A cooling system and data center

Abstract

The application provides a cooling system and a data center. A plurality of cooling liquid pipes are connected with a differential pressure sensor through two gating valves. When the plurality of cooling liquid pipes are selectively connected with one of a plurality of second interfaces and a first interface, the plurality of cooling liquid pipes can be selectively communicated with two ports of the differential pressure sensor, so that the differential pressure sensor can selectively measure one of the plurality of cooling liquid pipes. The plurality of cooling liquid pipes share one differential pressure sensor, so that the resource for measuring the pressure difference of the cooling liquid pipes in the data center is saved.

Description

Technical Field

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

[0002] Data centers typically employ cooling systems to dissipate heat generated by the loads within the data center. To ensure the proper functioning of these systems, real-time monitoring of multiple coolant pipes is necessary, detecting the pressure difference between the two ends of each pipe. This allows for timely location and troubleshooting of any abnormalities. However, given the large number of coolant pipes in a cooling system, equipping each pipe with a differential pressure gauge for pressure measurement would consume significant equipment resources. Therefore, finding a way to conserve resources for measuring the pressure difference in data center coolant pipes is a pressing issue that needs to be addressed. Summary of the Invention

[0003] This application provides a cooling system and data center that allows multiple coolant pipelines to share a single differential pressure sensor by connecting a differential pressure sensor between two selector valves, thereby saving resources for measuring the differential pressure of coolant pipelines in the data center.

[0004] To achieve the above objectives, this application adopts the following technical solution: In a first aspect, a cooling system is provided, comprising multiple coolant pipes, a differential pressure sensor, and two gate valves. The multiple coolant pipes are distributed in multiple server racks of a data center, and each coolant pipe is used to deliver cooling medium to loads distributed in the same server rack. The differential pressure sensor includes two ports and is used to measure the pressure difference between the two ports. Each gate valve includes a first interface and multiple second interfaces, and each gate valve is used to selectively connect one of the multiple second interfaces to the first interface. The first interfaces of the two gate valves are respectively used to connect to the two ports of the differential pressure sensor, and the multiple second interfaces of each gate valve are respectively used to connect to the multiple coolant pipes.

[0005] In the cooling system proposed in this application, multiple coolant pipes are connected to a differential pressure sensor through two selector valves. This allows the multiple coolant pipes to selectively connect to one of the multiple second interfaces and the first interface, and also selectively connect to the two ports of the differential pressure sensor. This enables the differential pressure sensor to selectively measure one of the multiple coolant pipes, allowing multiple coolant pipes to share a single differential pressure sensor, thereby saving the pressure difference measurement resources of the coolant pipes in the data center.

[0006] In one embodiment, the cooling medium pipeline includes a supply pipeline and a return pipeline. The supply pipeline is used to receive the cooling medium output from the cabinet, and the return pipeline is used to input the cooling medium into the cabinet. Two selector valves are used to sequentially and selectively connect the supply pipeline and the return pipeline corresponding to multiple cooling medium pipelines.

[0007] The cooling system provided in this embodiment controls two selector valves to selectively connect the supply and return lines corresponding to multiple cooling medium pipelines in sequence, so that the cooling medium pressure at the two ports of the same coolant pipeline can be synchronously transmitted to both ends of the differential pressure sensor, thereby realizing the multiplexing of a single differential pressure sensor to measure the differential pressure of different coolant pipelines.

[0008] In one embodiment, the cooling system includes a measuring line connected between first interfaces of two selector valves, the measuring line being used to mount a differential pressure sensor, and the diameter of the measuring line being smaller than the sum of the diameters of any two of the plurality of coolant lines.

[0009] This embodiment controls the diameter of the measuring pipeline within a relatively small range, thereby reducing its internal volume. When the selector valve switches to a specific coolant pipeline, the cooling medium in the selected coolant pipeline flows into the measuring pipeline through the selector valve. Due to the small diameter and limited internal volume of the measuring pipeline, the cooling medium can fill the measuring pipeline and establish a stable pressure distribution in a shorter time. Therefore, the differential pressure sensor can obtain accurate differential pressure values ​​in a shorter time, thus shortening the single measurement cycle and improving measurement efficiency.

[0010] In one embodiment, the differential pressure sensor includes multiple differential pressure gauges with different differential pressure measurement ranges. At any given time, only one of the multiple differential pressure gauges is used to measure the differential pressure between two ports.

[0011] This embodiment provides flexibility in range selection for different coolant pipelines by using multiple differential pressure gauges with different ranges. This allows the cooling system to select the differential pressure gauge with the most suitable range for measurement based on different loads, thereby achieving high-precision measurements. Simultaneously, having only one differential pressure gauge measuring at a time avoids interference between gauges and prevents signal crosstalk caused by multiple gauges operating simultaneously, thus improving the accuracy and reliability of the measurement results.

[0012] In one embodiment, while the cooling medium corresponding to any one of the multiple coolant pipes is filling the two ports of the differential pressure sensor, the measurement range of the differential pressure gauge changes from large to small.

[0013] The control method provided in this embodiment ensures that the differential pressure gauge will not overload or be damaged due to the actual differential pressure value exceeding the range in the initial stage of measurement, thus guaranteeing the safety of the measurement process. In the subsequent stage, the range is gradually reduced to achieve a more refined measurement that matches the actual pressure difference, thereby improving the accuracy and reliability of the final measurement result.

[0014] In one embodiment, multiple differential pressure gauges are connected in parallel between the first interfaces of two selector valves. The upper limits of the range of the multiple differential pressure gauges decrease sequentially. The two ports of the first-stage differential pressure gauge are respectively used to connect to the first interfaces of the two selector valves. The two ends of each stage of differential pressure gauge lead out branch channels. The two ends of the next stage differential pressure gauge are respectively used to connect to the branch channels of the previous stage differential pressure gauge.

[0015] In this embodiment, the first-stage differential pressure gauge is directly connected to the first interface of the selector valve, while subsequent differential pressure gauges are led out through the branch channels of the previous stage differential pressure gauge. This connection method eliminates the need to set up a separate interface for each stage differential pressure gauge at the first interface of the selector valve, effectively reducing the number of interfaces at the first interface of the selector valve, simplifying the piping connection structure of the cooling system, and also helping to reduce the risk of leakage caused by too many interfaces.

[0016] In one embodiment, the differential pressure sensor further includes an on / off valve distributed in a branch channel between two adjacent differential pressure gauges, the on / off valve being used to open or close the branch channel between two adjacent differential pressure gauges in response to the differential pressure value measured by the current differential pressure gauge.

[0017] This embodiment achieves isolation and protection of the next and subsequent differential pressure gauges by setting on / off valves in the branch channels between two adjacent differential pressure gauges and using the measurement results of the current differential pressure gauge as the control basis, thereby improving the safety of each differential pressure gauge during operation.

[0018] In one embodiment, the on / off valve is further configured to close in response to the differential pressure value measured by the current differential pressure gauge being greater than or equal to the upper limit of the range of the next-stage differential pressure gauge, wherein the differential pressure value measured by the current differential pressure gauge is the actual differential pressure value of the coolant pipeline.

[0019] When the differential pressure value measured by the current differential pressure gauge reaches or exceeds the maximum range that the next stage differential pressure gauge can withstand, it indicates that the pressure to be measured has exceeded the safe operating range of the next stage differential pressure gauge. At this time, the on / off valve performs a closing action, cutting off the branch channel between the two adjacent stages, so that the cooling medium with a larger pressure cannot be transmitted from the branch channel of the previous stage to the next stage and subsequent stages of differential pressure gauges, thereby effectively preventing the small-range differential pressure gauge from being damaged due to overload.

