US20050183437A1

US20050183437A1 - Network cooling system II

Info

Publication number: US20050183437A1
Application number: US11/058,686
Authority: US
Inventors: Matteo Gravina
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2004-02-20
Filing date: 2005-02-15
Publication date: 2005-08-25

Abstract

A cooling device with three interdependent chambers. The middle chamber comprises the heart of a control gas use to transfer heat between two opposite side chambers. An opposing chamber with two openings where passing air is cooled by an evaporator whereby looses its heat content. An opposing chamber with two openings where passing air receives heat energy whereby filter heat is extracted by connected vents. The cooling device repeats this cycle.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. 60/546,629, filed Feb. 20, 2004 for “NETWORK COOLING SYSTEM 11” which is hereby incorporated by reference herein.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention pertains generally to heat transfer devices and more particularly to heat transfer rack systems in computing electronic enclosures.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The Network Cooling System is an invention intended for the conventional cooling of rack mounted servers in enclosures. The advent of computers has brought about better productive lives. Today societies around the world have integrated into their business and personal lives the computer. The first years that the personal computer came to mass market it serves primarily other chores than today's systems. As the years of the 90's came into being the quality and prices of these systems further catapulted to new heights. The integration of the internet complemented society as we have never yet known. The better half of the 90's saw a new horizon for the computer and fast growing communications industry, the network. Because of the internet and technology strives the new markets abrupt, and the network became an integral part of the computer phenomena. With the computer in the home and business, the internet market, electronic data and information gathering needed physical localities to store personal and business data and information. The data center became part of dot.com phenomena, corporations around the world started creating data centers, whether one enclosure to hundreds were integrated for data and information storage. With these fascinating marvels of technology problems that started to plague people in charge of these centers was the accumulation of heat energy.
With newly develop elongated rectangular rack mounted servers modules and associated electronics, arise another newly created problem. The use of multiple electrical apparatus in close proximity made heat accumulations and heat densities. Inventors have design mechanical conditioning of ambient air and integrated air conditioning into computers, U.S. Pat. No. 6,493,223 to Intel and U.S. Pat. No. 5,107,398 to DEC. This creates problems with humidity and may even hamper all power to the system. Apart in problem is the integration directly of two distinct technology fields, is the air conditioning and computer industry. By integrating directly these two fields, when a technician is out in the field that person has to learn another industry, just to fix an AC problem instead of a computer problem. These problems in part to the allowable working parameters of servers, hence the phrase “Sever Down.” Two processes become apparent in the cooling of rack and enclosure mounted servers and associated electronics. Fanning and air conditioning became the basis of mechanically conditioning the air around these systems. Other remedial solutions were the use of open roofs, multiple fans U.S. Pat. No. 6,525,936 to HP and U.S. Pat. No. 5,751,549, in servers-computers, design servers U.S. Pat. No. 6,563,704 to Sun. Although the referring patents are practical in use they further perpetuate the use of electrical power, thereby using more energy, thus more heat into the system. Countless studies on heat accumulated on rack mounted servers and data center air flow have proven that heat energy will continue to be a problem. The problem is part of today's data centers and will still be with us for the foreseeable future. Various innovations have been brought forth as apparatus or engineering of heat energy flow.
