A cabinet and computer room composite heat pipe air conditioner with air conditioning terminal

Abstract

The present invention relates to the technical field of computer room air conditioning, and discloses a refrigeration system structure combining a heat pipe with an air conditioner, as well as an integrated cabinet indoor air conditioning terminal and a computer room air conditioner using the structure, comprising a cabinet, an equipment installation area and a heat exchange area located in the cabinet, an evaporator located in the heat exchange area, an evaporating fan for transporting air from the heat exchange area to the equipment installation area, and a return air inlet for supplying the air from the equipment installation area to the heat exchange area. The present invention has the following advantages and effects: the present invention directly installs the evaporator and the evaporating fan in the cabinet, which is small in size and does not occupy additional installation space in the computer room, and can be used when space is limited. The cabinet with the air conditioning terminal uses a water tank, a water pipe, a water pump, and a water distributor to collect and recycle condensed water. The condensed water has a low temperature and can be heat-exchanged with the air at a higher temperature, thereby fully utilizing the cooling capacity of the condensed water. The cabinet is sealed, which is conducive to the evaporation of the condensed water and maintains the humidity in the cabinet.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of computer room air conditioners, and in particular to a cabinet with an air conditioner terminal and a computer room composite heat pipe air conditioner. Background Art

[0002] Computer room air conditioners are air conditioners designed specifically for use in computer rooms, featuring high reliability and year-round cooling. A Chinese patent with authorization publication number CN212457133U discloses a high-energy-efficiency computer room air conditioning system, comprising an indoor unit, an outdoor unit, and a control unit. The indoor unit is fluidically connected to the outdoor unit via a refrigerant pipeline. The indoor unit includes a heat pipe evaporator, a refrigerant flow regulating device, an indoor fan, and a mechanical refrigeration device; the mechanical refrigeration device includes a compressor, an evaporator, a condenser, and a throttling device; the outdoor unit includes a heat pipe condenser and an outdoor fan. A Chinese patent with authorization publication number CN208652782U discloses a heat pipe multi-connected computer room air conditioning system, comprising a first cooling tower, a second cooling tower, a heat pipe heat exchanger, a chiller, a first indoor unit, a second indoor unit, a first liquid pump, a second liquid pump, a third liquid pump, a first expansion valve, and a second expansion valve.

[0003] The air conditioning terminals of existing computer room air conditioner indoor units are generally cabinet-type or ceiling-mounted, requiring a certain amount of installation space. When the computer room is relatively small, the existing computer room air conditioner indoor units are too large to meet the installation and use requirements. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The present invention aims to provide a cabinet with an air conditioning terminal, which is suitable for use in confined computer rooms and installation spaces. It controls the cooling environment within the cabinet space, minimizing cooling capacity loss and the impact of the space's heat load on cooling, while also effectively controlling the humidity inside the cabinet.

[0005] The first object of the present invention is to provide a cabinet with an air-conditioning terminal, comprising a cabinet, an equipment installation area and a heat exchange area located in the cabinet, an evaporator located in the heat exchange area, an evaporating fan for transporting air from the heat exchange area to the equipment installation area, and a return air inlet for supplying the air from the equipment installation area to the heat exchange area.

[0006] By adopting the above technical solution, when a cabinet with an air-conditioning terminal is used, servers and other equipment are installed in the equipment installation area, and the evaporating fan transports the air with a lower temperature from the heat exchange area to the equipment installation area, and exchanges heat with the servers and other equipment to become air with a higher temperature, and then returns to the heat exchange area from the return air outlet. The higher temperature air exchanges heat with the evaporator to become air with a lower temperature, and is again transported from the heat exchange area to the equipment installation area by the evaporating fan, and the cycle continues.

[0007] The present invention is further configured as follows: a partition is provided in the cabinet, the partition separates the equipment installation area from the heat exchange area, the return air inlet is located at the partition, and the evaporating fan is installed at the partition.

[0008] By adopting the above technical solution, the air circulation in the cabinet can be better achieved through the equipment partition.

[0009] The present invention is further configured as follows: a plurality of mounting plates are installed in the cabinet, the mounting plates divide the equipment installation area into a plurality of installation cavities, the number of the evaporating fans is multiple and corresponds one-to-one to the installation cavities respectively, the number of the return air outlets is multiple, and each of the installation cavities is connected to the heat exchange area through the return air outlet.

[0010] By adopting the above technical solution, the installation plate provides a location for installing equipment such as servers.

