A cooling system and data center

Abstract

This disclosure discloses a cooling system and a data center, relating to the field of thermal cycling technology. The cooling system includes a heat exchange and distribution module, an indoor module, and a cooling tower. The heat exchange and distribution module includes a water-fluorine heat exchanger, a water pump, a storage tank, a liquid pump, and a compressor. The indoor module includes an expansion valve and a refrigeration terminal. The water-fluorine heat exchanger has a primary side and a secondary side. The two ends of the primary side are connected to the output ends of the cooling tower and the water pump, respectively. The two ends of the secondary side are connected to the output end of the compressor and the storage tank, respectively. The storage tank is connected to the input end of the liquid pump, the output end of the liquid pump is connected to the expansion valve, the expansion valve is connected to the refrigeration terminal, and the refrigeration terminal is connected to the input end of the compressor. The storage tank stores a fluorine-containing working fluid, which is a phase change working fluid with high heat exchange capacity. When switching between gaseous and liquid states, it absorbs or releases a large amount of heat, thus ensuring the cooling capacity of the cooling system, making it suitable for large server clusters.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to the field of thermal cycling technology, and more particularly to a cooling system and a data center. Background Technology

[0002] With the development of network technology and the acceleration of informatization, the construction of large server clusters such as various Internet data centers and cloud computing data centers has also developed rapidly. Large server clusters generate a large amount of heat during operation, requiring cooling systems to dissipate heat from the IT equipment in order to maintain their normal operation. Current cooling systems are limited by their cooling capacity and are not suitable for large server clusters; therefore, improving the cooling capacity of these systems is one of the design and development goals. Summary of the Invention

[0003] This disclosure provides a cooling system suitable for large server clusters.

[0004] According to a first aspect of this disclosure, a cooling system is provided, comprising: a heat exchange and distribution module, an indoor module, and a cooling tower, wherein the heat exchange and distribution module includes:

[0005] A water-fluoride heat exchanger having a primary side and a secondary side;

[0006] A water pump, the two ends of the primary side are respectively connected to the cooling tower and the output end of the water pump, the input end of the water pump is connected to the cooling tower, and the cooling tower is used to cool the cooling water;

[0007] The system includes a storage tank, a liquid pump, and a compressor. The storage tank is used to store a fluorine-containing working fluid. The two ends of the secondary side are respectively connected to the output end of the storage tank and the output end of the compressor. The storage tank is connected to the input end of the liquid pump.

[0008] The indoor module includes:

[0009] Expansion valve, connected to the output end of the liquid pump;

[0010] The refrigeration terminal is connected to the expansion valve and the input terminal of the compressor, respectively, and is used to provide cooling to the components to be cooled.

[0011] In one embodiment of this disclosure, the cooling system further includes a circulating pump and a heat recovery unit. The two ends of the primary side are respectively connected to the input ends of the heat recovery unit and the circulating pump, and the output end of the circulating pump is connected to the heat recovery unit. The heat recovery unit is used to provide heat energy to the heat-using unit.

[0012] In one embodiment of this disclosure, the cooling system includes M indoor modules and N heat exchange and distribution modules, where M is not less than N, and both M and N are positive integers.

[0013] Each of the heat exchange and distribution modules is connected to at least one of the indoor modules.

[0014] In one embodiment of this disclosure, the cooling system includes X cooling towers, where X is a positive integer; each cooling tower is connected to each heat exchange and distribution module.

[0015] In one embodiment of this disclosure, the water-fluoride heat exchanger is any one of a shell-and-tube water-fluoride heat exchanger, a plate heat exchanger water-fluoride heat exchanger, and a dry water-fluoride heat exchanger.

[0016] In one embodiment of this disclosure, the liquid pump is a fluorine pump.

[0017] In one embodiment of this disclosure, the compressor is an oil-free compressor.

[0018] In one embodiment of this disclosure, the cooling terminal is any one of an in-row air conditioner, a wind wall, a room air conditioner, and a back panel.

[0019] In one embodiment of this disclosure, the cooling terminal includes:

[0020] The cabinet is equipped with an inlet manifold and an outlet manifold, which are respectively used to connect the expansion valve and the compressor;

[0021] At least one cold plate is disposed inside the cabinet. The cold plate is provided with a cooling channel, which is connected to the liquid inlet manifold and the liquid outlet manifold respectively. The cold plate is used to contact the component to be cooled.

[0022] According to a second aspect of this disclosure, a data center is provided, including the cooling system described in any embodiment of this disclosure.

[0023] According to the technology disclosed herein, the air conditioning circulation loop uses a fluorinated working fluid to cool the components to be cooled. The fluorinated working fluid has a strong heat exchange capacity, which can meet the heat dissipation requirements of high-power IT equipment and is suitable for large server clusters.

