Phase change material cold storage rack and control method and application thereof

Abstract

The invention discloses a phase change material cold storage rack and a control method and application thereof. The phase-change material cold storage rack comprises a rack frame (1), partition plates (2), modular phase-change material boxes (3) and air flowing channels (5). An air inlet (6) is formed in the bottom of the rack frame (1), and an air outlet (7) is formed in the top; the partition plate (2) is located in the rack frame (1) and is breathable. A plurality of modularized phase-change material boxes (3) are placed on the partition plate (2), a gap (4) is formed between every two adjacent modularized phase-change material boxes (3), and the gaps (4) form an air flowing channel (5) in the data center rack frame; and the modularized phase-change material box (3) is filled with a phase-change material. According to the invention, the phase-change material and the working temperature range thereof are reasonably selected to be matched with the working temperature of different servers in the data center, so that the problem of overhigh instantaneous thermal load can be effectively solved, and meanwhile, the temperature uniformity and stability in the rack are improved, thereby improving the energy efficiency and operation reliability of the whole data center.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of data center cooling, and in particular to a phase change material cold storage rack and a control method and application thereof. Background Art

[0002] In recent years, with the rapid progress of electronic technology, electronic components have been continuously miniaturized and highly integrated, which not only promotes the significant reduction in the size of electronic equipment, but also brings about the problem of a sharp increase in heat flux density per unit volume. In particular, major breakthroughs in electronic packaging technology and chip integration have greatly promoted the development of this trend, allowing modern electronic devices to achieve higher functional density in a smaller space, but also face unprecedented heat dissipation challenges.

[0003] This challenge is particularly prominent in high-density computing environments such as data centers. Multiple data servers are densely installed in the same rack, which not only increases the overall heat load, but also causes extremely uneven temperature distribution inside the rack due to differences in power consumption and heat generation of each server. Although traditional air cooling can provide basic cooling effects, it is unable to handle unevenly distributed heat sources and cope with instantaneous high heat loads, and its efficiency and reliability are severely tested.

[0004] Phase change materials (PCM) have become a very promising solution to the above problems due to their unique thermal management properties. Phase change materials can absorb a large amount of latent heat when changing from solid to liquid, and release corresponding heat during the solidification process. This process can complete a large amount of energy transfer without significant temperature changes, which is very suitable for precise control of temperature fluctuations. However, how to use phase change materials to solve the problem of uneven temperature distribution in the rack caused by the inconstant heat dissipation power of the server, so as to avoid the instantaneous excessive heat load of some servers, is an urgent problem that people hope to solve.

[0005] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention is proposed. Summary of the invention

[0006] The present invention provides a phase change material cold storage rack for a data center and a control method thereof, aiming to solve the problem of uneven temperature distribution in the rack caused by the inconstant heat dissipation power of the server, thereby avoiding the situation where some servers have an instantaneous excessive heat load. The present invention can effectively solve the problem of excessive instantaneous heat load by reasonably selecting phase change materials and their operating temperature ranges to match the operating temperatures of different servers in the data center, while improving the temperature uniformity and stability inside the rack, thereby improving the energy efficiency and operational reliability of the entire data center.

[0007] A first aspect of the present invention provides a phase change material cold storage rack, the phase change material cold storage rack comprising a rack frame 1, a partition 2, a modular phase change material box 3, a phase change material, and an air flow channel 5;

[0008] The bottom of the rack frame 1 has an air inlet 6, and the top of the rack frame 1 has an air outlet 7;

[0009] The partition 2 is located inside the rack frame 1, and the partition is used to support the server. The partition 2 is breathable;

[0010] A plurality of modular phase change material boxes 3 are placed on the partition plate 2, and there are gaps 4 between adjacent modular phase change material boxes 3, and the gaps 4 form air flow channels 5 inside the rack frame of the data center;

[0011] The modular phase change material box 3 is filled with phase change material. The rack frame is the basic structure of the entire rack. The phase change temperature point of the phase change material in the modular phase change material box is determined according to the power of the server placed on the shelf. The air flow channel is designed in the space between the modular phase change material boxes to promote air circulation and ensure smooth air circulation inside the rack. Phase change material: composed of organic materials with different phase change points, it can be accurately matched according to the operating temperature range of the server to achieve efficient thermal management.