[0011] The present invention is further configured as follows: the evaporator divides the heat exchange area into a return air chamber and a supply air chamber, and the return air chamber is connected to the equipment installation area through the return air port.

[0012] By adopting the above technical solution, the evaporator divides the heat exchange area into a return air chamber and a supply air chamber. The air with higher temperature in the return air chamber exchanges heat when passing through the evaporator, and enters the supply air chamber after the temperature is reduced.

[0013] The present invention is further configured as follows: a water tank is provided below the evaporator, a water distributor is installed above the evaporator, the water tank and the water distributor are connected via a water pipe, and a water pump is installed on the water pipe.

[0014] By adopting the above technical solution, condensed water on the evaporator can be drained from computer rooms with large spaces and drainage facilities. However, in computer rooms with small spaces and no drainage facilities, such as basements, directly draining the condensed water will cause the room floor to become damp. When the humidity inside the cabinet is high, the heat pipe air conditioner will produce condensed water on the evaporator. Under the action of gravity, the condensed water flows and gathers in the water tank. The water pump transports the condensed water in the water tank through a water pipe to the water distributor, which distributes the condensed water on the evaporator, causing it to flow downward along the evaporator surface. First, the condensed water temperature is relatively low, which can exchange heat with the warmer air, fully utilizing the cooling capacity of the condensed water. Second, the cabinet is a sealed structure, isolating the air inside the cabinet from the air outside the cabinet. Utilizing condensed water helps maintain a stable humidity inside the cabinet.

[0015] A second object of the present invention is to provide a computer room composite heat pipe air conditioner, comprising the above-mentioned cabinet with an air conditioning terminal and an outdoor unit, wherein the outdoor unit comprises a heat pipe condenser and a heat pipe condensing fan, and the computer room composite heat pipe air conditioner comprises a heat pipe air pipe having two ends respectively connected to the heat pipe condenser and the evaporator, and a heat pipe air pipe having two ends respectively connected to the heat pipe condenser and the evaporator.

[0016] The present invention is further configured as follows: the outdoor unit also includes an air-conditioning condenser, an air-conditioning condensing fan, an air-conditioning circulation pipeline connected to the air-conditioning condenser, an expansion valve and a compressor installed on the air-conditioning circulation pipeline, and a heat exchanger; the refrigerant in the heat pipe liquid pipe and the refrigerant in the air-conditioning circulation pipeline are heat exchanged through the heat exchanger.

[0017] By adopting the above technical solution, the heat pipe air-conditioning system in the prior art includes a heat pipe system and an air-conditioning system (including a compressor and an expansion valve). The indoor unit part of the heat pipe system includes two pipes for refrigerant inlet and outlet and a heat pipe evaporator. The indoor unit part of the air-conditioning system also includes two pipes for refrigerant inlet and outlet and an air-conditioning evaporator. If the heat pipe air-conditioning system in the prior art is directly adopted, the indoor unit part will have four pipes and two evaporators, and the required installation space is larger.

[0018] This invention uniquely designs two pipes, a heat pipe gas pipe and a heat pipe liquid pipe, in the indoor unit. These pipes are connected to the evaporator in the cabinet with the air conditioner terminal, and a heat exchanger is installed in the outdoor unit. When the heat pipe condenser alone can meet the condensation demand, the heat pipe condenser operates, and the gaseous refrigerant flows from the evaporator and enters the heat pipe condenser for heat exchange. After cooling, it turns into liquid refrigerant. The liquid refrigerant flows along the heat pipe liquid pipe into the evaporator, where it exchanges heat with the hot air. When the heat pipe condenser alone cannot meet the condensation demand, the compressor, air conditioning condenser and heat pipe condenser are in operation, and the gaseous refrigerant flows out of the evaporator and enters the heat pipe condenser for heat exchange. After the first cooling, it enters the heat pipe liquid pipe and exchanges heat with the refrigerant in the air conditioning circulation pipeline at the heat exchanger. After the second cooling, it enters the evaporator along the heat pipe liquid pipe, so that there are two pipes and one evaporator in the cabinet with the air conditioning terminal. The outdoor unit can perform two heat exchange cooling on the refrigerant in the heat pipe gas pipe and heat pipe liquid pipe through the heat pipe condenser, air conditioning condenser and air conditioning circulation pipeline, thereby reducing the installation space required for the cabinet with the air conditioning terminal.

