Collaborative control methods and devices for liquid cooling systems, liquid cooling systems and data centers

Abstract

This invention provides a collaborative control method, device, system, and data center for a liquid cooling system, relating to the field of liquid cooling heat dissipation. The method includes: controlling the valve opening of all CDUs to a preset maximum opening; maintaining the valve opening of each CDU unchanged, adjusting the pump speed so that the absolute value of the difference between the maximum value and the target value is less than or equal to a first preset difference; maintaining the pump speed unchanged, controlling each CDU to adjust its own valve opening so that the absolute value of the difference between the actual value and the target value of the secondary side liquid supply temperature of each CDU is less than or equal to a second preset difference; and maintaining the valve opening of each CDU greater than or equal to a preset minimum opening while adjusting its own valve opening. This application can solve the problems of high pipeline resistance and high pump energy consumption caused by valves being at a low opening for a long time in traditional control methods, and enhances anti-condensation capability by reserving adjustment margin for the valves.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of liquid cooling technology, and in particular to a collaborative control method, device, liquid cooling system, and data center for a liquid cooling system. Background Technology

[0002] With the rapid development of technologies such as artificial intelligence and big data, data centers, as computing infrastructure, are constantly expanding in scale and increasing in computing density, placing higher demands on heat dissipation systems. Traditional air-cooling methods are no longer sufficient to meet the heat dissipation needs of high-density, high-power devices in data centers, resulting in problems such as low heat dissipation efficiency, high energy consumption, and high noise, which seriously restricts the development of data centers.

[0003] Liquid cooling technology, as a highly efficient and energy-saving heat dissipation method, has attracted widespread attention. A liquid cooling system typically includes multiple parallel-connected Coolant Distribution Units (CDUs). Each CDU has an independent primary-side valve, and each CDU can adjust the opening of its respective primary-side valve to achieve the target secondary-side liquid supply temperature. The liquid cooling system also includes a water pump at the cold source end. To meet the most unfavorable operating conditions, the water pump at the cold source end usually maintains a high frequency of operation, which causes the primary-side valves of each CDU to operate in a low-opening throttling state for extended periods. This operating mode leads to two prominent problems: firstly, the low opening of the primary-side valves increases the resistance of the piping system, resulting in persistently high energy consumption of the water pump at the cold source end; secondly, the operating point of the primary-side valves approaches the mechanical lower limit, and under conditions of low ambient temperature and low load, it is impossible to effectively increase the secondary-side temperature by further reducing the opening of the primary-side valves, posing a risk of condensation. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This invention provides a collaborative control method, device, liquid cooling system, and data center for a liquid cooling system, to solve the problem in the prior art where the opening of the primary side valve is too small, resulting in high energy consumption of the water pump at the cold source end, and the secondary side temperature cannot be increased by further reducing the opening of the primary side valve, thus posing a safety risk of condensation.

[0005] In a first aspect, embodiments of the present invention provide a collaborative control method for a liquid cooling system. The liquid cooling system includes a cold source end pipeline and at least two parallel-connected control units (CDUs). The cold source end pipeline is equipped with a water pump. The CDU includes a secondary side pipeline and a primary side pipeline connected to the cold source end pipeline, and the primary side pipeline is equipped with a valve. The collaborative control method for the liquid cooling system includes: Control the opening degree of all CDU valves to the preset maximum opening degree; Keep the valve opening of each CDU constant, adjust the pump speed so that the absolute value of the difference between the maximum value and the target value is less than or equal to the first preset difference; the maximum value is the maximum value among the actual values ​​of the secondary side liquid supply temperature of each CDU; the target value is the target value of the secondary side liquid supply temperature of the CDU. Keep the pump speed constant and control the opening of the valves of each CDU to make the absolute value of the difference between the actual value and the target value of the secondary side liquid supply temperature of each CDU less than or equal to the second preset difference. Among them, when each CDU adjusts the opening of its own valve, it keeps the valve opening greater than or equal to the preset minimum opening; the first preset difference is greater than or equal to the second preset difference.

[0006] In one possible implementation, the preset minimum opening is the minimum opening value of the valve that allows the water pump to operate in a preset high-efficiency operating range.

[0007] In one possible implementation, the opening degree of the valves regulating each CDU is controlled so that the absolute value of the difference between the actual value and the target value of the secondary side liquid supply temperature of each CDU is less than or equal to a second preset difference, including: The primary side valve adjustment command is issued to each CDU. The primary side valve adjustment command is used to instruct each CDU to obtain the first actual value of the secondary side liquid supply temperature. When the difference between the first actual value and the target value is greater than the third preset difference, the opening of its own valve is increased. When the difference between the target value and the first actual value is greater than the third preset difference, the opening of its own valve is decreased until the absolute value of the difference between the re-obtained first actual value and the target value is less than or equal to the second preset difference. The second preset difference is less than or equal to the third preset difference.

[0008] In one possible implementation, after issuing the primary valve adjustment command to each CDU, the following is also included: If, after the first preset time period, the absolute value of the difference between the first actual value and the target value of at least one CDU is still greater than the second preset difference, or if the absolute value of the difference between the first actual value and the target value of at least one CDU is still greater than the second preset difference when the valve opening of at least one CDU is adjusted to the preset minimum opening, then the process will continue to proceed to the step of keeping the valve opening of each CDU unchanged and adjusting the speed of the water pump so that the absolute value of the difference between the maximum value and the target value is less than or equal to the first preset difference.

[0009] In one possible implementation, after controlling the opening degree of the valves regulating each CDU to ensure that the absolute value of the difference between the actual value and the target value of the secondary side liquid supply temperature of each CDU is less than or equal to a second preset difference, the method further includes: Obtain the minimum and maximum values ​​of the second actual values ​​of the secondary side liquid supply temperature for each CDU; Obtain the first actual rate of change of the secondary side liquid supply temperature of each CDU; Obtain the second actual rate of change of the primary side supply temperature of each CDU; If the difference between the target value and the minimum value is greater than or equal to the fourth preset difference, the difference between the maximum value and the target value is greater than or equal to the fourth preset difference, the absolute value of the first actual change rate of at least one CDU is greater than the first preset change rate, the absolute value of the second actual change rate of at least one CDU is greater than the second preset change rate, or, after the second preset time, the process jumps to the step of keeping the valve opening of each CDU unchanged, adjusting the pump speed, and making the absolute value of the difference between the maximum value and the target value less than or equal to the first preset difference, and continues to execute.

[0010] In one possible implementation, before controlling the opening of all CDU valves to the preset maximum opening, the following is also included: If, after the water pump speed is maintained at the preset minimum speed for a third preset time, the secondary side liquid supply temperature of at least one CDU is still not within the preset temperature range, then the valves of each CDU are controlled to operate in the first operating mode, and in the first operating mode, the step of controlling the opening of the valves of all CDUs to the preset maximum opening is continued; otherwise, the valves of each CDU are controlled to operate in the second operating mode. In the second operating mode, if the valve opening of each CDU does not reach the preset maximum opening and the valve opening setting value is not adjusted within the fourth preset time period, the valve opening setting value is increased by the preset opening value to obtain the updated opening setting value. The updated opening setting value is then sent to each CDU. The updated opening setting value is used to instruct each CDU to adjust the opening of its respective valve to the updated opening setting value.

[0011] In one possible implementation, after the valves controlling each CDU operate in the second operating mode, the following is also included: In the second operating mode, the highest and lowest supply liquid temperatures are obtained from the third actual values ​​of the secondary side supply liquid temperature of each CDU. Obtain the dew point temperature and determine the sum of the dew point temperature and the preset temperature to obtain the anti-condensation safe temperature; If the highest and lowest liquid supply temperatures meet the first condition, then reduce the speed of the water pump; the first condition includes the highest liquid supply temperature being less than the target value, or the lowest liquid supply temperature being less than the anti-condensation safety temperature. If the highest and lowest liquid supply temperatures meet the second condition, then increase the pump speed; the second condition includes that the highest liquid supply temperature is greater than the target value, and the lowest liquid supply temperature is greater than the anti-condensation safety temperature. If the highest and lowest liquid supply temperatures do not meet the first and second conditions, the pump speed shall remain constant.

[0012] Secondly, embodiments of the present invention provide a collaborative control device for a liquid cooling system. The liquid cooling system includes a cold source end pipeline and at least two parallel-connected control units (CDUs). A water pump is installed on the cold source end pipeline. The CDU includes a secondary side pipeline and a primary side pipeline connected to the cold source end pipeline, and a valve is installed on the primary side pipeline. The collaborative control device for the liquid cooling system includes: The first valve control module is used to control the opening degree of all CDU valves to the preset maximum opening degree; The water pump regulating module is used to keep the valve opening of each CDU constant and regulate the water pump speed so that the absolute value of the difference between the maximum value and the target value is less than or equal to the first preset difference; the maximum value is the maximum value among the actual values ​​of the secondary side liquid supply temperature of each CDU; the target value is the target value of the secondary side liquid supply temperature of the CDU. The second valve control module is used to keep the pump speed constant and control the opening of the valves of each CDU to adjust their own, so that the absolute value of the difference between the actual value and the target value of the secondary side liquid supply temperature of each CDU is less than or equal to the second preset difference. Among them, when each CDU adjusts the opening of its own valve, it keeps the valve opening greater than or equal to the preset minimum opening; the first preset difference is greater than or equal to the second preset difference.

[0013] Thirdly, embodiments of the present invention provide a control device, including a processor and a memory, wherein the memory is used to store a computer program, and the processor is used to call and run the computer program stored in the memory to execute the cooperative control method of the liquid cooling system as described in the first aspect or any possible implementation of the first aspect.

[0014] Fourthly, embodiments of the present invention provide a liquid cooling system, including a cold source end pipeline, at least two CDUs connected in parallel, and a control device as described in the third aspect; the cold source end pipeline is equipped with a water pump; the CDU includes a secondary side pipeline and a primary side pipeline connected to the cold source end pipeline, and the primary side pipeline is equipped with a valve; Control equipment is used to control water pumps and valves.

[0015] Fifthly, embodiments of the present invention provide a data center including the liquid cooling system described in the fourth aspect.

[0016] In a sixth aspect, embodiments of the present invention provide a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program that, when executed by a processor, implements the steps of the cooperative control method for a liquid cooling system as described in the first aspect or any possible implementation thereof.

[0017] In a seventh aspect, embodiments of the present invention provide a computer program product, including a computer program that, when executed by a processor, implements the cooperative control method for a liquid cooling system as described in the first aspect or any possible implementation thereof.

[0018] This application provides a collaborative control method, device, liquid cooling system, and data center for a liquid cooling system. The method uses phased collaborative control. First, it controls the primary side valves of all CDUs to open to their maximum, and the water pump globally adjusts the secondary side liquid supply temperature based on the maximum value among the actual values ​​of the secondary side liquid supply temperature. Then, in the valve fine-tuning stage, a lower limit constraint on the opening is introduced, so that the opening of each valve is greater than or equal to the preset minimum opening during the valve fine-tuning stage. This can solve the problems of high pipeline resistance and high water pump energy consumption caused by valves being at a low opening for a long time in traditional control. At the same time, by reserving adjustment margin for the valves, the anti-condensation capability is enhanced. Attached Figure Description

[0019] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0020] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a liquid cooling system provided in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a flowchart illustrating the implementation of a collaborative control method for a liquid cooling system according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of a collaborative control device for a liquid cooling system provided in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of a control device provided in an embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0021] In the following description, specific details such as particular system architectures and techniques are set forth for illustrative purposes and not for limitation, in order to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments of the invention. However, those skilled in the art will understand that the invention can be implemented in other embodiments without these specific details. In other instances, detailed descriptions of well-known systems, apparatuses, circuits, and methods are omitted so as not to obscure the description of the invention with unnecessary detail.

[0022] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the present invention clearer, specific embodiments will be described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0023] See Figure 1 The diagram illustrates the structure of a liquid cooling system provided in an embodiment of the present invention. The liquid cooling system includes a cold source end pipe 22 and at least two CDUs 10 connected in parallel; the cold source end pipe 22 is equipped with a water pump 21; the CDU 10 includes a secondary side pipe 13 and a primary side pipe 12 connected to the cold source end pipe 22, and the primary side pipe 12 is equipped with a valve 11.

[0024] The aforementioned water pump 21 can be referred to as a cold source water pump, or a circulating pump, specifically a variable frequency water pump 21. The aforementioned valve 11 can be referred to as a primary side valve, or an electric valve, or other types of valves, without specific limitations.

[0025] The aforementioned water pump 21 and valve 11 can both be controlled by a control device. For example, the water pump 21 and valve 11 can be directly controlled by the control device; or, the water pump 21 can be directly controlled by the control device, each CDU 10 can include a corresponding CDU controller, and the valve 11 of each CDU 10 can be indirectly controlled by the control device through the corresponding CDU controller; and so on.

[0026] See Figure 1 The cold source end pipe 22 connects the cold source 23 and the primary side pipe 12 of each CDU 10. A water pump 21 is installed on the cold source end pipe 22. Each primary side pipe 12 of each CDU 10 is equipped with a corresponding valve 11 to regulate the flow rate of the coolant on the corresponding primary side pipe 12.

[0027] See Figure 1 Each CDU 10 may also include a heat exchanger 14. The primary side piping 12 and secondary side piping 13 of each CDU 10 are connected to the heat exchanger 14. For each CDU 10, the coolant in its primary side piping 12 and the coolant in its secondary side piping 13 exchange heat through its heat exchanger 14. The secondary side piping 13 of each CDU 10 is also connected to the load 30 for heat dissipation and cooling of the load 30.

[0028] The heat exchanger 14 can be a plate heat exchanger or other types of heat exchangers, and no specific restrictions are made here.

[0029] The load 30 may include at least one heat dissipation device in a data center, such as at least one of computing devices, network devices, storage devices, and power supply devices. The computing devices may include at least one of central processing units, graphics processing units, tensor processing units, field-programmable gate arrays, and servers; the network devices may include at least one of switches and routers; the storage devices may include at least one of hard disks and storage controllers; and the power supply devices may include at least one of power distribution units, uninterruptible power supplies, and energy storage devices.

[0030] In some possible implementations, the liquid cooling system may also include a primary-side inlet / outlet main loop and a secondary-side supply / return main loop. The primary-side piping 12 of each CDU10 is connected to the primary-side inlet / outlet main loop, which is also connected to a cold source 23 via a cold source end piping 22. The secondary-side piping 13 of each CDU10 is connected to the secondary-side supply / return main loop, which is also connected to a load 30.

[0031] In some possible implementations, a secondary side water pump can be installed in the secondary side pipeline 13. The number of secondary side water pumps can be one or two. When there are two, the two secondary side water pumps are connected in parallel.

[0032] In some possible implementations, the secondary side pipeline 13 may also include a bypass valve connected in parallel with the secondary side water pump, wherein the flow direction of the coolant in the branch where the bypass valve is located is opposite to the flow direction of the coolant in the branch where the secondary side water pump is located.

[0033] In some possible implementations, the secondary side pipe 13 may also include a coolant replenishment device for replenishing or replacing coolant in the secondary side pipe 13, etc.

[0034] In some possible implementations, the secondary side pipeline 13 may also include sensors, such as at least one of flow sensors, temperature sensors, and pressure sensors, for detecting at least one of parameters such as flow rate, temperature, and pressure in the secondary side pipeline 13.

[0035] As mentioned earlier, in related technologies, to meet the requirements of the most unfavorable operating conditions, the water pumps at the cold source end usually maintain a high frequency of operation. This causes the primary side valves of each CDU to operate in a low-opening throttling state for a long time. This operating mode causes two prominent problems: First, the low opening of the primary side valves increases the resistance of the pipeline system, resulting in high energy consumption of the water pumps at the cold source end; Second, the operating point of the primary side valves is close to the mechanical lower limit. Under the combined conditions of low ambient temperature and low load, it is impossible to effectively increase the secondary side temperature by further reducing the opening of the primary side valves, which poses a risk of condensation.

[0036] Specifically, to ensure that even the most unfavorable loop in the entire pipeline network (the CDU furthest away and highest in location) receives sufficient head and flow to meet its maximum cooling demand, the water pumps at the cold source end typically operate at a high frequency. This results in a high supply-return pressure differential in the primary side piping of the CDU. Each CDU's control objective is to stabilize its own secondary side supply temperature. It is unconcerned about the total system energy consumption; it only controls the heat exchange by adjusting the opening of its primary side valves to change the primary side flow rate through the plate heat exchanger. When the load is low or the ambient temperature is low, the heat exchange required by the CDU is small. In this case, to achieve the target secondary side supply temperature, the primary side flow rate needs to be significantly reduced. Under the combined effect of high system pressure differential and low demand flow rate, the opening of the CDU's primary side valves must be small enough to generate sufficient throttling effect, limiting the "high flow potential" under high pressure to the actual required "small flow rate." The smaller the opening of the primary side valves, the greater their local resistance coefficient. All primary-side valves of the CDU are in a low-opening state, which is equivalent to having multiple orifice plates connected in series in the entire piping network, resulting in an abnormally high total system resistance. Meanwhile, the energy consumption of the water pumps at the cold source end is directly related to the flow rate and the head (pressure) they overcome. Although the total flow rate may not be high at this time, the pumps must output a higher head to maintain the system pressure pushed up by the high resistance, causing their operating point to deviate significantly from the high-efficiency zone. This results in a large amount of electrical energy being wasted on valve throttling, leading to high energy consumption.

[0037] To prevent condensation from forming due to the pipeline temperature falling below the dew point, it is necessary to actively increase the secondary side supply temperature. For a CDU, this means further reducing the primary side heat exchange, i.e., closing the primary side valves and reducing the primary side coolant flow. However, the primary side valves are already at a low opening, especially under conditions of low ambient temperature and low load, where the valve opening is close to its mechanical lower limit. Therefore, it is not possible to further increase the secondary side supply temperature to prevent condensation by decreasing the primary side valve opening.

[0038] To address the aforementioned issues, this application provides a collaborative control method for a liquid cooling system.

[0039] See Figure 2 The diagram illustrates a flowchart of the implementation of a collaborative control method for a liquid cooling system provided in an embodiment of the present invention. This collaborative control method can be applied to control devices within a liquid cooling system. The control device can be any type of controller, such as a DSP (Digital Signal Processor) or a PLC (Programmable Logic Controller).

[0040] As previously described, the liquid cooling system includes a cold source end pipeline and at least two CDUs connected in parallel; the cold source end pipeline is equipped with a water pump; the CDU includes a secondary side pipeline and a primary side pipeline connected to the cold source end pipeline, and the primary side pipeline is equipped with a valve. For a detailed description of the liquid cooling system, please refer to the relevant descriptions in the foregoing embodiments, which will not be repeated here.

[0041] The coordinated control method for the above-mentioned liquid cooling system is described in detail below: In S201, the opening degree of all CDU valves is controlled to the preset maximum opening degree.

[0042] In this embodiment, the opening degree of the valves in the primary side pipelines of all CDUs is first controlled to be adjusted to the preset maximum opening degree, so that the system resistance can be reduced to the theoretical minimum value, and the primary side valves of all CDUs have a large adjustment space in the direction of reduction.

[0043] The preset maximum opening is usually 100%, but due to actual needs or long usage time, the maximum opening of the valve may no longer be 100%, but may be 90% or 95%, etc. Therefore, the value of the preset maximum opening can be set according to actual needs, and no specific restrictions are imposed here. The preset maximum opening corresponding to different CDUs can be the same or different, and no specific restrictions are imposed here.

[0044] It should be noted that all CDUs mentioned above refer to all CDUs in the liquid cooling system that are in operation, i.e., all CDUs involved in liquid cooling of the load. CDUs that are not in operation are not within the scope of control. Similarly, subsequent control of CDUs will only be the control of each CDU that is in operation.

[0045] In some possible implementations, controlling the opening degree of the valves of all CDUs to a preset maximum opening degree may include: Send a first opening adjustment command to each CDU controller; the first opening adjustment command is used to instruct each CDU controller to adjust the opening of its own valve to the preset maximum opening; or, Directly control the opening degree of all CDU valves to the preset maximum opening degree.

[0046] In S202, the valve opening of each CDU is kept constant, and the pump speed is adjusted so that the absolute value of the difference between the maximum value and the target value is less than or equal to the first preset difference; the maximum value is the maximum value among the actual values ​​of the secondary side liquid supply temperature of each CDU; the target value is the target value of the secondary side liquid supply temperature of the CDU.

[0047] This embodiment first keeps the valve openings of each CDU constant, and adjusts the secondary-side liquid supply temperature of each CDU solely by regulating the speed of the water pump at the cold source end. This ensures that the absolute value of the difference between the maximum actual value of the secondary-side liquid supply temperature of each CDU and the target value is less than or equal to a first preset difference. This allows the identification of the lowest water pump speed (i.e., the lowest system pressure differential) that meets the heat dissipation requirements of the hottest CDU. Because the system resistance is minimized, the water pump at the cold source end only needs a lower speed to drive the required flow rate, fundamentally eliminating unnecessary throttling losses from all valves and significantly reducing pump energy consumption.

[0048] The secondary-side coolant supply temperature of the CDU is the temperature of the coolant flowing out of the CDU and about to flow into the load's cold plate through its secondary-side piping. Its target value can be determined based on the load's heat dissipation requirements; this is a mature technology in the relevant field and will not be elaborated further. Its actual value can be obtained by measuring it using temperature sensors installed at corresponding locations.

[0049] The first preset difference is greater than 0, and its specific value is usually a small value, which can be set according to actual needs.

[0050] In some possible implementations, adjusting the pump speed so that the absolute value of the difference between the maximum value and the target value is less than or equal to a first preset difference may include: The PID (Proportional-Integral-Derivative) control method is used to adjust the speed of the water pump so that the absolute value of the difference between the maximum value and the target value is less than or equal to the first preset difference.

[0051] Specifically, the difference between the target value and the maximum value is calculated, and PID control is applied to this difference to obtain the target speed of the water pump; the speed of the water pump is adjusted to the target speed; the maximum value is reacquired, and it is determined whether the absolute value of the difference between the reacquired maximum value and the target value is less than or equal to a first preset difference. If yes, the adjustment of the water pump ends; if no, the process jumps to the step of calculating the difference between the target value and the maximum value, and applying PID control to this difference to obtain the target speed of the water pump, and continues to execute.

[0052] The above-mentioned PID control of this difference to obtain the target speed of the water pump can include: Input the difference into the first preset PID controller to obtain the target speed of the water pump output by the first preset PID controller.

[0053] The first preset PID controller is a PID controller with pre-determined parameters. Its input is the difference between the target value and the maximum value, and its output is the target speed of the water pump.

[0054] In S203, the pump speed is kept constant, and the opening of the valve of each CDU is controlled to make the absolute value of the difference between the actual value and the target value of the secondary side liquid supply temperature of each CDU less than or equal to the second preset difference. Among them, when each CDU adjusts the opening of its own valve, it keeps the valve opening greater than or equal to the preset minimum opening; the first preset difference is greater than or equal to the second preset difference.

[0055] After adjusting the pump speed to ensure the absolute value of the difference between the maximum and target values ​​is less than or equal to a first preset difference, the pump speed is kept constant. Each CDU adjusts the opening of its primary-side valves to stabilize its actual secondary-side supply temperature, ensuring the absolute value of the difference between its actual and target secondary-side supply temperature is less than or equal to a second preset difference. This second preset difference is greater than or equal to 0 and less than or equal to the first preset difference. Simultaneously, each CDU sets a minimum opening constraint when adjusting its primary-side valve opening, requiring the valve opening to be greater than or equal to a preset minimum opening.

[0056] The purpose of this step is to address the uneven load on various CDUs. The previous steps, which involved adjusting the pump speed, only ensured that the most unfavorable point (maximum value) met the requirements. Other CDUs with lower loads needed to reduce heat exchange and prevent overcooling by closing the valves slightly. Simultaneously, setting a minimum opening constraint prevents the valves from re-entering the high-resistance zone and avoids situations where the opening is too small, making it impossible to prevent condensation by closing the valves slightly. This ensures that the valves always operate within a range of high opening, low resistance, and good linear adjustability, protecting the results of low-resistance operation while providing sufficient adjustment margin for condensation prevention.

[0057] Among them, the PID control method can be used to control the opening of the valve of each CDU to make the absolute value of the difference between the actual value and the target value of the secondary side liquid supply temperature of each CDU less than or equal to the second preset difference; other methods can also be used for adjustment, and no specific restrictions are made here.

[0058] The preset minimum opening degree is greater than the valve's minimum opening degree (i.e., the mechanical lower limit), thus allowing the valve to have an adjustment margin. The value of the preset minimum opening degree can be set according to actual needs and is not specifically limited here.

[0059] Since the pump adjustment phase involves global coarse adjustment, while the valve adjustment phase involves local fine adjustment, a first preset difference is typically set to be greater than or equal to a second preset difference. Simultaneously, pump adjustment has significant inertia and a wide impact; changing the pump speed affects the primary flow rate of all CDUs, resulting in a slow system response and coupling. Setting an excessively small first preset difference forces the pump to continuously fine-tune, easily causing system oscillations and prolonging the stabilization time. Valve adjustment, on the other hand, offers fast response and strong independence; each CDU's valve only affects itself, resulting in a fast closed-loop response and enabling rapid, precise point-to-point adjustment. A smaller second preset difference does not cause global fluctuations and ensures temperature consistency across all terminals.

[0060] This application embodiment uses phased collaborative control. First, it controls the primary side valves of all CDUs to open to the maximum, and the water pump globally adjusts the secondary side supply temperature based on the maximum value among the actual values ​​of the secondary side supply temperature to stabilize the secondary side supply temperature of each CDU. Then, in the valve fine-tuning stage, a lower limit constraint on the opening is introduced, so that the opening of each valve is greater than or equal to the preset minimum opening during the valve fine-tuning stage. This can solve the problems of high pipeline resistance and high water pump energy consumption caused by valves being at a low opening for a long time in traditional control. At the same time, by reserving the adjustment margin of the valves, the anti-condensation capability is enhanced.

[0061] The foregoing embodiments have described the overall implementation process of the collaborative control method for liquid cooling systems. The following will refine the steps or further expand the above method.

[0062] In some embodiments, the preset minimum opening is the minimum opening value of the valve that allows the water pump to operate in a preset high-efficiency operating range.

[0063] The preset high-efficiency operating range of the water pump can be determined based on the pump's energy consumption (i.e., power consumption) or the system resistance. For example, a curve can be obtained showing the relationship between the pump's energy consumption and the valve opening. Within this curve, the region where the pump's energy consumption is less than or equal to the preset energy consumption is called the preset high-efficiency operating range, and the minimum valve opening value within this range is taken as the preset minimum opening value. Alternatively, a curve can be obtained showing the relationship between the system resistance and the valve opening. Within this curve, the region where the system resistance is less than or equal to the preset resistance is called the preset high-efficiency operating range, and the minimum valve opening value within this range is taken as the preset minimum opening value.

[0064] The relationship between valve opening and pump energy consumption (or system resistance) is not a simple linear one. When the valve opening is large, the local resistance of the valve is relatively small. At this time, the system resistance mainly comes from fixed components such as pipe friction, elbows, and heat exchangers. Closing the valve slightly does not significantly increase the system resistance or the pump's energy consumption. When the valve opening is small, the valve itself becomes the main source of resistance in the system. In this case, even a slight decrease in the valve opening will cause its local resistance to rise sharply, leading to a surge in system resistance and a sharp increase in pump energy consumption. The aforementioned preset high-efficiency operating region is the area where changes in valve opening have little impact on system resistance and pump energy consumption. The aforementioned preset minimum opening is the critical opening value between the areas where changes in valve opening have little impact on system resistance and pump energy consumption and the areas where changes in valve opening have a significant impact on system resistance and pump energy consumption.

[0065] For example, the preset minimum opening can be 68% or 70%, etc.

[0066] In this embodiment, the preset minimum opening is set as the minimum opening value of the valve when the water pump operates in the preset high-efficiency operating range. This ensures that the valve always operates in a range that has little impact on system resistance and water pump energy consumption, thereby maintaining the water pump at the cold source end in a low-energy-consumption state while ensuring the terminal regulation capability.

[0067] In some embodiments, in S203, controlling the opening of the valves of each CDU to adjust itself so that the absolute value of the difference between the actual value and the target value of the secondary side liquid supply temperature of each CDU is less than or equal to a second preset difference includes: The primary side valve adjustment command is issued to each CDU. The primary side valve adjustment command is used to instruct each CDU to obtain the first actual value of the secondary side liquid supply temperature. When the difference between the first actual value and the target value is greater than the third preset difference, the opening of its own valve is increased. When the difference between the target value and the first actual value is greater than the third preset difference, the opening of its own valve is decreased until the absolute value of the difference between the re-obtained first actual value and the target value is less than or equal to the second preset difference. The second preset difference is less than or equal to the third preset difference.

[0068] In this embodiment, a primary valve adjustment command is sent to each CDU, and the primary valve adjustment command controls each CDU to adjust the opening of its own valve, so that the absolute value of the difference between the actual value and the target value of the secondary side liquid supply temperature of each CDU is less than or equal to a second preset difference. After receiving a primary-side valve adjustment command, the CDU obtains the actual value of its current secondary-side liquid supply temperature, which is referred to as the first actual value. It then calculates the difference between the first actual value and the target value. If this difference is greater than a third preset difference, it indicates that the actual secondary-side liquid supply temperature is too high. In this case, the opening of its primary-side valve can be increased to increase the heat exchange between the primary and secondary pipelines, thereby lowering the actual secondary-side liquid supply temperature until the absolute value of the difference between the re-obtained first actual value and the target value is less than or equal to a second preset difference. Otherwise, the CDU calculates the difference between the target value and the first actual value. If this difference is greater than a third preset difference, it indicates that the actual secondary-side liquid supply temperature is too low. In this case, the opening of its primary-side valve can be decreased to reduce the heat exchange between the primary and secondary pipelines, thereby increasing the actual secondary-side liquid supply temperature until the absolute value of the difference between the re-obtained first actual value and the target value is less than or equal to a second preset difference. If neither of the above conditions is met, the opening of the primary-side valve remains unchanged.

[0069] The opening degree of both increasing and decreasing the valve can be adjusted according to a preset step size. The size of the preset step size can be set according to actual needs and is not specifically limited here. In some possible implementations, the preset step size can be dynamically changed, and it can be positively correlated with the absolute value of the difference between the first actual value and the target value. The larger the absolute value, the larger the preset step size; the smaller the absolute value, the smaller the preset step size.

[0070] The aforementioned third preset difference serves as the action trigger threshold. When the absolute value of the difference between the first actual value and the target value is greater than the third preset difference, it indicates that the current secondary-side liquid supply temperature has deviated from the acceptable range. Valve regulation must be initiated to adjust the secondary-side liquid supply temperature to prevent the system from responding to minor, meaningless fluctuations and to avoid frequent valve actuation (reducing wear and oscillation). The third preset difference essentially defines a valve regulation dead zone. The second preset difference is the threshold for completed regulation. When the absolute value of the difference between the first actual value and the target value is less than or equal to the second preset difference, the CDU valve regulation is considered complete to achieve satisfactory accuracy. The purpose of setting the second preset difference is to ensure that the CDU ultimately reaches a stable state that is higher and more precise than the required regulation boundary. The second preset difference defines a more stringent stability target zone.

[0071] In this embodiment, a third preset difference is set to be greater than or equal to a second preset difference, which is equivalent to setting a buffer or hysteresis band. When the absolute value of the difference between the first actual value and the target value is greater than the third preset difference, the valve opening is adjusted to bring the secondary side liquid supply temperature back down until the absolute value is less than or equal to the second preset difference. Only then is the adjustment considered complete, at which point the secondary side liquid supply temperature has stabilized in a region closer to the target value. Even if a small disturbance occurs, the temperature deviation will still be less than the third preset difference, so no new adjustment action will be triggered. This greatly enhances the system's anti-interference capability and stability, and extends the valve's lifespan.

[0072] For example, the first preset difference can be in the range of 1 to 1.5 degrees, the third preset difference can be in the range of 0.4 to 0.6 degrees, and the second preset difference can be in the range of 0.2 to 0.3 degrees.

[0073] It should be noted that when the CDU adjusts its own valve, the valve opening must be greater than or equal to the preset minimum opening.

[0074] In some embodiments, after issuing the primary valve adjustment command to each CDU as described above, the method further includes: If, after the first preset time period, the absolute value of the difference between the first actual value and the target value of at least one CDU is still greater than the second preset difference, or if the absolute value of the difference between the first actual value and the target value of at least one CDU is still greater than the second preset difference when the valve opening of at least one CDU is adjusted to the preset minimum opening, then the process will continue to proceed to the step of keeping the valve opening of each CDU unchanged and adjusting the speed of the water pump so that the absolute value of the difference between the maximum value and the target value is less than or equal to the first preset difference.

[0075] After the primary valve adjustment command is issued to each CDU, after a certain period of time, namely the first preset time, it is checked whether each CDU has been adjusted to the correct position. Specifically, it can be checked whether the absolute value of the difference between the first actual value and the target value reacquired by each CDU is greater than a second preset difference, and whether there is at least one CDU whose valve opening is adjusted to the preset minimum opening, and the absolute value of the difference between the first actual value and the target value of that CDU is still greater than the second preset difference. If at least one CDU has any of the above conditions, it means that the CDU adjustment is not in place. However, at this time, it is impossible to adjust to the correct position by adjusting the valve of the CDU alone. The process can be skipped to step S202 to perform global adjustment again, that is, to adjust the speed of the water pump. If all CDUs do not meet the above two conditions, it means that the CDU adjustment is in place. At this time, the current state can be maintained for steady-state operation.

[0076] The value of the first preset duration can be set according to actual needs, and no specific restrictions are imposed here.

[0077] This application defines a protective switching mechanism for timeout and insufficient capacity. When the local valve adjustment fails to converge for an extended period or the adjustment means (minimum opening) are exhausted and still cannot achieve the target, the system automatically switches back to the global water pump adjustment mode. This improves the robustness of the liquid cooling system and ensures that the system can fall back to a more macroscopic control level under any abnormal conditions, preventing local failures from spreading into global problems.

[0078] In some embodiments, after controlling the opening degree of the valves that regulate the secondary side supply temperature of each CDU to make the absolute value of the difference between the actual value and the target value of the secondary side supply temperature of each CDU less than or equal to a second preset difference, the method further includes: Obtain the minimum and maximum values ​​of the second actual values ​​of the secondary side liquid supply temperature for each CDU; Obtain the first actual rate of change of the secondary side liquid supply temperature of each CDU; Obtain the second actual rate of change of the primary side supply temperature of each CDU; If the difference between the target value and the minimum value is greater than or equal to the fourth preset difference, the difference between the maximum value and the target value is greater than or equal to the fourth preset difference, the absolute value of the first actual change rate of at least one CDU is greater than the first preset change rate, the absolute value of the second actual change rate of at least one CDU is greater than the second preset change rate, or, after the second preset time, the process jumps to the step of keeping the valve opening of each CDU unchanged, adjusting the pump speed, and making the absolute value of the difference between the maximum value and the target value less than or equal to the first preset difference, and continues to execute.

[0079] After controlling the opening of the valves regulating each CDU to ensure that the absolute value of the difference between the actual value and the target value of the secondary side liquid supply temperature of each CDU is less than or equal to a second preset difference, it is also necessary to continuously monitor the status of the liquid cooling system and make adjustments as needed when significant fluctuations occur. For example, changes in load may cause a sudden rise or fall in the secondary side liquid supply temperature.

[0080] Specifically, the minimum and maximum values ​​of the second actual values ​​of the secondary-side liquid supply temperature of each CDU can be continuously monitored. Specifically, it monitors whether the difference between the target value and the minimum value is greater than or equal to a fourth preset difference, and whether the difference between the maximum value and the target value is greater than or equal to the fourth preset difference, to monitor whether the secondary-side liquid supply temperature of each CDU has changed significantly. It can also monitor the current actual rate of change of the secondary-side liquid supply temperature of each CDU (i.e., the first actual rate of change), and the current actual rate of change of the primary-side liquid supply temperature of each CDU (i.e., the second actual rate of change). Specifically, it monitors whether the absolute value of the first actual rate of change of at least one CDU is greater than the first preset rate of change, and whether the absolute value of the second actual rate of change of at least one CDU is greater than the second preset rate of change, to monitor whether the rate of change of the secondary-side and primary-side liquid supply temperatures of each CDU is too fast. If any of the above conditions exist, or if the timing period (i.e., the second preset duration) is exceeded, the process jumps to step S202 to continue execution.

[0081] The fourth preset difference can be greater than the second preset difference.

[0082] The fourth preset difference, the first preset rate of change, the second preset rate of change, and the second preset duration can all be values ​​greater than 0. The specific values ​​can be set according to actual needs, and no specific restrictions are imposed here.

[0083] The first actual rate of change of the secondary side liquid supply temperature is the rate of change of the current secondary side liquid supply temperature over time, and the second actual rate of change of the primary side liquid supply temperature is the rate of change of the current primary side liquid supply temperature over time. The units are ℃ / s or ℃ / min, etc.

[0084] It should be noted that, in order to distinguish the actual values ​​of the secondary side liquid supply temperature of the CDU at different times, this application uses the first actual value and the second actual value to differentiate them.

[0085] This application's embodiments construct a multi-dimensional steady-state monitoring and triggering mechanism. By simultaneously monitoring the distribution of extreme temperature values, the rate of temperature change (first derivative), and the time period, the system can more sensitively detect potential unstable trends or external disturbances. This design is superior to designs that rely solely on absolute temperature values, enabling proactive intervention and early control to prevent the system from entering a runaway state.

[0086] In some embodiments, before controlling the opening of the valves of all CDUs to a preset maximum opening, the method further includes: If, after the water pump speed is maintained at the preset minimum speed for a third preset time, the secondary side liquid supply temperature of at least one CDU is still not within the preset temperature range, then the valves of each CDU are controlled to operate in the first operating mode, and in the first operating mode, the step of controlling the opening of the valves of all CDUs to the preset maximum opening is continued; otherwise, the valves of each CDU are controlled to operate in the second operating mode. In the second operating mode, if the valve opening of each CDU does not reach the preset maximum opening and the valve opening setting value is not adjusted within the fourth preset time period, the valve opening setting value is increased by the preset opening value to obtain the updated opening setting value. The updated opening setting value is then sent to each CDU. The updated opening setting value is used to instruct each CDU to adjust the opening of its respective valve to the updated opening setting value.

[0087] The preset minimum speed can be either the lower mechanical speed limit of the water pump, i.e., the lowest speed the water pump can maintain, or a preset safe speed range for the water pump, where the preset minimum speed is the lowest speed value within that preset safe speed range. Both the preset minimum speed and the preset safe speed range can be set according to actual needs, and no specific restrictions are imposed here.

[0088] The preset temperature range can be the temperature range from the lowest temperature value obtained by subtracting the second preset difference from the target value to the highest temperature value obtained by adding the second preset difference to the target value, that is, the temperature range that meets the load cooling requirements.

[0089] Maintaining the water pump speed at a preset minimum speed indicates that the water pump provides the minimum global cooling capacity. If, within a third preset time period, the water pump speed remains at the preset minimum speed, but the secondary side liquid supply temperature of at least one CDU still fails to meet the standard (i.e., is outside the preset temperature range), it indicates a mismatch between local adjustment and the current global cooling capacity. In other words, the valve opening of each CDU is not matched with the cooling capacity represented by the lower limit of the water pump speed. This means that the overheating problem cannot be solved while maintaining the minimum energy consumption (water pump maintaining the preset minimum speed). In this case, the liquid cooling system can be controlled to operate in the first operating mode, i.e., the water pump speed and the valve opening of each CDU can be adjusted according to the method in the aforementioned embodiment to achieve a balance between energy saving and load cooling.

[0090] If the above conditions are not met, the liquid cooling system will operate in the second operating mode. In the second operating mode, if the opening degree of the primary side valves of all CDUs reaches the preset maximum opening degree, the adjustment of the valve opening degree will end. If the valve opening degree of each CDU does not reach the preset maximum opening degree, the valve opening degree can continue to be adjusted to reduce system resistance and save energy.

[0091] In the second operating mode, when adjusting the valve opening, it first checks whether the valve opening setting has not been adjusted within the fourth preset time period. If so, it indicates that the valves of each CDU have been running stably at the current opening for the fourth preset time period, which meets the load cooling requirements and has the potential for further optimization. In this stable state, energy consumption optimization can be further performed, i.e., reducing system resistance and saving energy. Therefore, the valve opening setting can be increased by a preset opening to obtain an updated opening setting, and the updated opening setting is sent to each CDU, so that each CDU adjusts its valve opening to the updated opening setting. By increasing the valve opening, resistance is reduced and energy is saved. In the second operating mode, the above process will be repeated until the valve opening of each CDU reaches the preset maximum opening or fails to meet the load cooling requirements, which will trigger the pump speed adjustment logic (see subsequent embodiments for details).

[0092] The values ​​of the fourth preset duration and preset opening can be set according to actual needs, and no specific restrictions are imposed here.

[0093] In this embodiment, when the liquid cooling system can no longer maintain the minimum energy consumption to solve the overheating problem, the control system operates in the first operating mode to achieve a balance between energy saving and load cooling. Otherwise, the control system operates in the second operating mode, and through a wait-step gradual approach, it systematically reduces the pipeline resistance and saves energy while ensuring system stability.

[0094] In some embodiments, after controlling the valves of each CDU to operate in the second operating mode, the method further includes: In the second operating mode, the highest and lowest supply liquid temperatures are obtained from the third actual values ​​of the secondary side supply liquid temperature of each CDU. Obtain the dew point temperature and determine the sum of the dew point temperature and the preset temperature to obtain the anti-condensation safe temperature; If the highest and lowest liquid supply temperatures meet the first condition, then reduce the speed of the water pump; the first condition includes the highest liquid supply temperature being less than the target value, or the lowest liquid supply temperature being less than the anti-condensation safety temperature. If the highest and lowest liquid supply temperatures meet the second condition, then increase the pump speed; the second condition includes that the highest liquid supply temperature is greater than the target value, and the lowest liquid supply temperature is greater than the anti-condensation safety temperature. If the highest and lowest liquid supply temperatures do not meet the first and second conditions, the pump speed shall remain constant.

[0095] The highest liquid supply temperature is the maximum value among the current actual values ​​(i.e., the third actual values) of the secondary side liquid supply temperature of each CDU under the second operating mode; the lowest liquid supply temperature is the minimum value among the current actual values ​​(i.e., the third actual values) of the secondary side liquid supply temperature of each CDU under the second operating mode.

[0096] The dew point temperature is the temperature obtained in the second operating mode. The method for obtaining the dew point temperature is a mature technology in the relevant field and will not be described in detail. The preset temperature is a temperature value greater than 0, such as 2 degrees or 3 degrees.

[0097] Adding a preset temperature to the dew point temperature yields the anti-condensation safety temperature. In other words, if the secondary-side liquid supply temperature is greater than or equal to the anti-condensation safety temperature, condensation can be prevented. The target value in the aforementioned embodiments is greater than or equal to the anti-condensation safety temperature.

[0098] In this embodiment, if the highest liquid supply temperature is lower than the target value, it indicates that the secondary-side liquid supply temperature of each CDU is lower than the target value, meaning the overall temperature is too low. In this case, the pump speed can be reduced to decrease the heat exchange between the secondary-side and primary-side pipelines of each CDU, thereby increasing the secondary-side liquid supply temperature and preventing overcooling. If the lowest liquid supply temperature is lower than the anti-condensation safety temperature, it indicates that at least one CDU is at risk of condensation. In this case, the pump speed can also be reduced to increase the secondary-side liquid supply temperature and prevent condensation. Specifically, the pump speed can be gradually reduced in preset speed increments until the highest and lowest liquid supply temperatures no longer meet the first condition.

[0099] If the highest and lowest supply temperatures do not meet the first condition, then it can be further determined whether the highest and lowest supply temperatures meet the second condition, namely, the highest supply temperature is greater than the target value and the lowest supply temperature is greater than the anti-condensation safety temperature. When the highest and lowest supply temperatures meet the second condition, it indicates that at least one CDU may have an excessively high secondary-side supply temperature, posing an overheating risk, while all CDUs are free from condensation risk. In this case, the pump speed can be increased to increase the heat exchange between the secondary and primary side pipelines of each CDU, thereby reducing the secondary-side supply temperature and preventing overheating. Specifically, the pump speed can be gradually increased according to a preset speed increment until the highest and lowest supply temperatures no longer meet the second condition.

[0100] If neither the highest nor the lowest liquid supply temperature meets the first and second conditions, then the pump speed should remain constant.

[0101] This application embodiment, by simultaneously monitoring the highest and lowest liquid supply temperatures and introducing dew point temperature as a dynamic safety baseline, can ensure that the system can still be automatically maintained within the safe operating window by adjusting the water pump speed even with fixed valve configurations, thus achieving a preliminary balance between safety and energy efficiency.

[0102] It should be understood that the sequence number of each step in the above embodiments does not imply the order of execution. The execution order of each process should be determined by its function and internal logic, and should not constitute any limitation on the implementation process of the embodiments of the present invention.

[0103] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the structure of the cooperative control device for the liquid cooling system provided in an embodiment of the present invention is shown. For ease of explanation, only the parts related to the embodiment of the present invention are shown, and are described in detail below: The liquid cooling system includes a cold source piping system and at least two CDUs connected in parallel; the cold source piping system is equipped with a water pump; the CDU includes secondary side piping and primary side piping connected to the cold source piping system, and the primary side piping is equipped with valves; such as Figure 3 As shown, the collaborative control device 30 of the liquid cooling system includes: a first valve control module 31, a water pump regulating module 32, and a second valve control module 33.

[0104] The first valve control module 31 is used to control the opening degree of all CDU valves to the preset maximum opening degree; The water pump regulating module 32 is used to keep the valve opening of each CDU constant and regulate the speed of the water pump so that the absolute value of the difference between the maximum value and the target value is less than or equal to the first preset difference; the maximum value is the maximum value among the actual values ​​of the secondary side liquid supply temperature of each CDU; the target value is the target value of the secondary side liquid supply temperature of the CDU. The second valve control module 33 is used to keep the pump speed constant and control the opening of the valve of each CDU to adjust itself, so that the absolute value of the difference between the actual value and the target value of the secondary side liquid supply temperature of each CDU is less than or equal to the second preset difference. Among them, when each CDU adjusts the opening of its own valve, it keeps the valve opening greater than or equal to the preset minimum opening; the first preset difference is greater than or equal to the second preset difference.

[0105] In one possible implementation, the preset minimum opening is the minimum opening value of the valve that allows the water pump to operate in a preset high-efficiency operating range.

[0106] In one possible implementation, the second valve control module 33 controls the opening degree of the valves of each CDU to adjust itself, so that the absolute value of the difference between the actual value and the target value of the secondary side liquid supply temperature of each CDU is less than or equal to a second preset difference, including: The primary side valve adjustment command is issued to each CDU. The primary side valve adjustment command is used to instruct each CDU to obtain the first actual value of the secondary side liquid supply temperature. When the difference between the first actual value and the target value is greater than the third preset difference, the opening of its own valve is increased. When the difference between the target value and the first actual value is greater than the third preset difference, the opening of its own valve is decreased until the absolute value of the difference between the re-obtained first actual value and the target value is less than or equal to the second preset difference. The second preset difference is less than or equal to the third preset difference.

[0107] In one possible implementation, the second valve control module 33, after issuing the primary valve adjustment command to each CDU, further includes: If, after the first preset time period, the absolute value of the difference between the first actual value and the target value of at least one CDU is still greater than the second preset difference, or if the absolute value of the difference between the first actual value and the target value of at least one CDU is still greater than the second preset difference when the valve opening of at least one CDU is adjusted to the preset minimum opening, then the process will continue to proceed to the step of keeping the valve opening of each CDU unchanged and adjusting the speed of the water pump so that the absolute value of the difference between the maximum value and the target value is less than or equal to the first preset difference.

[0108] In one possible implementation, after controlling the opening degree of the valves of each CDU to adjust the temperature of the secondary side of each CDU so that the absolute value of the difference between the actual value and the target value of the secondary side liquid supply temperature of each CDU is less than or equal to a second preset difference, the second valve control module 33 further includes: Obtain the minimum and maximum values ​​of the second actual values ​​of the secondary side liquid supply temperature for each CDU; Obtain the first actual rate of change of the secondary side liquid supply temperature of each CDU; Obtain the second actual rate of change of the primary side supply temperature of each CDU; If the difference between the target value and the minimum value is greater than or equal to the fourth preset difference, the difference between the maximum value and the target value is greater than or equal to the fourth preset difference, the absolute value of the first actual change rate of at least one CDU is greater than the first preset change rate, the absolute value of the second actual change rate of at least one CDU is greater than the second preset change rate, or, after the second preset time, the process jumps to the step of keeping the valve opening of each CDU unchanged, adjusting the pump speed, and making the absolute value of the difference between the maximum value and the target value less than or equal to the first preset difference, and continues to execute.

[0109] In one possible implementation, the first valve control module 31, before controlling the opening degree of all CDU valves to the preset maximum opening degree, further includes: If, after the water pump speed is maintained at the preset minimum speed for a third preset time, the secondary side liquid supply temperature of at least one CDU is still not within the preset temperature range, then the valves of each CDU are controlled to operate in the first operating mode, and in the first operating mode, the step of controlling the opening of the valves of all CDUs to the preset maximum opening is continued; otherwise, the valves of each CDU are controlled to operate in the second operating mode. In the second operating mode, if the valve opening of each CDU does not reach the preset maximum opening and the valve opening setting value is not adjusted within the fourth preset time period, the valve opening setting value is increased by the preset opening value to obtain the updated opening setting value. The updated opening setting value is then sent to each CDU. The updated opening setting value is used to instruct each CDU to adjust the opening of its respective valve to the updated opening setting value.

[0110] In one possible implementation, after controlling the valves of each CDU to operate in the second operating mode, the first valve control module 31 further includes: In the second operating mode, the highest and lowest supply liquid temperatures are obtained from the third actual values ​​of the secondary side supply liquid temperature of each CDU. Obtain the dew point temperature and determine the sum of the dew point temperature and the preset temperature to obtain the anti-condensation safe temperature; If the highest and lowest liquid supply temperatures meet the first condition, then reduce the speed of the water pump; the first condition includes the highest liquid supply temperature being less than the target value, or the lowest liquid supply temperature being less than the anti-condensation safety temperature. If the highest and lowest liquid supply temperatures meet the second condition, then increase the pump speed; the second condition includes that the highest liquid supply temperature is greater than the target value, and the lowest liquid supply temperature is greater than the anti-condensation safety temperature. If the highest and lowest liquid supply temperatures do not meet the first and second conditions, the pump speed shall remain constant.

[0111] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the control device provided in an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 4 As shown, the control device 400 in this embodiment includes a processor 40 and a memory 41. The memory 41 stores a computer program 42, and the processor 40 calls and runs the computer program 42 stored in the memory 41 to execute the steps in the above embodiments of the coordinated control method for various liquid cooling systems. Alternatively, the processor 40 calls and runs the computer program 42 stored in the memory 41 to implement the functions of each module / unit in the above embodiments of the devices.

[0112] For example, the computer program 42 may be divided into one or more modules / units, which are stored in the memory 41 and executed by the processor 40 to complete the present invention. The one or more modules / units may be a series of computer program instruction segments capable of performing a specific function, which describe the execution process of the computer program 42 in the control device 400.

[0113] The control device 400 may include, but is not limited to, a processor 40 and a memory 41. Those skilled in the art will understand that... Figure 4 This is merely an example of the control device 400 and does not constitute a limitation on the control device 400. It may include more or fewer components than shown, or combine certain components, or different components. For example, the control device may also include input / output devices, network access devices, buses, etc.

[0114] The processor 40 can be a Central Processing Unit (CPU), or other general-purpose processors, digital signal processors (DSPs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), or other programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic devices, discrete hardware components, etc. The general-purpose processor can be a microprocessor or any conventional processor.

[0115] The memory 41 can be an internal storage unit of the control device 400, such as a hard disk or memory of the control device 400. The memory 41 can also be an external storage device of the control device 400, such as a plug-in hard disk, smart media card (SMC), secure digital (SD) card, flash card, etc., equipped on the control device 400. Furthermore, the memory 41 can include both internal storage units and external storage devices of the control device 400. The memory 41 is used to store the computer program and other programs and data required by the control device. The memory 41 can also be used to temporarily store data that has been output or will be output.

[0116] Corresponding to the control device described above, this embodiment of the invention also provides a liquid cooling system, including a cold source end pipeline, at least two CDUs connected in parallel, and the control device described above; the cold source end pipeline is equipped with a water pump; the CDU includes a secondary side pipeline and a primary side pipeline connected to the cold source end pipeline, and the primary side pipeline is equipped with a valve; Control equipment is used to control water pumps and valves.

[0117] Corresponding to the liquid cooling system described above, this embodiment of the invention also provides a data center, including the liquid cooling system described above.

[0118] For detailed descriptions of the liquid cooling system and data center, please refer to the corresponding descriptions in the foregoing embodiments, which will not be repeated here.

[0119] This application also provides a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program, which, when executed by a processor, implements the steps of any of the above-described collaborative control methods for liquid cooling systems.

[0120] This application also provides a computer program product, including a computer program that, when executed by a processor, implements any of the above-described collaborative control methods for liquid cooling systems.

[0121] Those skilled in the art will clearly understand that, for the sake of convenience and brevity, the above-described division of functional units and modules is merely an example. In practical applications, the above functions can be assigned to different functional units and modules as needed, that is, the internal structure of the device can be divided into different functional units or modules to complete all or part of the functions described above. The functional units and modules in the embodiments can be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit can exist physically separately, or two or more units can be integrated into one unit. The integrated unit can be implemented in hardware or as a software functional unit. Furthermore, the specific names of the functional units and modules are only for easy differentiation and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of this application. The specific working process of the units and modules in the above system can be referred to the corresponding process in the foregoing method embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0122] In the above embodiments, the descriptions of each embodiment have different focuses. For parts that are not described in detail or recorded in a certain embodiment, please refer to the relevant descriptions of other embodiments.

[0123] Those skilled in the art will recognize that the units and algorithm steps of the various examples described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented in electronic hardware, or a combination of computer software and electronic hardware. Whether these functions are implemented in hardware or software depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Those skilled in the art can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementations should not be considered beyond the scope of this invention.

[0124] In the embodiments provided by this invention, it should be understood that the disclosed apparatus / control devices and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the apparatus / control device embodiments described above are merely illustrative. For instance, the division of modules or units is only a logical functional division, and in actual implementation, there may be other division methods. For example, multiple units or components may be combined or integrated into another system, or some features may be ignored or not executed. Furthermore, the coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed may be through some interfaces; the indirect coupling or communication connection between apparatuses or units may be electrical, mechanical, or other forms.

[0125] The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate. The components shown as units may or may not be physical units; that is, they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple network units. Some or all of the units can be selected to achieve the purpose of this embodiment according to actual needs.

[0126] Furthermore, the functional units in the various embodiments of the present invention can be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit can exist physically separately, or two or more units can be integrated into one unit. The integrated unit can be implemented in hardware or as a software functional unit.

[0127] If the integrated module / unit is implemented as a software functional unit and sold or used as an independent product, it can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, all or part of the processes in the above embodiments of the present invention can also be implemented by a computer program instructing related hardware. The computer program can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium, and when executed by a processor, it can implement the steps of the above embodiments of the coordinated control method for various liquid cooling systems. The computer program includes computer program code, which can be in the form of source code, object code, executable files, or certain intermediate forms. The computer-readable medium can include: any entity or device capable of carrying the computer program code, a recording medium, a USB flash drive, a portable hard drive, a magnetic disk, an optical disk, a computer memory, a read-only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), an electrical carrier signal, a telecommunication signal, and a software distribution medium, etc.

[0128] The above-described embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention, and are not intended to limit it. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or equivalent substitutions can be made to some of the technical features. Such modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention, and should all be included within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A cooperative control method for a liquid cooling system, characterized in that, The liquid cooling system includes a cold source end pipeline and at least two CDUs connected in parallel; the cold source end pipeline is equipped with a water pump; the CDU includes a secondary side pipeline and a primary side pipeline connected to the cold source end pipeline, and the primary side pipeline is equipped with a valve; the method includes: Control the opening degree of the valves in all CDUs to the preset maximum opening degree; Keeping the valve opening of each CDU constant, the speed of the water pump is adjusted so that the absolute value of the difference between the maximum value and the target value is less than or equal to a first preset difference; the maximum value is the maximum value among the actual values ​​of the secondary side liquid supply temperature of each CDU; the target value is the target value of the secondary side liquid supply temperature of the CDU. Keeping the pump speed constant, control the opening of the valve of each CDU to adjust itself, so that the absolute value of the difference between the actual value of the secondary side liquid supply temperature of each CDU and the target value is less than or equal to the second preset difference. When each CDU adjusts the opening of its own valve, it maintains the valve opening greater than or equal to a preset minimum opening; the first preset difference is greater than or equal to the second preset difference.

2. The coordinated control method for a liquid cooling system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The preset minimum opening is the minimum opening value of the valve when the water pump operates in the preset high-efficiency operating range.

3. The coordinated control method for a liquid cooling system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The control of each CDU to adjust the opening of its own valve, so that the absolute value of the difference between the actual value of the secondary side liquid supply temperature of each CDU and the target value is less than or equal to a second preset difference, includes: A primary side valve adjustment command is issued to each CDU; the primary side valve adjustment command is used to instruct each CDU to obtain a first actual value of the secondary side liquid supply temperature, and when the difference between the first actual value and the target value is greater than a third preset difference, increase the opening of its own valve, and when the difference between the target value and the first actual value is greater than the third preset difference, decrease the opening of its own valve, until the absolute value of the difference between the re-obtained first actual value and the target value is less than or equal to the second preset difference; Wherein, the second preset difference is less than or equal to the third preset difference.

4. The coordinated control method for a liquid cooling system according to claim 3, characterized in that, After issuing the primary valve adjustment command to each CDU, the process also includes: If, after a first preset time period, the absolute value of the difference between the first actual value and the target value of at least one CDU is still greater than the second preset difference, or if the valve opening of at least one CDU is adjusted to the preset minimum opening and the absolute value of the difference between the first actual value and the target value of that CDU is still greater than the second preset difference, then the process jumps to the step of keeping the valve opening of each CDU unchanged and adjusting the speed of the water pump so that the absolute value of the difference between the maximum value and the target value is less than or equal to the first preset difference.

5. The coordinated control method for a liquid cooling system according to claim 1, characterized in that, After controlling each CDU to adjust the opening of its own valve so that the absolute value of the difference between the actual value of the secondary side liquid supply temperature of each CDU and the target value is less than or equal to a second preset difference, the method further includes: Obtain the minimum and maximum values ​​of the second actual values ​​of the secondary side liquid supply temperature for each CDU; Obtain the first actual rate of change of the secondary side liquid supply temperature of each CDU; Obtain the second actual rate of change of the primary side supply temperature of each CDU; If the difference between the target value and the minimum value is greater than or equal to a fourth preset difference, the difference between the maximum value and the target value is greater than or equal to the fourth preset difference, the absolute value of the first actual change rate of at least one CDU is greater than the first preset change rate, the absolute value of the second actual change rate of at least one CDU is greater than the second preset change rate, or, after a second preset time period, the process jumps to the step of keeping the opening of the valves of each CDU unchanged, adjusting the speed of the water pump, and making the absolute value of the difference between the maximum value and the target value less than or equal to the first preset difference, and continues to be executed.

6. The coordinated control method for a liquid cooling system according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, Before the valves controlling all CDUs are opened to a preset maximum opening, the method further includes: If, after the water pump speed is maintained at the preset minimum speed for a third preset time, the secondary side liquid supply temperature of at least one CDU is still not within the preset temperature range, then the valves of each CDU are controlled to operate in the first operating mode, and in the first operating mode, the step of controlling the opening of the valves of all CDUs to the preset maximum opening is continued; otherwise, the valves of each CDU are controlled to operate in the second operating mode. In the second operating mode, if the valve opening of each CDU does not reach the preset maximum opening and the valve opening setting value is not adjusted within the fourth preset time period, the valve opening setting value is increased by the preset opening value to obtain an updated opening setting value, and the updated opening setting value is sent to each CDU. The updated opening setting value is used to instruct each CDU to adjust the opening of its respective valve to the updated opening setting value.

7. The coordinated control method for a liquid cooling system according to claim 6, characterized in that, After the valves controlling each CDU operate in the second operating mode, the following is also included: In the second operating mode, the highest and lowest supply temperatures are obtained from the third actual values ​​of the secondary side supply temperatures of each CDU. Obtain the dew point temperature and determine the sum of the dew point temperature and the preset temperature to obtain the anti-condensation safety temperature; If the highest liquid supply temperature and the lowest liquid supply temperature meet the first condition, then the speed of the water pump is reduced; the first condition includes the highest liquid supply temperature being less than the target value, or the lowest liquid supply temperature being less than the anti-condensation safety temperature. If the highest liquid supply temperature and the lowest liquid supply temperature meet the second condition, then the speed of the water pump is increased; the second condition includes that the highest liquid supply temperature is greater than the target value, and that the lowest liquid supply temperature is greater than the anti-condensation safety temperature. If the highest liquid supply temperature and the lowest liquid supply temperature do not meet the first condition and the second condition, the pump speed shall remain unchanged.

8. A collaborative control device for a liquid cooling system, characterized in that, The liquid cooling system includes a cold source end pipeline and at least two CDUs connected in parallel; the cold source end pipeline is equipped with a water pump; the CDU includes a secondary side pipeline and a primary side pipeline connected to the cold source end pipeline, and the primary side pipeline is equipped with a valve; the device includes: The first valve control module is used to control the opening degree of the valves of all CDUs to the preset maximum opening degree; The water pump regulating module is used to keep the opening degree of the valves of each CDU constant and regulate the speed of the water pump so that the absolute value of the difference between the maximum value and the target value is less than or equal to a first preset difference; the maximum value is the maximum value among the actual values ​​of the secondary side liquid supply temperature of each CDU; the target value is the target value of the secondary side liquid supply temperature of the CDU. The second valve control module is used to keep the speed of the water pump constant and control each CDU to adjust the opening of its own valve so that the absolute value of the difference between the actual value of the secondary side liquid supply temperature of each CDU and the target value is less than or equal to the second preset difference. When each CDU adjusts the opening of its own valve, it maintains the valve opening greater than or equal to a preset minimum opening; the first preset difference is greater than or equal to the second preset difference.

9. A liquid cooling system, characterized in that, It includes a cold source end pipeline, at least two CDUs connected in parallel, and control equipment; the cold source end pipeline is equipped with a water pump; the CDU includes a secondary side pipeline and a primary side pipeline connected to the cold source end pipeline, and the primary side pipeline is equipped with a valve; The control device employs the collaborative control method of the liquid cooling system as described in any one of claims 1 to 7 to control the water pump and the valve.

10. A data center, characterized in that, Includes the liquid cooling system as described in claim 9.

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