Method and system for evaluating cooling scheme for data center

Abstract

The invention discloses an economic evaluation system and method of a refrigeration scheme for a data center, and the method comprises the steps: obtaining historical meteorological data in a period, and analyzing the distribution of meteorological parameters in the period according to the meteorological data; wherein the meteorological parameter distribution is a meteorological parameter mean value corresponding to each time period in a period; constructing a data center model and refrigeration models, configuring refrigeration equipment of a corresponding scale for the refrigeration models according to the data center model, and configuring specific meteorological parameters for each refrigeration model as operating conditions; the operation conditions of various refrigeration models in one cycle are simulated according to the meteorological parameter distribution, the various refrigeration models execute corresponding operation conditions according to the meteorological parameters corresponding to all time periods, and benefit evaluation is conducted by combining the construction scale and the operation conditions of all the refrigeration models; according to the method, the influence of external causes such as environment on the cost can be fully considered, and the evaluation of the operation cost is more accurate.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of data center refrigeration evaluation, and more particularly to an evaluation method and system for a cooling solution for a data center. Background Art

[0002] Benefit evaluation is an important part of the feasibility study of construction projects. It is a comprehensive analysis of the technical and economic plans of construction projects. Before the construction of a data center project, various technical plans should be demonstrated in advance, and the plan with better benefits should be selected based on the demonstration results and data.

[0003] In the benefit evaluation, the evaluation of the cooling scheme is particularly important. The traditional evaluation method fails to fully take environmental factors into consideration. The data center project is a long-term operation project with a life cycle of more than 10 years. For such a long life cycle, it is difficult to combine environmental factors to achieve accurate benefit evaluation. At the same time, when conducting benefit evaluation, the service life of the data center has also become an influencing factor that cannot be ignored. With the annual investment in the construction of data center refrigeration equipment, the time cost itself will also increase. Therefore, for refrigeration equipment with a large construction scale cost, greater operating income is needed to make up for the loss of equipment life.

[0004] Therefore, how to accurately evaluate the benefits of a data center over its entire life cycle is an issue that technical personnel in this field urgently need to solve. Summary of the invention

[0005] In view of this, the present invention provides a method and system for evaluating cooling solutions for data centers, which can fully consider the impact of external factors such as the environment on costs during the evaluation process, and the evaluation of operating costs is more accurate.

[0006] In order to achieve the above object, the present invention adopts the following technical solution:

[0007] A method for evaluating a cooling solution for a data center includes the following steps:

[0008] The historical meteorological data within a cycle is obtained, and the distribution of meteorological parameters within the cycle is analyzed based on the meteorological data; wherein the distribution of meteorological parameters is the mean value of meteorological parameters corresponding to each time period within a cycle.

[0009] A data center model and a refrigeration model are constructed, refrigeration equipment of corresponding scale is configured for the refrigeration model according to the data center model, and specific meteorological parameters are configured for each refrigeration model as an operating condition.

[0010] The operation of various refrigeration models in a cycle is simulated according to the distribution of meteorological parameters. The various refrigeration models perform corresponding operating conditions according to the meteorological parameters corresponding to each time period, and the benefit evaluation is performed in combination with the construction scale and operation status of each refrigeration model.

[0011] Preferably, the meteorological data includes outdoor dry-bulb temperature and humidity content; the average dry-bulb temperature and humidity content of each time period within the cycle are obtained by analyzing the distribution of the meteorological parameters, and the average wet-bulb temperature is further obtained through the electronic enthalpy-humidity diagram; according to the average wet-bulb temperature corresponding to each time period, a cyclic cooling plan is generated under the constraints of operating conditions.

[0012] Preferably, the refrigeration models include an air-cooled direct expansion refrigeration model, a water-cooled refrigeration model and a cold plate refrigeration model; and an operating mode and a corresponding operating temperature range are configured for each of the refrigeration models according to the wet-bulb temperature.

[0013] Preferably, the steps of constructing each of the refrigeration models include:

[0014] (1) Air-cooled direct expansion refrigeration model:

[0015] Set the first temperature working range, configure the first cold source device, air supply mode, device working parameters and quantity; wherein, the first cold source device is an air-cooled air conditioner; the device parameters include cooling capacity and EER parameters.