[0019] The present invention is further configured as follows: the heat exchanger is a shell and tube heat exchanger.

[0020] By adopting the above technical solution, the shell and tube heat exchanger is also called a shell and tube heat exchanger. The heat exchanger can be a shell and tube heat exchanger, or other types of heat exchangers can be selected according to needs.

[0021] The present invention is further configured as follows: the outdoor unit includes a frame, and the heat pipe condenser, the air-conditioning condenser, the heat pipe condensing fan, and the air-conditioning condensing fan are all installed on the frame.

[0022] By adopting the above technical solution, in the outdoor unit part, the heat pipe condenser, air conditioning condenser, heat pipe condensing fan and air conditioning condensing fan can be installed on the same frame, which has a compact structure.

[0023] The third object of the present invention is to provide a composite heat pipe air conditioner for a computer room, comprising the above-mentioned cabinet with an air conditioning terminal and an outdoor unit, wherein the outdoor unit comprises a compressor, an air conditioning condenser, an air conditioning condensing fan, and an expansion valve.

[0024] By adopting the above technical solution, the outdoor unit can be a conventional air-conditioning outdoor unit without using a heat pipe system.

[0025] The beneficial effects of the present invention are:

[0026] 1. The present invention installs the evaporator and evaporation fan directly in the cabinet. It is small in size and does not occupy additional installation space in the machine room, so it can be used when the space is small. The evaporation fan transports the lower temperature air from the air supply chamber in the heat exchange area to the equipment installation area. The lower temperature air exchanges heat with the servers and other equipment in the equipment installation area to become higher temperature air. The higher temperature air enters the return air chamber in the heat exchange area through the return air port from the equipment installation area. The higher temperature air in the return air chamber passes through the evaporator and enters the air supply chamber, exchanges heat with the evaporator and becomes lower temperature air, and the cycle continues. At the same time, the condensed water generated during the air conditioning refrigeration process is stored in the bottom water tank and then distributed to the evaporator through the water pump and water distributor, which can reduce the loss of moisture in the air inside the cabinet and the amount of cold carried away by the condensed water.

[0027] 2. The cabinet with air-conditioning terminal uses water tanks, water pipes, water pumps, and water distributors to collect and recycle condensed water. First, the condensed water temperature is relatively low, and it can exchange heat with the air at a higher temperature, making full use of the cooling capacity of the condensed water; second, the cabinet is a closed structure, and the air inside the cabinet is isolated from the air outside the cabinet. Using condensed water is conducive to maintaining stable humidity inside the cabinet.

[0028] 3. The outdoor unit of the present invention can be a conventional air conditioner outdoor unit, including a compressor, an expansion valve, and an air conditioner condenser. Alternatively, a heat pipe system can be used alone, including a heat pipe condenser, a heat pipe fan, a heat pipe liquid pipe, and a heat pipe gas pipe, to utilize the temperature difference between indoor and outdoor for condensation, thereby saving electricity and energy. When the outdoor unit includes both a heat pipe condenser and an air conditioner condenser, the present invention ingeniously utilizes the air conditioner condenser and the air conditioner circulation pipeline to perform heat exchange on the refrigerant in the heat pipe liquid pipe, so that only two pipes, an evaporator, a heat pipe liquid pipe, and a heat pipe gas pipe, are required in the cabinet with the air conditioner terminal. While utilizing the heat pipe condenser to save electricity, no additional evaporator or refrigerant pipe is required.

[0029] 4. Copper pipes are generally used for refrigerant pipes in this field. When the air-conditioning condenser and the air-conditioning circulation pipeline are used to perform heat exchange on the refrigerant in the heat pipe liquid pipe, compared with using two independent heat pipe systems and air-conditioning outdoor unit systems at the same time, one set of indoor and outdoor copper pipe connections is reduced, thus saving copper pipes and refrigerant of the entire system.

[0030] 5. The integrated design of the cabinet with air-conditioning terminal saves space.

[0031] 6. The evaporator, evaporative fan and other cooling structures in the cabinet with air conditioning terminal are integrated with the cabinet design, cooling close to the heat source, with high return air temperature and high cooling efficiency. The outdoor heat pipe has a long operating time throughout the year and high energy efficiency.

[0032] 7. The outdoor unit includes a heat pipe system and an air-conditioning system, which are connected through a shell and tube heat exchanger to achieve full heat pipe mode cooling, heat pipe and air-conditioning mixed mode cooling, and independent air-conditioning mode cooling. The heat pipe mode is given priority, so that the natural cold source can be fully utilized. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0033] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for use in the description of the embodiments. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative work.