[0020] In one embodiment, the on / off valve is also configured to open in response to a differential pressure value measured by the current differential pressure gauge being less than the upper limit of the range of the next-stage differential pressure gauge.

[0021] When the differential pressure value measured by the current differential pressure gauge is within the range of the next stage differential pressure gauge, it indicates that the actual differential pressure value of the coolant pipeline under test is within the safe and effective measurement range of the next stage differential pressure gauge. At this time, the on-off valve performs the opening action, opening the branch channel between the two adjacent stages, so that the cooling medium is transferred from the branch channel of the upper stage differential pressure gauge to the lower stage differential pressure gauge. The lower stage differential pressure gauge can then perform a more accurate measurement of the differential pressure value of the coolant pipeline, thereby ensuring the accuracy of the measurement results.

[0022] In one embodiment, the differential pressure sensor further includes multiple calibration valves, with calibration branches leading out from both ends of each stage of the differential pressure gauge. The calibration branches are distributed between the ports of the differential pressure gauge and the branch channels, and the calibration valves are distributed in the calibration branches. The calibration valves are used to open the two ports of the differential pressure gauge.

[0023] With the above structure, each stage of the differential pressure gauge has a corresponding calibration valve, which is located on the calibration branch between the port of the differential pressure gauge and the branch channel. When a stage of the differential pressure gauge needs to be calibrated, simply opening the calibration valve will connect the two ports of the stage of the differential pressure gauge, making the pressure at both ends of the stage of the differential pressure gauge tend to be consistent, thus completing the calibration of the differential pressure gauge and ensuring the accuracy of the differential pressure gauge measurement.

[0024] In one embodiment, the calibration valve is also configured to open in response to the current differential pressure gauge zero offset exceeding a preset threshold and the on / off valve being closed.

[0025] When the on / off valve is open, the branch channel of this stage of differential pressure gauge is connected to the branch channel of the next stage differential pressure gauge. If the calibration valve is opened at this time, two pressure signals may act on multiple differential pressure gauges simultaneously, making it impossible to obtain the true zero-point offset of this stage of differential pressure gauge, and may even interfere with the normal measurement of other stages of differential pressure gauges. Only when the on / off valve is closed, the branch channel between this stage of differential pressure gauge and the next stage of differential pressure gauge is isolated, and its two ports form an independent closed loop through the calibration branch. Only when the calibration valve is opened at this time can the differential pressure value measured truly reflect the zero-point offset of the differential pressure gauge itself, without being affected by the pressure interference of other stages of differential pressure gauges or branch channels. Therefore, this embodiment further ensures the safety of the calibration operation and the accuracy of the calibration results by making the closed state of the on / off valve a prerequisite for opening the calibration valve.

[0026] In one embodiment, a differential pressure sensor and two selector valves are distributed outside multiple cabinets. At least two of the multiple coolant pipes are connected to the second interfaces of the two selector valves to form at least two sets of test branches. One of the at least two sets of test branches is connected to the first interface of the two selector valves. After the differential pressure sensor has measured the pressure difference of the current liquid cooling pipe, the first interface of the two selector valves is disconnected from one of the at least two sets of test branches, and connected to the other of the at least two sets of test branches.

[0027] Through the aforementioned control method, before another coolant pipeline is selected by the selector valve, its inlet and outlet are pre-connected to the second interfaces of the two selector valves. This allows the cooling medium in the coolant pipeline to pre-fill the cavity within the pipeline, thus establishing a stable pressure environment for the differential pressure sensor to measure the coolant pipeline. When the pressure sensor subsequently measures the coolant pipeline, since the pipeline between the coolant pipeline and the pressure sensor is pre-filled with cooling medium and the pressure has stabilized, the differential pressure sensor can directly measure the pressure difference in the coolant pipeline. This shortens the time required for a single measurement and improves the measurement efficiency of the cooling system.

[0028] Secondly, this application provides a data center that includes multiple loads and a cooling system as described in the first aspect and various embodiments thereof.

[0029] For details on other beneficial effects, please refer to the beneficial effects described in the first aspect, which will not be repeated here. Attached Figure Description

[0030] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a data center structure is provided for an embodiment of this application; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the first cooling system provided in the embodiments of this application; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a second cooling system provided in an embodiment of this application; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a third cooling system provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0031] Figure label: 10 - Data Center, 110 - Server Rack, 1101 - Load, 120 - Cooling System, 1201 - Coolant Pipe, 1201A - First Pipe, 1201B - Second Pipe, 1201C - Third Pipe, 1202 - Inlet Selective Valve, 1202A - Second Interface A of Inlet Selective Valve, 1202B - Second Interface B of Inlet Selective Valve, 1202C - Second Interface C of Inlet Selective Valve, 1203 - Outlet Selective Valve, 1203A - Second Interface A of Outlet Selective Valve, 1203B - Second Interface B of Outlet Selective Valve, 1203C - Second Interface C of Outlet Selective Valve, 1204 - Differential Pressure Sensor, 1204A - First Differential Pressure Gauge, 1204B - Second Differential Pressure Gauge, 1204C - Third Differential Pressure Gauge, 1205 - Shut-off Valve, 1206 - On / Off Valve, 1207 - Calibration Valve, 1208 - Controller. Detailed Implementation

[0032] The technical solutions in this application will now be described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. The detailed descriptions and drawings of the following embodiments are used to exemplarily illustrate the principles of this application, but should not be used to limit the scope of this application; that is, this application is not limited to the described embodiments.

[0033] It should be noted that, in this application, the terms "exemplary" or "for example" are used to indicate that something is being described as an example, illustration, or illustration. Any embodiment or design described as "exemplary" or "for example" in this application should not be construed as being more preferred or advantageous than other embodiments or design solutions. Specifically, the use of terms such as "exemplary" or "for example" is intended to present the relevant concepts in a concrete manner.

[0034] refer to Figure 1 The diagram illustrates the structure of a data center. Data center 10 is an infrastructure for centralized storage, processing, and management of data information. It includes multiple server racks 110, each housing loads 1101 such as computing devices (e.g., servers), storage devices (e.g., hard drives), network devices (e.g., switches), and power supply devices (e.g., uninterruptible power supply cabinets). These loads 1101 generate a significant amount of heat during operation. Excessive heat accumulation can lead to excessively high ambient temperatures within the data center, which can affect the operation of equipment such as servers. Therefore, data center 10 also requires at least one cooling system 120. It is understood that the cooling system 120 can have a one-to-one or one-to-many connection with the server racks 110, depending on the specific circumstances.

[0035] The cooling system 120 includes multiple coolant pipes 1201 through which cooling medium flows, supplying cooling medium to the load 1101 during its operation. Each coolant pipe 1201 includes a supply line and a return line. The supply line receives the cooling medium from the cabinet 110, while the return line supplies cooling medium to the cabinet 110. The port in the supply line that receives the cooling medium can be referred to as the inlet of the coolant pipe 1201, and the port in the return line that supplies the cooling medium to the cabinet can be referred to as the outlet of the coolant pipe 1201. When the cooling medium flows through the pipes near the load 1101, it absorbs heat generated by the load 1101 through heat exchange and carries the heat away from the load 1101, thereby cooling the load 1101.

[0036] By pressurizing the coolant pipe 1201 with a pressure pump, the cooling medium in the coolant pipe 1201 can be ensured to flow smoothly to the load 1101 and then flow away smoothly after absorbing the heat from the load 1101. The pressurized cooling medium can flow into the coolant pipe 1201 from the inlet, flow in the coolant pipe 1201, and finally flow out from the outlet of the coolant pipe 1201. However, during the flow of the cooling medium in the coolant pipe 1201, it will encounter resistance from the pipe wall and other components, consuming some pressure energy and creating a pressure difference between the inlet and outlet of the coolant pipe 1201.

