Flow control system and water cooling machine

Abstract

The invention provides a flow control system and a water cooler, and relates to the technical field of water coolers, the flow control system comprises N valves, N flow meters, a valve control module and a control module, the N flow meters detect the flow flowing through each second pipeline and send the flow flowing through each second pipeline to the control module, and the valve control module controls the N flow meters to control the valve control module. And then the control module controls the opening degree of each valve through the valve control module based on the flow of the cooling liquid of each second pipeline, so that the flow flowing through each second pipeline is controlled. Thus, the control module controls the valve control module to change the opening degree of each valve, the control module controls the flow of the cooling liquid of the N second pipelines through one water cooling machine, even if the number of the water cooling machines is not increased, the flow of the cooling liquid of the multiple channels can be controlled, and the economical efficiency is good.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to the technical field of water coolers, and in particular to a flow control system and a water cooler. Background Art

[0002] A water cooler, also known as a chiller, is a cooling water device that can provide constant temperature, constant flow, and constant pressure. In some fields, such as the field of new energy battery cell testing, water coolers are mainly used in the thermal management system of battery packs to improve the temperature uniformity and charge and discharge performance of the battery by controlling the temperature of the battery cells. The prior art uses a water cooler to communicate with a control module, and the water cooler feeds back the flow of the coolant in the pipeline to the control module, so that the control module sends a flow adjustment command to the water cooler based on the flow of the coolant in the pipeline. When the water cooler receives the flow adjustment command sent by the control module, it begins to adjust the flow of the coolant in the pipeline. However, this mode is only suitable for the control of the flow of the coolant in a single channel. For multiple channels, multiple water coolers are required to control the flow of the coolant in multiple channels one by one, which is very costly. Summary of the invention

[0003] The object of the present invention is to provide a flow control system and a water cooler, which can control the flow of coolant in N second pipes by using one water cooler through a control module. Even without increasing the number of water coolers, the flow of coolant in multiple channels can be controlled separately, which is economical.

[0004] In order to solve the above technical problems, the present invention provides a flow control system, comprising:

[0005] N valves, wherein input ends of the N valves are connected to a first port of a water cooler through a first pipeline, and output ends of the N valves are connected to a second port of the water cooler through a second pipeline;

[0006] N flow meters, each of which has a detection end connected to a corresponding second pipe and is used to detect the flow rate of the coolant in the corresponding second pipe, and the second pipe is used to cool the corresponding product to be cooled by using the coolant flowing through the second pipe;

[0007] A valve control module, the output end of which is respectively connected to the control ends of the N valves;

[0008] The control module is respectively connected to the output ends of the N flow meters and the input end of the valve control module, and is used to control the opening of each valve based on the flow rate of the coolant in each of the second pipelines and through the valve control module.

[0009] Optionally, also include:

[0010] N temperature collection modules, corresponding one to one with the N products to be cooled, and used to collect the temperature of each product to be cooled;

[0011] The control module is specifically used to determine the set flow rate of the second pipeline based on the temperature of each of the products to be cooled, and to control the opening of each of the valves through the valve control module based on the flow rate and set flow rate of the coolant in each of the second pipelines.

[0012] Optionally, also include:

[0013] A serial port module, wherein the input end of the serial port module is connected to the N flow meters one by one, and the output end is connected to the control module, and is used to send the flow rate of the coolant in the second pipeline collected by each flow meter to the control module.

[0014] Optionally, also include:

[0015] A conversion valve, wherein an input port of the conversion valve is connected to the first port of the water chiller, and N sub-output ports are respectively connected to the N first pipelines in a one-to-one correspondence.

[0016] Optionally, also include:

[0017] A third pipeline, wherein the input end of the third pipeline is connected to the bypass port of the conversion valve, and the output end is connected to the third port of the water cooler, and is used for returning the excess flow of coolant to the water cooler through the third pipeline when the total flow of the coolant flowing through all the second pipelines is less than the flow of the coolant output by the water cooler.