[0034] Figure 1 It is a structural diagram of Example 1.

[0035] Figure 2 It is a schematic structural diagram of the outdoor unit of Example 2.

[0036] Figure 3 Schematic diagram of the outdoor unit structure of Example 3.

[0037] In the figure, 1. Cabinet; 11. Equipment installation area; 111. Installation cavity; 12. Heat exchange area; 121. Return air cavity; 122. Supply air cavity; 2. Evaporator; 3. Partition; 31. Evaporating fan; 32. Return air inlet; 4. Water sink; 41. Water pipe; 42. Water pump; 43. Water distributor; 5. Heat pipe air pipe; 6. Heat pipe liquid pipe; 7. Outdoor unit; 71. Frame; 72. Heat pipe condenser; 73. Heat pipe condensing fan; 74. Air conditioning condenser; 75. Air conditioning circulation pipeline; 76. Expansion valve; 77. Compressor; 78. Air conditioning condensing fan; 8. Heat exchanger. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0038] The technical solutions of the present invention will be described clearly and completely below with reference to specific embodiments. Obviously, the embodiments described are only some of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of them. All other embodiments derived by persons of ordinary skill in the art based on the embodiments of the present invention without inventive effort are also within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0039] Example 1: A composite heat pipe air conditioner for a computer room, such as Figure 1 As shown, the cabinet includes an air conditioning terminal and an outdoor unit 7. The cabinet includes a cabinet 1. A partition 3 is installed within the cabinet 1, dividing the cabinet 1 into an equipment installation area 11 and a heat exchange area 12. Multiple mounting plates 112 are fixed within the equipment installation area 11, dividing the equipment installation area 11 into multiple installation chambers 111. Multiple evaporating fans 31 are mounted on the partition 3, each corresponding to a respective installation chamber 111. Multiple return air vents 32 are also provided on the partition 3. An evaporator 2 is installed within the heat exchange area 12, dividing the heat exchange area 12 into a supply air chamber 122 and a return air chamber 121. The supply air chamber 122 is connected to the equipment installation area 11 via the evaporating fans 31, and the return air chamber 121 is connected to the equipment installation area 11 via the return air vents 32. Each installation chamber 111 is connected to the return air chamber 121 via the return air vents 32. The heat exchange area 12 is also equipped with a water tank 4 located below the evaporator 2, a water distributor 43 installed at the upper end of the evaporator 2, and a water pipe 41 connecting the inside of the water tank 4 with the water distributor 43. A water pump 42 is installed on the water pipe 41.

[0040] The outdoor unit 7 includes a frame 71, a heat pipe condenser 72, an air conditioning condenser 74, a heat pipe condenser fan 73, and a heat pipe condenser fan 78. The heat pipe condenser 72, the air conditioning condenser 74, the heat pipe condenser fan 73, and the air conditioning condenser fan 78 are all mounted on the frame 71. A heat pipe liquid pipe 6 and a heat pipe gas pipe 5 are installed between the evaporator 2 and the heat pipe condenser 72. An air conditioning circulation line 75 is installed in the heat pipe condenser 72. The air conditioning circulation line 75 is equipped with an expansion valve 76, a compressor 77, and a heat exchanger 8, which can be a shell and tube heat exchanger. The heat pipe liquid pipe 6 is also connected to the heat exchanger 8, enabling heat exchange between the refrigerant in the heat pipe liquid pipe 6 and the refrigerant in the air conditioning circulation line 75.

[0041] Working principle: When the heat pipe condenser 72 alone can meet the condensation demand, the heat pipe condenser 72 is in operation, and the gaseous refrigerant flows out of the evaporator 2 and enters the heat pipe condenser 72 for heat exchange. After cooling, it becomes liquid refrigerant. The liquid refrigerant flows into the evaporator 2 along the heat pipe liquid pipe 6 and exchanges heat with the hot air at the evaporator 2. When the heat pipe condenser 72 alone cannot meet the condensation demand, the compressor 77, the air conditioning condenser 74, and the heat pipe condenser 72 are in operation, and the gaseous refrigerant flows out of the evaporator 2 and enters the heat pipe condenser 72 for heat exchange. After the first cooling, it enters the heat pipe liquid pipe 6 and exchanges heat with the refrigerant in the air conditioning circulation pipeline 75 at the heat exchanger 8. After the second cooling, it enters the evaporator 2 along the heat pipe liquid pipe 6.