[0016] (2) Water-cooled refrigeration model

[0017] Configure working modes, the working modes including full natural cooling, partial natural cooling and electric cooling; configure a second temperature working range, a third temperature working range and a fourth temperature working range for each working mode; configure a second cold source device, the second cold source device including a first chilled water main unit, a first refrigeration pump, a first cooling pump and a first cooling tower.

[0018] Configure the operation strategies of various cold source devices in different working modes; the operation strategies include:

[0019] A completely natural cooling working mode is executed in the second temperature working range, the first chiller is shut down, and the first cooling pump and the first cooling tower are partially shut down.

[0020] A partial natural cooling mode is executed in the third temperature working range, with the first cooling tower and the first water chiller acting as cold sources. The first cooling tower precools the cooling water to reduce the power demand of the first water chiller; and the number of operating devices of the second cold source is reduced.

[0021] In the fourth temperature working range, the water chiller is used as the indoor cold source.

[0022] (3) Cold plate refrigeration model

[0023] Configuring a fifth temperature operating range for the cold plate refrigeration model;

[0024] A third cold source device is configured, and the third cold source device includes a second cooling pump, a second cooling tower and a radiator.

[0025] According to the outdoor wet-bulb temperature, the number of the second cooling pumps is adjusted so that the water flow rate decreases as the outdoor wet-bulb temperature decreases.

[0026] Preferably, the benefit evaluation includes: calculating the periodic operation cost of different refrigeration models taking corresponding refrigeration measures within a period, specifically including:

[0027] (1) Operating cost of air-cooled direct expansion refrigeration model:

[0028] According to the dry-bulb temperature of each time period, according to the cooling capacity of the first cold source equipment, the power consumption of each corresponding section is calculated in combination with the EER parameters, and the power consumption of the time period is calculated in combination with the time period length; the power consumption corresponding to each time period is summarized, and the cycle power consumption cost is calculated as the operating cost of the air-cooled direct expansion refrigeration model.

[0029] (2) Water-cooled refrigeration operating costs:

[0030] According to the average wet-bulb temperature of each time period in the distribution of the meteorological parameters, the working time of each working mode is confirmed; according to the operating configuration of the different working modes, the power consumption of each time period is calculated, and the cycle power consumption cost is summarized as the operating cost of the water-cooled refrigeration model.

[0031] (3) Cold plate refrigeration operating costs:

[0032] According to the average wet bulb temperature of each period in the distribution of the meteorological parameters, the number of the second cooling pumps put into operation in each period is determined

[0033] The power consumption in each time period is calculated according to the power of the third cold source device and the number of the second cooling pumps, and the cycle power consumption cost is summarized to be the operation cost of the cold plate refrigeration model.

[0034] Preferably, the benefit evaluation also includes:

[0035] Based on the cycle operating cost, a comprehensive evaluation is conducted in combination with the refrigeration equipment construction cost, taking into account the equipment life and cost time gain to obtain the total cycle cost.

[0036] Preferably, the total cycle cost is specifically:

[0037]

[0038] Where f is the total cycle cost, i is the benchmark rate of return, and m is the economic life of the refrigeration equipment; C c is the system construction cost; C0 is the periodic operation cost.

[0039] A cooling solution evaluation system for a data center includes a data acquisition module, a data analysis module, a solution configuration module, and a simulation evaluation module.

[0040] The data acquisition module is used to acquire meteorological data; the data analysis module is used to analyze the distribution of meteorological parameters based on the meteorological data; the solution configuration module is used to construct a data center model and a cooling solution; the cooling solution includes operating conditions under specific meteorological parameters; the simulation evaluation module is used to simulate the operation of the cooling solution in the data center model according to the meteorological distribution, and perform benefit evaluation.

[0041] Preferably, the solution configuration module includes: a computer room construction planning submodule, a cooling mode configuration submodule, and an equipment configuration submodule.