[0018] Optionally, the valve is a solenoid valve;

[0019] Correspondingly, the valve control module is a programmable power supply, which is used to output a corresponding voltage to the corresponding solenoid valve based on the control of the control module to control the opening of the solenoid valve.

[0020] Optionally, the control module includes:

[0021] A host computer, connected to the output ends of the N flow meters and the input end of the valve control module, respectively, for sending the flow of the coolant in the second pipeline collected by each of the flow meters to the water cooling control module, and controlling the opening of each of the valves through the valve control module based on the valve control signal sent by the water cooling control module;

[0022] The water cooling control module is used to generate the corresponding valve control signal based on the flow rate of the coolant in the second pipeline collected by each flow meter and the set flow rate of each second pipeline, and send the valve control signal to the host computer.

[0023] Optionally, the number of the host computers is M, where M is an integer not less than 2;

[0024] The N valves are divided into M groups corresponding to the M host computers one by one;

[0025] Each of the host computers is specifically used to send the flow rate of the coolant in the second pipeline collected by each of the flow meters in its corresponding group to the water cooling control module, and control the opening of each of the valves in its corresponding group through the valve control module based on the valve control signal sent by the water cooling control module.

[0026] Optionally, also include:

[0027] Alarm module;

[0028] The water cooling control module is also used to receive the life frame signal sent by the host computer, and determine whether the time between each two adjacent life frame signals received meets the preset period. If so, it is determined that the communication between the water cooling control module and the host computer is normal; otherwise, the alarm module is controlled to sound an alarm.

[0029] In order to solve the above technical problems, the present invention further provides a cooling device, including a water cooler and a flow control system as described above, wherein the flow control system is connected to the water cooler.

[0030] The present invention provides a flow control system and a water cooler, wherein the flow control system includes N valves, N flow meters, a valve control module and a control module, wherein the N flow meters detect the flow through each second pipeline and send the flow through each second pipeline to the control module, and then the control module controls the opening of each valve based on the flow of the coolant in each second pipeline through the valve control module to control the flow through each second pipeline. It can be seen that the present invention controls the valve control module through the control module to change the opening of each valve, and realizes that the control module uses one water cooler to control the flow of the coolant in N second pipelines. Even if the number of water coolers is not increased, the flow of the coolant in multiple channels can be controlled separately, which is economical. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0031] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention, the prior art and the drawings required for use in the embodiments are briefly introduced below. 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.

[0032] Figure 1 A schematic structural diagram of a flow control system provided by the present invention;

[0033] Figure 2 A schematic structural diagram of a specific flow control system provided by the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0034] The core of the present invention is to provide a flow control system and a water cooler, which can control the flow of coolant in N second pipes using one water cooler through a control module. Even without increasing the number of water coolers, the flow of coolant in multiple channels can be controlled separately, which is economical.

[0035] In order to make the purpose, technical solution and advantages of the embodiments of the present invention clearer, the technical solution in the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0036] At present, the water cooler is used to communicate with the control module. The water cooler feeds back the flow rate of the coolant in the pipeline to the control module, so that the control module can send a flow adjustment command to the water cooler based on the flow rate of the coolant in the pipeline. When the water cooler receives the flow adjustment command sent by the control module, it starts to adjust the flow rate of the coolant in the pipeline. However, this mode is only suitable for controlling the flow rate of the coolant in a single channel. For multiple channels, multiple water coolers are required to control the flow rate of the coolant in multiple channels one by one, which is very costly.

[0037] In order to solve the above technical problems, the present invention provides a flow control system.

[0038] Specifically, see Figure 1 As shown, Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure of a flow control system provided by the present invention, Figure 1 In the example, N valves include 6 valves, and correspondingly, there are 6 flow meters.