The data center is an engineered room that houses primarily data servers. Although the main objective of these large rooms is the housing of rack mounted servers, they do have associated electrical apparatus. They serve as data and information warehouses for personal and business, the associated apparatus that works inside these rooms contribute to heat accumulation. Because in general data centers are block or rectangular in design they are not aerodynamic in any sense, they fall short of deleting thermal conductivity. At the micro modular level the use of fans, articulate designs, engineering structures, and various types of cooling adhere to keeping the systems from accumulating heat. Patents sought in combating these problems have resulted in reducing the problem of thermal conductivity. U.S. Pat. No. 6,144,553 to Sun, U.S. Pat. No. 6,144,213 to Sun, and U.S. Pat. No. 6,462,944 to Macase, combat the problem of heat by use of fanning in close proximity to the heat source. The problem of heat still remains, with U.S. Pat. No. 6,144,213 to Sun, and U.S. Pat. No. 6,462,944 to Macase, only remove certain amounts of heat energy from source and ambient air, they do not remove heat altogether from source. With U.S. Pat. No. 6,144,553 the heat overall of a complete electronic system still persists, although heat from one source may be remove the system as a whole remains.
Several attempts in integrating technology by mechanical conditioning of air and architectural structure of data centers have been brought forth. The use of air conditioning is the obvious use of conditioning of air since it is the only active system that can change ambient temperature. These methods are integrated in data centers, such methodology are in U.S. Pat. No. 6,412,292 to TOC, U.S. Pat. No. 5,467,609 to Liebert, U.S. Pat. No. 5,345,779 to Liebert, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,718,628 to NIT. All these patents deal with the integration of force temperature condition air and data center architecture overlapping. Although, utilitarian in function these innovations fall short of completely serving an enclosure individually, that is not every enclosure will have identical network structure, thereby not the same thermal accumulation content. Another ill function is the temperature change of air, because air has different constituency in altitudes, and humidity, one end of the data center may not have the same temperature and constitution at another end. Similar in function are U.S. Pat. No. 6,374,627 to Schumacher-Beckman and U.S. Pat. No. 6,574,104 to HP, in that their objective is the same, but their approach is justified by the use of a liquid. They too are practical in function, but they also do not adhere to individual need of each enclosure.
Evident in patent protection for the prevailing intellectual property various tactics in combating thermal accumulation in servers have been sought. They encompass the micro level in the rack/enclosure level, the use of air conditioning as a whole in data centers, and even the integration of rack/enclosure design with data center air conditioning. Although all practical and do serve a purpose, their design are eventual their faults in completely eliminating the problem, and/or foreseeing the energy use of today's rack/enclosure of 12 kw to perhaps 25 kw in the foreseeable future. Another fault of these innovations are that they are specific to a specific sector in one market, the data center.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The object of the invention is to cool rack mounted computerized modules in rack-mounted enclosures. The present invention main objective is to cool servers . . . rack mounted in enclosures with recycle cold air at the micro-data center level.
According to the invention, the purpose of the Network Cooling System is to cool air in a limited area. More precisely is to air condition and recycle air repetitiously. As with a limited amount of air, cycling through the system at such close proximity prohibits electronic devices to increase in temperature in an accelerated comportment.
The advantages of the invention in the micro-cooling level (enclosure) are the cooling of a limited enclose area, the regeneration of cool air repetitiously in limited enclose area, and the eminent proximity of cooling network/electronic modules in time, distance, and cubical area. As with conditioning of air by mechanical means, a rule of thumb is the amount of space is imperative in size of cooling system. The amount of available air content to cool is limited to the size of the enclose space, and not the data center itself; therefore the advantage is the limited space to cool. Moreover, with a limited space to cool the regeneration of cool air shortens the cycle of cooling to that of a larger system. Moreover, with the limited area the proximity of recondition air prevents components in network/electronic modules from accelerating in temperature spectrum, therefore the distance cool air molecules by means of limited cubical area and distance travel in time prohibits heat regeneration. Conclusively, the above advantages of surgically cooling at the micro-cooling level are not limited to minimal space only.