[0042] The computer room construction planning module is used to configure the use area and load conditions of the computer room; the cooling mode configuration submodule is used to configure one or more cooling models, and configure corresponding meteorological operating conditions, cabinet specifications and quantities, and refrigeration equipment for various cooling models.

[0043] Through the above technical solutions, it can be seen that compared with the prior art, the present invention discloses a method and system for evaluating cooling solutions for data centers, and establishes a method for evaluating the entire life cycle of data centers from construction, operation to maintenance, which can comprehensively compare the benefits of different technical means within the executable life span, and fully consider the impact of external factors such as the environment on the cost during the evaluation process, so that the evaluation of operating costs is more accurate. At the same time, considering the different life losses caused by different construction costs, corresponding influencing parameters are set to accurately evaluate the operation plan of long-life equipment. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0044] In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, the drawings required for use in the embodiments or the description of the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only embodiments of the present invention. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on the provided drawings without paying creative work.

[0045] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a method for evaluating a cooling solution for a data center provided by the present invention.

[0046] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the structure of an evaluation system for a cooling solution for a data center provided by the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0047] The following will be combined with the drawings in the embodiments of the present invention to clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only 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.

[0048] Example 1

[0049] like Figure 1 The embodiment of the present invention discloses a method for evaluating a cooling solution for a data center, comprising the following steps:

[0050] S1: Acquire historical meteorological data within a period, and analyze the distribution of meteorological parameters within the period based on the meteorological data.

[0051] S2: constructing a data center model and a cooling model, and configuring specific meteorological parameters as operating conditions for each of the cooling models.

[0052] S3: Simulate the operation of various refrigeration models in a cycle according to the distribution of meteorological parameters, and conduct benefit evaluation.

[0053] In order to further implement the above technical solution, in this embodiment, the meteorological data is mainly derived from the "Meteorological Data Set"; considering that the life of the data center is about 10 years, one year can be used as a cycle, therefore, the local historical climate within one year can be selected, and in the meteorological data of each month, data under typical meteorological conditions can be selected in a targeted manner.

[0054] Furthermore, the selected meteorological data include outdoor dry-bulb temperature and humidity content; the average dry-bulb temperature and humidity content of each period within the cycle are obtained by analyzing the distribution of the meteorological parameters, and the average wet-bulb temperature is further obtained through the electronic enthalpy-humidity diagram.

[0055] In this way, the distribution of meteorological changes within a cycle can be obtained as the meteorological basis for evaluation. According to the average wet-bulb temperature corresponding to each time period, a cooling plan for a cycle is generated under the constraints of operating conditions.

[0056] In order to further implement the above technical solution, the refrigeration model includes an air-cooled direct expansion refrigeration model, a water-cooled refrigeration model and a cold plate refrigeration model.

[0057] Illustratively, Table 1 provides the distribution of meteorological parameters in each month of a year in a certain place, and the working range of each refrigeration model is configured according to the distribution of meteorological parameters in Table 1.

[0058] Table 1. Average meteorological parameters

[0059]

[0060] Illustratively, Table 1 provides the distribution of meteorological parameters in each month of a year in a certain place. According to the distribution of meteorological parameters in Table 1, the working range of each cooling model is configured, as shown in Table 2.

[0061] Table 2. Operating temperature zone settings (wet bulb temperature)

[0062]

[0063] Combining Table 1 and Table 2, it is possible to identify the operating periods of each refrigeration model in a cycle, i.e., a whole year.

[0064] The modeling steps include:

[0065] For the air-cooled direct expansion refrigeration model: set the first temperature working range to ≤37℃, configure the first cold source device, air supply mode, device working parameters and quantity; among them, the first cold source device is an air-cooled air conditioner; the device parameters include cooling capacity and EER parameters. The specific configuration content includes: All cold sources in the data center come from direct expansion air-cooled computer room dedicated air conditioners. The air conditioner indoor unit is a room-level computer room air conditioner, and the air supply mode is down-sending and up-returning. The compressor system is a dual system, the outdoor unit is an air-cooled condenser, and each indoor unit is equipped with 2 air-cooled condensers. The indoor unit does not have heating and humidification functions, and the humidity control is controlled by an independent humidifier. The computer room air conditioners are arranged on both sides of the computer room.