[0039] The flow control system includes:

[0040] N valves 1, the input ends of the N valves 1 are connected to the first port of the water cooler 2 through the first pipeline, and the output ends are connected to the second port of the water cooler 2 through the second pipeline;

[0041] N flow meters 3, the detection end of each flow meter 3 is connected to its corresponding second pipeline, and is used to detect the flow rate of the coolant in the corresponding second pipeline, and the second pipeline is used to cool the corresponding product 4 to be cooled by the coolant flowing through the second pipeline;

[0042] The valve control module 5, the output end of which is respectively connected to the control ends of the N valves 1;

[0043] The control module 6 is connected to the output ends of the N flow meters 3 and the input end of the valve control module 5 respectively, and is used to control the opening of each valve 1 through the valve control module 5 based on the flow rate of the coolant in each second pipeline.

[0044] The flow control system includes N valves 1, N flow meters 3, a first pipeline, a second pipeline, a valve control module 5 and a control module 6. In addition, the water chiller 2 is responsible for providing coolant for all products to be cooled 4. The water chiller 2 does not need to perform flow control, and the flow of coolant provided by the water chiller 2 is not less than the total flow of coolant required by all products to be cooled 4. The coolant provided by the water chiller 2 flows through all products to be cooled 4 through the first pipeline, cools all products to be cooled 4, and ensures that all products to be cooled 4 operate at a suitable temperature.

[0045] It should be noted that the selection of flow meter 3 should be based on the pipe diameter and whether the flow rate is within the upper and lower limits of the measuring range, otherwise the flow value obtained is not the true value, which will affect the result judgment.

[0046] Specifically, the coolant flows to the corresponding product 4 to be cooled through each first pipeline, each valve 1 and each flow meter 3 in sequence, and flows back to the water chiller 2 after cooling each product 4 to be cooled. The valve control module 5 can adjust the flow to each product 4 to be cooled by the opening of N valves 1. The flow to each product 4 to be cooled is the flow of the coolant in the corresponding second pipeline. The N flow meters 3 detect the flow of the coolant in the corresponding second pipeline in real time, and send the detected flow of the coolant in each second pipeline to the control module 6, so that the control module 6 compares the flow of the coolant in each second pipeline with the set flow of each product 4 to be cooled. Based on the comparison result, the opening of each valve 1 is controlled separately through the valve control module 5 to adjust the flow to each product 4 to be cooled. In addition, the flow control system has an adjustment accuracy of 0.001L / min for the flow of the coolant, which is far beyond the expected accuracy of 0.1L / min.

[0047] For example, six valves 1 correspond to six products 4 to be cooled, and the six products 4 to be cooled are respectively a first product to be cooled, a second product to be cooled, a third product to be cooled, a fourth product to be cooled, a fifth product to be cooled, and a sixth product to be cooled. When the flow of the coolant flowing through the first product to be cooled is insufficient, the flowmeter 3 corresponding to the first product to be cooled sends the current flow of the coolant of the first product to be cooled to the control module 6, and the control module 6 compares the current flow of the coolant of the first product to be cooled with the set flow of the coolant of the first product to be cooled. The current flow of the coolant of the first product to be cooled is less than the set flow of the coolant of the first product to be cooled. The control module 6 adjusts the valve control module 5 based on the comparison result that the current flow of the coolant of the first product to be cooled is less than the set flow of the coolant of the first product to be cooled, so that the valve control module 5 controls the opening of the valve 1 corresponding to the first product to be cooled to increase the first preset opening every unit time until the current flow of the coolant of the first product to be cooled is not less than the set flow of the coolant of the first product to be cooled. At the same time, because the flow of the coolant of the first product to be cooled will also be affected when the flow of the coolant of the first product to be cooled is adjusted, the flow of the other five products to be cooled 4 will also be adjusted in real time according to the current flow of their own coolant. On the contrary, when the flow of the coolant flowing through the first product to be cooled is too much, the flowmeter 3 corresponding to the first product to be cooled sends the current flow of the coolant of the first product to be cooled to the control module 6, and the control module 6 compares the current flow of the coolant of the first product to be cooled with the set flow of the coolant of the first product to be cooled. The current flow of the coolant of the first product to be cooled is greater than the set flow of the coolant of the first product to be cooled. The control module 6 adjusts the valve control module 5 based on the comparison result that the current flow of the coolant of the first product to be cooled is greater than the set flow of the coolant of the first product to be cooled, so that the valve control module 5 controls the opening of the valve 1 corresponding to the first product to be cooled to reduce the second preset opening every unit time until the current flow of the coolant of the first product to be cooled is not greater than the set flow of the coolant of the first product to be cooled. At the same time, because the flow of the coolant of the first product to be cooled will also be affected when the flow of the coolant of the first product to be cooled is adjusted, the flow of the other five products to be cooled 4 will also be adjusted in real time according to the current flow of their own coolant.