[0012] Preferably, the modular phase change material box 3 is attached to the inner wall of the rack frame 1 .

[0013] Preferably, the separator 2 comprises multiple layers.

[0014] Preferably, at least one through hole 8 is provided on the back plate of the rack frame 1. The back plate of the rack frame 1 refers to the plate surface corresponding to the door opening. The through hole 8 is used for ventilation and heat dissipation. In actual situations, the number and position of the through hole 8 can be set according to the heat dissipation situation.

[0015] Preferably, the modular phase change material box 3 has an opening 31. The opening 31 is used to fill the modular phase change material box 3 with phase change material.

[0016] Preferably, the modular phase change material box 3 is made of aluminum alloy material with good thermal conductivity and strong corrosion resistance, ensuring efficient heat transfer while having good durability.

[0017] Preferably, the rack frame 1 and the partition plate 2 are made of stainless steel to ensure the strength and durability of the structure.

[0018] Preferably, the modular phase change material box 3 is designed to be detachable, and the modular phase change material box 3 can be removed from the rack frame 1 to facilitate installation and maintenance.

[0019] The second aspect of the present invention provides a control method for the phase change material cold storage rack according to the first aspect of the present invention, wherein cold air enters from the air inlet 6, flows upward through the air flow channel 5, and is discharged through the air outlet 7;

[0020] When the server is running at a low load, cold air passes through the air flow channel 5, causing the phase change materials with different phase change temperatures in the different modular phase change material boxes 3 to solidify and prepare for cold storage;

[0021] When the server is in full load operation, the generated heat is firstly taken away by the cold air in the air flow channel 5, and the remaining heat is absorbed by the phase change material that has stored cold.

[0022] Preferably, the control method includes matching the modular phase change material box and the server power, the server power on the upper partition 2 is lower than the server power on the lower partition 2, and accordingly, the phase change temperature of the phase change material filled in the modular phase change material box 3 on the upper partition 2 is lower than the phase change temperature of the phase change material filled in the modular phase change material box 3 on the lower partition 2. The present invention proposes an innovative modular phase change material box layout strategy, that is, according to the different power requirements of the server, the box filled with a phase change material with a higher phase change temperature point is placed at a lower position, and the box filled with a phase change material with a lower phase change temperature point is placed at a higher position. The purpose of this is to better adapt to the different heat distribution modes generated when the server is working, and to ensure that a more uniform temperature field is formed in the entire data center rack. That is to say, the high-power server is placed on the shelf at the bottom of the data center rack, and accordingly, a modular phase change material box filled with a high phase point phase change material is configured in this area. The low-power server is placed on the shelf at the top of the rack, and a modular phase change material box filled with a low phase point phase change material is matched with it. The upper layer and the lower layer here refer to the upper and lower layers in the direction of gravity.

[0023] Temperature control mechanism:

[0024] For the shelf space where high-power servers are located, due to the high heat dissipation power, cold air alone may not be able to completely remove all the heat, causing the temperature to rise. At this time, the high-phase point phase change material begins to absorb heat and melt, effectively suppressing further temperature increases.

[0025] For the shelf space where low-power servers are located, since the temperature of the cold air increases after passing through the high-power server area, the low-phase point phase change material plays a role at this stage, further reducing the air temperature by absorbing heat and melting, ensuring that the low-power servers can also be adequately cooled.

[0026] Through the reverse temperature gradient arrangement, the high phase point phase change material box can preferentially absorb heat from the high temperature area, while the low phase point phase change material box can play the greatest role in the lower temperature area, ensuring a more uniform temperature distribution throughout the rack, effectively preventing local temperatures from being too high, and avoiding performance degradation or damage to the server due to overheating.