[0066] For the water-cooled refrigeration model: it is necessary to configure multiple working modes and further configure each working mode, and configure the operation strategies of various cold source devices under different working modes; the working modes include full natural cooling, partial natural cooling and electric cooling. In the water-cooled refrigeration model, the cold source device required is recorded as the second cold source device, and the second cold source device includes the first chiller, the first freezing pump, the first cooling pump and the first cooling tower.

[0067] The working status and number of working units of various types of air-conditioning equipment under different outdoor wet-bulb temperatures are shown in the following table. Among them, the number and frequency of the chiller are controlled according to the load conditions, and all refrigeration pumps except the standby ones are operated. The number of other equipment is controlled according to the outdoor wet-bulb temperature. The detailed operation strategy is shown in Table 3 below.

[0068] Table 3. Water-cooled refrigeration system operation strategy

[0069]

[0070] The operation strategy configuration for each working mode is as follows:

[0071] In the second temperature working range, the full natural cooling working mode is implemented, the first chiller is turned off, the first cooling pump and the first cooling tower are partially turned off; wherein the second temperature range is ≤5°C. In the full natural cooling working mode, the refrigeration host is turned off, and the cooling tower is used as the cold source. However, due to the low temperature, in order to avoid freezing of the cooling tower, the cooling pump is reduced in frequency or partially turned off, and the cooling tower is partially turned off to reduce the flow rate and increase the cooling water temperature.

[0072] A partial natural cooling mode is implemented in the third temperature working range, i.e., 5-16°C. In this mode, the first cooling tower and the first water chiller are used together as cold sources. The first cooling tower precools the cooling water to reduce the power demand of the first water chiller. Therefore, the corresponding number of equipment operations can be appropriately reduced.

[0073] In the fourth temperature working range, i.e., ≥16°C, the electric cooling mode is implemented. In this mode, all the water chillers are used as indoor cooling sources.

[0074] In order to further implement the above technical solutions, the dynamic cost annual value method was selected to evaluate the total benefits of the data center under the three cooling solutions. The specific calculation method is as follows:

[0075]

[0076] Where f is the total cycle cost, i is the benchmark rate of return, and m is the economic life of the refrigeration equipment; C c is the system construction cost; C0 is the periodic operation cost.

[0077] Furthermore, the operating cost refers to the cost incurred when the data center is running, including electricity, labor, maintenance, and property fees, etc. The construction cost is the equipment procurement cost. The electricity cost can be calculated by calculating the operating power consumption under each cooling scheme and combining it with the electricity price. Other costs can be obtained by inputting corresponding parameter values ​​according to actual conditions, and finally the total cost is obtained by combining various costs.

[0078] Regarding the calculation of power consumption, the specific steps include:

[0079] (1) Operating cost of air-cooled direct expansion refrigeration model:

[0080] According to the dry bulb temperature of each time period, according to the cooling capacity of the first cold source device, combined with the EER parameter, the power consumption of each section is calculated, and the power consumption of the time period is calculated in combination with the time period length;

[0081] The power consumption corresponding to each time period is summarized, and the cycle power consumption cost is calculated as the operating cost of the air-cooled direct expansion refrigeration model.

[0082] (2) Water-cooled refrigeration operating costs:

[0083] According to the average wet-bulb temperature of each time period in the distribution of the meteorological parameters, the working time of each working mode is confirmed; according to the operating configuration of the different working modes, the power consumption of each time period is calculated, and the cycle power consumption cost is summarized as the operating cost of the water-cooled refrigeration model.

[0084] (3) Cold plate refrigeration operating costs:

[0085] According to the average wet bulb temperature of each period in the distribution of the meteorological parameters, the number of the second cooling pumps put into operation in each period is determined

[0086] The power consumption in each time period is calculated according to the power of the third cold source device and the number of the second cooling pumps, and the cycle power consumption cost is summarized to be the operation cost of the cold plate refrigeration model.