[0048] It can be seen that the present invention controls the valve control module 5 through the control module 6 to change the opening of each valve 1, so that the control module uses one water cooler 2 to control the flow rate of the coolant in N second pipes. Even if the number of water coolers 2 is not increased, the flow rate of the coolant in multiple channels can be controlled separately, which is economical.

[0049] Based on the above embodiments:

[0050] Please refer to Figure 2As shown, Figure 2 A schematic structural diagram of a specific flow control system provided by the present invention.

[0051] As an optional embodiment, it also includes:

[0052] N temperature acquisition modules, corresponding one to one with the N products 4 to be cooled, and used to acquire the temperature of each product 4 to be cooled;

[0053] The control module 6 is specifically used to determine the set flow rate of the second pipeline based on the temperature of each product 4 to be cooled, and to control the opening of each valve 1 through the valve control module 5 based on the flow rate and set flow rate of the coolant in each second pipeline.

[0054] In this embodiment, the temperature of the corresponding product 4 to be cooled can be collected in real time through N temperature collection modules, and the current set flow of the corresponding second pipeline can be determined based on the collected temperature of the product 4 to be cooled, so that the control module 6 can control the opening of each valve 1 through the valve control module 5 based on the flow rate and set flow rate of the coolant in each second pipeline.

[0055] Specifically, if the collected temperature of the product 4 to be cooled is high, it is necessary to set a larger set flow rate for the second pipeline corresponding to the product 4 to be cooled with a higher temperature, so as to provide more coolant for the product 4 to be cooled with a higher temperature, so that the temperature of the product 4 to be cooled with a higher temperature can be quickly restored to the corresponding normal working temperature range; if the collected temperature of the product 4 to be cooled is low, it is necessary to set a smaller set flow rate for the second pipeline corresponding to the product 4 to be cooled with a lower temperature, reduce the coolant of the product 4 to be cooled with a lower temperature, so that the temperature of the product 4 to be cooled with a lower temperature can be quickly restored to the corresponding normal working temperature range.

[0056] It can be seen that the temperatures of the corresponding products 4 to be cooled are collected in real time through N temperature collection modules, and the set flow rates of each product 4 to be cooled at different temperatures are determined based on the collected temperatures of the products 4 to be cooled. The openings of each valve 1 are controlled separately through the valve control module 5 based on the flow rate and set flow rate of the coolant in each second pipeline, to ensure that the temperature of the products 4 to be cooled can be quickly restored to the corresponding normal working temperature range, thereby improving the efficiency of flow control.

[0057] As an optional embodiment, it also includes:

[0058] The serial port module has input ends connected to the N flow meters 3 one by one, and an output end connected to the control module 6, for sending the flow of the coolant in the second pipeline collected by each flow meter 3 to the control module 6.

[0059] In the present embodiment, considering that if N flow meters 3 are respectively connected to the communication ports of the control module 6 in one-to-one correspondence, a relatively large number of communication ports of the control module 6 are required, and the requirements for the communication port resources of the control module 6 are relatively high, therefore, by using a serial port module, the output ends of the flow meters 3 can be integrated in parallel in one serial port module to communicate with the control module 6, thereby reducing the communication ports of the control module 6 and reducing the occupation of system resources.