[0027] According to the inverse temperature gradient layout, there will inevitably be hot spots at the boundaries of each layer. The temperature in this area is significantly higher than that in other areas. Therefore, after stable operation, the phase change box should be properly adjusted according to the temperature of each layer to avoid server failure in this area.

[0028] Preferably, the control method further comprises matching the modular phase change material box and the phase change material cold storage rack to set the temperature, and placing temperature sensors at the left, middle and right positions of each layer of the partition 2; within a certain equipment operation time, the temperature data transmitted in real time by the left, middle and right temperature sensors are T1, T2 and T3 respectively, and the phase change material cold storage rack is set to T d , T1, T2, T3 and T d Compare, if T1≥T d , then the phase change material in the modular phase change material box 3 on the left is replaced with a phase change material with a lower phase change temperature point; T2≥T d , then the phase change material in the middle modular phase change material box 3 is replaced with a phase change material with a lower phase change temperature point; T3≥T d , the modular phase change material box 3 on the right is replaced with a phase change material with a lower phase change temperature point; to ensure that the phase change material cold storage rack does not exceed the set temperature. The running time of each cycle equipment is not necessarily 30 minutes, and the time can be changed according to the server power.

[0029] The third aspect of the present invention provides an application of the phase change material cold storage rack described in the first aspect of the present invention in a high-density computing environment such as a data center.

[0030] Technical effects of the present invention:

[0031] By implementing the technical solution provided by the present invention, the following technical effects can be achieved:

[0032] Temperature uniformity: By precisely configuring the positions of the phase change material boxes at different phase change temperature points and combining them with carefully designed air flow channels, the problem of uneven temperature distribution inside the data center racks is effectively solved. Even when the server load changes, the temperature inside the rack can be kept relatively stable.

[0033] Improved energy efficiency: The optimized PCM box layout and air flow design not only help reduce the overall energy consumption of the data center, but also extend the service life of the server and reduce the failure rate caused by overheating.

[0034] Flexibility and scalability: The modular design concept allows the number and location of the phase change material boxes to be flexibly adjusted according to actual needs, facilitating future expansion or upgrading of data center facilities while minimizing the impact on existing systems.

[0035] Intelligence: By judging the hot spot temperature, the internal filling and position of the phase change material box are adjusted in advance according to the current temperature, so as to quickly control the temperature and reduce unnecessary losses.

[0036] The phase change material cold storage rack solution proposed in the present invention can effectively address the temperature management challenges faced by data centers and provide new ideas and methods for improving the overall performance of data centers.

[0037] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0038] 1. Most existing technologies focus on improving the overall efficiency of the cooling system, but pay less attention to the problem of uneven temperature inside the data center rack. Traditional air-cooling heat dissipation methods have limited effect when dealing with non-uniform heat sources, resulting in uneven temperature distribution inside the rack, affecting server performance. The phase change material cold storage rack of the present invention reasonably configures the position and type of the phase change material box to ensure a more uniform temperature distribution throughout the rack, and is particularly suitable for high-density computing environments such as data centers. The control method of the present invention can make the temperature inside the data center rack more uniform, ensuring the stable and reliable operation of the internal servers.

[0039] 2. Existing cooling solutions usually use a single type of phase change material, or a simple phase change material box design, which lacks refined management of different server power requirements. The present invention introduces the concept of modular phase change material boxes, each of which can be filled with phase change materials with different phase change points according to the power requirements of the server. This modular design not only improves the flexibility of thermal management, but also can be adjusted and replaced according to actual needs.

[0040] 3. Traditional cooling systems usually use air flow in a single direction and fail to fully utilize the characteristics of phase change materials to optimize temperature distribution. The present invention adopts a reverse temperature gradient layout strategy, placing high-phase point phase change material boxes in the high-power server area and low-phase point phase change material boxes in the low-power server area. This layout ensures that the heat generated by the high-power server is effectively absorbed, while the temperature in the low-power server area is also controlled, achieving a more uniform temperature distribution.