[0087] To further illustrate this solution, Table 4 provides the specific model construction and construction cost assessment data of a data center.

[0088] Table 4. Benefit evaluation of a data center cooling model

[0089]

[0090] In this embodiment, the area of ​​the main computer room of the data center (server placement area) is set to 10,000 square meters, and the designed heat dissipation per unit area is 1kW / square meter. The average annual load rate of the computer room is 80%. The load rate is based on the load of the data center within 10 years. Generally, the load rate is low within 3 years of operation, mostly within 60%, and it gradually rises to 70%-90% after 5 years. In order to unify the calculation basis here, it is uniformly calculated based on the annual average load rate of 80%.

[0091] Example 2

[0092] like Figure 2 , based on the unified inventive concept, the embodiment of the present invention discloses an evaluation system for a cooling solution for a data center, including: a data acquisition module, a data analysis module, a solution configuration module, and a simulation evaluation module;

[0093] The data acquisition module is used to obtain meteorological data.

[0094] The data analysis module is used to analyze the distribution of meteorological parameters based on meteorological data.

[0095] The solution configuration module is used to build a data center model and cooling solution; the cooling solution includes operating conditions under specific meteorological parameters.

[0096] The simulation and evaluation module is used to simulate the operation of cooling solutions in the data center model according to the meteorological distribution and to conduct benefit evaluation.

[0097] In order to further implement the above technical solution, the solution configuration module includes: a computer room construction planning submodule, a cooling mode configuration submodule, and an equipment configuration submodule.

[0098] The computer room construction planning module is used to configure the computer room's usage area and load conditions.

[0099] The cooling mode configuration submodule is used to configure one or more cooling models, and configure corresponding meteorological operating conditions, specifications and quantities of cabinets, and refrigeration equipment for various cooling models.

[0100] 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.

[0101] The above description of the disclosed embodiments enables one skilled in the art to implement or use the present invention. Various modifications to these embodiments will be apparent to one 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 method for evaluating a cooling solution for a data center, characterized in that: The following steps are involved: Acquire historical meteorological data within a cycle, and analyze the distribution of meteorological parameters within the cycle based on the meteorological data; wherein the meteorological parameter distribution is the mean value of the meteorological parameters corresponding to each time period within a cycle; Constructing a data center model and a refrigeration model, configuring refrigeration equipment of corresponding scale for the refrigeration model according to the data center model, and configuring specific meteorological parameters as operating conditions for each refrigeration model; The operation of various refrigeration models in a cycle is simulated according to the distribution of meteorological parameters. The various refrigeration models perform corresponding operating conditions according to the meteorological parameters corresponding to each time period, and the benefit evaluation is performed in combination with the construction scale and operation status of each refrigeration model.

2. A method for evaluating a cooling solution for a data center according to claim 1, characterized in that: The meteorological data includes outdoor dry-bulb temperature and humidity; the meteorological parameter distribution includes average dry-bulb temperature and humidity in each time period within the cycle.

3. A method for evaluating a cooling solution for a data center according to claim 2, characterized in that: The steps also include: obtaining an average wet bulb temperature through an electronic enthalpy-humidity diagram according to the average dry bulb temperature and the moisture content; According to the average wet-bulb temperature corresponding to each time period, a periodic cooling plan is generated under the constraints of operating conditions.

4. The method for evaluating a cooling solution for a data center according to claim 3, characterized in that: The refrigeration models include an air-cooled direct expansion refrigeration model, a water-cooled refrigeration model and a cold plate refrigeration model; and a working mode and a corresponding working temperature range are configured for each of the refrigeration models according to the wet-bulb temperature.