[0060] It can be seen that the output ends of the flow meters 3 are integrated in parallel in a serial port module to communicate with the control module 6, which reduces the requirements for the communication port of the control module 6 and improves resource utilization.

[0061] As an optional embodiment, it also includes:

[0062] A conversion valve, the input port of the conversion valve is connected to the first port of the water chiller 2, and the N sub-output ports are connected to the N first pipelines in a one-to-one correspondence.

[0063] By connecting the N first pipes to the N sub-output ports of the conversion valve in a one-to-one correspondence, and connecting the input port of the conversion valve to the first port of the water cooler 2, only one port of the water cooler 2 is occupied, thus saving the port resources of the water cooler 2.

[0064] It can be seen that by connecting the N sub-output ports of the conversion valve to the N first pipelines in a one-to-one correspondence, the resource utilization rate of the system can be significantly improved.

[0065] As an optional embodiment, it also includes:

[0066] A third pipeline, the input end of the third pipeline is connected to the bypass port of the conversion valve, and the output end is connected to the third port of the water cooler 2, and is used for returning the excess flow of coolant to the water cooler 2 through the third pipeline when the total flow of the coolant flowing through all the second pipelines is less than the flow of the coolant output by the water cooler 2.

[0067] In this embodiment, in order to prevent the total flow of the coolant flowing through all the second pipes from being too small to cause pipe blockage, a third pipe is provided in this embodiment, the input end of the third pipe is connected to the bypass port of the conversion valve, and the output end is connected to the third port of the water cooler 2. When the total flow of the coolant flowing through all the second pipes is less than the flow of the coolant output by the water cooler 2, the excess flow of the coolant flows back to the water cooler 2 through the third pipe, ensuring that the excess coolant can flow back to the water cooler 2 from the third pipe to avoid pipe blockage. Among them, the third port of the water cooler 2 and the second port of the water cooler 2 can be the same port.

[0068] It can be seen that when the total flow rate of coolant flowing through all the second pipes is less than the flow rate of coolant output by the water cooler 2, the third pipe can return the excess flow of coolant to the water cooler 2 through the third pipe, thereby avoiding pipe blockage and helping to improve the safety of the system.

[0069] As an optional embodiment, the valve 1 is a solenoid valve;

[0070] Correspondingly, the valve control module 5 is a program-controlled power supply, which is used to output a corresponding voltage to the corresponding solenoid valve based on the control of the control module 6 to control the opening of the solenoid valve.

[0071] The valve 1 used in this embodiment is a solenoid valve, which can achieve rapid adjustment. This rapid response characteristic helps to improve the response speed and overall energy efficiency of the system, and the solenoid valve has a relatively simple structure, is easy to install, and has low maintenance costs. Correspondingly, the valve control module 5 is a programmable power supply, which outputs a corresponding voltage to the corresponding solenoid valve based on the control of the control module 6 to achieve linear control of the opening of the solenoid valve, thereby improving the control stability of the entire system. Among them, the linear control of the opening of the solenoid valve by the programmable power supply is a positively correlated linear control.

[0072] Specifically, if the difference between the flow rate of the coolant in the second pipeline and its own target flow rate is greater than the first preset flow threshold of the second pipeline itself, the voltage output by the control valve control module is reduced by a first preset voltage within a first preset time period to a point where the difference between the flow rate of the coolant in the second pipeline and its own target flow rate is not greater than its own first preset flow threshold, wherein the first preset flow threshold is a positive value; if the difference between the flow rate of the coolant in the second pipeline and its own target flow rate is less than the second preset flow threshold of the second pipeline itself, the voltage output by the control valve control module is increased by a second preset voltage within a second preset time period to a point where the difference between the flow rate of the coolant in the second pipeline and its own target flow rate is not less than its own second preset flow threshold, wherein the second preset flow threshold is a negative value.