[0041] 4. The existing phase change material box design is often fixed in the rack, which is not easy to replace and maintain. The modular phase change material box of the present invention adopts a detachable design, which is convenient for installation and maintenance. When the phase change material needs to be replaced or the layout needs to be adjusted, it can be easily removed and reinstalled, which improves the flexibility and maintainability of the system. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0042] Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the overall structure of the phase change material cold storage rack (door opening direction).

[0043] Figure 2 Schematic diagram of air flow in the air flow channel 5 in the rack frame 1.

[0044] Figure 3 Schematic diagram of the overall structure of the phase change material cold storage rack (back panel direction).

[0045] Figure 4 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of the modular phase change material box 3.

[0046] Figure 5 A control method diagram for matching a modular phase change material box and setting a temperature of the phase change material cold storage rack.

[0047] The names of the figure numbers in the figure description: 1-rack frame, 2-partition, 3-modular phase change material box, 4-gap, 5-air flow channel, 6-air inlet, 7-air outlet, 8-through hole, 31-opening. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0048] The present invention is further described in detail below in conjunction with embodiments.

[0049] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the following examples are only used to illustrate the present invention and should not be considered to limit the scope of the present invention. If no specific techniques or conditions are specified in the examples, the techniques or conditions described in the literature in the art or the product specifications are used. If the manufacturer of the materials or equipment used is not specified, they are all conventional products that can be purchased.

[0050] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that, unless expressly stated otherwise, the singular forms "a", "an", "said" and "the" used herein may also include plural forms. It should be further understood that the term "comprising" used in the specification of the present invention refers to the presence of the features, integers, steps, operations, elements and / or components, but does not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components and / or groups thereof. It should be understood that when we refer to an element as being "connected" to another element, it may be directly connected to the other element, or there may be intermediate elements. In addition, the "connection" used herein may include wireless connections.

[0051] In the description of the present invention, unless otherwise specified, "plurality" means two or more than two. The terms "inside", "upper", "lower", etc., indicating positions or state relationships, are based on the positions or state relationships shown in the drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific position, be constructed and operate in a specific position, and therefore cannot be understood as limiting the present invention.

[0052] In the description of the present invention, it should be noted that, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "installed", "connected", and "provided with" should be understood in a broad sense, for example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium. For ordinary technicians in this field, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention will be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0053] It will be understood by those skilled in the art that, unless otherwise defined, all terms used herein, including technical and scientific terms, have the same meaning as those generally understood by those skilled in the art in the art to which the present invention belongs. It should also be understood that terms such as those defined in common dictionaries should be understood to have meanings consistent with the meanings in the context of the prior art, and will not be interpreted with idealized or overly formal meanings unless defined as herein.

[0054] Example

[0055] like Figure 1-3 As shown, this embodiment is a phase change material cold storage rack for a data center, and the phase change material cold storage rack includes a rack frame 1, a partition 2, a modular phase change material box 3, a phase change material, and an air flow channel 5;

[0056] The bottom of the rack frame 1 has an air inlet 6, and the top of the rack frame 1 has an air outlet 7;

[0057] The partition 2 is located inside the rack frame 1, and the partition is used to support the server. The partition 2 is breathable;

[0058] A plurality of modular phase change material boxes 3 are placed on the partition plate 2, and there are gaps 4 between adjacent modular phase change material boxes 3, and the gaps 4 form air flow channels 5 inside the rack frame of the data center;

[0059] The modular phase change material box 3 is filled with phase change material. The rack frame is the basic structure of the entire rack. The phase change temperature point of the phase change material in the modular phase change material box is determined according to the power of the server placed on the shelf. The air flow channel is designed in the space between the modular phase change material boxes to promote air circulation and ensure smooth air circulation inside the rack. Phase change material: composed of organic materials with different phase change points, it can be accurately matched according to the operating temperature range of the server to achieve efficient thermal management.