The advantages of the invention at the macro-cooling level (data center) are the definite cooling of space, surgical cooling of specific network/electronic modules, and the independent assisting cooling. By providing conditioning of air by mechanical means at a specific and predetermined area in a data center administrations are able to specify temperature requirements of single enclose units. In accordance with the type and kind of network/electronic modules in an enclosure unit, a control unit can have specific temperature settings. The independent settings assign or determined can narrow in or the required temperature to a certain type of network/electronic module. Therefore, the cooling with specification of network/electronic modules allows surgical cooling, instead of air conditioning a small room in a small business (12 KW to 100 kw), or cools a massive size data center (500 KW to 5 MW). Moreover, the surgical cooling provides the independent assisted cooling, negating the probability of depending on one whole data center air conditioning plant. The Network Cooling System may assist in cooling or may conclude conditioning of recycle air independently from the macro-cooling level.
In conclusion, further advantages of the invention claim above, the improvements of the Network Cooling System exist. At the micro-cooling level the advantages of the invention over spot cooling are: 1) specific cooling, 2) certain cooling, 3) dependent/independent cooling, 4) rapid cooling, 5) impedance of heat accumulation at the component level, 6) field use (theater of war, commercial use, industrial use). At the macro-cooling level the advantage of the invention over regular cooling are: 1) specific cooling, 2) certain cooling, 3) dependent/independent cooling, 4) time travel of condition air, 5) space travel of condition air, 6) easy replacement of module if failure, 7) elimination of spot cooling, 8) elimination of fans, 9) elimination of data center multiple AC units, and 10) reduction and elimination of under floor, or/and roof ducting, pipes, and structural expensive engineering. Furthermore, the Network Cooling System may serve today's systems by providing ample air conditioning of 12 KW of energy to 25 KW of energy consumption use expected of tomorrows rack mounted enclosures.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a plan illustration of the frontal view.
FIG. 2 is a plan illustration of the thermostat.
FIG. 3 is a plan illustration of the back.
FIG. 4 is a plan illustration of the side.
FIG. 5 a is a plan illustration of the front view of long duct.
FIG. 5 b is a plan illustration of the side view of long duct.
FIG. 6 is a plan illustration of the front view of the short duct.
FIG. 6 is a plan illustration of the side view of the short duct.
FIG. 7 is a plan illustration of the side view, two ducts, and enclosure.
FIG. 8 is a plan illustration of the top view of thermal circuit.
FIG. 9 is an open plan illustration of the condenser duct section.
FIG. 10 a is a plan illustration side view of the evaporator duct upper side.
FIG. 10 a is a plan illustration front view of the evaporator duct.
FIG. 11 is a plan illustration of the evaporator section.
FIG. 12 a is a plan illustration of the top view of the humidity retainer.
FIG. 12 b is a plan illustration of the side view of the humidity retainer.
FIG. 12 c is a plan illustration of the horizontal view of the humidity retainer.
FIG. 13 is a plan illustration of the CCSII in an enclosure.
FIG. 14 is a plan illustration of the CCSII in multiple enclosures.
FIG. 15 is a plan illustration of the data center.
FIG. 16 is a plan illustration of the electrical distribution.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The invention is an (1) Air Conditioning Unit, entitled Network Cooling System. In FIG. 1 the invention is covered upfront by the (1) air conditioning unit cover, at the front it contains a (2) Thermometer, and (3) On/Off Switch, with and (4) Setting. In the middle section it has a (5) Outflow Grill, which is for venting air for the middle section. At the right it has a (6) Thermostat, which is for measuring the ambience temperature. At the left it has a (7) Vent that it use for letting the air that is cooled pass to its surroundings, it is assisted by the design of the (8) Vent Grill, which blades are turn down. A closer look at the (6) Thermostat, with its surrounded by (1) Air Conditioning Unit walls in FIG. 2.
In FIG. 3 the back is illustrated with a (9) Cover that encapsulates the chassis and the (10) Back Panel, which has several (11) Connections, around for proper closer. The back side also has other (12) Inflow Vent Connections, which are use for connecting the (13) Inflow Vent, with (26) Condenser Inflow Duct. At a lower level there are another set of (14) Outflow Vent Connections, that are for connecting the (15) Outflow Vent, which attaches to the (27) Condenser Outflow Duct. At the right of the back side the illustration has a (16) Inflow Grill, which is for sucking the ambient air in. It flows through the (17) Evaporator Inflow Vent, which is protected by the (18) Grill Connection. The only outside connection for electrical power is derive by the (19) Power connection.