[0024] It should be understood that the description in this section is not intended to identify key or essential features of the embodiments of this disclosure, nor is it intended to limit the scope of this disclosure. Other features of this disclosure will become readily apparent from the following description. Attached Figure Description

[0025] The accompanying drawings are provided to better understand this solution and do not constitute a limitation of this disclosure. Wherein:

[0026] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the cooling system according to Embodiment 1 of this disclosure;

[0027] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a water-fluoride heat exchanger according to Embodiment 1 of this disclosure;

[0028] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the cooling terminal according to Embodiment 1 of this disclosure;

[0029] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the cooling system according to Embodiment 1 of this disclosure;

[0030] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the heat exchange and distribution module of the cooling system according to Embodiment 1 of this disclosure;

[0031] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the cooling system according to Embodiment 2 of this disclosure;

[0032] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the cooling system according to Embodiment 2 of this disclosure.

[0033] In the picture:

[0034] 100. Heat exchange and distribution module; 200. Indoor module; 300. Circulating pump; 400. Heat recovery unit;

[0035] 1. Water-fluoride heat exchanger; 11. Shell; 12. Working fluid channel; 13. Heat exchange tube;

[0036] 2. Water pump;

[0037] 3. Cooling tower;

[0038] 4. Liquid pump;

[0039] 5. Liquid storage tank;

[0040] 6. Compressor;

[0041] 7. Expansion valve;

[0042] 8. Refrigeration terminal; 81. In-row air conditioner; 82. Air wall; 83. Room air conditioner; 84. Back panel; 85. Cabinet; 86. Cold plate; 87. Liquid inlet manifold; 88. Liquid outlet manifold;

[0043] 101. Ball valve; 102. Filter; 103. Shut-off valve; 104. Thermal bypass electronic expansion valve; 105. Fluorine pump bypass valve; 106. Cooling pipeline; 107. Cooling solenoid valve; 108. First check valve; 109. Second check valve. Detailed Implementation

[0044] The exemplary embodiments of this disclosure are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, including various details of the embodiments to aid understanding, and should be considered merely exemplary. Therefore, those skilled in the art will recognize that various changes and modifications can be made to the embodiments described herein without departing from the scope and spirit of this disclosure. Similarly, for clarity and brevity, descriptions of well-known functions and structures are omitted in the following description.

[0045] Example 1

[0046] Embodiment 1 of this disclosure provides a cooling system including a cooling component for cooling a part to be cooled.

[0047] In this embodiment, the component to be cooled is an IT device in a data center. In other embodiments, the component to be cooled may also be a workshop, machine tool, or processing equipment.

[0048] See Figure 1 The cooling system includes a heat exchange and distribution module 100, an indoor module 200, and a cooling tower 3. The indoor module 200 absorbs heat from the IT equipment and exchanges it with the cooling tower 3 through the heat exchange and distribution module 100. The cooling tower 3 then releases the heat into the atmosphere to cool the IT equipment.

[0049] Specifically, the heat exchange and distribution module 100 includes a water-fluorine heat exchanger 1, a water pump 2, a liquid storage tank 5, a liquid pump 4, and a compressor 6. The indoor module 200 includes an expansion valve 7 and a refrigeration terminal 8. The water-fluorine heat exchanger 1 has a primary side and a secondary side. The two ends of the primary side are connected to the cooling tower 3 and the output end of the water pump 2, respectively. The input end of the water pump 2 is connected to the cooling tower 3. Driven by the water pump 2, the cooling water can circulate along the path of cooling tower 3-water pump 2-primary side-cooling tower 3. The two ends of the secondary side are connected to the output end of the compressor 6 and the liquid storage tank 5, respectively. The liquid storage tank 5 is connected to the input end of the liquid pump 4. The output end of the liquid pump 4 is connected to the expansion valve 7. The expansion valve 7 is connected to the refrigeration terminal 8. The refrigeration terminal 8 is connected to the input end of the compressor 6. Driven by the liquid pump 4 and the compressor 6, the working fluid circulates along the path of secondary side-liquid storage tank 5-liquid pump 4-expansion valve 7-refrigeration terminal 8-compressor 6-secondary side. The working fluid absorbs heat from the IT equipment at the refrigeration terminal 8 and exchanges it on the secondary side to the cooling water on the primary side. The cooling water then carries the heat into the cooling tower 3 to exchange it into the atmosphere.