[0060] The modular phase change material box 3 is attached to the inner wall of the rack frame 1 .

[0061] The separator 2 includes multiple layers.

[0062] The back plate of the rack frame 1 has a plurality of through holes 8. The back plate of the rack frame 1 refers to the board surface corresponding to the door opening. The through holes 8 are used for ventilation and heat dissipation. In actual situations, the number and position of the through holes 8 can be set according to the heat dissipation situation.

[0063] The modular phase change material box 3 has an opening 31 . The opening 31 is used to fill the modular phase change material box 3 with phase change material.

[0064] The modular phase change material box 3 is made of aluminum alloy material with good thermal conductivity and strong corrosion resistance, ensuring efficient heat transfer while having good durability.

[0065] The rack frame 1 and the partition plate 2 are made of stainless steel to ensure the strength and durability of the structure.

[0066] The modular phase change material box 3 is designed to be detachable. The modular phase change material box 3 can be removed from the rack frame 1 to facilitate installation and maintenance.

[0067] The control method of the phase change material cold storage rack, cold air enters from the air inlet 6, flows upward through the air flow channel 5 and is discharged through the air outlet 7;

[0068] When the server is running at a low load, cold air passes through the air flow channel 5, causing the phase change materials with different phase change temperatures in the different modular phase change material boxes 3 to solidify and prepare for cold storage;

[0069] When the server is in full load operation, the generated heat is firstly taken away by the cold air in the air flow channel 5, and the remaining heat is absorbed by the phase change material that has stored cold.

[0070] The control method includes matching the modular phase change material box and the server power, the server power on the upper partition 2 is lower than the server power on the lower partition 2, and accordingly, the phase change temperature of the phase change material filled in the modular phase change material box 3 on the upper partition 2 is lower than the phase change temperature of the phase change material filled in the modular phase change material box 3 on the lower partition 2. The high-power server is placed on the shelf at the bottom of the data center rack, and accordingly, a modular phase change material box filled with high-phase point phase change material is configured in this area. The low-power server is placed on the shelf at the top of the rack, and is matched with a modular phase change material box filled with low-phase point phase change material. The upper and lower layers here refer to the upper and lower in the direction of gravity.

[0071] Temperature control mechanism:

[0072] For the shelf space where high-power servers are located, due to the high heat dissipation power, cold air alone may not be able to completely remove all the heat, causing the temperature to rise. At this time, the high-phase point phase change material begins to absorb heat and melt, effectively suppressing further temperature increases.

[0073] For the shelf space where low-power servers are located, since the temperature of the cold air increases after passing through the high-power server area, the low-phase point phase change material plays a role at this stage, further reducing the air temperature by absorbing heat and melting, ensuring that the low-power servers can also be adequately cooled.

[0074] Through the reverse temperature gradient arrangement, the high phase point phase change material box can preferentially absorb heat from the high temperature area, while the low phase point phase change material box can play the greatest role in the lower temperature area, ensuring a more uniform temperature distribution throughout the rack, effectively preventing local temperatures from being too high, and avoiding performance degradation or damage to the server due to overheating.

[0075] According to the inverse temperature gradient layout, there will inevitably be hot spots at the boundaries of each layer. The temperature in this area is significantly higher than that in other areas. Therefore, after stable operation, the phase change box should be properly adjusted according to the temperature of each layer to avoid server failure in this area.