In FIG. 4, the illustration depicts the (1) Air Conditioning Unit would look with its (10) Back Panel, its (9) Cover and (16) Inflow Grill. This figure has the Network Cooling System II on angle view showing its (20) Upper Rail with its (21) Rail U-Left Connection and (22) Rail U-Right Connection. Together the (20) Upper Rail and (23) Lower Rail are for placing the system in an enclosure. Another (23) Lower Rail, with (24) Rail L-Left Connection and (25) Rail L-Right Connection is needed as the weight of the Network Cooling System may require. The Network Cooling System design has two attachable ducts. In FIG. 5 a and FIG. 5 b is the (26) Condenser Inflow Duct is intended for use as letting and distributing air into the condenser chamber. The (26) Condenser Inflow Duct, is made up of (26 a) Condenser Outflow Duct—Neck, the (26 b) Condenser Outflow Duct—Connection, the (26 c) Condenser Outflow Duct—Outflow, the (26 d) Condenser Outflow Duct—Angle, and the (26 e) Condenser Outflow Duct—Inflow. In FIG. 6 a and FIG. 6 b is the (27) Condenser Outflow Duct, is made up of the (27 a) Condenser Outflow Duct—Connection, the (27 b) Condenser Outflow Duct—Angle, the (27 c) Condenser Outflow Duct—Intake, the (27 d) Condenser Outflow Duct—Neck, the (27 e) Condenser Outflow Duct—Angle, and the (27 f) Condenser Outflow Duct—Outflow. The (26) Condenser Outflow Duct is for redistributing the exiting air into the ambience, unless special ducting is assign to the system.
In FIG. 7 the back is illustrated with a (9) Cover that encapsulates the chassis and the (10) Back Panel, at the right of the back side the illustration has a (16) Inflow Grill, which is for sucking the ambient air in. The illustration depicts the (1) Air Conditioning Unit would look with its (10) Back Panel, its (9) Cover and (16) Inflow Grill. This figure has the Network Cooling System on angle view showing its (20) Upper Rail with its (21) Rail U-Left Connection and (22) Rail U-Right Connection. Together the (20) Upper Rail and (23) Lower Rail are for placing the system in an enclosure. Another (23) Lower Rail, with (24) Rail L-Left Connection and (25) Rail L-Right Connection is needed as the weight of the Network Cooling System may require. The Network Cooling System design has two attachable ducts. The (26) Condenser Inflow Duct is intended for use as letting and distributing air into the condenser chamber. The (26) Condenser Inflow Duct, is made up of (26 a) Condenser Outflow Duct—Neck, the (26 b) Condenser Outflow Duct—Connection, the (26 c) Condenser Outflow Duct—Outflow, the (26 d) Condenser Outflow Duct—Angle, and the (26 e) Condenser Outflow Duct—Inflow. In FIG. 6 the (27) Condenser Outflow Duct, is made up of the (27 a) Condenser Outflow Duct—Connection, the (27 b) Condenser Outflow Duct—Angle, the (27 c) Condenser Outflow Duct—Intake, the (27 d) Condenser Outflow Duct—Neck, the (27 e) Condenser Outflow Duct—Angle, and the (27 f) Condenser Outflow Duct—Outflow. The (26) Condenser Outflow Duct is for redistributing the exiting air into the ambience, unless special ducting is assign to the system. Between the (9) Cover top and the (26) Condenser Inflow Duct is the (28) Duct Support with its (28 a) Duct Support Connection at the bottom which may be screwed in and the (28 b) Duct Support Holder which attaches to the (26 a) Condenser Outflow Duct—Neck for proper adjustment.
At the heart of the system is in the compressor chamber, in the middle. In FIG. 8 several components make the essential main components of the system. The (10) Back Panel serves as wall in the back side for the (1) Air Conditioning Unit. The heart of the system is the (29) Compressor, which is the motor pump that compresses refrigerant for circulation in its loop trajectory. The (30) Compressor Interconnection along with (31) Compressor Holder A and (32) Compressor Holder B, sustain the (29) Compressor in place. Other components that are part of the middle section is the (33) Electrical Distribution, which is for distributing the power from the (34) Power Supply. At the refrigerant element the (35) Capillary tube is the component that is vital as the compressor as it limits the flow of refrigerant. The (36) Compressor Inline and the (37) Compressor Outline are the In/Out lines for refrigerant. The (38) Meters Back Panel is the back side for metering and measuring devices. At the right side of the system is the (39) Condenser Inline for entering refrigerant into the (40) Condenser. As the refrigerant condenses it is part of the cycle that (41) Condenser Fanning is induce, as the refrigerant leaves the (42) Condenser Outline and onto the compressor again. At the left side is the evaporator chamber which consists of the (44) Evaporator that may seat on top of a plat, depending on manufacturing/use specification. A (43) Condensing Plate with a (48) Drain is articulated in FIG. 8, for highly regulated humidity environments. The (45) Evaporator Outline is for sending the refrigerant cycle back to the system. The requirement of fanning is important in refrigeration as the evaporator chamber consists of a (46) Evaporator In-Fanning and a (47) Evaporator Out-Fanning for pulling and pushing the enclosure air in and out. The (49) Power Connections are for power distribution in the system and the (50) Components Power is for sequestering electrical power from the electrical outlet.