[0073] It can be seen that this embodiment uses the voltage output by the programmable power supply to linearly control the opening of the solenoid valve, thereby achieving the purpose of controlling the flow rate of the coolant flowing through each second pipe, and improving the stability of the flow control system in controlling the flow rate of the coolant in each second pipe.

[0074] As an optional embodiment, the control module 6 includes:

[0075] The upper computer is connected to the output ends of the N flow meters 3 and the input end of the valve control module 5, respectively, and is used to send the flow rate of the coolant in the second pipeline collected by each flow meter 3 to the water cooling control module, and control the opening of each valve 1 through the valve control module 5 based on the valve control signal sent by the water cooling control module;

[0076] The water cooling control module is used to generate corresponding valve control signals based on the flow rates of the coolant in the second pipelines collected by each flow meter 3 and the set flow rates of each second pipeline, and send the valve control signals to the host computer.

[0077] In this embodiment, the control module 6 uses a host computer and a water cooling control module, and uses the host computer to replace the multi-channel water cooling machine 2, and communicates with the water cooling control module to adjust the flow of each second pipeline, wherein the communication between the host computer and the water cooling control module can adopt the CAN (Controller Area Network) communication mode. Specifically, each flow meter 3 sends the collected flow of the coolant in the second pipeline to the host computer, and the host computer sends the flow of the coolant in the second pipeline collected by each flow meter 3 to the water cooling control module. The water cooling control module compares the flow of the coolant in each second pipeline with the set flow of each product to be cooled 4, and sends a flow adjustment command to the host computer based on the comparison result. The host computer controls the opening of each valve 1 through the valve control module 5 based on the flow adjustment command to adjust the flow to each product to be cooled 4. Among them, the control of the flow of each product to be cooled 4 is independent, that is, the flow adjustment commands of each product to be cooled 4 are irrelevant. When the flow adjustment command corresponding to each product to be cooled 4 is received, the flow corresponding to each product to be cooled 4 will begin to be adjusted.

[0078] It can be seen that the control module 6 adopts a host computer and a water cooling control module. The host computer is used to replace the multi-channel water cooler 2 to communicate with the water cooling control module to adjust the flow of each second pipeline, so that the control module uses one water cooler 2 to control the flow of the coolant in N second pipelines. Even if the number of water coolers 2 is not increased, the flow of the coolant in multiple channels can be controlled separately, which is economical.

[0079] As an optional embodiment, the number of host computers is M, where M is an integer not less than 2;

[0080] The N valves 1 are divided into M groups corresponding to the M host computers one by one;

[0081] Each host computer is specifically used to send the flow rate of the coolant in the second pipeline collected by each flow meter 3 in its corresponding group to the water cooling control module, and control the opening of each valve 1 in its corresponding group through the valve control module 5 based on the valve control signal sent by the water cooling control module.

[0082] If the flow control system is equipped with one host computer, when one host computer crashes, the entire flow control system stops running, and the flow of the coolant of all the products to be cooled 4 cannot be adjusted, and all the products to be cooled 4 cannot work within the normal operating temperature range. Therefore, the number of host computers set in this embodiment is M, and accordingly, the N valves 1 are divided into M groups corresponding to the M host computers. In addition, each host computer can control the coolant flow of different numbers of second pipelines respectively, and can also control the coolant flow of the same number of second pipelines respectively. Specifically, the M host computers are specifically used to send the flow rate of the coolant in the second pipeline collected by each flow meter 3 in their corresponding group to the water cooling control module, and control the opening of each valve 1 in their corresponding group through the valve control module 5 based on the valve control signal sent by the water cooling control module. When one host computer crashes or other faults occur, the other host computers can still send the flow rate of the coolant in the second pipeline collected by each flow meter 3 in their respective groups to the water cooling control module, and control the opening of each valve 1 in their corresponding group through the valve control module 5 based on the valve control signal sent by the water cooling control module.