[0037] Under normal operating conditions, the resistance encountered by the cooling medium as it flows through the coolant pipe 1201 is relatively stable. Therefore, the pressure difference between the inlet and outlet (i.e., the two ports of the coolant pipe 1201) is also relatively stable. Thus, the magnitude of the pressure difference between the inlet and outlet of the coolant pipe 1201 can be used to detect whether the coolant pipe 1201 is in normal operating condition. If the pressure difference between the inlet and outlet of the coolant pipe 1201 is within the set range, it indicates that the coolant pipe 1201 is currently in normal operating condition; if the pressure difference between the inlet and outlet of the coolant pipe 1201 is outside the set range, it indicates that the coolant pipe 1201 is currently in a faulty operating condition.

[0038] In one embodiment, to detect the coolant pipes 1201, a differential pressure gauge needs to be installed on each coolant pipe 1201 to measure the pressure difference, with each gauge specifically measuring each coolant pipe 1201. However, the number of differential pressure gauges required for this measurement method increases with the number of coolant pipes 1201, consuming significant measurement resources. Therefore, this application provides a cooling system 120 and a data center 10 to save on the pressure difference measurement resources for the coolant pipes 1201 in the data center 10.

[0039] refer to Figure 2 The schematic diagram of the first type of cooling system shown illustrates a cooling system 120 including multiple coolant pipes 1201, two selector valves, and a differential pressure sensor 1204. Each selector valve includes multiple second ports and one main port. Each selector valve can selectively connect to one of the multiple second ports and a first main port. When one of the second ports of the selector valve is connected to the first main port, the remaining second ports are disconnected from the first main port. Furthermore, the cooling system 120 may also include a controller 1208, which is connected to the two selector valves to control the action of selectively connecting one of the multiple second ports and the first main port. Figure 2 The thin solid lines in the accompanying drawings below represent various pipes of the cooling system 10. These pipes can be classified as measuring pipes, calibration branches, or branch channels, depending on the components they are connected to. The specific type of pipe can be determined by combining the description in the text. These are not indicated in the accompanying drawings.

[0040] It should be noted that the selector valve can be a single independent valve or a valve network composed of multiple valves connected in a predetermined manner, as long as the whole can achieve selective conduction between multiple inlets and one outlet. This application does not make any specific limitations on this.

[0041] For ease of description, the selector valve connected to the inlet of coolant pipe 1201 will be referred to as inlet selector valve 1202, and the selector valve connected to the outlet of coolant pipe 1201 will be referred to as outlet selector valve 1203. The number of second ports of inlet selector valve 1202 and outlet selector valve 1203 corresponds to the number of coolant pipes 1201, as follows: Figure 2 For example, Figure 2 It includes three coolant pipes 1201: first pipe 1201A, second pipe 1201B, and third pipe 1201C. The three second ports of the inlet selector valve 1202 can be connected to the inlets of the first pipe 1201A, second pipe 1201B, and third pipe 1201C, respectively. The three second ports of the outlet selector valve 1203 can be connected to the outlets of the first pipe 1201A, second pipe 1201B, and third pipe 1201C, respectively.

[0042] The first ports of the inlet selector valve 1202 and the outlet selector valve 1203 are respectively connected to the two ports of the differential pressure sensor 1204. When one of the second ports of the inlet selector valve 1202 is connected to the first port, the coolant pipe 1201 connected to the second port of the inlet selector valve 1202 is connected to the port of the differential pressure sensor 1204 through the inlet selector valve 1202. At this time, the cooling medium at the inlet of the coolant pipe 1201 will flow into the differential pressure sensor 1204 through the inlet selector valve 1202.

[0043] Similar to the inlet selector valve 1202, when one of the second ports of the outlet selector valve 1203 is connected to the first port, the coolant pipe 1201 connected to the second port of the outlet selector valve 1203 is connected to the port of the differential pressure sensor 1204 through the outlet selector valve 1203. At this time, the cooling medium at the inlet of the coolant pipe 1201 will flow into the differential pressure sensor 1204 through the outlet selector valve 1203.

[0044] Therefore, when the inlet selector valve 1202 and the outlet selector valve 1203 are selectively connected to one of their respective multiple second interfaces and the first interface, multiple coolant pipes 1201 can be selectively connected to the same differential pressure sensor 1204 through the two selector valves, thus achieving the sharing of the same differential pressure sensor 1204.

[0045] In the cooling system 120 proposed in this application, multiple coolant pipes 1201 are connected to a differential pressure sensor 1204 through two selector valves. This allows the multiple coolant pipes 1201 to selectively connect to one of the multiple second interfaces and the first interface, and also to selectively connect to two ports of the differential pressure sensor 1204. This enables the differential pressure sensor 1204 to selectively measure one of the multiple coolant pipes 1201, allowing multiple coolant pipes 1201 to share a single differential pressure sensor 1204, thereby saving the pressure difference measurement resources of the coolant pipes 1201 in the data center 10.

[0046] Based on the above embodiments, the cooling system 120 can be improved to enhance its performance in various aspects. See below for details.

[0047] In one embodiment, in order to reuse a differential pressure sensor 1204 to measure the pressure difference between the inlet and outlet of multiple coolant pipes 1201, two selector valves can be controlled to selectively open the supply and return lines corresponding to the multiple coolant pipes 1201 in sequence, so that the differential pressure sensor 1204 can measure the pressure difference of the coolant pipe 1201.

[0048] by Figure 2 Taking the cooling system 120 provided in this embodiment as an example, an exemplary description will be given. Figure 2In this system, both the inlet selector valve 1202 and the outlet selector valve 1203 include a second interface A, a second interface B, and a second interface C, for a total of three second interfaces. The second interfaces of the two selector valves connected to the supply and return lines of the first pipeline 1021A are the second interface A 1202A of the inlet selector valve and the second interface A 1203A of the outlet selector valve, respectively. The second interfaces of the two selector valves connected to the supply and return lines of the second pipeline 1021B are the second interface B 1202B of the inlet selector valve and the second interface B 1203B of the outlet selector valve, respectively. The second interfaces of the two selector valves connected to the supply and return lines of the third pipeline 1021C are the second interface C 1202C of the inlet selector valve and the second interface C 1203C of the outlet selector valve, respectively.

[0049] When it is necessary to measure the pressure difference in the first pipeline 1201A, the controller 1208 can control the second port A 1202A of the inlet selector valve to be connected to the first port of the inlet selector valve 1202, and control the second port A 1203A of the outlet selector valve to be connected to the first port of the outlet selector valve 1203. Through this connection method, the two selector valves connect the supply and return lines of the first pipeline 1201A, ultimately enabling the differential pressure sensor 1204 to measure the pressure difference in the first pipeline 1201A.

[0050] After measuring the pressure difference in the first pipeline 1201A, if it is necessary to further measure the pressure difference in the second pipeline 1201B, the controller 1208 can control the second port 1202B of the inlet selector valve to connect with the first port of the inlet selector valve 1202, and control the second port 1203B of the outlet selector valve to connect with the first port of the outlet selector valve 1203. This allows the two selector valves to connect the supply and return lines of the second pipeline 1201B, thereby enabling the differential pressure sensor 1204 to measure the pressure difference in the second pipeline 1201B. Similarly, the differential pressure sensor 1204 can be controlled in the same way when measuring the pressure difference in the third pipeline 1201C.