[0042] When the cabinet with the air-conditioning terminal is in use, servers and other equipment are installed in the equipment installation area 11. The evaporating fan 31 transports the air with a lower temperature from the heat exchange area 12 to the equipment installation area 11, and exchanges heat with the servers and other equipment to become air with a higher temperature. The air then returns to the heat exchange area 12 from the return air port 32. The higher temperature air exchanges heat with the evaporator 2 to become air with a lower temperature, and is again transported from the heat exchange area 12 to the equipment installation area 11 by the evaporating fan 31, and the cycle continues.

[0043] Example 2: A composite heat pipe air conditioner for a computer room, which differs from Example 1 in that: Figure 2 As shown, the outdoor unit 7 does not include an air-conditioning condenser 74 , an air-conditioning condensing fan 78 , an air-conditioning circulation pipeline 75 , an expansion valve 76 , and a compressor 77 .

[0044] Example 3: A composite heat pipe air conditioner for a computer room, which differs from Example 1 in that: Figure 3 As shown, the outdoor unit 7 does not include a heat pipe condenser 72, a heat pipe condensing fan 73, a heat pipe liquid pipe 6, a heat pipe gas pipe 5, and a heat exchanger 8. The air conditioning circulation pipeline 75 in the outdoor unit 7 is connected to the evaporator 2 of the cabinet with the air conditioning terminal.

Claims

1. A composite heat pipe air conditioner for a computer room, characterized by: It comprises a cabinet with an air-conditioning terminal and an outdoor unit (7), wherein the outdoor unit (7) comprises a heat pipe condenser (72) and a heat pipe condensing fan (73); The cabinet with the air-conditioning terminal comprises a cabinet (1), an equipment installation area (11) and a heat exchange area (12) located in the cabinet (1), an evaporator (2) located in the heat exchange area (12), an evaporating fan (31) for conveying air from the heat exchange area (12) to the equipment installation area (11), and a return air port (32) for supplying air from the equipment installation area (11) to the heat exchange area (12); the cabinet (1) is a sealed structure; The machine room composite heat pipe air conditioner further comprises an indoor unit, the indoor unit comprising a heat pipe gas pipe (5) whose two ends are respectively connected to the heat pipe condenser (72) and the evaporator (2), and a heat pipe liquid pipe (6) whose two ends are respectively connected to the heat pipe condenser (72) and the evaporator (2); A water tank (4) is provided below the evaporator (2), a water distributor (43) is installed above the evaporator (2), the water tank (4) and the water distributor (43) are connected via a water pipe (41), and a water pump (42) is installed on the water pipe (41); The outdoor unit (7) further includes an air-conditioning condenser (74), an air-conditioning condensing fan (78), an air-conditioning circulation pipeline (75) connected to the air-conditioning condenser (74), an expansion valve (76) and a compressor (77) installed on the air-conditioning circulation pipeline (75), and a heat exchanger (8), wherein the refrigerant in the heat pipe liquid pipe (6) and the refrigerant in the air-conditioning circulation pipeline (75) exchange heat through the heat exchanger (8); A partition (3) is provided in the cabinet (1), the partition (3) separates the equipment installation area (11) from the heat exchange area (12), the return air port (32) is located at the partition (3), and the evaporation fan (31) is installed at the partition (3); A plurality of mounting plates (112) are installed in the cabinet (1), and the mounting plates (112) divide the equipment installation area (11) into a plurality of installation cavities (111). The number of the evaporating fans (31) is multiple and corresponds one-to-one with the installation cavities (111). The number of the return air ports (32) is multiple, and each of the installation cavities (111) is connected to the heat exchange area (12) through the return air ports (32). The evaporator (2) divides the heat exchange area (12) into a return air chamber (121) and an air supply chamber (122); the return air chamber (121) is connected to the equipment installation area (11) via the return air port (32).

2. The composite heat pipe air conditioner for a computer room according to claim 1, characterized in that: The heat exchanger (8) is a shell and tube heat exchanger.

3. The composite heat pipe air conditioner for a computer room according to claim 2, characterized in that: The outdoor unit (7) comprises a frame (71), and the heat pipe condenser (72), the air conditioning condenser (74), the heat pipe condensing fan (73), and the air conditioning condensing fan (78) are all mounted on the frame (71).

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