FIG. 9 illustrates the condenser chamber at the right side the (53) Condenser Inflow show where the incoming air will corn and pass through the upper chamber and then redirected by the (54) Airflow Redirector onto the lower chamber of the (55) Condensing Chamber Divider and send back outside by the (51) Condenser Outflow Fan and the (52) Condenser Outflow.
In FIG. 9 the (1) Air Conditioning Unit is illustrated on a side, with its (9) Cover surrounding. The diagram shows the (40) Condenser with its (39) Condenser Inline coming from the (35) Capillary tube. It shows the (41) Condenser Fanning that sucks air into the condenser chamber, that is push onward and downward with the air on an aerodynamic (54) Airflow Redirector that deflects the airflow with the help of a (55) Condensing Chamber Divider. As the air passes the lower chamber it is then perpetuated out by the (51) Condenser Outflow Fan and expel out through the (52) Condenser Outflow. The (40) Condenser is aided by the (53) Condenser Inflow which receives the incoming refrigerant which then passes it out throughout the coil and onto the (42) Condenser Outline.
FIG. 11 is an illustration (FIG. 9A, FIG. 9B, and FIG. 9C) of the only duct in the evaporator chamber. The (56) Evaporator Airflow Duct Panel hereinto also known as panel is use in this chamber for maneuvering the airflow push in and restricting it or compressing it through the (44) Evaporator. The design of the (56) Evaporator Airflow Duct Panel is simple which comes with (56 a) Evaporator Airflow Duct—F Fastener and (56 b) Evaporator Airflow Duct—B Fastener for securing the duct in the evaporator chamber. The (56 c) Evaporator Airflow Duct—Plate makes the upper section which strengthens the interconnection. The (56 d) Evaporator Airflow Duct—Body is the main section that constricts the airflow through the chamber. The (56-1) Evaporator Airflow Duct Upper is the same duct in the upper section of the evaporator chamber and the (56-2) Evaporator Airflow Duct Bottom is a same duct in the lower section, placed upside down with the main (56 d) Evaporator Airflow Duct—Body facing the (44) Evaporator.
FIG. 11 illustrates the evaporator chamber, which is the area that cools and cools again the air content in the enclosure. The air that comes in is force through the (16) Inflow Grill and the (17) Evaporator Inflow Vent which is connected by the (18) Grill Connection which are part of the (10) Back Panel. The air passes in by means of the (46) Evaporator In-Fanning. That air that goes in is squeezed by the (56-1) Evaporator Airflow Duct Upper and the (56-2) Evaporator Airflow Duct Bottom. The (44) Evaporator is cooled by the refrigeration process and the refrigerant that it receives is by the (37) Compressor Outline and leaves through the (45) Evaporator Outline. The air that leaves the chamber is force out by the (47) Evaporator Out-Fanning, to the (7) Evaporator Outflow Vent and redirected by the (8) Vent Grill. The whole system is vented together by means of the (9) Cover. The cooling of air makes humidity condensate therefore the cooling chamber uses the (56-2) Evaporator Airflow Duct Bottom as a drainer. By means of gravity the minute amount of humidity falls into (57) Drains at both ends. The humidity goes into the (57 b) Drain Humidity Intake by aid of the (57 c) Drain Humidity Retainer and kept in the (57) Drains at the right end by means of the (57 a) Drain Encapsulation. The same design is continue at the left end as the humidity is taking in by the (57 d) Drain Humidity Retainer and into the (57 e) Drain Humidity Intake and then to the (57 f) Drain Out.
In FIG. 12 a, 12 b, and 12 c is an illustration of the (60) Humidity Retainer is shown in three views. The (59) Humidity Intake is for the incoming humidity. For sustaining the (60) Humidity Retainer in proper position in an enclosure the (60) Humidity Retainer comes with a (61) Humidity Rail along with a (62) Right Rail Clip and another (63) Left Rail Clip. In FIG. 13 the (1) Air Conditioning Unit is shown on top of an enclosure with the (58) Humidity Line connected to (60) Humidity Retainer. FIG. 14 further illustrates the enclosure concept in multiple enclosures as would be the case in a data center. The (1) Air Conditioning Unit would be on top with the (58) Humidity Line attach to a (64) Humidity Line A, when not using a (60) Humidity Retainer, under the (65) Floor a (66) Water Line would be needed. In FIG. 15 the (67) Air Flow of a data center is shown. FIG. 16 is a diagram of the electrical distribution of the Network Cooling System.