[0050] To ensure the cooling system has a strong cooling capacity, the storage tank 5 stores a fluorinated working fluid. This fluorinated working fluid is a phase change fluid with high heat exchange capacity. It absorbs heat from the IT equipment at the cooling terminal 8, changing from a liquid to a high-temperature gas. Then, it releases heat on the secondary side of the water-fluorine heat exchanger 1, changing from a gaseous to a liquid state. During this gas-liquid transition, the working fluid absorbs or releases a large amount of heat, thus ensuring the cooling system's cooling capacity, making it suitable for large server clusters. Furthermore, using the water-fluorine heat exchanger 1 allows for greater flexibility in the placement of the cooling tower 3 and the water-fluorine heat exchanger 1.

[0051] For example, the fluorinated working fluid may specifically be R134a. To better match the fluorinated working fluid, a fluorinated pump is preferably used.

[0052] To further enhance the cooling capacity of the cooling system and improve its applicability to large server clusters, this embodiment also makes improvements to the compressor 6 and the water-fluorine heat exchanger 1.

[0053] The water-fluoride heat exchanger 2 can be any one of a shell-and-tube water-fluoride heat exchanger, a plate heat exchanger, or a dry-type water-fluoride heat exchanger. For example, please refer to the section on shell-and-tube water-fluoride heat exchangers. Figure 2 , Figure 2 The diagram shows a shell-and-tube water-fluorine heat exchanger, which includes a shell 11 and a working fluid channel 12 disposed within the shell 11. There is a gap between the working fluid channel 12 and the shell 11. The shell 11 has an inlet and an outlet, both of which are connected to the gap. Thus, the inlet-gap-outlet forms the primary side of the shell-and-tube heat exchanger, and the working fluid channel 12 forms the secondary side. The inlet is connected to the output end of the water pump 2, and the outlet is connected to the cooling tower 3. After the gaseous refrigerant enters the heat exchange channel 12, it exchanges heat with the cooling water in the gap and becomes liquid refrigerant, which then flows out.

[0054] Preferably, to further enhance the heat exchange capacity of the shell-and-tube water-fluorine heat exchanger, the cooling water always fills the entire gap, thereby ensuring sufficient cooling water heat exchange. Furthermore, the outer shell 11 is also provided with multiple heat exchange tubes 13, which penetrate the working fluid channel 12 and are connected at both ends to the gap. Therefore, the multiple heat exchange tubes 13 can further enhance the heat exchange effect of the cooling water. Specifically, in this embodiment, the primary cooling capacity of the water-fluorine heat exchanger 1 can reach 300kW~9000kW.

[0055] Among them, compressor 6 is preferably an oil-free compressor. This makes the entire system oil-free, avoiding energy loss caused by oil film and further improving the cooling capacity of the cooling system. The oil-free system solves limitations such as pipe length, height difference, number of terminals, and pressure ratio. Furthermore, the system is simple and highly energy efficient, improving energy efficiency by over 70% compared to oil-containing compressors. Based on 100,000 servers, this could reduce operating costs by 100 million RMB per year.

[0056] In this embodiment, the motor of the oil-free compressor is a permanent magnet synchronous motor, which eliminates the excitation process and employs centrifugal multi-stage compression, resulting in higher energy efficiency compared to single-stage compression. Specifically, the oil-free compressor can be a magnetic levitation compressor or an air-suspended compressor.

[0057] In this embodiment, the cooling terminal 8 can be a traditional air-cooled terminal. The air-cooled terminal may include a cooling fan and an evaporator. The cooling fan can blow the cold air emitted by the evaporator to the IT equipment to cool it down. The specific structural form of the air-cooled terminal can be any one of the following: in-row air conditioner 81, air wall 82, room air conditioner 83, and back panel 84.

[0058] In addition to traditional air-cooled terminals, cooling terminal 8 can also be a liquid-cooled terminal. Please refer to... Figure 3 When using a liquid-cooled terminal, the cooling terminal 8 includes a cabinet 85 and multiple cold plates 86 located within the cabinet 85. The cabinet 85 is equipped with an inlet manifold 87 and an outlet manifold 88, which are respectively used to connect an expansion valve 7 and a compressor 6. Multiple IT devices can be installed within the cabinet 85. The cold plates 86 are equipped with cooling channels, which are connected to the inlet manifold 87 and the outlet manifold 88 via pipes. The multiple cold plates 86 are used to contact multiple IT devices, allowing direct cooling of high-temperature components (such as chips) of high-power IT devices. Compared to air cooling, this significantly improves cooling efficiency.