[0051] The cooling system 120 provided in this embodiment controls two selector valves to selectively connect the supply and return lines corresponding to multiple cooling medium pipelines 1201 in sequence, so that the cooling medium pressure at the two ports of the same cooling medium pipeline 1201 can be synchronously transmitted to both ends of the differential pressure sensor 1204, thereby realizing the multiplexing of a single differential pressure sensor 1204 to measure the differential pressure of different cooling medium pipelines 1201.

[0052] As mentioned above, reusing a single differential pressure sensor 1204 can save on the overall pressure difference measurement resources of the cooling system 120. However, a single differential pressure sensor 1204 can only measure one coolant pipe 1201 at a time. For non-target coolant pipes 1201, improper control of the gate valve may cause the pressure difference measured by the differential pressure sensor 1204 to overlap, failing to reflect the true operating condition of the coolant pipe 1201.

[0053] To address the aforementioned problems, this application proposes an embodiment. In this embodiment, after the differential pressure sensor 1204 measures the pressure difference of the current coolant pipe 1201, the controller 1208 shuts off the connection between the first interface of the two selector valves and the current second interface, and connects to another second interface. The other second interfaces of the two selector valves are respectively connected to two ports of another coolant pipe.

[0054] exist Figure 2 In the process of measuring the first pipeline 1201A, if it is necessary to switch to the second pipeline 1201B, the controller 1208 can first control the second port A 1202A of the currently connected inlet selector valve to disconnect from the first port, and then control the second port B 1202B of the inlet selector valve corresponding to the second pipeline 1201B to connect to the first port. Before the second port A 1202A of the inlet selector valve is disconnected, the second port B 1202B of the inlet selector valve remains in the disconnected state; after the second port B 1202B of the inlet selector valve is connected, the second port A 1202A of the inlet selector valve is in the disconnected state, thereby ensuring that the first port of the inlet selector valve 1202 is connected to only one second port at any given time.

[0055] Simultaneously, the outlet selector valve 1203 can also perform a synchronous switching operation. First, the second port A 1203A of the outlet selector valve is disconnected, and then the second port B 1203B of the outlet selector valve is opened. After the above switching is completed, both the inlet selector valve 1202 and the outlet selector valve 1203 are connected to the second port positions corresponding to the second pipeline 1201B. The two ports of the differential pressure sensor 1204 are connected to the pressure at the inlet and outlet of the second pipeline 1201B, respectively, and the measurement of the second pipeline 1201B begins. Similarly, after the measurement of the second pipeline 1201B is completed, when switching to the third pipeline 1201C, the second port B 1202B of the inlet selector valve is first disconnected, and then the second port C 1202C of the inlet selector valve is opened. Simultaneously, the second port B 1203B of the outlet selector valve is first disconnected, and then the second port C 1203C of the outlet selector valve is opened. The differential pressure sensor 1204 then measures the third pipeline 1201C.

[0056] Through the above control method, after the current coolant pipe 1201 is measured, the two selector valves first disconnect the currently connected second interface from the first interface, and then connect the second interface corresponding to the next coolant pipe 1201 waiting to be measured. This ensures that only one second interface of the two selector valves is connected to the first interface at any given time. The pressure at the two ports of the two different coolant pipes 1201 will not be introduced into the port of the differential pressure sensor 1204 at the same time, thereby avoiding pressure difference aliasing. This allows the pressure difference signal measured by the differential pressure sensor 1204 to truly reflect the operating condition of the coolant pipe 1201.

[0057] It should be noted that the "shutting off the connection between the first interface of the two selector valves and the current second interface, and connecting it with another second interface" mentioned in this embodiment refers to switching the currently connected second interface inside the two selector valves to another second interface. It is not required that the disconnection and connection actions of the two second interfaces are completely non-overlapping in time, as long as the pressure difference signals of the two coolant pipes 1201 can be avoided from acting on the port of the differential pressure sensor 1204 at the same time.

[0058] When the selector valve switches between different coolant pipes 1201, the cooling medium in the selected coolant pipe 1201 needs to enter the differential pressure sensor 1204 through the selector valve. Only after a stable pressure distribution is established inside the differential pressure sensor 1204 can an accurate pressure difference value be measured. During the pressure build-up process, if the pipe diameter between the differential pressure sensor 1204 and the selector valve is too large, the time required for the cooling medium to establish a stable pressure will be prolonged, resulting in low measurement efficiency.

[0059] To address the aforementioned technical problems, this embodiment proposes a cooling system 10, which also includes a measuring pipeline. The measuring pipeline is connected between the first interfaces of two selector valves and is used to install a differential pressure sensor 1204. The diameter of the measuring pipeline is smaller than the sum of the diameters of any two coolant pipes 1201 among the plurality of coolant pipes 1201.

[0060] This embodiment controls the diameter of the measuring pipeline within a relatively small range, thereby reducing its internal volume. When the selector valve switches to a specific coolant pipeline 1201, the cooling medium in the selected coolant pipeline 1201 flows into the measuring pipeline through the selector valve. Due to the small diameter and limited internal volume of the measuring pipeline, the cooling medium can fill the measuring pipeline and establish a stable pressure distribution in a shorter time. Therefore, the differential pressure sensor 1204 can obtain accurate differential pressure values ​​in a shorter time, thus shortening the single measurement cycle and improving measurement efficiency.

[0061] The loads 1101 of the data center 10 include computing devices, storage devices, network devices, and power supply devices. These loads 1101 have different heat dissipation requirements during operation, and therefore different heat dissipation requirements for the coolant pipes 1201. To accommodate the different requirements of different loads 1101, the pressure difference of different coolant pipes 1201 will also vary. Therefore, a single-range differential pressure sensor 1204 is insufficient to meet the accurate measurement requirements of all coolant pipes 1201.

[0062] To address this issue, this embodiment proposes a differential pressure sensor 1204, which includes multiple differential pressure gauges. The differential pressure measurement ranges of the multiple differential pressure gauges are different from each other, and at any given time, only one of the multiple differential pressure gauges is used to measure the pressure difference between the two ports.

[0063] This embodiment provides flexibility in range selection for different coolant pipelines 1201 by using multiple differential pressure gauges with different ranges. This allows the cooling system 10 to select the differential pressure gauge with the most suitable range for measurement based on different loads 1101, thereby achieving higher measurement accuracy. Simultaneously, having only one differential pressure gauge measuring at a time avoids interference between gauges and prevents signal crosstalk caused by multiple gauges operating simultaneously, thus improving the accuracy and reliability of the measurement results.

[0064] During the measurement of coolant pipe 1201 using differential pressure sensor 1204, if a differential pressure gauge with a smaller range is directly connected to the measurement circuit, the differential pressure gauge may overload or even be damaged when the actual pressure difference of the coolant pipe 1201 exceeds the upper limit of the differential pressure gauge's range. While connecting a differential pressure gauge with a larger range avoids the risk of overload, the measurement resolution and accuracy of the differential pressure gauge are relatively low for coolant pipes 1201 with smaller actual pressure differences, making it difficult to obtain accurate differential pressure measurements. Therefore, in this embodiment, controller 1208 controls the differential pressure gauge's measurement range to change from large to small while the cooling medium corresponding to any one of the multiple coolant pipes 1201 is filling the two ports of differential pressure sensor 1204.

