JP5906111B2 - Air conditioning system for containers - Google Patents

Description

  Embodiments described herein relate generally to an air conditioning system for containers.

  In recent years, container-type data centers have been proposed with the progress of IT (information technology) in various fields.

  In this container-type data center, a cargo container placed on a loading platform such as a truck is remodeled into a server room, and equipment necessary for a data center such as a server, a control device, and a power supply device is accommodated therein. It is configured as a packaging system.

  The container type data center is equipped with a container air conditioning system for keeping the temperature in the container constant at a predetermined temperature because the amount of heat generated by devices such as servers in the container is large.

  This container air conditioning system includes a heat exchanger connected to a container via a duct for exchanging heat with air in the container, a single heat exchange unit having a large fan, and a heat exchanger for the heat exchange unit. A plurality of outdoor units having outdoor heat exchangers connected to each other through refrigerant piping.

  However, in such a conventional air conditioner, in order to provide a redundant system by providing a plurality of independent refrigeration cycles, a plurality of heat exchangers of heat exchange units are provided. For this reason, the large weight and high cost of the heat exchange unit are incurred.

  In addition, this makes it difficult to transport the heat exchange unit, and has a problem that the layout when installing the heat exchange unit and the outdoor unit is greatly restricted.

  Further, since the air conditioning system for containers is configured in advance according to the amount of heat generated such as the number of servers, the air conditioning capacity cannot be easily and quickly changed according to the change in the number of servers.

  The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a container air-conditioning system which has a large degree of freedom in layout and can easily and quickly change the air-conditioning capacity.

According to the air conditioning system for a container of the present embodiment, is connected to the container, the main duct having an exhaust passage and air supply passage for supplying the temperature-controlled air into the container for exhausting the air in the container, of the main duct outlet for blowing a plurality of connecting ducts having air supply passage exhaust passage and connected to an exhaust path connected to the air supply passage of the main duct, the connection has been temperature-controlled air to the air supply passage of the connecting duct The indoor unit having a suction port connected to the exhaust passage of the connection duct and sucking exhaust gas and an indoor heat exchanger for exchanging heat of the air sucked from the suction port to temperature-controlled air, and heat exchange between the refrigerant and the outside air A plurality of air conditioners in which an outdoor unit having an outdoor heat exchanger is provided in one housing, or a plurality of airs that are arranged by combining an indoor unit and an outdoor unit housed in separate housings in close proximity. A harmony machine And Bei, and a connecting duct with the main duct comprises an air-conditioning system for a container, characterized in that it is disposed outside of the container.

The block diagram which shows the whole structure of the air conditioning system for containers which concerns on 1st Embodiment. The block diagram which shows the whole structure of the air conditioning system for containers which concerns on 2nd Embodiment.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In addition, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected to the same or an equivalent part in several drawing.

(First embodiment)
FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an overall configuration of a container air-conditioning system according to the first embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, a container air conditioning system 1 is connected to a container 2 via a main duct 3 for intake and exhaust of a plurality of variable capacity air conditioners 4, 4,.

  Container 2 is a freight container for land, sea, and air transportation. For example, a metal freight container such as steel or aluminum that is carried on a loading platform such as a trailer or truck is modified for a server room, Alternatively, it is manufactured in advance for a server room.

  The container 2 includes one or more servers 5 and a server rack (not shown) on which the servers 5 are placed, equipment necessary for configuring a data center such as a control device and a power supply device, and these devices in the container 2. An indoor fan (not shown) that blows indoor air is provided.

  The container 2 is formed at one end connected to the main duct 3 with a suction port 2a for sucking temperature-controlled air from a plurality of air conditioners 4, 4,... And an exhaust port 2b for exhausting the air in the container 2. The intake port 2a and the exhaust port 2b are respectively provided with an air supply damper 2c and an exhaust damper 2d that can be opened and closed electrically. The opening degree of these supply and exhaust dampers 2c and 2d is controlled by a damper control device (not shown).

  The main duct 3 includes an air supply path 3a for supplying cool air having a required temperature or warm-conditioned air from a plurality of air conditioners 4, 4,... To the container 2, and an exhaust path 3b for exhausting the air in the container 2. It is equipped with. The main duct 3 communicates the air inlet end (right end in FIG. 1) of the air supply passage 3a with the inlet 2a of the container 2, while the exhaust outlet end (right end in FIG. 1) of the exhaust passage 3b is the exhaust of the container 2. The container 2 is connected to one end of the container 2 in a state where it communicates with the mouth 2b.

  Each air conditioner 4 accommodates an indoor unit and an outdoor unit through a partition wall in a single housing, and also includes a control device 4a for controlling the operation of the indoor unit and the outdoor unit. It is configured. The indoor unit includes an indoor heat exchanger provided with an indoor fan (not shown), an air outlet (not shown) that blows out the conditioned air heat-exchanged by the indoor heat exchanger, and a suction port that sucks the exhaust from the container 2. The air (exhaust gas) sucked from the suction port is cooled by the indoor heat exchanger and blown out from the outlet as temperature-controlled air. These air outlets and suction ports are connected to the air supply path 6a and the exhaust path 6b of each connection duct 6, respectively.

  That is, the air outlet of the indoor unit is connected to the air supply path 6 a of the connection duct 6, and the air inlet of the indoor unit is connected to the exhaust path 6 b of the connection duct 6. Each indoor unit is provided with a blower damper 6c that can be opened and closed electrically at the blower outlet, and a suction damper 6d that can be opened and closed electrically with a suction opening.

  Each connection duct 6 has its air supply path 6 a connected to the air supply path 3 a of the main duct 3 so that it can communicate, and its exhaust path 6 b is connected to the exhaust path 3 b of the main duct 3 so that it can communicate. Each connection duct 6 may be configured integrally with each air conditioner 4 or main duct 3, or may be configured separately from these.

  The outdoor unit of each air conditioner 4 constitutes a refrigeration cycle in which refrigerant is circulated by sequentially connecting a capacity variable compressor (not shown), a four-way valve, an outdoor heat exchanger having an outdoor fan, and an expansion device through a refrigerant pipe. doing. The outdoor heat exchanger is connected to the indoor heat exchanger via a refrigerant pipe (not shown). The outdoor heat exchanger exchanges heat between the circulating refrigerant and the outside air.

  In the present embodiment, the indoor unit and the outdoor unit are described as an integrated air conditioner that is housed in a single housing. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the indoor units are housed in separate housings. It is also possible to provide an air conditioner of the type in which the outdoor unit and the outdoor unit are combined in close proximity.

  The control device 4a includes at least air conditioner operation control means for controlling the operation of the refrigeration cycle, and damper control means for controlling the opening degree of the blowout damper 6c and the suction damper 6d of the indoor unit.

  Each air conditioner operation control means has an operation mode switching means and a temperature control means by feedback control or the like, and appropriately switches to various operation modes such as cooling, heating, and air blowing by switching control of a four-way valve. Here, in this embodiment, since the server 5 in the container 2 is cooled, the cooling and air blowing operation modes are mainly used in the above operation modes, and the heating operation mode and the four-way valve may not be provided.

  The temperature control means receives a room temperature detection signal from a room temperature sensor (not shown) for detecting the room temperature in the container 2 and a room temperature setting signal from a room temperature setting means (not shown) to eliminate the deviation between these two temperatures. By controlling the capacity of the compressor through an inverter (not shown) and controlling the temperature of the conditioned air, the temperature detected by the room temperature sensor in the container 2 is controlled to be constant at a required set temperature. The room temperature control may not be such feedback control but may be sequence control.

  Each control device 4a includes setting means for setting, for example, one of the plurality of devices as a parent device and setting the other as a child device so that the child devices can be controlled uniformly by the parent device. . The setting order of the parent device is determined in advance, and when the parent device breaks down, it moves according to the setting order of the parent. However, you may comprise so that it may control independently by each control apparatus 4a, without setting a main | base station.

  Next, the operation of the container air conditioning system 1 according to the present embodiment will be described.

  When each air conditioner 4, 4,... Is operated, temperature-controlled air of a predetermined temperature is blown out from the air outlet of these air conditioners 4, 4,. The air supply passage 6a is sequentially supplied through the air supply passage 3a of the main duct 3 into the container 2 and supplied from the suction port 2a.

  On the other hand, the indoor air heated by the heat generated by the equipment such as the server 5 in the container 2 passes through the exhaust port 2b of the container 2 through the exhaust passage 3b of the main duct 3 and the exhaust passage 6b of the connection duct 6 in order. It is sucked into the suction port of 4.

  Thereafter, the sucked air (exhaust) is heat-exchanged (cooled) by the indoor heat exchanger, and is blown out again from each outlet to the air supply path 6a of the connection duct 6 as temperature-controlled air at a predetermined temperature. Further, the air is supplied from the suction port 2 a into the container 2 through the air supply path 3 a of the main duct 3.

  The room temperature of the container 2 is controlled by such repeated supply and exhaust of room air in the container 2, that is, circulation of temperature-controlled air in the container 2, and the temperature detected by a room temperature sensor (not shown) is a predetermined set temperature. The air conditioning operation of each air conditioner 4 is controlled by the control device 4a so as to be constant. During this air conditioning operation, the opening degree of the suction damper 6c and the blowing damper 6d of each air conditioner 4 is appropriately controlled by the damper control means of each control device 4a, and the blowing and suction air volumes are appropriately controlled. The opening of the supply and exhaust dampers 2c and 2d in the container 2 is controlled by a control device (not shown) in the container 2.