Claims

1. A heat exchange system comprising:

A center chamber comprising of a compressor located in the rear middle section and arranged between two chambers whereby working as a conductor of heat of one chamber and passing it along to another chamber. A power supply located in the upper middle section whereas electrical wiring is sent to an electrical distributor residing in close proximity. An electrical distributor located in the upper middle section residing in proximity to a power supply whereas electrical wiring is distributed throughout the heat exchange system. A capillary tube located in the middle front of the center chamber whereas it is arrange as a medium for transferring refrigerant; and a meter back panel located at the front end of the chamber use as an indicator of temperature;

2. A heat exchange system according to claim 1, wherein compressor uses a refrigerant as medium for transferring heat between two opposing chambers;

3. A heat exchange system according to claim 2, wherein opposing chamber transmits heat and expels it by means of refrigerant in said condenser;

4. A heat exchange system according to claim 1, wherein power supply transfers electrical energy to electrical distributor;

5. A heat exchange system according to claim 1, wherein electrical distributor supplies electrical energy to all electrical components;

6. A heat exchange system according to claim 1, wherein capillary tube functions as a valve;

7. A heat exchange system comprising:

A three chamber heat exchange system whereby the right side chamber is comprised of two level conduits. A right side chamber with upper level conduit allowing flow of air by the use of two fans use to pull air inside. A right side chamber with lower level conduit allowing flow of air by the use of two fans use to push air out. A condenser in the right side chamber at the lower level of the conduit is use to transfer heat energy to passing air;

8. A heat exchange system according to claim 7, wherein two level conduit navigates force air to pass through a condenser;

9. A heat exchange system according to claim 7, wherein condenser uses refrigerant as a medium for transferring heat between to opposing chambers;

10. A heat exchange system according to claim 7, wherein upper level fans draw in force air through the two level conduits;

11. A heat exchange system according to claim 7, wherein lower level fans force air out through the two level conduits;

12. A heat exchange system comprising:

A three chamber heat exchange system whereby the left side chamber is comprised of a fan at the back end opening whereby a fan vents air into the chamber. Left side chamber has two air compressing ducts that compress air flow in a conduit which restricts vented air to flow through an evaporator in the middle of the chamber. A three chamber heat exchange system whereby the left side chamber is comprised of a fan at the front end whereby a fan vents air out the chamber;

13. A heat exchange system according to claim 12, wherein fan continuously forcefully vents air into restrictive chamber;

14. A heat exchange system according to claim 12, wherein chamber is shape in a manner which compresses air into the middle. The chamber is design with the middle section arising and subsiding toward both ends. The placing both chamber panels between said evaporator restricts air flow, thereby accumulating energy from said evaporator as compress air retains more energy than otherwise uncompress air;

15. A heat exchange system according to claim 12, wherein evaporator receives air from ambient air passing through said vented chamber. The evaporator thereby receives heat energy continuously thereby retaining heat and cooling ambient air as it passes to the front end opening whereby a fan vents air out the chamber;

16. A heat exchange system according to claim 12, wherein evaporator uses refrigerant to transfer heat to opposing chamber; and

17. A heat exchange system according to claim 12, wherein fan at the end open vents cooled air repetitiously.