[0065] refer to Figure 3The schematic diagram of the second cooling system shown illustrates that the differential pressure sensor 1204 includes multiple differential pressure gauges, including a first differential pressure gauge 1204A, a second differential pressure gauge 1204B, and a third differential pressure gauge 1204C. The upper limits of the measurement ranges of the first differential pressure gauge 1204A, the second differential pressure gauge 1204B, and the third differential pressure gauge 1204C decrease sequentially. When measuring any of the multiple coolant pipes 1201, the first differential pressure gauge 1204A, the second differential pressure gauge 1204B, and the third differential pressure gauge 1204C can be sequentially connected to that coolant pipe 1201. This causes the range of the differential pressure gauge connected to that coolant pipe 1201 to decrease from large to small during the filling of the two ports of the differential pressure sensor 1204 with the corresponding cooling medium.

[0066] This control method ensures that the differential pressure gauge will not overload or be damaged due to the actual pressure difference exceeding the range in the initial stage of measurement, thus guaranteeing the safety of the measurement process. In the subsequent stages, it achieves more precise measurement that matches the actual pressure difference by gradually reducing the range, thereby improving the accuracy and reliability of the final measurement results.

[0067] In a scheme where multiple differential pressure gauges are connected in parallel between the outlets of two selector valves, the large number of gauges increases the number of interfaces connecting them to the selector valves, leading to a complex and disorganized piping structure in the cooling system 10. To address this issue, this embodiment proposes a cooling system 120. In this cooling system 120, multiple differential pressure gauges are connected in parallel between the first interfaces of the two selector valves. The upper limits of the gauge ranges decrease sequentially. The two ports of the first-stage differential pressure gauge are used to connect to the first interfaces of the two selector valves, respectively. Branch channels extend from both ends of each stage of the differential pressure gauge, and the two ends of the next-stage differential pressure gauge are used to connect to the branch channels of the previous-stage differential pressure gauge.

[0068] It should be noted that "first-stage differential pressure gauge" refers to the differential pressure gauge with the largest upper range among multiple differential pressure gauges. It is the starting point of the entire multi-stage differential pressure measurement structure and is directly connected to the first interface of the two selector valves, serving as the first-stage unit for measuring pressure difference. "Each stage differential pressure gauge" refers to any differential pressure gauge in the differential pressure sensor 1204 of this series structure, including the first-stage, second-stage, third-stage, and so on, up to the last stage. "Previous-stage differential pressure gauge" is the differential pressure gauge preceding a given stage. For example, for the third-stage differential pressure gauge, its preceding stage is the second-stage differential pressure gauge, and for the second-stage differential pressure gauge, its preceding stage is the first-stage differential pressure gauge. "Next-stage differential pressure gauge" is the differential pressure gauge following a given stage. For example, for the first-stage differential pressure gauge, its next stage is the second-stage differential pressure gauge; and for the second-stage differential pressure gauge, its next stage is the third-stage differential pressure gauge.

[0069] The multi-stage differential pressure gauge of differential pressure sensor 1204 can include, for example: Figure 3 The diagram shows a first differential pressure gauge 1204A, a second differential pressure gauge 1204B, and a third differential pressure gauge 1204C. These gauges are, respectively, a first-stage differential pressure gauge, a second-stage differential pressure gauge, and a third-stage differential pressure gauge. The two ports of the first differential pressure gauge 1204A are respectively connected to the first interfaces of two selector valves; that is, the first differential pressure gauge 1204A is directly connected across the first interfaces of the two selector valves, and its two ports are directly connected to the first interfaces of the two selector valves, thereby obtaining the pressure at the two ports of the coolant pipeline 1201.

[0070] Subsequently, branch channels are led out from both ends of the first differential pressure gauge 1204A, and both ends of the second differential pressure gauge 1204B are connected to the branch channels of the first differential pressure gauge 1204A. In other words, the second differential pressure gauge 1204B is not directly connected to the first interface of the selector valve, but is indirectly connected to the first interface of the selector valve through the branch channels led out from both ends of the first differential pressure gauge 1204A. Similarly, the third differential pressure gauge 1204C is indirectly connected through the branch channels led out from both ends of the second differential pressure gauge 1204B.

[0071] In this embodiment, the first differential pressure gauge 1204A is directly connected to the first interface of the selector valve, while subsequent differential pressure gauges at each stage are led out through the branch channels of the previous stage differential pressure gauge. This connection method eliminates the need to set up a separate interface for each stage differential pressure gauge at the first interface of the selector valve, effectively reducing the number of interfaces at the first interface of the selector valve, simplifying the piping connection structure of the cooling system 120, and also helping to reduce the risk of leakage caused by too many interfaces.

[0072] In the differential pressure sensor 1204, which includes multiple differential pressure gauges, each differential pressure gauge is sequentially connected to the measurement circuit through branch channels extending from both ends of the previous differential pressure gauge. With this connection method, when the pressure difference in the coolant pipe 1201 being measured is large, if each branch channel remains open, the high-pressure coolant will be transmitted step-by-step through each branch channel to all differential pressure gauges of all ranges. This causes the next-level differential pressure gauge with the smaller upper limit of its range to experience an input exceeding its upper limit, thereby damaging the next-level differential pressure gauge.

[0073] To address the aforementioned technical problems, this application proposes an embodiment in which a shut-off valve 1206 is provided in the differential pressure sensor 1204, distributed in branch channels between two adjacent differential pressure gauges. The shut-off valve 1206 can be connected to the controller 1208 (due to page layout space limitations, ...). Figure 3(The connection between each on / off valve 1206 and the controller 1208 is not shown), used to open or close the branch channel between two adjacent differential pressure gauges in response to the differential pressure value measured by the current differential pressure gauge.

[0074] by Figure 3 For example, when the first differential pressure gauge 1204A measures the differential pressure value of the coolant pipe 1201 currently being measured, the controller 1208 can determine whether to open or close the on / off valve 1206 connected to the branch pipe of the first differential pressure gauge 1204A based on the differential pressure value measured by the first differential pressure gauge 1204A. If the determination result is to open the on / off valve 1206, the cooling medium in the coolant pipe 1201 will further flow to the second differential pressure gauge 1204B. After receiving the cooling medium in the coolant pipe 1201, the second-stage differential pressure gauge will further measure the differential pressure value of the coolant pipe 1201, thereby causing the controller 1208 to repeat the same determination as the previous on / off valve 1206 for the on / off valve 1206 on the branch channel of the second-stage differential pressure gauge 1204A, and repeat this process continuously until the last stage differential pressure gauge completes the measurement.

[0075] This embodiment achieves isolation and protection of the next and subsequent differential pressure gauges by setting an on / off valve 1206 on the branch channel between two adjacent differential pressure gauges and using the measurement result of the current differential pressure gauge as the control basis, thereby improving the safety of each differential pressure gauge during operation.

[0076] When the on / off valve 1206 responds to the differential pressure value measured by the current differential pressure gauge to open or close the branch channel between two adjacent differential pressure gauges, it can do so in the following ways: it closes when the differential pressure value measured by the current differential pressure gauge is greater than or equal to the upper limit of the range of the next stage differential pressure gauge, and the differential pressure value measured by the current stage differential pressure gauge is the actual differential pressure value of the coolant pipeline; it opens when the differential pressure value measured by the current differential pressure gauge is less than the upper limit of the range of the next stage differential pressure gauge.

[0077] For example, in Figure 3 If the differential pressure value exceeds the upper limit of the range of the second differential pressure gauge 1204B, the on / off valve 1206 on the branch channel between the first differential pressure gauge 1204A and the second differential pressure gauge 1204B will perform an isolation action, cutting off the branch channel between the second differential pressure gauge 1204B and subsequent differential pressure gauges and the first differential pressure gauge 1204A. This prevents the cooling medium with higher pressure from being transmitted to the second differential pressure gauge 1204B and subsequent differential pressure gauges through the branch channel of the first differential pressure gauge 1204A. Conversely, if the differential pressure value measured by the first differential pressure gauge 1204A does not exceed the upper limit of the range of the second differential pressure gauge 1204B, the on / off valve 1206 will open, allowing the cooling medium to be transmitted to the second differential pressure gauge 1204B for accurate measurement by the differential pressure gauge with a more suitable range.

[0078] When the differential pressure value measured by the current differential pressure gauge reaches or exceeds the maximum range that the next stage differential pressure gauge can withstand, it indicates that the pressure to be measured has exceeded the safe operating range of the next stage differential pressure gauge. At this time, the on / off valve performs a closing action, cutting off the branch channel between the two adjacent stages, so that the cooling medium with a larger pressure cannot be transmitted from the branch channel of the previous stage to the next stage and subsequent stages of differential pressure gauges, thereby effectively preventing the small-range differential pressure gauge from being damaged due to overload.

[0079] When the differential pressure value measured by the current differential pressure gauge is within the range of the next-level differential pressure gauge, it indicates that the actual differential pressure value of the coolant pipeline 1201 to be measured is within the safe and effective measurement range of the next-level differential pressure gauge. At this time, the on-off valve 1206 performs an opening action, connecting the branch channel between the two adjacent levels, so that the cooling medium is transferred from the branch channel of the upper-level differential pressure gauge to the lower-level differential pressure gauge. The lower-level differential pressure gauge can then perform a more accurate measurement of the differential pressure value of the coolant pipeline 1201, thereby ensuring the accuracy of the measurement results.

[0080] It should be noted that the "actual differential pressure value" mentioned in this embodiment refers to the value measured by the differential pressure gauge on the coolant pipeline 1201, which has been confirmed to truly reflect the pressure difference of the pipeline. This actual differential pressure value can be either the reading of a single sample from the differential pressure gauge or a stable value obtained after averaging or filtering multiple sample values ​​within a preset time window.

[0081] As a precision measuring element, the differential pressure gauge may experience zero-point drift due to factors such as temperature changes and component aging, meaning that the differential pressure gauge output will not be zero when there is no pressure difference input. This zero-point drift will cause errors in the pressure difference measured by the differential pressure gauge for each coolant pipe 1201, affecting the accuracy of the measurement.

[0082] Taking this issue into consideration, also refer to Figure 3 The cooling system 120 proposed in this embodiment also includes multiple calibration valves 1207. Calibration branches are led out from both ends of each stage of the differential pressure gauge, distributed between the ports of the differential pressure gauge and the branch channels. Calibration valves 1207 are distributed in the calibration branches, and are used to connect the two ports of the differential pressure gauge. Calibration valves 1207 can also be connected to a controller 1208, which controls the opening or closing of the calibration valves 1207. (Due to space limitations in page layout, ...) Figure 3 The connection relationship between each calibration valve 1207 and the controller 1208 is not shown.

[0083] With the above structure, each stage of the differential pressure gauge has a corresponding calibration valve 1207, which is located on the calibration branch between the port of the differential pressure gauge and the branch channel. When a stage of the differential pressure gauge needs to be calibrated, simply opening the calibration valve 1207 will connect the two ports of the stage of the differential pressure gauge, making the pressure at both ends of the stage of the differential pressure gauge tend to be consistent, thus completing the calibration of the differential pressure gauge and ensuring the accuracy of the differential pressure gauge measurement.

[0084] Meanwhile, by equipping each differential pressure gauge with an independent calibration valve 1207, each level of differential pressure gauge can have independent calibration capabilities. Each calibration valve 1207 is positioned between the port and branch channel of the corresponding differential pressure gauge. When opened, the calibration valve 1207 forms a closed loop only between the two ports of the differential pressure gauge, without altering the conduction or isolation status of the branch channels between adjacent levels. Therefore, each level of differential pressure gauge can be calibrated independently without affecting the normal measurement status of other levels, thereby improving the flexibility and independence of differential pressure gauge calibration.

[0085] The calibration valve 1207 can be connected to the controller 1208 and is used to open when the zero offset of the current differential pressure gauge exceeds a preset threshold and the on / off valve 1206 is closed, and to close when the zero offset of the current differential pressure gauge does not exceed the preset threshold or the on / off valve 1206 is open.

[0086] When the zero-point offset of a certain differential pressure gauge exceeds its allowable error range (i.e., the preset threshold), it indicates that the differential pressure gauge corresponding to the calibration valve 1207 needs to undergo zero-point calibration. At this time, if the on / off valve 1206 corresponding to the differential pressure gauge is in the closed state, that is, the branch channel between the differential pressure gauge and its next-level differential pressure gauge has been isolated, then the calibration valve 1207 can be opened to connect the two ports of the differential pressure gauge and perform zero-point calibration.

[0087] When the on / off valve 1206 is open, the branch channel of this stage of differential pressure gauge is connected to the branch channel of the next stage differential pressure gauge. If the calibration valve 1207 is activated at this time, two pressure signals may simultaneously act on multiple differential pressure gauges, making it impossible to obtain the true zero-point offset of this stage of differential pressure gauge, and potentially interfering with the normal measurement of other stages of differential pressure gauges. Only when the on / off valve 1206 is closed, the branch channel between this stage of differential pressure gauge and the next stage is isolated, and its two ports form an independent closed loop through the calibration branch. Only then can the differential pressure value measured by opening the calibration valve 1207 truly reflect the zero-point offset of the differential pressure gauge itself, unaffected by pressure interference from other stages of differential pressure gauges or branch channels. Therefore, this embodiment uses the closed state of the on / off valve 1206 as a prerequisite for opening the calibration valve 1207, further ensuring the safety of the calibration operation and the accuracy of the calibration results.

[0088] Meanwhile, calibration is only initiated when the zero-point offset exceeds a preset threshold, and is not performed when the zero-point offset does not exceed the threshold. This ensures that calibration is only performed when necessary, avoiding interference from excessively frequent calibration operations on the measurement process. This helps maintain the normal measurement efficiency of the cooling system 120 while ensuring measurement accuracy.

[0089] When using a single differential pressure sensor 1204 to measure multiple coolant pipes 1201 separately, it is necessary to control the outlets of two selector valves to switch the inlet to be open at a high frequency. During this process, continuous wear will occur inside the selector valves, causing leakage or poor sealing of the selector valves during the use of the cooling system 120. This will result in the coolant medium from the non-target coolant pipes 1201 flowing into the differential pressure sensor 1204, affecting the measurement accuracy of the differential pressure sensor 1204.

[0090] refer to Figure 4 The schematic diagram of the third cooling system shown illustrates how, to address this issue, this embodiment can install a shut-off valve 1205 at both the outlet and inlet of each coolant pipe 1201. The outlets and inlets of multiple coolant pipes 1201 are connected to the second interface of a selector valve via shut-off valves 1205. The shut-off valve 1205 has two states: open and closed, which can be controlled by… Figure 4 The controller 1208 controls the shut-off valve 1205 to switch between open and closed states, or it can be manually operated to open or close. When the shut-off valve 1205 is open, the inlet or outlet of the coolant pipe 1201 connected to it and the second interface of the selector valve connected to it are connected, allowing the cooling medium at the inlet or outlet of the coolant pipe 1201 to flow to the selector valve. When the shut-off valve 1205 is closed, the inlet or outlet of the coolant pipe 1201 connected to it and the second interface of the selector valve connected to it are disconnected, preventing the cooling medium at the inlet or outlet of the coolant pipe 1201 from flowing to the selector valve. Specifically, the shut-off valve 1205 can be a pneumatic valve.

[0091] When it is necessary to measure the differential pressure of the coolant pipe 1201 under test, while controlling the second and first interfaces of the selector valve connected to the inlet of the coolant pipe 1201 to be connected, and the second and first interfaces of the selector valve connected to the outlet of the coolant pipe 1201 to be connected, the shut-off valves 1205 at both the inlet and outlet of the coolant pipe 1201 are also opened. In this case, for the coolant pipe 1201 under test, the cooling medium at the inlet of the coolant pipe 1201 flows into one port of the differential pressure sensor 1204 through the shut-off valve 1205 and the inlet selector valve 1202 at the inlet, and the cooling medium at the outlet of the coolant pipe 1201 flows into the other port of the differential pressure sensor 1204 through the shut-off valve 1205 and the outlet selector valve 1203 at the outlet, thereby the differential pressure sensor 1204 measures the differential pressure of the coolant pipe 1201. As for the non-target coolant pipeline 1201, even if there is a leak at the second port of its corresponding selector valve, since the shut-off valves 1205 at the inlet and outlet of the non-target coolant pipeline 1201 are both closed, the cooling medium cannot enter the differential pressure sensor 1204 through the shut-off valves 1205, thus achieving isolation of the non-target coolant pipeline 1201.

[0092] The cooling system 120 provided in this embodiment adds a shut-off valve 1205 to the inlet and outlet of each coolant pipe 1201. When measuring the coolant pipe 1201 to be measured, the shut-off valve 1205 of the coolant pipe 1201 to be measured is opened, and the shut-off valve 1205 of the coolant pipe 1201 not to be measured is closed. This cuts off the conduction path between the coolant pipe 1201 not to be measured and the differential pressure sensor 1204 from the source, effectively blocking the cooling medium from entering the differential pressure sensor 1204 from the coolant pipe 1201 not to be measured, thereby significantly improving the accuracy and reliability of differential pressure measurement.

[0093] For a cooling system where multiple coolant pipes 1201 share a single differential pressure sensor 1204, when switching from the currently measured coolant pipe 1201 to the next one to be measured, the port of the next coolant pipe 1201 to be measured is not connected, resulting in a cavity in the pipeline from the coolant pipe 1201 to the selector valve. This cavity causes the differential pressure sensor 1204 to pre-build pressure before measuring the next coolant pipe 1201, thus prolonging the time required for a single measurement and reducing the measurement efficiency of the cooling system 120.

[0094] To address the aforementioned issues, this embodiment distributes the differential pressure sensor and two selector valves externally to multiple cabinets. At least two of the multiple coolant pipes are connected to the second interfaces of the two selector valves to form at least two sets of test branches. One of these test branches is connected to the first interface of the two selector valves. After the differential pressure sensor 1204 measures the pressure difference in the current liquid cooling pipe, the first interfaces of the inlet selector valve 1202 and the outlet selector valve 1203 are disconnected from one of the at least two test branches, while remaining connected to the other of the at least two test branches.

[0095] by Figure 4 Taking the cooling system 120 shown as an example, this embodiment will be described. For instance, the first pipe 1201A and the second pipe 1201B can be controlled to be connected to the second interfaces of the two selector valves, forming a first test branch including the first pipe 1201A and a second test branch including the second pipe 1201B. The first test branch or the second test branch is connected to the first interface of the inlet selector valve 1202 and the outlet selector valve 1203, respectively.

[0096] When the differential pressure sensor 1204 measures the pressure difference in the first pipeline 1201A, the first branch under test is connected to the first interfaces of the inlet selector valve 1202 and the outlet selector valve 1203. After the differential pressure sensor has finished measuring the pressure difference in the first pipeline 1201A, the controller 1208 can control the first interfaces of the inlet selector valve 1202 and the outlet selector valve 1203 to disconnect from the first branch under test, and control the first interfaces of the inlet selector valve 1202 and the outlet selector valve 1203 to connect to the second branch under test, so that the differential pressure sensor can measure the pressure difference in the second pipeline 1201B after measuring the pressure difference in the first pipeline 1201A.

[0097] Through the above control method, before another coolant pipe 1201 is selected by the selector valve, its inlet and outlet are pre-connected to the second interfaces of the two selector valves. This allows the cooling medium in the coolant pipe 1201 to pre-fill the cavity in the pipe, thereby establishing a stable pressure environment for the differential pressure sensor 1204 to measure the coolant pipe 1201. When the pressure sensor 1204 subsequently measures the coolant pipe 1201, since the pipe between the coolant pipe 1201 and the pressure sensor 1204 is pre-filled with cooling medium and the pressure has stabilized, the differential pressure sensor 1204 can directly measure the pressure difference in the coolant pipe 1201, thus shortening the time required for a single measurement and improving the measurement efficiency of the cooling system 120.

[0098] It should be noted that the "at least two sets of branches to be tested" in this embodiment may include any two of the multiple coolant pipes 1201. The order in which the differential pressure sensor 1208 measures the "at least two sets of branches to be tested" can be predetermined by the controller 1208. The connection between the multiple coolant pipes 1201 and the second interfaces of the two selector valves can be disconnected, which can be controlled by the shut-off valve 1205 connected between them.

[0099] In practical engineering applications, the layout of different coolant pipes 1201 varies, and the length, direction, and internal volume of the connecting pipes to the selector valves differ, as does the pressure build-up time of the pipes. To address this issue, in one embodiment, the controller 1208 can be used to control the second port and first interface of another coolant pipe 1201 to be connected after the second port of the inlet selector valve 1202 connected to the inlet of one of the coolant pipes 1201 has been connected to the first interface of the inlet selector valve 1202 for a preset time. The preset time varies with the distance between the coolant pipe 1201 and the inlet selector valve 1202. While the preset time may vary inversely with the distance between the coolant pipe 1201 and the inlet selector valve 1202, this application does not impose a specific limitation on this.

[0100] In the cooling system 120 provided in this embodiment, the controller 1208 sets different preset durations for coolant pipes 1201 that are closer to and farther from the selector valve, so that the second port of the next coolant pipe 1201 to be tested is connected to the first interface at the appropriate time. This ensures that there is sufficient time to complete the pre-filling and pressure stabilization process of the cooling medium before the selector valve switches to the coolant pipe 1201. While ensuring the accuracy of the differential pressure measurement of each coolant pipe 1201, the efficiency of polling measurement is improved.

[0101] In one embodiment, to address the differences in pressure build-up time between coolant pipes 1201 with different layouts, the preset time can vary with the diameter of the branch pipe connecting the coolant pipe 1201 and the second port of the selector valve. The preset time can vary inversely with the diameter of the branch pipe, and this application does not specifically limit this variation.

[0102] During the actual operation of the data center 10, the pressure difference between different coolant pipes 1201 will dynamically change due to their physical layout, pipe length, and internal cooling medium pressure variations. When the change in a certain coolant pipe 1201 exceeds the normal range, the probability of pipe wall rupture or flow channel blockage will increase, leading to a rapid increase in the failure rate of the cooling system 120.

[0103] This application proposes an embodiment in which multiple second ports of two selector valves are periodically and sequentially connected to the first ports of the two selector valves. When the pressure difference value of the coolant pipe 1201 is greater than or equal to a second threshold and less than or equal to a first threshold in the current cycle, it indicates that the pressure difference of the coolant pipe 1201 is within the normal range, and its connection sequence in the next cycle is set as the first connection priority. When the pressure difference value of the coolant pipe 1201 is greater than the first threshold or less than the second threshold in the current cycle, it indicates that the pressure difference of the coolant pipe 1201 has deviated from the normal range, and its connection sequence in the next cycle is set as the second connection priority. The second connection priority is earlier than the first connection priority, that is, pipes that deviate from the normal range are measured first in the next cycle, while pipes that are within the normal range are measured relatively later.