[0083] It can be seen that by using no less than two host computers, if one host computer fails, the other host computers that have not failed can still continue to work, and the flow rate of the coolant in the second pipeline collected by each flow meter 3 in each group is sent to the water cooling control module. Based on the valve control signal sent by the water cooling control module, the opening of each valve 1 in its corresponding group is controlled separately through the valve control module 5, thereby enhancing the reliability of the system.

[0084] As an optional embodiment, it also includes:

[0085] Alarm module;

[0086] The water cooling control module is also used to receive the life frame signal sent by the host computer and determine whether the time between each two adjacent life frame signals received meets the preset period. If so, it is determined that the communication between the water cooling control module and the host computer is normal. Otherwise, the control alarm module issues an alarm.

[0087] The alarm module plays a vital role in the flow control system. It can issue an alarm in time when an abnormal situation occurs, so as to make corresponding treatment and prevent equipment damage or safety accidents. When the host computer communicates with the water cooling control module, it will send a life frame signal to the water cooling control module in real time to monitor whether the communication between the host computer and the water cooling control module is normal. When the time between each two adjacent life frame signals received by the water cooling control module meets the preset cycle, it is determined that the communication between the water cooling control module and the host computer is normal; when the time between each two adjacent life frame signals received by the water cooling control module does not meet the preset cycle, it indicates that the communication between the water cooling control module and the host computer is abnormal, and the control alarm module issues an alarm.

[0088] It can be seen that the host computer sends life frame signals to the water cooling control module in real time when communicating with the water cooling control module, and always monitors whether the communication between the host computer and the water cooling control module is normal. If it is abnormal, the control alarm module will sound an alarm, thereby improving the overall safety and reliability of the system.

[0089] In order to solve the above technical problems, the present invention further provides a cooling device, including a water cooler and a flow control system as described above, wherein the flow control system is connected to the water cooler.

[0090] It should be noted that the relationship between the water chiller and the product to be cooled is mainly reflected in that the water chiller cools the product to be cooled by providing coolant, thereby maintaining the normal operation and performance of the product to be cooled. The water chiller cools the coolant to a specific temperature through a refrigeration system, and then transports the cooled coolant to each product to be cooled. The coolant exchanges heat with the product to be cooled to achieve the purpose of cooling each product to be cooled. The working process of the water chiller involves multiple steps, including: the refrigerant absorbs heat in the evaporator of the water chiller, cooling the water to produce coolant; the coolant is transported to the product to be cooled through a first pipeline; the product to be cooled transfers heat to the coolant by exchanging heat with the coolant, thereby achieving a cooling effect.

[0091] In addition, the invention provides a cooling device, please refer to the embodiment of the flow control system, the invention will not repeat it here. The flow control system and the water chiller work together to ensure the normal operation and high efficiency of the cooling device.

[0092] It can be seen that the cooling equipment provided in this embodiment can change the opening of each valve by controlling the valve control module through the control module, so that the control module uses one water cooler to control the flow rate of the coolant in N second pipes. Even if the number of water coolers is not increased, the flow rate of the coolant in multiple channels can be controlled separately, which is economical.

[0093] In this specification, each embodiment is described in a progressive manner, and each embodiment focuses on the differences from other embodiments. The same or similar parts between the embodiments can be referred to each other. For the device disclosed in the embodiment, since it corresponds to the method disclosed in the embodiment, the description is relatively simple, and the relevant parts can be referred to the method part.

[0094] Professionals may further appreciate that the units and algorithm steps of each example described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented in electronic hardware, computer software, or a combination of the two. In order to clearly illustrate the interchangeability of hardware and software, the composition and steps of each example have been generally described in the above description according to function. Whether these functions are performed in hardware or software depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Professionals and technicians may use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered to be beyond the scope of the present invention.

[0095] The above description of the disclosed embodiments enables those skilled in the art to implement or use the present invention. Various modifications to these embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be implemented in other embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the present invention. Therefore, the present invention will not be limited to the embodiments shown herein, but rather to the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.

Claims

1. A flow control system, characterized in that: include: N valves, wherein input ends of the N valves are connected to a first port of a water cooler through a first pipeline, and output ends of the N valves are connected to a second port of the water cooler through a second pipeline; N flow meters, each of which has a detection end connected to a corresponding second pipe and is used to detect the flow rate of the coolant in the corresponding second pipe, and the second pipe is used to cool the corresponding product to be cooled by using the coolant flowing through the second pipe; A valve control module, the output end of which is respectively connected to the control ends of the N valves; The control module is respectively connected to the output ends of the N flow meters and the input end of the valve control module, and is used to control the opening of each valve based on the flow rate of the coolant in each of the second pipelines and through the valve control module.

2. The flow control system according to claim 1, characterized in that: Also includes: N temperature collection modules, corresponding one to one with the N products to be cooled, and used to collect the temperature of each product to be cooled; The control module is specifically used to determine the set flow rate of the second pipeline based on the temperature of each of the products to be cooled, and to control the opening of each of the valves through the valve control module based on the flow rate and set flow rate of the coolant in each of the second pipelines.

3. The flow control system according to claim 1, characterized in that: Also includes: A serial port module, wherein the input end of the serial port module is connected to the N flow meters one by one, and the output end is connected to the control module, and is used to send the flow rate of the coolant in the second pipeline collected by each flow meter to the control module.

4. The flow control system according to claim 1, characterized in that: Also includes: A conversion valve, wherein an input port of the conversion valve is connected to the first port of the water chiller, and N sub-output ports are respectively connected to the N first pipelines in a one-to-one correspondence.

5. The flow control system according to claim 4, characterized in that: Also includes: A third pipeline, wherein the input end of the third pipeline is connected to the bypass port of the conversion valve, and the output end is connected to the third port of the water cooler, and is used for returning the excess flow of coolant to the water cooler through the third pipeline when the total flow of the coolant flowing through all the second pipelines is less than the flow of the coolant output by the water cooler.

6. The flow control system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The valve is a solenoid valve; Correspondingly, the valve control module is a programmable power supply, which is used to output a corresponding voltage to the corresponding solenoid valve based on the control of the control module to control the opening of the solenoid valve.

7. The flow control system according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: The control module comprises: A host computer, connected to the output ends of the N flow meters and the input end of the valve control module, respectively, for sending the flow of the coolant in the second pipeline collected by each of the flow meters to the water cooling control module, and controlling the opening of each of the valves through the valve control module based on the valve control signal sent by the water cooling control module; The water cooling control module is used to generate the corresponding valve control signal based on the flow rate of the coolant in the second pipeline collected by each flow meter and the set flow rate of each second pipeline, and send the valve control signal to the host computer.

8. The flow control system according to claim 7, characterized in that: The number of the host computers is M, where M is an integer not less than 2; The N valves are divided into M groups corresponding to the M host computers one by one; Each of the host computers is specifically used to send the flow rate of the coolant in the second pipeline collected by each of the flow meters in its corresponding group to the water cooling control module, and control the opening of each of the valves in its corresponding group through the valve control module based on the valve control signal sent by the water cooling control module.

9. The flow control system according to claim 7, characterized in that: Also includes: Alarm module; The water cooling control module is also used to receive the life frame signal sent by the host computer, and determine whether the time between each two adjacent life frame signals received meets the preset period. If so, it is determined that the communication between the water cooling control module and the host computer is normal; otherwise, the alarm module is controlled to sound an alarm.

10. A cooling device, characterized in that: It comprises a water cooler and also comprises a flow control system as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the flow control system is connected to the water cooler.

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