficient indoor air circulation flow rate can be secured. In addition, even when the server rack built-in fan 8 is stopped, a blower having a sufficient static pressure (total pressure) capable of ensuring a desired indoor air circulation air volume is provided in the auxiliary pumping device 95, and the auxiliary pumping device 95 is used as a fail-safe mechanism. Alternatively, it is possible to employ a server rack that does not have a built-in fan.

  The preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above. However, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various changes or modifications can be made within the scope of the present invention described in the claims. Needless to say, such modifications or variations are also included in the scope of the present invention.

  For example, in the said Example, although a heat exchanger is a fin tube type heat exchanger, you may employ | adopt the heat exchanger which has another heat-transfer structure.

  In the above embodiment, the support column extends to the ceiling structure. However, the support column top portion may be positioned at the upper frame level of the open / close door, and the support column top portion may be interconnected by a horizontal member. In such a configuration, when an upper windshield is required, the windshield is installed between the horizontal member and the server rack.

  Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the upper wind shield is installed between the curtain and the server rack. However, if the height of the server rack is substantially the same as the ceiling height, the upper wind shield is installed. It can be omitted.

  An exhaust cooling unit and an electronic device cooling method according to the present invention include a server room, a data center, an IT device management facility, a mobile phone base in which a large number or a large capacity of electronic devices, IT devices, computers, communication devices and the like are housed. Used in offices and the like to cool electronic devices housed in each gantry or casing. In particular, the exhaust cooling unit and the electronic device cooling method of the present invention can be suitably used as a means for cooling server equipment in a server room such as a data center accommodating a server rack in which a large number of server equipments are mounted. According to the exhaust cooling unit and the electronic device cooling method of the present invention, it is difficult to receive structural or functional restrictions due to specifications, shapes, etc. of a gantry or a housing that accommodates a group of electronic devices, and each gantry or housing. Since the heat load can be individually processed in a unit of a group of electronic devices housed in the housing, its practical value is remarkable.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Server rack 2 Server equipment 3 Rear door 5 Server room 6 Front of housing 7 Rear of housing 8 Fan built in server rack 9 Housing 10 Exhaust cooling unit 11 Vertical support 12 Open / close door 13 Curtain plate 16 Breathable face material 20 Heat exchanger 30 Exhaust flow region 31, 32 Wind shield plate 40 Control unit 41, 42 Temperature detector

Claims (6)

In order to remove heat from a plurality of electronic devices housed in a gantry or casing, the indoor air heated by the heat exchange with the electronic devices is cooled, and the cooled indoor air flows out into the indoor space. An exhaust cooling unit,
A plurality of pillars that are erected on the downstream side in the flow direction of the indoor air after the temperature rise and spaced from the gantry or housing and supported by building components;
An opening / closing door that is supported by the columns so as to be openable and closable between the columns, and that faces the back of the gantry or housing;
The heated room air that has flowed into the exhaust flow region formed between the support column and the open / close door and the mount or the case from the back of the mount or the case, A wind-shielding means for preventing upward flow ,
The open / close door incorporates a heat exchanger that cools the indoor air after the temperature rise exhausted from the back of the gantry or the casing and flows it out into the indoor space.
The wind shield means includes a wind shield plate supported by a support column and extending toward the mount frame or the housing, and closing a gap between the mount frame or the housing body and the support column. The difference in the relative distance or relative position between the column and the gantry or the case is compensated by the change in the angle of the wind shielding plate with respect to the column. A self-standing wall type exhaust cooling unit which prevents the air flow flowing out into the exhaust flow region from flowing out to the side and above the exhaust flow region and guides the air flow to the heat exchanger. . The column extends to a ceiling structure of the building located above the door, and a curtain plate that closes a space formed between the ceiling structure and the door is the column or the ceiling structure. The exhaust cooling unit according to claim 1 , wherein the exhaust cooling unit is supported by. The open / close door includes a drain receptacle that receives the condensed water dripped from the heat exchanger, and an evaporation unit that vaporizes the condensed water staying in the drain receptacle by the room air after the temperature rises. The exhaust cooling unit according to claim 1 or 2 . In order to remove heat from a plurality of electronic devices housed in the gantry or casing, room air is allowed to flow into the gantry or casing, heat is exchanged with the electronic devices, and the heated indoor air is cooled. In the electronic device cooling method for exhausting air to the indoor space,
A plurality of columns are erected on the downstream side in the flow direction of the indoor air after the temperature rise and spaced from the gantry or housing, and the columns are supported by building components,
A door incorporating a heat exchanger is detachably attached between and supported by the column, and an exhaust flow region is formed between the column and the door and the gantry or housing,
Airflow control means prevents the airflow that has flowed into the exhaust flow region from the back of the gantry or casing from flowing out sideward and upward of the exhaust flow region, and the airflow is controlled by the airflow control means. The guide plate is guided to the exchanger, and the wind shield plate constituting the airflow control means is projected from the support column. And compensate for the difference in relative distance or relative position between the gantry or the housing,
The electronic apparatus is characterized in that the temperature of the electronic device is increased by cooling, and the indoor air exhausted from the rear surface of the gantry or casing to the exhaust flow region is cooled by the heat exchanger and flows out into the indoor space. Equipment cooling method. The column extends to a ceiling structure of the building located above the door, and a curtain plate that closes a space formed between the ceiling structure and the door is the column or the ceiling structure. The electronic device cooling method according to claim 4, wherein the electronic device cooling method is supported by the electronic device . An air conveying means is provided in the opening and closing door to compensate for a pressure loss of the air flow passing through the heat exchanger, or to increase the air flow to ensure an indoor air circulation air volume of the heat exchanger. The electronic device cooling method according to claim 4, wherein the electronic device is cooled .

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