[0104] By comparing the differential pressure value measured in the current cycle with a preset first threshold and a second threshold, "normal pipes" and "abnormal pipes" can be distinguished from multiple coolant pipes 1201. For abnormal pipes, they are given a measurement priority earlier than normal pipes in the next cycle, so that pipes with abnormal conditions can be measured again in a shorter time interval. This helps the cooling system 120 to obtain subsequent status data of abnormal pipes in a timely manner, thereby improving the timeliness of the cooling system 120's response to abnormal pipes.

[0105] Furthermore, specific limitations can be made on the priority ranking when multiple coolant pipes 1201 deviate from the normal range simultaneously within the same cycle. When the pressure difference value of coolant pipe 1201 is greater than the first threshold, the deviation range of the pressure difference of coolant pipe 1201 is defined as the difference between the pressure difference value of coolant pipe 1201 and the first threshold; when the pressure difference value of coolant pipe 1201 is less than the second threshold, the deviation range of the pressure difference of coolant pipe 1201 is defined as the difference between the second threshold and the pressure difference value of coolant pipe 1201.

[0106] When the pressure difference of at least two coolant pipes 1201 is greater than the first threshold or less than the second threshold within the same cycle, i.e., when multiple coolant pipes 1201 deviate from the normal range simultaneously, the priority of the second interface of the two selector valves corresponding to each coolant pipe 1201 and the first interface of the two selector valves increases with the increase of the pressure difference deviation of the coolant pipe 1201. In other words, the coolant pipe 1201 with the greater deviation has a higher measurement priority in the next cycle and is connected earlier in the sequence.

[0107] This embodiment quantifies the degree to which each coolant pipe 1201 deviates from the normal range by measuring the pressure difference deviation, and uses this deviation as the basis for determining the relative priority among multiple coolant pipes 1201. This enables further refined sorting within the abnormal pipe group and graded response in the case of simultaneous abnormality of multiple coolant pipes 1201.

[0108] In this application embodiment, a data center is also provided, which includes multiple loads and the cooling system provided above.

[0109] For more detailed information about data centers, please refer to the previous text. Figures 1-4 Introduction to the cooling system.

[0110] In the embodiments of this application, the words "exemplary," "for example," etc., are used to indicate that they are examples, illustrations, or descriptions. Any embodiment or design that is described as "exemplary" in this application should not be construed as being more preferred or advantageous than other embodiments or design options. Specifically, the use of the term "exemplary" is intended to present the concept in a concrete manner.

[0111] It should be understood that the term "embodiment" used throughout this specification means that a specific feature, structure, or characteristic related to an embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of this application. Therefore, various embodiments throughout this specification do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. Furthermore, these specific features, structures, or characteristics can be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments.

[0112] It should also be understood that in this application, "when," "if," "in the circumstances of," and "if" all refer to a situation where a corresponding action will be taken under certain objective circumstances, and are not time-limited. They do not require the device to perform a judgment action, nor do they imply any other limitations. Furthermore, in this application, the descriptions of conditions such as "when," "if," "in the circumstances of," and "if" can be understood as necessary conditions, without limiting whether the condition is a sufficient condition or a necessary and sufficient condition. For example, "in the case of A, execute B" can be understood as "if at least A is satisfied, execute B."

[0113] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of this application, but the scope of protection of this application is not limited thereto. Any variations or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the scope of the technology disclosed in this application should be included within the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A cooling system, characterized in that, The cooling system includes multiple coolant pipes, a differential pressure sensor, and two gate valves. The multiple coolant pipes are distributed across multiple server racks in the data center. Each coolant pipe is used to deliver cooling medium to loads distributed within the same server rack. The differential pressure sensor includes two ports and is used to measure the pressure difference between the two ports. Each gate valve includes a first interface and multiple second interfaces. Each gate valve is used to selectively connect one of the multiple second interfaces to the first interface. The first interfaces of the two gate valves are respectively used to connect to the two ports of the differential pressure sensor, and the multiple second interfaces of each gate valve are respectively used to connect to the multiple coolant pipes.

2. The cooling system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The cooling medium pipeline includes a supply pipeline and a return pipeline. The supply pipeline is used to receive the cooling medium output from the cabinet, and the return pipeline is used to input the cooling medium into the cabinet. The two selector valves are used to selectively connect the supply pipeline and the return pipeline corresponding to the plurality of cooling medium pipelines in sequence.

3. The cooling system according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The cooling system includes a measuring pipe connected between the first ports of the two selector valves. The measuring pipe is used to install the differential pressure sensor, and the diameter of the measuring pipe is smaller than the sum of the diameters of any two of the plurality of coolant pipes.

4. The cooling system according to any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that, The differential pressure sensor includes multiple differential pressure gauges, each with a different differential pressure measurement range. At any given time, only one of the multiple differential pressure gauges is used to measure the differential pressure between the two ports.

5. The cooling system according to claim 4, characterized in that, During the period when the cooling medium corresponding to any one of the plurality of coolant pipes is filled at the two ports of the differential pressure sensor, the measurement range of the differential pressure gauge changes from large to small.

6. The cooling system according to claim 4 or 5, characterized in that, The plurality of differential pressure gauges are connected in parallel between the first interfaces of the two selector valves. The upper limit of the range of the plurality of differential pressure gauges decreases sequentially. The two ports of the first-stage differential pressure gauge are respectively used to connect with the first interfaces of the two selector valves. The two ends of each stage of the differential pressure gauge lead out branch channels. The two ends of the next stage of the differential pressure gauge are respectively used to connect with the branch channels of the previous stage of the differential pressure gauge.

7. The cooling system according to claim 6, characterized in that, The differential pressure sensor also includes on / off valves distributed between the branch channels of two adjacent differential pressure gauges, the on / off valves being used to open or close the branch channels between two adjacent differential pressure gauges in response to the differential pressure value measured by the current differential pressure gauge.

8. The cooling system according to claim 7, characterized in that, The on / off valve is also used to close in response to the differential pressure value measured by the current differential pressure gauge being greater than or equal to the upper limit of the range of the next-level differential pressure gauge, wherein the differential pressure value measured by the current differential pressure gauge is the actual differential pressure value of the coolant pipeline.

9. The cooling system according to claim 7, characterized in that, The on / off valve is also used to open in response to a differential pressure value measured by the current differential pressure gauge being less than the upper limit of the range of the next-level differential pressure gauge.

10. The cooling system according to any one of claims 4-9, characterized in that, The differential pressure sensor also includes multiple calibration valves. Each stage of the differential pressure gauge has calibration branches leading out from both ends. The calibration branches are distributed between the ports of the differential pressure gauge and the branch channels. The calibration valves are distributed in the calibration branches and are used to connect the two ports of the differential pressure gauge.

11. The cooling system according to claim 10, characterized in that, The calibration valve is also configured to open in response to the current zero offset of the differential pressure gauge exceeding a preset threshold and the on / off valve being closed.

12. The cooling system according to any one of claims 1-11, characterized in that, The differential pressure sensor and the two selector valves are distributed outside the plurality of cabinets. At least two of the plurality of coolant pipes are connected to the second interface of the two selector valves to form at least two sets of test branches. One of the at least two sets of test branches is connected to the first interface of the two selector valves. After the differential pressure sensor has measured the pressure difference of the current liquid cooling pipe, it closes the connection between the first interface of the two selector valves and one of the at least two sets of test branches, and connects to the other of the at least two sets of test branches.

13. A data center, characterized in that, The data center includes multiple loads and a cooling system as described in any one of claims 1-12.

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