5. A method for evaluating a cooling solution for a data center according to claim 4, characterized in that: The steps of constructing each of the refrigeration models include: (1) Air-cooled direct expansion refrigeration model: Set a first temperature working range, configure a first cold source device, air supply mode, device operating parameters and quantity; wherein the first cold source device is an air-cooled air conditioner; the device parameters include cooling capacity and EER parameters; (2) Water-cooled refrigeration model Configure working modes, wherein the working modes include full natural cooling, partial natural cooling and electric cooling; and configure a second temperature working interval, a third temperature working interval and a fourth temperature working interval for each of the working modes; A second cold source device is configured, wherein the second cold source device includes a first chiller, a first freezing pump, a first cooling pump and a first cooling tower; Configure the operation strategies of various cold source devices in different working modes; the operation strategies include: Execute a completely natural cooling working mode in the second temperature working range, shut down the first chiller, and partially shut down the first cooling pump and the first cooling tower; A partial natural cooling mode is performed in the third temperature working range, with the first cooling tower and the first water chiller acting as cold sources, the first cooling tower precooling the cooling water to reduce the power demand of the first water chiller; and the number of running devices of the second cold source is reduced; In the fourth temperature working range, the water chiller is used as the indoor cooling source; (3) Cold plate refrigeration model Configuring a fifth temperature operating range for the cold plate refrigeration model; Configure a third cold source device, the third cold source device comprising a second cooling pump, a second cooling tower and a radiator; According to the outdoor wet-bulb temperature, the number of the second cooling pumps is adjusted so that the water flow rate decreases as the outdoor wet-bulb temperature decreases.

6. A method for evaluating a cooling solution for a data center according to claim 5, characterized in that: The benefit evaluation includes: calculating the periodic operation cost of different refrigeration models taking corresponding refrigeration measures within a period, specifically including: (1) Operating cost of air-cooled direct expansion refrigeration model: According to the dry bulb temperature of each time period, according to the cooling capacity of the first cold source device, combined with the EER parameter, the power consumption of each section is calculated, and the power consumption of the time period is calculated in combination with the time period length; Summarize the power consumption corresponding to each time period and calculate the cycle power consumption cost as the operating cost of the air-cooled direct expansion refrigeration model; (2) Water-cooled refrigeration operating costs: According to the average wet-bulb temperature of each period in the distribution of the meteorological parameters, the working time of each working mode is determined; according to the operation configuration of different working modes, the power consumption of each period is calculated, and the cycle power consumption cost is summarized as the operation cost of the water-cooled refrigeration model; (3) Cold plate refrigeration operating costs: According to the average wet bulb temperature of each period in the distribution of the meteorological parameters, the number of the second cooling pumps put into operation in each period is determined The power consumption in each time period is calculated according to the power of the third cold source device and the number of the second cooling pumps, and the cycle power consumption cost is summarized to be the operation cost of the cold plate refrigeration model.

7. A method for evaluating a cooling solution for a data center according to claim 6, characterized in that: The benefit assessment also includes: Based on the cycle operating cost, a comprehensive evaluation is conducted in combination with the refrigeration equipment construction cost, taking into account the equipment life and cost time gain to obtain the total cycle cost.

8. A method for evaluating a cooling solution for a data center according to claim 7, characterized in that ,The total cycle cost is specifically: Where f is the total cycle cost, i is the benchmark rate of return, and m is the economic life of the refrigeration equipment; C c is the system construction cost; C0 is the periodic operation cost.

9. A cooling solution evaluation system for a data center, characterized in that: The evaluation method according to any one of claims 1 to 8 is adopted, comprising: a data acquisition module, a data analysis module, a solution configuration module, and a simulation evaluation module; The data acquisition module is used to acquire meteorological data; The data analysis module is used to analyze the distribution of meteorological parameters according to the meteorological data; The solution configuration module is used to construct a data center model and a cooling solution; the cooling solution includes operating conditions under specific meteorological parameters; The simulation and evaluation module is used to simulate the operation of the cooling solution in the data center model according to the meteorological distribution and to perform benefit evaluation.

10. The evaluation system for a cooling solution for a data center according to claim 9, characterized in that: The scheme configuration module includes: a computer room construction planning submodule, a cooling mode configuration submodule, and an equipment configuration submodule; The computer room construction planning module is used to configure the usage area and load conditions of the computer room; The cooling mode configuration submodule is used to configure one or more cooling models, and configure corresponding meteorological operating conditions, specifications and quantities of cabinets, and refrigeration equipment for various cooling models.

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