JPH044515B2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] [Technical field to which the invention pertains]

The present invention relates to a control device for a device that supplies a cooling medium such as cooling water to a heat load device such as a computer. Note that in the description of each figure below, the same reference numerals indicate the same or corresponding parts.

[Prior art and its problems]

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a system to which this type of device is applied. In the same figure, W
01 is a cooling water supply device, 02 is a heat load device such as a computer, 03 is a control device that controls the entire cooling water supply device, 5 is a pump that circulates the cooling water W, 3 is a heat load device 02 a heat exchanger for cooling the cooling water W heated by the heat generated by the heat exchanger, 4
1 is a heater that heats the cooling water W under predetermined conditions, and 1 is the temperature tw of the cooling water W supplied to the heat load device 02.
2 is a room temperature sensor that detects the temperature ta in the room where the heat load device 02 is installed. FIG. 4 shows a flowchart of a conventional startup sequence of the control device 03 of the cooling water supply device. In this sequence, when the starting switch (not shown) of the cooling water supply device is turned on (step 101), the pump 5 is started (step 102), and the temperature of the room temperature ta and the cooling water W are
tw is measured (steps 103 and 104), and if the water temperature is lower than room temperature (step 105, branch Y), the software timer is started and the heater 4 is turned on (steps 106 to 108). Next, in step 109, it is determined whether or not the failure detection time TF, which is the time-up time of the timer set in advance, has elapsed. If it has not elapsed (branch N), the process returns to step 103. In this way, the room temperature and the water temperature are finally compared (steps 103 to 106→109 are repeated), and if the water temperature becomes higher than the room temperature (step 105, branch N), the heat load device 02
(Step 111). However, the time measured by the timer is the failure detection time TF.
If the water temperature remains lower than the room temperature even after the elapse of time (step 109, branch Y), a startup sequence error signal is output (step 110), and the heat load device 02 is not started. Figure 3 shows the case where the room temperature ta is constant and the heater 4 is
It is a characteristic diagram which shows the relationship between the cooling water temperature tw and time T after turning ON. The vertical axis is the cooling water temperature tw, and the horizontal axis is the time T after the start switch is turned on. Characteristics a and b of the initial water temperature tw01 and the same water temperature tw02 are when the heater 4 operates normally, and the initial water temperature tw
Characteristic c of 03 is a case where the heater 4 is not operating normally. For characteristic a and characteristic b, turn on the start switch.
Cooling water temperature when turned on (T=0) (initial water temperature)
tw01 and tw02 are different, and as a result, the water temperature tw
The times T1 and T2 until the temperature becomes the same as the room temperature ta are different. Furthermore, in characteristic c, the water temperature tw does not rise above the room temperature ta even after the failure detection time TF has elapsed, so a startup sequence error is output. Therefore, the failure detection time TF provided in advance for detecting a failure of the heater 4 etc. needs to be set in consideration of the lowest water temperature handled by the cooling water supply device. However, if the heater etc. breaks down,
Regardless of the water temperature when the start switch is turned on, the control device 0 must elapse after a certain failure detection time TF.
3 does not output an error signal. In other words, if the start switch is turned on when the water temperature is higher than the minimum operating water temperature, it will take longer than necessary for the user to notice the malfunction. As a result, there is a problem in that installation is delayed in case of equipment failure.

[Purpose of the invention]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a control device for a cooling water supply device that eliminates the above-mentioned problems and can shorten the failure detection time as much as possible when a heater or the like is out of order.

[Key points of the invention]

The key point of this invention is that instead of setting the failure detection time of the cooling water supply device in advance, the failure detection time is automatically calculated and set based on the difference between the cooling water temperature and the room temperature when the start switch is turned on. The aim is to detect startup sequence errors, such as when a heater or the like is out of order, as early as possible. In other words, the gist of the present invention is to provide a circulation means (such as a pump) for circulating a cooling medium (such as water) for cooling a heat load device (such as an electronic computer), provided in a circulation path for the cooling medium, A heat exchange means (such as a heat exchanger) that removes heat taken from the heat load device, a heating means (such as a heater) that is also provided and that heats the cooling medium, and a cooling device that is also provided and supplies the heat load device. means for detecting the medium and temperature (such as a water temperature sensor); and means for detecting the temperature in the room in which the heat load device is installed (such as a room temperature sensor), and when the temperature of the cooling medium is lower than the room temperature, the circulating means and activate the heating means,
In the control device for the cooling medium supply device, which starts the heat load device after the temperature of the cooling medium reaches room temperature, when the initial temperature of the cooling medium is lower than the room temperature, the circulation means starts from these two temperatures. means (such as a calculation unit in a control device) for calculating the time until the temperature of the cooling medium reaches the room temperature through the operation of the heating means; A means for outputting an alarm when the medium temperature does not reach the room temperature (input/output control unit in the control device, etc.)
The point is that it is equipped with the following.