  If, for example, one of the multiple air conditioners 4, 4,... Fails and the air conditioning capacity is reduced or shut down, the air conditioner capacity drop or shutdown is detected. The control device 4a of the master unit controls the control devices 4a, 4a,... That are the slave units of the remaining air conditioners 4, 4,. In addition, when it is necessary to compensate for the shortage of the reduced air conditioning capacity, the air conditioning capacity of the remaining air conditioners 4, 4,... Is increased and the room temperature in the container 2 continues to be constant at the set temperature. To control.

  Therefore, according to the container air conditioning system 1, not only during operation of all of the plurality of air conditioners 4, 4,. , 4,..., The room temperature in the container 2 can be controlled to be substantially constant at the set temperature. For this reason, it is possible to cope with a data center operating 24 hours. As a result, it is possible to prevent or reduce the failure and breakage of expensive data center equipment such as the server 5 due to high temperature rise.

  Further, since the room temperature in the container 2 is controlled by a plurality of air conditioners 4, 4,..., Each air conditioner 4, 4,. Can be achieved.

  For this reason, it is possible to facilitate the layout work of the transportation and installation of the air conditioners 4 at the transportation destination and the arrangement at that time, and to improve the flexibility of the layout itself. For example, a plurality of air conditioners 4, 4,... May be arranged in a horizontal row on one side with respect to the main duct 3, or symmetrically or asymmetrically with respect to the main duct 3 according to the topography of the site of the installation site. Good.

  And for the change of the air conditioning capacity required on the container 2 side, the number of air conditioners 4, 4,... Can be increased or decreased or the air conditioning capacity of each air conditioner 4 can be controlled easily and quickly. Yes.

(Second Embodiment)
FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the overall configuration of a container air conditioning system 1A according to the second embodiment. This container air conditioning system 1A is characterized in that three sets of the container air conditioning system 1 according to the first embodiment are connected by a plurality of connecting ducts 7 and 8.

  In other words, the container air conditioning system 1A can communicate with the base side of the main ducts 3 and 3 of the adjacent container air conditioning systems 1 and 1, that is, each container 2 side by two connecting ducts 7 and 8, respectively. , And the inside of a total of three containers 2, 2, and 2 is air-conditioned by a total of twelve air conditioners 4, 4,.

  Each of the connecting ducts 7 and 8 has air supply passages 7a and 8a and exhaust passages 7b and 8b, respectively. These air supply passages 7a and 8a communicate with the air supply passage 3a of the main duct 3, respectively. 8 b is connected to the main ducts 3 and 3 in a state where the air passages 8 b communicate with the exhaust passages 3 b of the main duct 3.

  According to this container air conditioning system 1A, the room temperature of the three containers 2, 2,... Can be controlled to a required temperature by the plurality of air conditioners 4, 4,.

  That is, it is possible to easily and quickly respond to changes in the number of containers 2 and the required air conditioning capacity by increasing or decreasing the number of air conditioners 4. Also in this embodiment, like the container air conditioning system 1 according to the first embodiment, the ease of installation and arrangement of a plurality of air conditioners 4, 4,. Can be achieved.

  Furthermore, even when the number of containers 2 increases, the container 2 and the air conditioners 4, 4,... Can be easily transported, so that the container air conditioning system 1A can be easily and quickly installed at a desired location. .

  In the first and second embodiments, the case where one or three containers 2 are provided has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this and may be two or four or more.

  As mentioned above, although several embodiment of this invention was described, these embodiment is shown as an example and is not intending limiting the range of this invention. These novel embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and changes can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. These embodiments and modifications thereof are included in the scope and gist of the present invention, and are included in the invention described in the claims and the equivalents thereof.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1,1A ... Air-conditioning system for containers, 2 ... Container, 3 ... Main duct, 3a ... Supply air path, 3b ... Exhaust air path, 4 ... Air conditioner, 5 ... Server, 6 ... Connection duct, 7, 8 ... Connection duct .

Claims (1)

Connected to the container, a main duct having a gas supply channel for supplying the exhaust passage and temperature-controlled air into the container for exhausting the air in the container,
A plurality of connecting ducts having an exhaust passage connected to the exhaust passage of the main duct and an air supply passage connected to the air supply passage of the main duct;
Outlet, heat exchange air sucked from the suction port and the suction port for sucking an exhaust connected to an exhaust passage of the connecting duct to the temperature-controlled air to blow out the connected temperature-controlled air to the air supply passage of the connecting duct An indoor unit having an indoor heat exchanger to perform,
A plurality of air conditioners having an outdoor unit having an outdoor heat exchanger for exchanging heat between the refrigerant and the outside air in one housing, or an indoor unit and an outdoor unit housed in separate housings are brought close to each other. A plurality of air conditioners arranged in combination;
Comprising
An air conditioning system for containers, wherein the main duct and the connecting duct are disposed outside the container.

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