[0059] In this embodiment, the cooling system includes M indoor modules 200 and N heat exchange and distribution modules 100, where M is not less than N, and both M and N are positive integers. Specifically, when M=N, the cooling system can use one heat exchange and distribution module 100 to match one indoor module 200; when M is greater than N, one heat exchange and distribution module 100 can match multiple indoor modules 200. Figure 4 As shown, Figure 4 The example provided is a scheme with M=12 and N=3; each heat exchange and distribution module 100 is connected in parallel with four indoor modules 200, adopting a one-to-four layout, which can effectively reduce the number of heat exchange and distribution modules 100 used and facilitate application in large server clusters.

[0060] In this embodiment, the cooling system includes X cooling towers 3, where X is a positive integer; each cooling tower 3 is connected to each heat exchange and distribution module 100. Specifically, the water pump 2 and water-fluorine heat exchanger 1 in each heat exchange and distribution module 100 are connected to both ends of any cooling tower 3 on their primary side. This allows the heat from the secondary side of N heat exchange and distribution modules 100 to be absorbed by X cooling towers 3. Specifically, as... Figure 4 As shown, Figure 4 An example of a scheme with X=2 is given in the example.

[0061] To reduce the footprint of the cooling system, in this embodiment, the X cooling towers 3 are grouped together, which is suitable for use in areas with limited land. For example, for high-rise buildings with 4 to 8 floors, the cooling towers 3 can also be placed on the rooftop to avoid occupying indoor space.

[0062] Please refer to Figure 5 , Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the specific structure of the heat exchange and distribution module disclosed herein. The heat exchange and distribution module also includes various non-core components such as manual valves.

[0063] Specifically, a ball valve 101 and a filter 102 are provided between the secondary side of the water-fluoride heat exchanger 1 and the storage tank 5. The ball valve 101 and the filter 102 are connected, with the ball valve 101 connected to the secondary side of the water-fluoride heat exchanger 1 and the filter 102 connected to the storage tank 5.

[0064] A ball valve 101 is also connected between the input end of the liquid storage tank 5 and the liquid pump 4.

[0065] The output end of the liquid pump 4 is also equipped with a first check valve 108, a ball valve 101, a filter 102, and a shut-off valve 103. Specifically, the output end of the liquid pump 4 is connected to the first check valve 108, which is connected to the ball valve 101. The ball valve 101 is connected to the input end of the filter 102, and the output end of the filter 102 is connected to the shut-off valve 103. A ball valve 101 is also connected between the output end of the filter 102 and the bypass port of the compressor 6. A refrigerant pump bypass valve 105 is also connected between the output end of the filter 102 and the liquid storage tank 5.

[0066] A first check valve 108 and a ball valve 101 are provided between the output end of the compressor 6 and the secondary side of the water-fluorine heat exchanger 1. The output end of the compressor 6 is connected to the first check valve 108, the first check valve 108 is connected to the ball valve 101, and the ball valve 101 is connected to the secondary side of the water-fluorine heat exchanger 1. A thermal bypass electronic expansion valve 104 is also connected between the outlet of the first check valve 108 and the input end of the compressor 6.

[0067] A filter 102, a ball valve 101, and a shut-off valve 103 are provided between the input end of the compressor 6 and the refrigeration terminal 8. The output end of the filter 102 is connected to the input end of the compressor 6, the input end of the filter 102 is connected to the shut-off valve 103, the shut-off valve 103 is connected to the ball valve 101, and the ball valve 101 is connected to the refrigeration terminal 8. A second check valve 109 is connected between the input end of the filter 102 and the output end of the first check valve 108 located between the output end of the compressor 6 and the secondary side of the water-fluorine heat exchanger 1.

[0068] Among them, the thermal bypass electronic expansion valve 104 and the refrigerant pump bypass valve 105 are used to open when the ambient temperature is low enough and the compressor 6 and the liquid pump 4 do not need to work; each of the above ball valves 101 can be either a manual valve or an electronic valve, and each ball valve 101 is used to adjust the opening of its respective pipeline; each of the above filters 102 is used to filter the working fluid; each shut-off valve 103 is used to open or close its respective pipeline; each of the first check valves 108 is used to prevent the working fluid from flowing back in the direction of delivery in its respective pipeline; and the second check valve 109 is used to bypass the compressor 6 when it is under low load.

[0069] The cooling system also includes a cooling pipe 106 and a cooling solenoid valve 107 disposed on the cooling pipe 106. The cooling solenoid valve 107 is used to open or close the cooling pipe 106. The two ends of the cooling pipe 106 can be directly or indirectly connected to the output end of the liquid pump 4 and the input end of the compressor 6, respectively. It should be noted that the maximum flow rate of the cooling solenoid valve 107 is very small. When it is open, it can be used to provide some cooling to the air pump.