[Embodiments of the invention]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below based on FIGS. 1A and 1B. 3A is a characteristic diagram illustrating the operation of essential parts as an embodiment of the present invention, and corresponds to FIG. 3, and FIG. 3B is a flowchart, corresponding to FIG. 4. The present invention differs from FIG. 4 in that step 105A is added and step 109 is replaced with 109A. That is, as a result of the comparison between the room temperature and the water temperature in step 105, if the water temperature tw is lower than the room temperature ta (branch Y), step 105 is performed first.
At 105A, a new failure detection time TF1 is calculated as follows. As shown in Figure 1A, the initial water temperature (that is, the cooling water temperature at the time when the start switch is turned on (time T = 0))
When tw0 is tw0, the failure detection time TF1 from that point in time until the cooling water temperature tw matches the room temperature ta is approximately given by the following equation. TF1=k(ta-tw0) where k is a constant determined by the type of cooling water supply device. Therefore, based on this formula, a new fault detection time
TF1 is calculated and set using room temperature ta and initial water temperature tw0, and a timer is started (steps 106 and 107).
Next, turn on heater 4 (step 108) and step
At step 109A, it is determined whether or not the failure detection time TF1 has elapsed, and if it has not elapsed, the process returns to step 103. In this way, if the water temperature tw becomes equal to or higher than the room temperature ta before the time TF1 elapses, the heat load device 02 is activated (step 105, branch N, step 111), and if the water temperature does not become equal to or higher than the room temperature, the activation sequence is started. Generate an error signal (step 109A, branch Y,
Step 110). From this, if the heater etc. is malfunctioning,
It becomes possible to output the startup sequence error signal in the minimum necessary time, allowing the user to take prompt measures against failures.

【Effect of the invention】

As is clear from the above description, according to the present invention, when the temperature of a cooling medium such as water for cooling a heat load device is lower than the room temperature before starting the heat load device, the cooling medium is heated in advance with a heater. In a cooling water supply system that starts the heat load device after the temperature reaches room temperature, the heater
We calculated the time it takes for the coolant temperature to reach room temperature after turning it on, and if the coolant temperature does not reach room temperature even after this time elapses, an alarm is output, so if the heater etc. breaks down, The time it takes to output a startup sequence error signal as an alarm can be minimized, and users can quickly discover equipment failures after turning on the startup switch of the cooling water supply system. As a result, it is possible to take immediate countermeasures.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIGS. 1A and 1B are a characteristic diagram and a flowchart respectively explaining the operation of essential parts as an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a system to which the present invention and a conventional device are applied. 3 and 4 are a characteristic diagram and a flowchart, respectively, for explaining the main parts of the conventional device, and correspond to FIGS. 1A and 1B, respectively. W: Cooling water, 01: Cooling water supply device, 02: Heat load device, 03: Control device, 1: Water temperature sensor,
2: room temperature sensor, 3: heat exchanger, 4: heater,
5: Pump, TF1: Failure detection time, ta: Room temperature,
tw0: initial water temperature.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. Circulating means for circulating a cooling medium for cooling a heat load device, provided in the cooling medium circulation path,
A heat exchange means for removing heat taken by the medium from the heat load device, a heating means also provided for heating the cooling medium, and a means also provided for detecting the temperature of the cooling medium supplied to the heat load device. , means for detecting the temperature in the room in which the heat load device is installed; when the temperature of the cooling medium is lower than the room temperature, the circulation means and the heating means are operated; and after the temperature of the cooling medium reaches the room temperature; In the control device for the cooling medium supply device configured to start the heat load device, when the initial temperature of the cooling medium is lower than the room temperature, the cooling is started from these two temperatures through the operation of the circulation means and the heating means. means for calculating the time until the medium temperature reaches the room temperature; and means for outputting an alarm when the cooling medium temperature does not reach the room temperature even after the calculation time has elapsed from the start of the operation. A control device for a cooling medium supply device, characterized in that: