A power-optimized cooling control method and liquid-cooled cooling distribution unit

Abstract

This invention relates to the field of cooling control technology, and provides a cooling control method and liquid-cooled distribution unit based on power consumption optimization. The liquid-cooled distribution unit includes a cooling medium loop, a two-phase flow circulation loop, a plate heat exchanger, an embedded peak-shaving unit, and an adaptive pressure-building device. The two-phase flow circulation loop is used to connect the liquid-cooled plates. The plate heat exchanger cools the two-phase flow refrigerant in the two-phase flow circulation loop through an external cold source. The adaptive pressure-building device adjusts the return flow rate of the refrigerant to the liquid storage device according to the pump inlet and outlet pressure difference of the pump group, so as to solve the problem of flow interruption in the two-phase flow during the initial start-up under preset low temperature conditions. The embedded peak-shaving unit is used to eliminate the heat dissipation bottleneck under preset high temperature conditions. Under the condition of adopting a two-phase cooling scheme, this invention helps to avoid the technical problems of insufficient cooling capacity of the liquid-cooled distribution unit under high temperature conditions and the inability of the two-phase flow circulation loop to provide normal cooling during the initial start-up under low temperature conditions.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of cooling control technology, and in particular to a liquid-cooled cooling distribution unit and a cooling control method based on power consumption optimization. Background Technology

[0002] With the development of high-power-density computing such as cloud computing and artificial intelligence, liquid cooling technology for servers has become the mainstream solution for cooling and heat dissipation in data centers. The liquid cooling distribution unit (CDU) is the core component of the cooling system, which typically uses plate heat exchangers to cool the coolant flowing to the liquid cooling plates by utilizing the natural cold source provided by outdoor dry coolers or cooling towers.

[0003] However, existing CDU systems face the technical challenge of operating under high-temperature conditions (especially extreme high temperatures): 1. Insufficient heat dissipation in high-temperature (especially extreme high-temperature) weather: In hot summer weather, the cooling capacity of outdoor dry coolers or cooling towers decreases significantly, causing the coolant supply temperature of the liquid cooling plate to be unable to meet the heat dissipation requirements of the liquid cooling plate, resulting in the risk of equipment overheating.

[0004] 2. Over-design and high costs: To ensure normal operation even in infrequent high-temperature weather (especially the extremely rare extreme high-temperature weather), traditional design methods must select the capacity of dry coolers or cooling towers based on the historical highest ambient temperature to ensure sufficient cooling capacity. This results in the equipment being underpowered in most normal weather conditions, causing unnecessary increases in initial investment costs and floor space.

[0005] 3. Backup solutions are uneconomical: A common backup solution is to configure a separate full-capacity chiller unit for the entire system. However, this system is complex, requires a large initial investment, and is completely idle when natural cooling is available, making it uneconomical.

[0006] Two-phase cooling achieves heat exchange through a phase change process involving heat absorption during liquid vaporization and heat release during condensation. The latent heat released significantly exceeds the sensible heat of a single-phase fluid, allowing two-phase cooling to remove more heat at the same flow rate. Simultaneously, the phase change generates bubbles that violently disturb the fluid boundary layer, significantly enhancing heat transfer, resulting in a higher heat transfer coefficient than single-phase convective heat transfer. Therefore, to improve the heat transfer performance of liquid-cooled distribution units, our research team investigated the use of two-phase cooling instead of single-phase coolant for the liquid cooling plates in these units, achieving better cooling results. However, our research team further discovered that when the liquid cooling distribution unit provides two-phase cooling to the liquid cooling plate to compensate for the insufficient effect of single-phase cooling and improve the heat dissipation performance of the liquid cooling distribution unit under high temperature weather (especially extreme high temperature weather), a new technical problem arises: at low ambient temperature, the liquid pump frequently stops flowing during the initial startup of the two-phase flow circulation loop, resulting in the two-phase flow circulation loop not being able to provide enough refrigerant. Therefore, it is difficult to use the two-phase flow circulation loop to cool the liquid cooling plate at the initial startup. It is necessary to wait for the system to gradually run until the liquid pump stoppage phenomenon is resolved before the two-phase flow circulation loop can resume normal cooling of the liquid cooling plate. However, this waiting process usually takes tens of minutes to more than an hour, which seriously interferes with the timeliness and continuity of heat dissipation in the data center.

[0007] Therefore, there is an urgent need to propose a liquid cooling distribution unit solution that, under the condition of adopting a two-phase cooling scheme, can both ensure heat dissipation safety under high-temperature conditions and quickly resolve the situation where the two-phase flow circulation loop cannot provide normal cooling during the initial startup in low-temperature environments. Summary of the Invention

[0008] The main objective of this invention is to provide a liquid-cooled cooling distribution unit and a cooling control method based on power consumption optimization, aiming to solve the technical problems that the liquid-cooled cooling distribution unit has insufficient cooling capacity under high-temperature conditions when using a two-phase cooling scheme, while the use of a two-phase cooling medium will cause the two-phase flow circulation loop to fail to provide normal cooling in the initial stage of startup under low-temperature conditions.

[0009] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides a liquid-cooled distribution unit comprising a cooling medium circuit, a two-phase flow circulation circuit, a plate heat exchanger, an embedded peak-shaving unit, and an adaptive pressure-building device; the cooling medium circuit is used to obtain an external cold source; the two-phase flow circulation circuit is used to connect the liquid cooling plate for phase change cooling of the equipment to be cooled; the plate heat exchanger is disposed between the cooling medium circuit and the two-phase flow circulation circuit to perform heat exchange cooling on the two-phase flow refrigerant in the two-phase flow circulation circuit through the external cold source; The two-phase flow circulation loop includes an inlet pipe and an outlet pipe for circulating the refrigerant; the inlet pipe is connected to the refrigerant inlet of the plate heat exchanger, and the outlet pipe is connected sequentially from the refrigerant outlet of the plate heat exchanger to the liquid storage device, the pump set and the refrigerant distribution unit; the refrigerant distribution unit is used to connect to the inlet of the liquid cooling plate, and the inlet of the inlet pipe is used to connect to the outlet of the liquid cooling plate; the liquid storage device is provided with a reflux port; The adaptive pressure build-up device includes a bypass pipeline, an electrically controlled valve, an inlet pressure detection unit for detecting the pumping pressure of the pump set, and an outlet pressure detection unit for detecting the pumping pressure of the pump set. One end of the bypass pipeline is connected to the return port of the liquid storage device, and the other end is connected to the outlet of the pump set. The electrically controlled valve is used to adjust the return flow rate of the refrigerant to the liquid storage device according to the pumping pressure difference between the pump set, so as to solve the problem of flow interruption in the initial stage of two-phase flow under preset low temperature conditions. The embedded peak-shaving unit is embedded in parallel and integrated into the piping between the pump unit and the refrigerant distribution unit in the two-phase flow circulation loop. The embedded peak-shaving unit includes a compressor, condenser, expansion valve and evaporator connected in sequence. The condenser is connected in parallel to the cooling medium loop and the evaporator is connected in parallel to the two-phase flow circulation loop. The embedded peak-shaving unit is used to condense the refrigerant in the embedded peak-shaving unit by using an external cold source through the condenser and to cool the refrigerant through the evaporator, so as to relieve the heat dissipation bottleneck under the preset high temperature conditions.

[0010] Optionally, the two-phase flow circulation loop also includes a phase change enhancement component; the phase change enhancement component is disposed between the refrigerant outlet and the liquid storage device; the phase change enhancement component includes a microchannel subcooling device, the microchannel subcooling device having a microchannel structure inside for heat dissipation of the refrigerant.

[0011] Optionally, the phase change enhancement component also includes a fan module for air cooling the microchannel subcooling device.

[0012] Optionally, the cooling medium circuit includes a cold storage device, a first flow detection unit, a first flow regulation unit, and a first valve device connected in sequence, wherein the first valve device includes a second flow regulation unit and a third flow regulation unit connected in parallel; The two-phase flow circulation loop also includes a second flow detection unit and a second valve device connected sequentially between the pump unit and the refrigerant distribution unit. The second valve device includes a fourth flow regulating unit and a fifth flow regulating unit connected in parallel. The first heat exchange tube of the plate heat exchanger is connected between the first flow regulating unit and the first valve device, and the second heat exchange tube of the plate heat exchanger is connected between the refrigerant inlet and the refrigerant outlet. The condenser is connected in parallel to the cooling medium circuit through the third flow regulating unit, and the evaporator is connected in parallel to the two-phase flow circulation circuit through the fourth flow regulating unit. The embedded peak-shaving unit is used to condense the refrigerant using the external cold source flowing through the third flow regulating unit, and to cool the refrigerant flowing through the fourth flow regulating unit through the evaporator.

[0013] Optionally, the liquid cooling distribution unit includes multiple two-phase flow circulation loops, each of which is installed as an air conditioning module in the server rack, and each air conditioning module is correspondingly embedded with an embedded peak-shaving unit.

[0014] Optionally, the liquid cooling distribution unit includes multiple cold storage devices, each of which is used to obtain external cold sources.

[0015] Alternatively, the cold storage device may be a dry cooler or a cooling tower.

[0016] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention also provides a power-optimized cooling control method, which applies the liquid-cooled cooling distribution unit to cool the device to be cooled; the method includes the following steps: The cooling medium circuit and the two-phase flow circulation circuit are activated according to the start signal; The system acquires ambient temperature, refrigerant supply temperature of the two-phase flow circulation loop, and pump head to formulate a collaborative control strategy for power consumption optimization. This strategy enables the cooling medium loop, two-phase flow circulation loop, embedded peak-shaving unit, and adaptive pressure-building device to work together to achieve the power consumption optimization operation goals of heat dissipation and supplemental cooling under preset high-temperature conditions and rapid cooling of the two-phase flow circulation loop under preset low-temperature conditions. The pump head is calculated using the pressure difference between the pump outlet pressure detection unit and the pump inlet pressure detection unit. When the control strategy is a low temperature control strategy, the adaptive pressure building device is activated to open the bypass pipeline, and the first release signal of the low temperature control strategy is triggered according to the pump head, and the adaptive pressure building device is shut down according to the first release signal. When the control strategy is a high-temperature control strategy, the embedded peak-shaving unit is activated to condense the refrigerant in the embedded peak-shaving unit using an external cold source through the condenser, and to cool the refrigerant in the two-phase flow circulation loop through the evaporator. The second release signal of the high-temperature control strategy is triggered according to the ambient temperature and the refrigerant supply temperature of the two-phase flow circulation loop, and the embedded peak-shaving unit is shut down according to the second release signal.

[0017] Optionally, the step of obtaining the ambient temperature, the refrigerant supply temperature of the two-phase flow circulation loop, and the pump head to formulate a power consumption optimization collaborative control strategy includes: When the ambient temperature is within the set temperature range and the refrigerant supply temperature of the two-phase flow circulation loop does not exceed the second set threshold, the set default control strategy is adopted. The set temperature range is between the first set threshold and the third set threshold, and the first set threshold is greater than the third set threshold. When high temperature control conditions are met, a high temperature control strategy is adopted; wherein, the high temperature control conditions include: the ambient temperature exceeds the first set threshold, the refrigerant supply temperature of the two-phase flow circulation loop exceeds the second set threshold, and the load fluctuation of the equipment to be cooled reaches at least one of the peak shaving control conditions. When the ambient temperature is lower than the low temperature control threshold and the pump head is lower than the set head, a low temperature control strategy is adopted, wherein the low temperature control threshold is less than the third set threshold.

[0018] Optionally, the two-phase flow circulation loop further includes a phase change enhancement component; the phase change enhancement component is disposed between the refrigerant outlet and the liquid storage device; the phase change enhancement component includes a microchannel subcooling device, the microchannel subcooling device having a microchannel structure inside for heat dissipation of the refrigerant; the phase change enhancement component also includes a fan module for air cooling the microchannel subcooling device. The method further includes: Detect the refrigerant inlet temperature of the plate heat exchanger; The control signal for the fan module is generated based on the refrigerant inlet temperature of the plate heat exchanger.

[0019] The liquid-cooled distribution unit in this invention, through the coordinated structural design of the cooling medium loop, two-phase flow circulation loop, plate heat exchanger, embedded peak-shaving unit, and adaptive pressure-building device, effectively solves the technical problems of insufficient cooling capacity of the liquid-cooled distribution unit under high-temperature conditions when using a two-phase cooling scheme, and the inability of the two-phase flow circulation loop to provide normal cooling during the initial start-up in low-temperature environments. It has the following significant beneficial effects: 1. This invention uses an adaptive pressure-building device to monitor the pressure difference between the pump inlet and outlet in real time, and adjusts the refrigerant return flow through a bypass pipeline. This allows for rapid establishment of the head in the two-phase flow circulation loop under low-temperature two-phase flow conditions. It eliminates the need for prolonged system stabilization during startup, preventing cavitation damage to the liquid pump due to flow interruption. This enables the two-phase flow circulation loop of the liquid-cooled distribution unit to provide cooling immediately upon startup in low-temperature environments, significantly shortening startup time and improving the data center's heat dissipation response speed and operational reliability. Simultaneously, this invention embeds a peak-shaving unit between the pump outlet and the refrigerant distribution unit, directly assisting in cooling the two-phase refrigerant through the evaporator. When the ambient temperature exceeds the conventional design range or the natural cooling source is insufficient, the embedded peak-shaving unit can promptly supplement cooling, effectively eliminating high-temperature heat dissipation bottlenecks and ensuring that the server maintains its allowable temperature range even in extreme weather conditions, avoiding the risk of overheating. Therefore, this invention, based on a two-phase cooling solution, not only ensures heat dissipation safety under high-temperature conditions but also quickly resolves the issue of the two-phase flow circulation loop failing to provide normal cooling during the initial startup phase in low-temperature environments.

[0020] 2. By utilizing the strong heat transfer characteristics of the vaporization and heat absorption of two-phase refrigerant, and combining microchannel subcooling and air-cooled enhanced structure, the heat dissipation capacity of the refrigerant can be significantly improved under the same flow rate, reducing the power consumption of the pump group, improving the overall heat exchange efficiency, and achieving energy saving and consumption reduction.

[0021] 3. This invention replaces the traditional design approach of fully equipping dry coolers / cooling towers based on high temperatures (especially extreme high temperatures) with embedded peak-shaving units. This eliminates the need for ultra-large capacity selection based on historical high temperatures (especially extreme high temperatures), thereby reducing initial equipment investment, floor space, and maintenance costs. Under normal weather conditions, it avoids the problem of over-equipped systems, improving system operating economy and reducing equipment idle time.

[0022] 4. The embedded peak-shaving unit and adaptive pressure-building device are both integrated into the CDU body, without increasing the complexity of the external system or requiring a separate backup chiller unit, thus simplifying the system structure and facilitating installation and construction. Furthermore, through a unified cooling medium loop and two-phase flow circulation loop design, the modules work together for coordinated control, making maintenance clear and efficient.

[0023] 5. The structure of this invention can automatically switch control strategies (low temperature control strategy / high temperature control strategy) according to ambient temperature, refrigerant supply temperature and pump pressure difference, achieving full-condition self-adaptation. The system can operate efficiently at room temperature using natural cooling sources, and automatically adjusts peak loads or builds up pressure under high / low temperature conditions, making overall operation control more precise and energy consumption more optimized.

[0024] 6. Because this invention can ensure rapid and stable startup at low temperatures and continuous heat dissipation under high-temperature conditions, and has a simplified and less redundant system structure, it can significantly improve the availability, continuity and reliability of data center cooling systems, providing key guarantees for stable server operation.

[0025] Therefore, this invention can respond rapidly under various operating conditions such as insufficient external cold source, surge in server load, high temperature weather, and low temperature conditions, providing precise cooling supplementation and minimizing the risk of overheating of the equipment to be cooled (e.g., IT equipment). Since the embedded peak-shaving unit serves as a reliable means of heat load peak shaving, the cold storage device (e.g., a dry cooler or cooling tower) can be selected and designed based on normal temperature conditions without over-designing for extreme peak temperatures (e.g., rare high temperatures or extreme heat weather). This directly reduces the size, capacity, and footprint of the entire cooling medium loop, significantly lowering the overall initial investment of the system. The embedded peak-shaving unit operates only at a few times when the external cold source capacity is insufficient, fully utilizing free natural cooling for most of the year, thus achieving extremely low annual average energy consumption. Furthermore, the embedded peak-shaving unit can be highly integrated within or near the liquid cooling distribution unit, eliminating the need for a separate large backup cooling room and saving valuable space resources in the data center. Attached Figure Description

[0026] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the liquid cooling distribution unit structure in this invention (adaptive pressure building device not shown). Figure 2 This is a flowchart of the first embodiment of the power consumption-optimized cooling control method of the present invention; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a two-phase flow circulation loop in a specific embodiment of the present invention.

[0027] Explanation of icon numbers: 1-Liquid cooling plate; 2-First temperature sensor; 3-Second temperature sensor; 4-Plate heat exchanger; 5-Embedded peak-shaving unit; 6-Cooling medium circuit; 11-Cold storage device; 12-First flow detection unit; 13-First flow regulation unit; 14-Second flow regulation unit; 15-Third flow regulation unit; 16-Second flow detection unit; 17-Fourth flow regulation unit; 18-Fifth flow regulation unit; 21-Inlet pipe; 22-Bypass pipe; 23-Outlet pipe; 25-Liquid storage device; 26-Pump assembly; 27-Refrigerant distribution unit; 28-Filter; 241-Microchannel subcooling device; 242-Fan module; 251-Automatic vent valve; 252-Manual vent valve; 261-Replenishment tank; 262-Replenishment pump; 281-Electrically controlled valve; 282-Pump inlet pressure detection unit; 283-Pump outlet pressure detection unit; 284-First bypass butterfly valve; 285-Second bypass butterfly valve; 291-Inlet leakage detection sensor; 292-Outlet leakage detection sensor; 293-First safety valve; 294-Second safety valve; 295-Return pressure detection unit; 296-Return temperature detection unit; 297-Supply pressure detection unit; 298-Supply temperature detection unit; 31-Compressor; 32-Condenser; 33-Expansion valve; 34-Evaporator; The objectives, features, and advantages of this invention will be further explained in conjunction with the embodiments and with reference to the accompanying drawings. Detailed Implementation

[0028] It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention.

[0029] In the following description, the use of suffixes such as "unit," "component," or "element" to denote elements is solely for the purpose of illustrative purposes and has no specific meaning in itself. Therefore, "unit," "component," or "element" may be used interchangeably.

[0030] Please see Figures 1 to 3The present invention provides a liquid cooling distribution unit comprising a cooling medium circuit 6, a two-phase flow circulation circuit, a plate heat exchanger 4, an embedded peak-shaving unit 5, and an adaptive pressure-building device; the cooling medium circuit 6 is used to obtain an external cold source; the two-phase flow circulation circuit is used to connect the liquid cooling plate 1 to perform phase change cooling on the equipment to be cooled; the plate heat exchanger 4 is disposed between the cooling medium circuit 6 and the two-phase flow circulation circuit to perform heat exchange cooling on the two-phase flow refrigerant in the two-phase flow circulation circuit through an external cold source; The two-phase flow circulation loop includes an inlet pipe 21 and an outlet pipe 23 for circulating refrigerant; the inlet pipe 21 is connected to the refrigerant inlet of the plate heat exchanger 4, and the outlet pipe 23 is connected sequentially from the refrigerant outlet of the plate heat exchanger 4 to the liquid storage device 25, the pump group 26 and the refrigerant distribution unit 27. The refrigerant distribution unit 27 is used to connect to the inlet of the liquid cooling plate 1, and the inlet of the inlet pipe 21 is used to connect to the outlet of the liquid cooling plate 1; the liquid storage device 25 is provided with a reflux port; Please see Figure 3 The adaptive pressure building device includes a bypass line 22, an electrically controlled valve 281, an inlet pressure detection unit 282 for detecting the inlet pressure of the pump set 26, and an outlet pressure detection unit 283 for detecting the outlet pressure of the pump set 26. One end of the bypass line 22 is connected to the return port of the liquid storage device 25, and the other end is connected to the outlet of the pump set 26. The electrically controlled valve 281 is used to adjust the return flow rate of the refrigerant to the liquid storage device 25 according to the inlet and outlet pressure difference of the pump set 26, so as to solve the problem of flow interruption in the initial stage of two-phase flow under preset low temperature conditions. Please refer to Figure 1 The embedded peak shaving unit 5 is embedded in parallel and integrated into the pipeline between the pump group 26 and the refrigerant distribution unit 27 in the two-phase flow circulation loop; the embedded peak shaving unit 5 includes a compressor 31, a condenser 32, an expansion valve 33 and an evaporator 34 connected in sequence; the condenser 32 is connected in parallel to the cooling medium circuit 6, and the evaporator 34 is connected in parallel to the two-phase flow circulation loop; the embedded peak shaving unit 5 is used to condense the refrigerant in the embedded peak shaving unit 5 by using an external cold source through the condenser 32, and to cool the refrigerant through the evaporator 34, so as to relieve the heat dissipation bottleneck under the preset high temperature conditions.

[0031] Specifically, the research in this invention revealed that when the ambient temperature is low, the two-phase flow circulation loop cooled by the cooling medium loop experiences a low heat exchange temperature in the plate heat exchanger 4 during the initial startup phase. This results in a pressure difference between the liquid storage device 25 and the outlet of the plate heat exchanger 4, causing insufficient refrigerant output from the plate heat exchanger 4 to the liquid storage device 25. Consequently, insufficient refrigerant in the liquid storage device 25 prevents the pumping pressure of the pump unit 26 from reaching the preset pressure difference, leading to a low head condition for the pump unit 26 and causing pump interruption. Consequently, it cannot provide sufficient refrigerant to the liquid-cooled plate 1. In this situation, the present invention uses an adaptive pressure-building device to open the electronically controlled valve 281, allowing the pumped refrigerant to flow back to the liquid storage device 25 to replenish the refrigerant. This increases the refrigerant flow rate entering the pump unit 26, preventing pump interruption and damage caused by low head. Therefore, it can quickly solve the technical problem of the two-phase flow circulation loop failing to provide normal cooling during the initial startup phase in low-temperature environments. Conversely, when the pump outlet pressure and pump in pressure reach a preset pressure difference, the electronically controlled valve 281 is closed to disconnect the bypass pipeline 22. Therefore, the present invention uses a two-phase flow circulation loop to improve the cooling capacity of the liquid cooling distribution unit under high-temperature conditions, and at the same time solves the technical problem that the two-phase flow circulation loop cannot provide normal cooling for a long time during the initial start-up period under low-temperature conditions, so that the present invention can maintain good cooling performance under high-temperature conditions, low-temperature conditions and normal conditions.

[0032] The liquid-cooled distribution unit in this invention, through the coordinated structural design of the cooling medium circuit 6, the two-phase flow circulation circuit, the plate heat exchanger 4, the embedded peak-shaving unit 5, and the adaptive pressure-building device, effectively solves the technical problem that the liquid-cooled distribution unit has insufficient cooling capacity under high-temperature conditions when using a two-phase cooling scheme, while the two-phase cooling medium can cause the two-phase flow circulation circuit to fail to provide normal cooling during the initial start-up in low-temperature environments. It has the following significant beneficial effects: 1. This invention monitors the pressure difference between the inlet and outlet of pump unit 26 in real time through an adaptive pressure-building device and adjusts the refrigerant return flow through bypass pipe 22. This allows for rapid establishment of the head in the two-phase flow circulation loop under low-temperature two-phase flow conditions. It eliminates the need for prolonged system stabilization during startup, preventing cavitation damage to the liquid pump due to flow interruption. This enables the two-phase flow circulation loop of the liquid cooling distribution unit to provide cooling immediately upon startup in low-temperature environments, significantly shortening startup time and improving the data center's heat dissipation response speed and operational reliability. Simultaneously, this invention embeds a peak-shaving unit between the outlet of pump unit 26 and the refrigerant distribution unit 27, directly assisting in cooling the two-phase refrigerant through evaporator 34. When the ambient temperature exceeds the conventional design range or the natural cooling source is insufficient, the embedded peak-shaving unit can promptly supplement cooling, effectively eliminating high-temperature heat dissipation bottlenecks and ensuring that the server maintains its allowable temperature range even in extreme weather conditions, avoiding overheating risks. Therefore, this invention, based on a two-phase cooling scheme, not only ensures heat dissipation safety under high-temperature conditions but also quickly resolves the issue of the two-phase flow circulation loop failing to provide normal cooling during the initial startup phase in low-temperature environments.

[0033] 2. By utilizing the strong heat transfer characteristics of the vaporization and heat absorption of two-phase refrigerant, and combining microchannel subcooling and air-cooled enhanced structure, the heat dissipation capacity of the refrigerant can be significantly improved under the same flow rate, reducing the power consumption of the pump group, improving the overall heat exchange efficiency, and achieving energy saving and consumption reduction.

[0034] 3. This invention replaces the traditional design method of fully equipping dry coolers / cooling towers based on high temperatures (especially extreme high temperatures) with an embedded peak-shaving unit 5. This eliminates the need for ultra-large capacity selection based on historical high temperatures (especially extreme high temperatures), thereby reducing initial equipment investment, floor space, and operation and maintenance costs. It also avoids the phenomenon of over-equipping under-capacity systems under normal weather conditions, improving system operating economy and reducing equipment idle rates.

[0035] 4. The embedded peak-shaving unit 5 and the adaptive pressure-building device are both integrated into the CDU body, without increasing the complexity of the external system or requiring a separate backup chiller unit, thus simplifying the system structure and facilitating installation and construction. Simultaneously, through a unified cooling medium loop 6 and a two-phase flow circulation loop design, the modules are coordinated for control, making maintenance clear and efficient.

[0036] 5. The structure of this invention can automatically switch control strategies (low temperature control strategy / high temperature control strategy) according to ambient temperature, refrigerant supply temperature and pump pressure difference, achieving full-condition self-adaptation. The system can operate efficiently at room temperature using natural cooling sources, and automatically adjusts peak loads or builds up pressure under high / low temperature conditions, making overall operation control more precise and energy consumption more optimized.

[0037] 6. Because this invention can ensure rapid and stable startup at low temperatures and continuous heat dissipation under high-temperature conditions, and has a simplified and less redundant system structure, it can significantly improve the availability, continuity and reliability of data center cooling systems, providing key guarantees for stable server operation.

[0038] Therefore, this invention can respond quickly under various operating conditions such as insufficient external cold source, surge in server load, high temperature weather, and low temperature conditions, providing precise cooling supplementation and minimizing the risk of overheating of the equipment to be cooled (e.g., IT equipment). Since the embedded peak-shaving unit 5 can serve as a reliable means of heat load peak shaving, the cold storage device 11 (e.g., a dry cooler or cooling tower) can be selected and designed based on normal temperature conditions without over-designing for extreme peak temperatures (e.g., rare high temperatures or extreme heat weather). This directly reduces the size, capacity, and footprint of the entire cooling medium loop 6, significantly reducing the overall initial investment of the system. The embedded peak-shaving unit 5 operates only at a few times when the external cold source capacity is insufficient, making full use of free natural cooling for most of the year, thus achieving extremely low annual average energy consumption. Furthermore, the embedded peak-shaving unit 5 can be highly integrated into or near the liquid cooling distribution unit, eliminating the need for a separate large backup cooling room and saving valuable space resources in the data center.

[0039] In this invention, an external cold source circulates in the cooling medium circuit 6, a two-phase flow refrigerant circulates in the two-phase flow circulation circuit, and a refrigerant circulates in the embedded peak-shaving unit 5. Specifically, this invention is applicable to IT equipment requiring heat dissipation, such as data centers. It is particularly suitable for liquid cooling scenarios requiring high reliability and high energy efficiency. The liquid cooling distribution unit provided by this invention can accurately and efficiently supplement the cooling medium in the two-phase flow circulation loop through the embedded peak-shaving unit 5 when the external cold source is insufficient. At the same time, it helps to reduce the design capacity of the external cold source, thereby balancing system reliability, economy, and energy efficiency.

[0040] The external cold source can be cooling water or other cooling media. When the external cold source is cooling water, the condenser 32 in the embedded peak-shaving unit 5 is a water-cooled condenser.

[0041] The adaptive pressure build-up device is used to open the bypass line 22 when the pump is at a low head to achieve stable pump circulation head operation. Specifically, the pump inlet pressure detection unit 282 detects the pump inlet pressure of the pump unit 26, and the pump outlet pressure detection unit 283 detects the pump outlet pressure of the pump unit 26. When the pump outlet pressure and the pump inlet pressure do not reach the preset pressure difference, it means that there is not enough refrigerant in the liquid storage device 25, and the pump unit 26 is at a low head. At this time, the solenoid valve 281 is opened to allow the pumped refrigerant to flow back to the liquid storage device 25 to replenish the refrigerant, so as to avoid damage to the pump unit 26 due to low head. Conversely, when the pump outlet pressure and the pump inlet pressure reach the preset pressure difference, the solenoid valve 281 is closed to disconnect the bypass line 22.

[0042] Optionally, the bypass line 22 is further equipped with a first bypass butterfly valve 284 and a second bypass butterfly valve 285. The first bypass butterfly valve 284 is located on the inlet side of the electrically controlled valve 281, and the second bypass butterfly valve 285 is located on the outlet side of the electrically controlled valve 281. Specifically, the electrically controlled valve 281 can be an electrically operated two-way valve used to regulate the backflow rate. The bypass butterfly valve is used in the adaptive pressure build-up device to improve maintenance convenience.

[0043] In this invention, the cooling medium circuit 6, the two-phase flow circulation circuit and the embedded peak-shaving unit 5 are independent circulation circuits. Each of these three circulation circuits has a separate cold source input, and each circulation circuit is not connected. The different circulation circuits are in a heat exchange relationship.

[0044] In the embedded peak-shaving unit 5, low-temperature, low-pressure gaseous refrigerant is drawn into the compressor 31. After adiabatic compression, its temperature and pressure rise sharply, becoming a high-temperature, high-pressure superheated gas. The high-temperature, high-pressure refrigerant gas enters the condenser 32, releasing heat and gradually condensing into a medium-temperature, high-pressure liquid refrigerant. The medium-temperature, high-pressure liquid refrigerant flows through the expansion valve 33. Due to the throttling effect, the pressure drops sharply, and some of the liquid refrigerant flashes into gas, with its temperature decreasing accordingly, becoming low-temperature, low-pressure wet vapor. This low-temperature, low-pressure wet vapor enters the evaporator 34, where it absorbs heat from the refrigerant under constant pressure and evaporates, becoming a low-temperature, low-pressure superheated gas, thus completing the refrigeration cycle. Therefore, when the ambient temperature is too high, resulting in insufficient heat dissipation capacity of the cooling medium circuit 6, insufficient cold source storage in the cooling medium circuit 6, or high refrigerant supply temperature in the two-phase flow circulation circuit, the activation of the embedded peak-shaving unit 5 can quickly combine the compressor 31 and external cold source to cool the refrigerant, thereby playing a rapid temperature peak-shaving role for the liquid cooling plate 1 and improving the cooling capacity of the liquid cooling plate 1 for the equipment to be cooled.

[0045] For further details, please refer to... Figure 3 The two-phase flow circulation loop also includes a phase change enhancement component; the phase change enhancement component is disposed between the refrigerant outlet and the liquid storage device 25; the phase change enhancement component includes a microchannel subcooling device 241, and the microchannel subcooling device 241 forms a microchannel structure for heat dissipation of the refrigerant.

[0046] Optionally, the phase change enhancement component also includes a fan module 242 for air cooling the microchannel subcooling device 241.

[0047] This invention utilizes the strong heat transfer characteristics of two-phase refrigerant vaporization and heat absorption, and combines microchannel subcooling and air-cooling enhancement structures to significantly improve the refrigerant heat dissipation capacity under the same flow rate, reduce the power consumption of the pump unit, improve the overall heat exchange efficiency, and achieve energy saving and consumption reduction.

[0048] In the two-phase flow cooling loop, the refrigerant (either gaseous or gas-liquid mixture) that has absorbed heat from the equipment to be cooled enters the refrigerant inlet of the plate heat exchanger 4 through inlet pipe 21. In the plate heat exchanger 4, the refrigerant releases the absorbed heat and undergoes a phase change, converting the gaseous refrigerant into a liquid refrigerant. It is then output to outlet pipe 23 through the refrigerant outlet. This phase change improves the heat dissipation efficiency of the equipment to be cooled. Furthermore, under high load conditions on the equipment to be cooled (e.g., a server), the microchannel structure formed inside the microchannel subcooling device 241 further enhances the heat exchange efficiency. The heat exchange area in the microchannel structure allows the refrigerant to be further cooled into a subcooled liquid refrigerant, thereby increasing the latent heat of phase change of the refrigerant. The refrigerant output from the microchannel structure enters the liquid storage device 25 for storage, and is pumped to the refrigerant distribution unit 27 by the pump group 26. The refrigerant is then distributed to the various heat-generating elements of the equipment to be cooled by the refrigerant distribution unit 27. Thus, compared with traditional air cooling or single-phase liquid cooling technology, this invention can output more liquid refrigerant to the equipment to be cooled, which is beneficial to improving the cooling efficiency of the refrigerant to the equipment to be cooled, so as to meet the cooling needs of high-power equipment.

[0049] The microchannel subcooling device 241 is used to reduce the temperature of the refrigerant during periods of high load.

[0050] The channel diameter of the microchannel subcooling device 241 can be set as needed, which is easy to understand. In order to improve heat exchange efficiency, the microchannel subcooling device 241 needs to be made of a material with good thermal conductivity.

[0051] In this embodiment, the microchannel subcooling device 241 turns on the fan module 242 during high-load operation to exchange heat with the outside environment, efficiently reducing the refrigerant temperature and increasing the heat exchange enthalpy difference to meet the load requirements.

[0052] The fan module 242 is used to improve the heat dissipation efficiency of the microchannel subcooling device 241. The heat dissipation capacity can be adjusted according to the heat generation of the device to be cooled. For example, the heat dissipation capacity can be adjusted by controlling the speed of the pump group 26, the start and stop of the fan module 242 and its speed (the fan module 242 can be turned off when the heat generation of the device to be cooled is low), the cooling capacity of the plate heat exchanger 4 and the flow distribution of the refrigerant distribution unit 27. This allows the heat exchange cooling capacity to be increased when the heat generation of the device to be cooled is high and reduced when the heat generation of the device to be cooled is low, thereby adapting to the heat generation changes of the device to be cooled (such as a server) and reducing the power consumption of the device to be cooled.

[0053] Specifically, the functions of controlling the speed of the pump group 26, the start and stop and speed of the fan module 242 (the fan module 242 can be turned off when the heat generated by the equipment to be cooled is low), the cooling capacity of the plate heat exchanger 4, and the flow distribution of the refrigerant distribution unit 27 can be realized through a central controller or control panel, etc., and there are no restrictions here.

[0054] Specifically, liquid cooling plates 1 can be installed on each heat-generating component of the equipment to be cooled. Refrigerant is supplied to each liquid cooling plate 1 through a refrigerant distribution unit 27 to absorb the heat from the heat-generating components, thereby cooling the equipment. Furthermore, the refrigerant distribution unit 27 includes distribution pipelines for distributing refrigerant to each liquid cooling plate 1. Each distribution pipeline is equipped with a corresponding flow regulating valve to control the refrigerant flow rate supplied to the corresponding liquid cooling plate 1. The refrigerant flow rates supplied by the refrigerant distribution unit 27 to each liquid cooling plate 1 can be equal or unequal.

[0055] Pump unit 26 may include multiple (e.g., two) parallel refrigerant pumps. The inlet of the equipment to be cooled is used to input the cooled refrigerant, and the outlet is used to discharge the refrigerant after the heat absorption phase change.

[0056] Optionally, the cooling medium circuit 6 includes a cold storage device 11, a first flow detection unit 12, a first flow regulation unit 13 and a first valve device connected in sequence. The first valve device includes a second flow regulation unit 14 and a third flow regulation unit 15 connected in parallel. The two-phase flow circulation loop also includes a second flow detection unit 16 and a second valve device connected sequentially between the pump group 26 and the refrigerant distribution unit 27. The second valve device includes a fourth flow regulating unit 17 and a fifth flow regulating unit 18 connected in parallel. The first heat exchange tube of the plate heat exchanger 4 is connected between the first flow regulating unit 13 and the first valve device, and the second heat exchange tube of the plate heat exchanger 4 is connected between the refrigerant inlet and the refrigerant outlet. The condenser 32 is connected in parallel to the cooling medium circuit 6 through the third flow regulating unit 15, and the evaporator 34 is connected in parallel to the two-phase flow circulation circuit through the fourth flow regulating unit 17. The embedded peak-shaving unit 5 is used to condense the refrigerant using the external cold source flowing through the third flow regulating unit 15, and to cool the refrigerant flowing through the fourth flow regulating unit 17 through the evaporator 34.

[0057] Specifically, the first flow detection unit 12 and the second flow detection unit 16 can each be a flow sensor. The first flow regulation unit 13, the second flow regulation unit 14, the third flow regulation unit 15, the fourth flow regulation unit 17, and the fifth flow regulation unit 18 can each be a flow regulation valve.

[0058] Furthermore, a check valve can be installed between the outlet of the pump group 26 and the second flow detection unit 16 in the two-phase flow circulation loop, and a filter 28 can be installed between the second flow detection unit 16 and the second valve device. The filter 28 can be a Y-type filter. The embedded peak-shaving unit 5 includes a compressor 31, a condenser 32, an expansion valve 33, and an evaporator 34 connected in sequence via refrigerant piping. The embedded peak-shaving unit 5 is connected in parallel between the cooling medium circuit 6 and the two-phase flow circulation circuit. Specifically, the evaporator 34 in the embedded peak-shaving unit 5 is connected in parallel to the outlet pipe of the two-phase flow circulation circuit. By controlling the fourth flow regulating unit 17 and the fifth flow regulating unit 18, all or part of the refrigerant can flow through the evaporator 34 in peak-shaving mode, thereby precisely regulating the inlet temperature of the liquid cooling plate 1.

[0059] Based on the ambient temperature and the refrigerant supply temperature of the two-phase flow circulation loop, control strategies are formulated for the first flow regulation unit 13, the second flow regulation unit 14, the third flow regulation unit 15, the fourth flow regulation unit 17, and the fifth flow regulation unit 18 to control the cooling medium loop 6, the two-phase flow circulation loop, and the embedded peak shaving unit 5 to perform coordinated cooling of the equipment to be cooled using the set power consumption optimization strategy.

[0060] Specifically, the refrigerant supply temperature of the two-phase flow circulation loop can be determined by monitoring the refrigerant temperature at the outlet of pump unit 26 or plate heat exchanger 4 in the two-phase flow circulation loop. When the refrigerant supply temperature of the two-phase flow circulation loop exceeds the second set threshold, which is the temperature value set based on the heat dissipation requirements of liquid cooling plate 1, it indicates that the cooling capacity of the two-phase flow circulation loop for liquid cooling plate 1 is insufficient.

[0061] In this embodiment, a first temperature sensor 2 for collecting ambient temperature is placed in the cold storage device 11, and a second temperature sensor 3 for collecting the refrigerant supply temperature of the two-phase flow circulation loop is placed between the second flow detection unit 16 and the filter 28.

[0062] The ambient temperature is compared with a first set threshold, and the refrigerant supply temperature of the two-phase flow circulation loop is compared with a second set threshold. The first set threshold can be determined based on the conventional design temperature of the cold storage device 11 (dry cooler or cooling tower) in the external cold source, or jointly determined based on the conventional design temperature of the cold storage device 11, the capacity of the cold storage device 11, the safe heat dissipation temperature of the equipment to be cooled, and load fluctuations. The second set threshold can be a fixed temperature determined based on the safe heat dissipation temperature of the equipment to be cooled, or a dynamic temperature jointly determined based on the ambient temperature, the safe heat dissipation temperature of the equipment to be cooled, and load fluctuations. When the ambient temperature is higher than the first set threshold, or when the refrigerant supply temperature of the two-phase flow circulation loop is higher than the second set threshold, or when the load fluctuation of the equipment to be cooled reaches the peak shaving control condition, the second valve device (including the fourth flow regulating unit 17 and the fifth flow regulating unit 18) is activated to make the refrigerant flow through the evaporator 34 in the embedded peak shaving unit 5 and start the operation of the embedded peak shaving unit 5, and the system enters the mixed mode of "natural cooling + peak shaving cooling".

[0063] When the monitored ambient temperature is lower than the third set threshold (the third set threshold is lower than the first set threshold), the embedded peak-shaving unit 5 is turned off, and the fourth flow regulation unit 17 is turned off and the fifth flow regulation unit 18 is turned on, so that the refrigerant does not flow through the evaporator 34, and the system switches to "pure natural cooling mode".

[0064] Specifically, the liquid cooling distribution unit includes multiple two-phase flow circulation loops, each of which is installed as an air conditioning module in the server rack, and each air conditioning module is equipped with an embedded peak shaving unit 5.

[0065] Specifically, the present invention improves the design of the liquid cooling distribution unit so that a two-phase flow circulation loop and the corresponding embedded peak shaving unit 5 are installed as an air conditioning module in the server rack, so that multiple air conditioning modules can provide cooling and heat dissipation for multiple servers at the same time.

[0066] The cooling medium circuit 6 and the two-phase flow circulation circuit provide a natural cooling mode with strong heat dissipation capacity, making the liquid cooling distribution unit suitable for ultra-high computing power scenarios above 30kW. The cold storage device 11 is used to absorb the heat in the two-phase flow circulation circuit and dissipate the heat in the system to the environment. The media in the three independent circulation systems of cooling medium circuit 6, two-phase flow circulation circuit and embedded peak shaving unit 5 do not come into contact with each other, avoiding the disadvantages of high tube resistance caused by long tube passage and difficulty in ensuring the cleanliness of the media.

[0067] Furthermore, the two-phase flow circulation loop is the main cooling loop for the equipment to be cooled. The pump group 26 drives the refrigerant to flow through the filter 28 and then to the liquid cooling plate 1 of the equipment to be cooled (e.g., a server) to absorb heat. The high-temperature return liquid returns to the plate heat exchanger 4 to be cooled, forming a closed loop.

[0068] Before returning to the plate heat exchanger 4, the return liquid of the two-phase flow circulation loop flows entirely or partially through the evaporator 34, where it is additionally cooled by the refrigeration cycle driven by the compressor 31, achieving peak-shaving supplemental cooling. When the second valve device switches to the passage of the fifth flow regulating unit 18, the fourth flow regulating unit 17 is closed, and the return liquid of the two-phase flow circulation loop is completely bypassed, with the system relying entirely on the natural cold source of the cooling medium loop for heat dissipation.

[0069] Specifically, the second valve device can be a three-way valve or a bypass pipe consisting of two two-way valves.

[0070] The condenser 32 and the evaporator 34 can be plate heat exchangers respectively.

[0071] In a preferred embodiment, the liquid cooling distribution unit includes a plurality of cold storage devices 11, each of which is used to obtain an external cold source.

[0072] In this invention, the cold storage device 11 (which can be a dry cooler or a cooling tower) can also be provided as a backup to enable different cold storage devices 11 to be connected to the cooling medium circuit 6. Alternatively, multiple cold storage devices 11 can provide multiple parallel cooling medium circuits 6. Each cooling medium circuit 6 is connected with a corresponding two-phase flow circulation circuit, a plate heat exchanger 4, and an embedded peak-shaving unit 5 to form a liquid cooling distribution unit, so as to simultaneously meet the operating requirements of multiple liquid cooling distribution units.

[0073] Furthermore, a data storage module and a remote monitoring interface can be set up. The data storage module is used to store monitoring data and system operation records, and the remote monitoring interface is used to connect with an external monitoring system to achieve remote monitoring and management.

[0074] Optionally, the liquid cooling distribution unit also includes safety protection devices, including an inlet leak detection sensor 291 and / or an outlet leak detection sensor 292. The inlet leak detection sensor 291 is located at the inlet of the inlet pipe 21, and the outlet leak detection sensor 292 is located at the outlet of the outlet pipe 23. The leak detection sensors are used to detect refrigerant leaks. Specifically, the leak detection sensors can be wrapped around the liquid pipe entering the equipment to be cooled (such as a server) and the gas outlet pipe of the equipment to be cooled to detect minor leaks.

[0075] Optionally, the safety protection device also includes a first safety valve 293 installed in the inlet pipe 21 and a second safety valve 294 installed in the vent pipe of the liquid storage device 25. The safety valves are used to release pressure when the pressure in the circulation pipe is too high, ensuring stable circulation pressure.

[0076] Optionally, the safety protection device also includes a return liquid pressure detection unit 295 and a return liquid temperature detection unit 296 respectively installed on the inlet pipe 21, and a supply liquid pressure detection unit 297 and a supply liquid temperature detection unit 298 respectively installed on the outlet pipe 23. The pressure detection unit, temperature detection unit, and flow detection unit are used to monitor the temperature, refrigerant pressure, and flow rate of the inlet pipe 21 and the outlet pipe 23 in real time.

[0077] Optionally, the outlet pipe 23 is provided with an automatic vent valve 251 and a manual vent valve 252 between the refrigerant outlet and the phase change enhancement component.

[0078] Optionally, a liquid replenishment device is provided between the phase change enhancement component and the liquid storage device 25. The liquid replenishment device is used to replenish the liquid storage device 25 when the two-phase flow refrigerant is insufficient. The liquid replenishment device includes a liquid replenishment tank 261 and a liquid replenishment pump 262.

[0079] Specifically, the liquid storage device 25 can be a liquid storage tank.

[0080] Furthermore, the safety protection device may also include an emergency stop device and an alarm device. The emergency stop device is used to cut off the refrigerant circulation and the power supply to the equipment to be cooled when a leak or other abnormality is detected, and the alarm device is used to issue an alarm signal when an abnormality occurs.

[0081] Please see Figure 2 To achieve the above objectives, the present invention also provides a power-optimized cooling control method. A first embodiment of the power-optimized cooling control method of the present invention applies the liquid-cooled cooling distribution unit to cool the device to be cooled; the method includes the following steps: Step S10: Start the cooling medium circuit 6 and the two-phase flow circulation circuit according to the start signal; Step S20: Obtain the ambient temperature, the refrigerant supply temperature of the two-phase flow circulation loop, and the pump head to formulate a power consumption optimization collaborative control strategy. This enables the cooling medium loop 6, the two-phase flow circulation loop, the embedded peak shaving unit 5, and the adaptive pressure build-up device to work together to achieve the power consumption optimization operation goals of heat dissipation and cooling supplementation under preset high temperature conditions and rapid cooling of the two-phase flow circulation loop under preset low temperature conditions. The pump head is calculated by the pressure difference between the pump outlet pressure detection unit 283 and the pump inlet pressure detection unit 282. Step S30: When the control strategy is a low temperature control strategy, start the adaptive pressure building device to open the bypass pipeline 22, and trigger the first release signal of the low temperature control strategy according to the pump head, and shut down the adaptive pressure building device according to the first release signal. Step S40: When the control strategy is a high temperature control strategy, the embedded peak shaving unit 5 is started to condense the refrigerant in the embedded peak shaving unit 5 by using an external cold source through the condenser 32, and to cool the refrigerant in the two-phase flow circulation loop through the evaporator 34. The second release signal of the high temperature control strategy is triggered according to the ambient temperature and the refrigerant supply temperature of the two-phase flow circulation loop, and the embedded peak shaving unit 5 is turned off according to the second release signal.

[0082] The power-optimized cooling control method of this invention achieves global power-optimized coordinated control of the cooling medium loop 6, the two-phase flow circulation loop, the embedded peak-shaving unit 5, and the adaptive pressure-building device through the coordinated regulation of multiple parameters such as ambient temperature, refrigerant supply temperature, and pump head. Compared with existing control methods, it has the following significant advantages: 1. By real-time detection of the pressure difference between the inlet and outlet of the pump unit 26, the pump head is calculated. When the head is insufficient at low temperature startup, the adaptive pressure building device is automatically activated. The system pressure is quickly established through bypass return flow, avoiding low head alarm, pump interruption and cavitation damage. This allows the two-phase flow circulation loop to stably supply cooling at the beginning of startup, greatly shortening the system startup waiting time and improving the timeliness and continuity of heat dissipation.

[0083] 2. When the ambient temperature, refrigerant supply temperature or equipment load reaches the high temperature control conditions, the method automatically starts the embedded peak shaving unit 5, uses the external cold source to condense the refrigerant, and enhances the cooling of the two-phase flow refrigerant through the evaporator 34, quickly making up for the insufficient heat dissipation capacity of the natural cold source, ensuring that the server does not overheat or stop under extreme high temperature conditions, and significantly improving the system's heat dissipation capacity.

[0084] 3. Based on multi-parameter closed-loop decision-making, it achieves adaptive operation under all operating conditions. Specifically, the method comprehensively considers ambient temperature, refrigerant supply temperature, and pump head to make strategic judgments. It can automatically and smoothly switch between conventional natural cooling mode, low-temperature pressure building mode, and high-temperature peak shaving mode without manual intervention, achieving year-round adaptive and stable operation of the data center liquid cooling system under all operating conditions.

[0085] 4. This method integrates low-temperature start-up protection and high-temperature heat dissipation peak shaving into the same collaborative control strategy, so that the adaptive pressure building device and the embedded peak shaving unit 5 can perform their respective functions without interfering with each other. This not only solves the problem of low-temperature start-up, but also ensures the safety of high-temperature heat dissipation. The control logic is simple, the response is fast, and the system stability is stronger.

[0086] 5. With power consumption optimization as the guiding principle, while meeting heat dissipation requirements, prioritize the use of natural cooling sources and only activate peak shaving units or adaptive pressure build-up devices when necessary to avoid redundant energy consumption and ineffective equipment operation, thereby reducing the overall power consumption and electricity costs of the data center cooling system.

[0087] 6. The method achieves precise start-up, stop-up, and exit of each functional module by setting clear first and second release signals, avoiding frequent switching and malfunctions, improving system control accuracy and operational reliability, and extending the service life of key components such as pump group 26 and compressor 31.

[0088] 7. This control method is specifically designed for the heat exchange characteristics and low-temperature flow interruption of two-phase flow circulation loops. The control parameters and switching logic are more in line with the operating rules of two-phase liquid cooling systems. Compared with traditional single-phase liquid cooling control methods, it is more professional, more suitable, and provides more comprehensive protection.

[0089] In a second embodiment of the power-optimized cooling control method of the present invention, based on the first embodiment of the power-optimized cooling control method of the present invention, the step S20 of obtaining the ambient temperature, the refrigerant supply temperature of the two-phase flow circulation loop, and the pump head to formulate a power-optimized collaborative control strategy includes: Step S21: When the ambient temperature is within the set temperature range and the refrigerant supply temperature of the two-phase flow circulation loop does not exceed the second set threshold, the set default control strategy is adopted. The set temperature range is between the first set threshold and the third set threshold, and the first set threshold is greater than the third set threshold. Step S22: When the high temperature control conditions are met, a high temperature control strategy is adopted; wherein, the high temperature control conditions include: the ambient temperature exceeds the first set threshold, the refrigerant supply temperature of the two-phase flow circulation loop exceeds the second set threshold, and the load fluctuation of the equipment to be cooled reaches at least one of the peak shaving control conditions. Step S23: When the ambient temperature is lower than the low temperature control threshold and the pump head is lower than the set head, a low temperature control strategy is adopted, wherein the low temperature control threshold is less than the third set threshold.

[0090] In a third embodiment of the power-optimized cooling control method of the present invention, based on the first embodiment of the power-optimized cooling control method of the present invention, the two-phase flow circulation loop further includes a phase change enhancement component; the phase change enhancement component is disposed between the refrigerant outlet and the liquid storage device 25; the phase change enhancement component includes a microchannel subcooling device 241, the microchannel subcooling device 241 having a microchannel structure for heat dissipation of the refrigerant inside; the phase change enhancement component further includes a fan module 242 for air cooling the microchannel subcooling device 241; The method further includes: Step S50: Detect the refrigerant inlet temperature of plate heat exchanger 4; Step S60: Generate a control signal for the fan module 242 based on the refrigerant inlet temperature of the plate heat exchanger 4.

[0091] Specifically, when the refrigerant inlet temperature exceeds the fourth set threshold, a start signal for the fan module 242 is generated; the fourth set threshold is less than the second set threshold.

[0092] In the second embodiment of the power consumption-optimized cooling control method of the present invention, and in the fourth embodiment of the power consumption-optimized cooling control method of the present invention, the cooling medium circuit 6 in the liquid cooling distribution unit includes a cold storage device 11, a first flow detection unit 12, a first flow regulation unit 13 and a first valve device connected in sequence. The first valve device includes a second flow regulation unit 14 and a third flow regulation unit 15 connected in parallel. The two-phase flow circulation loop includes a second flow detection unit 16 and a second valve device connected sequentially between the pump group 26 and the refrigerant distribution unit 27; the second valve device includes a fourth flow regulating unit 17 and a fifth flow regulating unit 18 connected in parallel; the first heat exchange tube of the plate heat exchanger 4 is connected between the first flow regulating unit 13 and the first valve device, and the second heat exchange tube of the plate heat exchanger 4 is connected between the refrigerant inlet and the refrigerant outlet; The condenser 32 is connected in parallel to the cooling medium circuit 6 through the third flow regulating unit 15, and the evaporator 34 is connected in parallel to the two-phase flow circulation circuit through the fourth flow regulating unit 17; the embedded peak shaving unit 5 is used to condense the refrigerant using the external cold source flowing through the third flow regulating unit 15, and to cool the refrigerant flowing through the fourth flow regulating unit 17 through the evaporator 34. Step S21 includes: Step S211: When the ambient temperature is within the set temperature range and the refrigerant supply temperature of the two-phase flow circulation loop does not exceed the second set threshold, the third flow regulating unit 15 and the fourth flow regulating unit 17 are closed, and the opening degree of the first flow regulating unit 13, the second flow regulating unit 14 and the fifth flow regulating unit 18 are calculated respectively, so that the external cold source enters the plate heat exchanger 4 through the cold storage device 11 and the first flow regulating unit 13 in sequence to exchange heat with the refrigerant and return to the cold storage device 11. After the refrigerant in the plate heat exchanger 4 exchanges heat, it enters the pump group 26 and then enters the liquid cooling plate 1 through the fifth flow regulating unit 18, and the refrigerant flowing out of the liquid cooling plate 1 enters the plate heat exchanger 4 to exchange heat with the external cold source.

[0093] Specifically, in this embodiment, under the normal temperature setting, that is, when the ambient temperature does not exceed the first set threshold and the refrigerant supply temperature of the two-phase flow circulation loop does not exceed the second set threshold, the system maintains the "pure natural cooling mode", the fourth flow regulation unit 17 is closed, the fifth flow regulation unit 18 is open, and the compressor 31 is closed.

[0094] The first set threshold can be set as needed, for example, 30-35℃, and in this embodiment, it is 35℃.

[0095] The second set threshold can be 38-40℃, and in this embodiment it is 40℃.

[0096] The opening degree of the first flow regulating unit 13, the second flow regulating unit 14, and the fifth flow regulating unit 18 is determined according to the ambient temperature and the refrigerant supply temperature of the two-phase flow circulation loop. As these two types of temperature data increase, the opening degree of the first flow regulating unit 13, the second flow regulating unit 14, and the fifth flow regulating unit 18 also needs to be increased to meet the cooling requirements of the equipment to be cooled.

[0097] In the second embodiment of the power-optimized cooling control method of the present invention, and in the fifth embodiment of the power-optimized cooling control method of the present invention, step S22 includes: Step S221: When the high temperature control condition is reached, the third flow regulating unit 15, the fourth flow regulating unit 17, and the compressor 31 are turned on. The opening degrees of the first flow regulating unit 13, the second flow regulating unit 14, the third flow regulating unit 15, the fourth flow regulating unit 17, and the fifth flow regulating unit 18 are calculated respectively, so that the external cold source enters the plate heat exchanger 4 through the cold storage device 11 and the first flow regulating unit 13 in sequence to exchange heat with the refrigerant. The external cold source with the first flow rate is returned to the cold storage device 11 through the second flow regulating unit 14, and the external cold source with the second flow rate enters the condenser 32 through the third flow regulating unit 15. After exchanging heat with the third heat exchange medium in the embedded peak-shaving unit 5, the refrigerant flows back to the cold storage device 11. After exchanging heat in the plate heat exchanger 4, the refrigerant enters the pump group 26. The refrigerant with the set third flow rate enters the evaporator 34 through the fourth flow regulating unit 17 and exchanges heat with the third heat exchange medium before entering the liquid cooling plate 1. The refrigerant with the set fourth flow rate enters the liquid cooling plate 1 through the fifth flow regulating unit 18, and the refrigerant flowing out of the liquid cooling plate 1 enters the plate heat exchanger 4 to exchange heat with the external cold source. After being output from the compressor 31, the refrigerant enters the condenser 32 to exchange heat with the external cold source of the cooling medium circuit. After exchanging heat, it enters the evaporator 34 through the expansion valve 33 to exchange heat with the refrigerant before flowing back to the compressor 31.

[0098] Under the high-temperature control conditions set in this embodiment, the controller immediately opens the fourth flow regulation unit 17 and starts the compressor 31 until the refrigerant supply temperature of the two-phase flow circulation loop stabilizes at the set value. At this time, the system is in a hybrid mode of "natural cooling + peak shaving cooling" combined with the two-phase flow circulation loop and the embedded peak shaving unit 5.

[0099] Specifically, the larger the opening degree of the third flow regulation unit 15 and the fourth flow regulation unit 17, the more peak-shaving cooling capacity is provided, thereby improving the high temperature situation of the equipment to be cooled as soon as possible.

[0100] The first and fourth flow rates are set to be greater than or equal to 0, and the second and third flow rates are set to be greater than 0. These flow rate settings are not fixed values, but flow rate data that correspond to the actual ambient temperature and the refrigerant supply temperature of the two-phase flow circulation loop.

[0101] Meanwhile, under the condition of sudden load increase in this embodiment, even if the ambient temperature is not high, if the sudden increase in IT load may cause the refrigerant supply temperature of the two-phase flow circulation loop to exceed the second set threshold, the embedded peak shaving unit 5 will also be triggered to start.

[0102] Through the above methods, the system achieves automated, intelligent, and efficient thermal management.

[0103] Furthermore, as a further extension of the present invention, the state of refrigerant entering the liquid storage device 25 and the pump group 26 can be predicted by directly detecting the external refrigerant temperature and the refrigerant outlet temperature of the plate heat exchanger 4. Based on the prediction results, the adaptive pressure build-up can be adjusted to preventive pressure build-up by opening the bypass pipe 22 in advance or increasing the flow rate of the bypass pipe 22.

[0104] Furthermore, the two-phase flow circulation loop is equipped with a flow pattern detection unit for collecting pressure difference fluctuation signals to identify the flow pattern of the refrigerant gas-liquid two-phase flow. The controller determines the refrigerant gas content based on the identified flow pattern to determine whether there is a risk of flow interruption. If so, the bypass return flow rate is increased to build up pressure. Thus, the electronically controlled valve 281 is configured to adjust the return flow rate of refrigerant to the liquid storage device 25 based on the pressure difference between the pump inlet pressure detection unit 282 and the pump outlet pressure detection unit 283 and the output signal of the flow pattern detection unit.

[0105] Specifically, the flow pattern detection unit includes a differential pressure sensor. Two pressure taps are set at intervals between the outlet of the plate heat exchanger 4 and the inlet of the pump group 26, forming a set of differential pressure measurement points. The high-pressure end and low-pressure end of the differential pressure sensor are connected to these two pressure taps respectively. The controller is configured to collect the differential pressure fluctuation signal output by the differential pressure sensor and perform a fast Fourier transform on the differential pressure fluctuation signal to extract the time domain variance and frequency domain dominant frequency features to distinguish whether the current refrigerant flow pattern is single-phase liquid flow, bubbly flow, segmental flow, or annular flow. When the flow pattern is identified as bubbly flow or segmental flow, and the time domain variance is greater than the set threshold, it is determined that the refrigerant gas content is too high and there is a risk of flow interruption.

[0106] After determining that there is a risk of flow interruption, the controller further combines the current ambient temperature, the refrigerant supply temperature of the two-phase flow circulation loop, and the actual temperature of the equipment to be cooled to jointly adjust the bypass flow rate and the flow rate of the cooling medium loop 6 to complete the pressure build-up in the shortest possible time. If the ambient temperature is lower than the set value and the actual temperature of the equipment to be cooled is still within the safe range, the opening of the electrically controlled valve 281 of the bypass pipe 22 is increased while the opening of the first flow regulating unit 13 in the cooling medium loop 6 is reduced according to the preset gradient to reduce the flow rate of the external cold source entering the plate heat exchanger 4, reduce the supercooling or vaporization fluctuation of the refrigerant in the plate heat exchanger 4, and thus accelerate the back pressure of the liquid storage device 25. If the actual temperature of the equipment to be cooled exceeds the alarm threshold, the flow rate of the cooling medium loop 6 is increased while the bypass flow rate is increased to take into account the supply of cold energy during the pressure build-up process and avoid overheating of the equipment.

[0107] In another specific implementation, for scenarios with multiple air conditioning modules, a cooling capacity scheduling bus can be added: when it is detected that the embedded peak shaving unit 5 of an air conditioning module is fully loaded to the preset range but still cannot cool down, the controller automatically calls the cooling capacity of the idle embedded peak shaving unit 5 of the adjacent air conditioning module (by adjusting the valve to switch the refrigerant flow direction).

[0108] Through the above description of the embodiments, those skilled in the art can clearly understand that the methods of the above embodiments can be implemented by means of software plus necessary general-purpose hardware platforms. Of course, they can also be implemented by hardware, but in many cases the former is a better implementation method. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of the present invention, or the part that contributes to the prior art, can be embodied in the form of a software product. This computer software product is stored in a computer-readable storage medium (such as ROM / RAM, magnetic disk, optical disk) as described above, and includes several instructions to cause a terminal device to enter the methods described in the various embodiments of the present invention.

[0109] In the description of this specification, references to terms such as "one embodiment," "another embodiment," "other embodiments," or "first embodiment to Xth embodiment," etc., indicate that a specific feature, structure, material, or characteristic described in connection with that embodiment or example is included in at least one embodiment or example of the present invention. In this specification, the illustrative expressions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, method steps, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments or examples.

[0110] It should be noted that, in this document, the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or system that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such a process, method, article, or system. Unless otherwise specified, an element defined by the phrase "comprising one..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article, or system that includes that element.

[0111] The sequence numbers of the above embodiments of the present invention are for descriptive purposes only and do not represent the superiority or inferiority of the embodiments.

[0112] The above are merely preferred embodiments of the present invention and do not limit the scope of the patent. Any equivalent structural or procedural transformations made based on the description and drawings of the present invention, or direct or indirect applications in other related technical fields, are similarly included within the scope of patent protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A liquid-cooled cooling distribution unit, characterized in that, It includes a cooling medium loop, a two-phase flow circulation loop, a plate heat exchanger, an embedded peak-shaving unit, and an adaptive pressure-building device; the cooling medium loop is used to obtain an external cold source; the two-phase flow circulation loop is used to connect liquid cooling plates to perform phase change cooling on the equipment to be cooled; the plate heat exchanger is located between the cooling medium loop and the two-phase flow circulation loop to perform heat exchange and cooling on the two-phase flow refrigerant in the two-phase flow circulation loop through an external cold source; The two-phase flow circulation loop includes an inlet pipe and an outlet pipe for circulating the refrigerant; the inlet pipe is connected to the refrigerant inlet of the plate heat exchanger, and the outlet pipe is connected sequentially from the refrigerant outlet of the plate heat exchanger to the liquid storage device, the pump set and the refrigerant distribution unit; the refrigerant distribution unit is used to connect to the inlet of the liquid cooling plate, and the inlet of the inlet pipe is used to connect to the outlet of the liquid cooling plate; the liquid storage device is provided with a reflux port; The adaptive pressure build-up device includes a bypass pipeline, an electrically controlled valve, an inlet pressure detection unit for detecting the pumping pressure of the pump set, and an outlet pressure detection unit for detecting the pumping pressure of the pump set. One end of the bypass pipeline is connected to the return port of the liquid storage device, and the other end is connected to the outlet of the pump set. The electrically controlled valve is used to adjust the return flow rate of the refrigerant to the liquid storage device according to the pumping pressure difference between the pump set, so as to solve the problem of flow interruption in the initial stage of two-phase flow under preset low temperature conditions. The embedded peak-shaving unit is embedded in parallel and integrated into the piping between the pump unit and the refrigerant distribution unit in the two-phase flow circulation loop. The embedded peak-shaving unit includes a compressor, condenser, expansion valve and evaporator connected in sequence. The condenser is connected in parallel to the cooling medium loop and the evaporator is connected in parallel to the two-phase flow circulation loop. The embedded peak-shaving unit is used to condense the refrigerant in the embedded peak-shaving unit by using an external cold source through the condenser and to cool the refrigerant through the evaporator, so as to relieve the heat dissipation bottleneck under the preset high temperature conditions.

2. The liquid-cooled distribution unit according to claim 1, characterized in that, The two-phase flow circulation loop also includes a phase change enhancement component; the phase change enhancement component is located between the refrigerant outlet and the liquid storage device; the phase change enhancement component includes a microchannel subcooling device, and the microchannel subcooling device forms a microchannel structure for heat dissipation of the refrigerant.

3. The liquid-cooled distribution unit according to claim 2, characterized in that, The phase change enhancement component also includes a fan module for air cooling the microchannel subcooling device.

4. The liquid-cooled cooling distribution unit according to claim 1, characterized in that, The cooling medium circuit includes a cold storage device, a first flow detection unit, a first flow regulation unit, and a first valve device connected in sequence. The first valve device includes a second flow regulation unit and a third flow regulation unit connected in parallel. The two-phase flow circulation loop also includes a second flow detection unit and a second valve device connected sequentially between the pump unit and the refrigerant distribution unit. The second valve device includes a fourth flow regulating unit and a fifth flow regulating unit connected in parallel. The first heat exchange tube of the plate heat exchanger is connected between the first flow regulating unit and the first valve device, and the second heat exchange tube of the plate heat exchanger is connected between the refrigerant inlet and the refrigerant outlet. The condenser is connected in parallel to the cooling medium circuit through the third flow regulating unit, and the evaporator is connected in parallel to the two-phase flow circulation circuit through the fourth flow regulating unit. The embedded peak-shaving unit is used to condense the refrigerant using the external cold source flowing through the third flow regulating unit, and to cool the refrigerant flowing through the fourth flow regulating unit through the evaporator.

5. The liquid-cooled cooling distribution unit according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, The liquid cooling distribution unit includes multiple two-phase flow circulation loops. Each two-phase flow circulation loop is installed as an air conditioning module in the server rack, and each air conditioning module is equipped with an embedded peak-shaving unit.

6. The liquid-cooled cooling distribution unit according to claim 4, characterized in that, The liquid cooling distribution unit includes multiple cold storage devices, each of which is used to obtain external cold sources.

7. The liquid-cooled distribution unit according to claim 4, characterized in that, The cold storage device is a dry cooler or a cooling tower.

8. A cooling control method based on power consumption optimization, characterized in that, The liquid-cooled cooling distribution unit as described in any one of claims 1 to 7 is used to cool the equipment to be cooled; the method includes the following steps: The cooling medium circuit and the two-phase flow circulation circuit are activated according to the start signal; The system acquires ambient temperature, refrigerant supply temperature of the two-phase flow circulation loop, and pump head to formulate a collaborative control strategy for power consumption optimization. This strategy enables the cooling medium loop, two-phase flow circulation loop, embedded peak-shaving unit, and adaptive pressure-building device to work together to achieve the power consumption optimization operation goals of heat dissipation and supplemental cooling under preset high-temperature conditions and rapid cooling of the two-phase flow circulation loop under preset low-temperature conditions. The pump head is calculated using the pressure difference between the pump outlet pressure detection unit and the pump inlet pressure detection unit. When the control strategy is a low temperature control strategy, the adaptive pressure building device is activated to open the bypass pipeline, and the first release signal of the low temperature control strategy is triggered according to the pump head, and the adaptive pressure building device is shut down according to the first release signal. When the control strategy is a high-temperature control strategy, the embedded peak-shaving unit is activated to condense the refrigerant in the embedded peak-shaving unit using an external cold source through the condenser, and to cool the refrigerant in the two-phase flow circulation loop through the evaporator. The second release signal of the high-temperature control strategy is triggered according to the ambient temperature and the refrigerant supply temperature of the two-phase flow circulation loop, and the embedded peak-shaving unit is shut down according to the second release signal.

9. The cooling control method based on power consumption optimization according to claim 8, characterized in that, The steps of obtaining the ambient temperature, the refrigerant supply temperature of the two-phase flow circulation loop, and the pump head to formulate a collaborative control strategy for power consumption optimization include: When the ambient temperature is within the set temperature range and the refrigerant supply temperature of the two-phase flow circulation loop does not exceed the second set threshold, the set default control strategy is adopted. The set temperature range is between the first set threshold and the third set threshold, and the first set threshold is greater than the third set threshold. When high temperature control conditions are met, a high temperature control strategy is adopted; wherein, the high temperature control conditions include: the ambient temperature exceeds the first set threshold, the refrigerant supply temperature of the two-phase flow circulation loop exceeds the second set threshold, and the load fluctuation of the equipment to be cooled reaches at least one of the peak shaving control conditions. When the ambient temperature is lower than the low temperature control threshold and the pump head is lower than the set head, a low temperature control strategy is adopted, wherein the low temperature control threshold is less than the third set threshold.

10. The power consumption-optimized cooling control method according to claim 8 or 9, characterized in that, The two-phase flow circulation loop also includes a phase change enhancement component; the phase change enhancement component is disposed between the refrigerant outlet and the liquid storage device; the phase change enhancement component includes a microchannel subcooling device, the microchannel subcooling device having a microchannel structure inside for heat dissipation of the refrigerant; the phase change enhancement component also includes a fan module for air cooling of the microchannel subcooling device; The method further includes: Detect the refrigerant inlet temperature of the plate heat exchanger; The control signal for the fan module is generated based on the refrigerant inlet temperature of the plate heat exchanger.

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