[0070] Example 2

[0071] Embodiment 2 of this disclosure provides a cooling system that, based on the cooling system disclosed in Embodiment 1, further includes a circulating pump 300 and a heat recovery unit 400.

[0072] Please refer to Figure 6 and Figure 7 The circulating pump 300, the heat recovery unit 400, and the primary side constitute a heat recovery circulation loop. Specifically, the two ends of the primary side are connected to the input ends of the heat recovery unit 400 and the circulating pump 300, respectively, and the output end of the circulating pump 300 is connected to the heat recovery unit 400. The heat recovery unit 400 is used to provide heat to the heat-using unit, which can be equipment or a user.

[0073] By installing the heat recovery unit 400, heat can be recovered and reused, effectively reducing energy waste. Furthermore, it can work in conjunction with the cooling tower 3 to enhance the heat exchange capacity of each water-fluorine heat exchanger 1. Specifically, the heat pump unit can provide hot water at a temperature of 50~90℃ for use by the data center itself and external heat users.

[0074] The heat recovery unit 400 may include a heater and a water storage tank. The heater is used to heat the circulating water, and the water storage tank is used to store hot water.

[0075] Example 3

[0076] Embodiment 3 of this disclosure provides a data center. This data center includes the cooling systems described in Embodiments 1 and 2 above, and also includes multiple IT devices that can be cooled by the cooling system. This data center can be applied to fields such as cloud computing, cloud storage, big data computing, deep learning, and image processing.

[0077] The specific embodiments described above do not constitute a limitation on the scope of protection of this disclosure. Those skilled in the art should understand that various modifications, combinations, sub-combinations, and substitutions can be made according to design requirements and other factors. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, and improvements made within the spirit and principles of this disclosure should be included within the scope of protection of this disclosure.

Claims

1. A cooling system, characterized in that, include: The heat exchange and distribution module (100), the indoor module (200), and the cooling tower (3) are provided. The heat exchange and distribution module (100) includes: A water-fluorine heat exchanger (1) having a primary side and a secondary side; The water pump (2) has two ends connected to the cooling tower (3) and the output end of the water pump (2) respectively, and the input end of the water pump (2) is connected to the cooling tower (3). The cooling tower (3) is used to cool the cooling water. The liquid storage tank (5), the liquid pump (4), and the compressor (6) are provided. The liquid storage tank (5) is used to store fluorine-containing working fluid. The two ends of the secondary side are respectively connected to the output ends of the liquid storage tank (5) and the compressor (6). The liquid storage tank (5) is connected to the input end of the liquid pump (4). The indoor module (200) includes: An expansion valve (7) is connected to the output end of the liquid pump (4); The refrigeration terminal (8) is connected to the input terminals of the expansion valve (7) and the compressor (6), respectively. The refrigeration terminal (8) is used to provide cooling capacity to the components to be cooled. The cooling system includes M indoor modules (200) and N heat exchange and distribution modules (100), where M is not less than N, and both M and N are positive integers; Each of the heat exchange and distribution modules (100) is connected to at least one of the indoor modules (200); The compressor (6) is an oil-free compressor; Driven by the liquid pump (4) and the compressor (6), the fluorinated working fluid circulates on the secondary side.

2. The cooling system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The cooling system also includes a circulating pump (300) and a heat recovery unit (400). The two ends of the primary side are respectively connected to the input ends of the heat recovery unit (400) and the circulating pump (300). The output end of the circulating pump (300) is connected to the heat recovery unit (400). The heat recovery unit (400) is used to provide heat energy to the heat-using unit.

3. The cooling system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The cooling system includes X cooling towers (3), where X is a positive integer; each cooling tower (3) is connected to each heat exchange and distribution module (100).

4. The cooling system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The water-fluorine heat exchanger (1) is any one of shell-and-tube water-fluorine heat exchanger, plate heat exchanger water-fluorine heat exchanger and dry water-fluorine heat exchanger.

5. The cooling system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The liquid pump (4) is a fluorine pump.

6. The cooling system according to any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that, The cooling terminal (8) is any one of the following: in-row air conditioner (81), air wall (82), room air conditioner (83), and back panel (84).

7. The cooling system according to any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that, The cooling terminal (8) includes: The cabinet (85) is provided with an inlet manifold (87) and an outlet manifold (88), which are respectively used to connect the expansion valve (7) and the compressor (6). At least one cold plate (86) is disposed in the cabinet (85). The cold plate (86) is provided with a cooling channel, which is connected to the liquid inlet manifold (87) and the liquid outlet manifold (88) respectively. The cold plate (86) is used to contact the component to be cooled.

8. A data center, characterized in that, Includes the cooling system described in any one of claims 1-7.

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