[0076] like Figure 4 As shown, the control method also includes matching the modular phase change material box and the phase change material cold storage rack to set the temperature, and placing temperature sensors at the left, middle and right positions of each layer of the partition 2; within a certain equipment operation time, the temperature data transmitted in real time by the left, middle and right temperature sensors are T1, T2 and T3 respectively, and the phase change material cold storage rack is set to T d , T1, T2, T3 and T d Compare, if T1≥T d, then the phase change material in the modular phase change material box 3 on the left is replaced with a phase change material with a lower phase change temperature point; T2≥T d , then the phase change material in the middle modular phase change material box 3 is replaced with a phase change material with a lower phase change temperature point; T3≥T d , the modular phase change material box 3 on the right is replaced with a phase change material with a lower phase change temperature point; to ensure that the phase change material cold storage rack does not exceed the set temperature. The running time of each cycle equipment is not necessarily 30 minutes, and the time can be changed according to the server power.

Claims

1. A phase change material cold storage rack, characterized in that: The phase change material cold storage rack comprises a rack frame (1), a partition (2), a modular phase change material box (3), and an air flow channel (5); The bottom of the rack frame (1) is provided with an air inlet (6), and the top of the rack frame (1) is provided with an air outlet (7); The partition (2) is located inside the rack frame (1), the partition is used to support the server, and the partition (2) is breathable; A plurality of modular phase change material boxes (3) are placed on the partition plate (2), and there is a gap (4) between adjacent modular phase change material boxes (3), and the gap (4) forms an air flow channel (5) inside the data center rack frame; The modular phase change material box (3) is filled with phase change material.

2. The phase change material cold storage rack according to claim 1, characterized in that: The modular phase change material box (3) is attached to the inner wall of the rack frame (1).

3. The phase change material cold storage rack according to claim 1, characterized in that: The separator (2) comprises multiple layers.

4. The phase change material cold storage rack according to claim 1, characterized in that: The back plate of the rack frame (1) is provided with at least one through hole (8).

5. The phase change material cold storage rack according to claim 1, characterized in that: The modular phase change material box (3) has an opening (31).

6. The phase change material cold storage rack according to claim 1, characterized in that: The modular phase change material box (3) is made of aluminum alloy material; The rack frame (1) and the partition plate (2) are made of stainless steel; The modular phase change material box (3) adopts a detachable design, and the modular phase change material box (3) can be removed from the rack frame (1).

7. A control method for a phase change material cold storage rack according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: Cold air enters from the air inlet (6), flows upward through the air flow channel (5) and is discharged through the air outlet (7); When the server is running at a low load, cold air passes through the air flow channel (5), causing the phase change materials with different phase change temperatures in different modular phase change material boxes (3) to solidify, thereby preparing for cold storage; When the server is in full-load operation, the generated heat is firstly carried away by the cold air in the air flow channel (5), and the remaining heat is absorbed by the phase change material that has stored cold.

8. The control method according to claim 7, characterized in that: The control method includes matching the modular phase change material box and the server power, wherein the server power on the upper partition (2) is lower than the server power on the lower partition (2), and correspondingly, the phase change temperature of the phase change material filled in the modular phase change material box (3) on the upper partition (2) is lower than the phase change temperature of the phase change material filled in the modular phase change material box (3) on the lower partition (2).

9. The control method according to claim 7, characterized in that: The control method further comprises matching the modular phase change material box and the phase change material cold storage rack to set the temperature, placing temperature sensors at the left, middle and right positions of each layer of the partition (2); within a certain equipment operation time, the temperature data transmitted in real time by the left, middle and right temperature sensors are T1, T2 and T3 respectively, and the phase change material cold storage rack is set to T d , T1, T2, T3 and T d Compare, if T1≥T d , then the modular phase change material box (3) on the left is replaced with a phase change material with a low phase change temperature point; T2 ≥ T d , then the middle modular phase change material box (3) is replaced with a phase change material with a low phase change temperature point; T3 ≥ T d , then the modular phase change material box (3) on the right is replaced with a phase change material with a low phase change temperature point; To ensure that the phase change material cold storage rack will not exceed the set temperature.

10. Application of the phase change material cold storage rack according to any one of claims 1 to 6 in a high-density computing environment of a data center.

Images