Rack cooling device

Abstract

To provide a rack cooling device that can improve air conditioning efficiency.SOLUTION: A rack cooling device includes a space-forming wall that is a wall member that divides a space in which multiple racks, each having an air intake surface and an air discharge surface, are arranged, and confines air discharged from the air discharge surface side within the internal space, a heat exchanger that is provided in part of the space-forming wall and cools the air in the internal space, and a fan that discharges the air cooled by the heat exchanger to the external space.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1A

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a rack cooling device.

Background Art

[0002] Regarding air conditioning systems, a technology that enables cooling using outside air throughout the year is known (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In this technology, the high-temperature exhaust gas introduced into the precooling heat exchange section via the ceiling space is pre-cooled by the heat exchanger (evaporator) of the heat pipe, which is a heat transfer means, and then cooled to the set temperature in the evaporator of the air conditioner. It is sent to the double-floor space through the supply duct by the blower. The sent cold air is blown into the cold aisle space through a plurality of outlets provided in the floor panel, and further sucked into each server rack. After cooling each server in the rack, it becomes high-temperature exhaust gas and is discharged into the hot aisle space. The exhaust gas is further led to the ceiling space and finally returned to the precooling heat exchange section. By such circulation of indoor air, each server rack is cooled.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In the above-described technology, since a refrigerant cooling device such as a chiller for cooling air conditioning is often installed outdoors, it is necessary to pipe from the refrigerant cooling device to the air conditioner installed in the rack. As the piping becomes longer, the temperature of the water rises before reaching the indoor air conditioner, and the loss increases. When the temperature of the water rises, the load on the refrigerant cooling device increases, and the air conditioning efficiency decreases. In addition, the construction cost for piping from the refrigerant cooling device to the air conditioner installed in the rack increases. Furthermore, since air conditioning equipment is required in each room, the cost increases.

[0005] Also, when underfloor air conditioning is not possible, a cold aisle cannot be formed, so there is no means to reduce the PUE (Power Usage Effectiveness) value of the data center. An object of the present invention is to provide a rack cooling device capable of improving air conditioning efficiency.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] (1) One aspect of the present invention is a wall member that partitions a space in which a plurality of racks each having an air intake surface and an air discharge surface are arranged, the wall member including a space configuration wall that confines the air discharged from the air discharge surface side within an internal space, a heat exchanger provided in a part of the space configuration wall for cooling the air in the internal space, and a fan for discharging the air cooled by the heat exchanger to an external space.

[0007] (2) One aspect of the present invention is the rack cooling device according to (1) above, wherein the plurality of racks are arranged such that their air discharge surfaces face each other.

[0008] (3) One aspect of the present invention is the rack cooling device according to (1) above, further including an introduction part for introducing the cold air discharged from the fan to the air intake surface.

[0009] (4) One aspect of the present invention is the rack cooling device according to (1) above, wherein the space configuration wall is arranged so as to have a gap between it and the rack.

[0010] (5) One aspect of the present invention is the rack cooling device according to (1) above, further including a power generation element that generates electricity based on the temperature difference between the air cooled by the heat exchanger and the air in the internal space.

[0011] (6) One aspect of the present invention is the rack cooling device according to (1) above, further including an introduction part for introducing the cold air discharged from the fan to the internal space.

[0012] (7) One aspect of the present invention is the rack cooling device described in (1) above, further comprising a plurality of heat exchangers and a plurality of refrigerant cooling devices each connected to each of the plurality of heat exchangers.

[0013] (8) One aspect of the present invention is the rack cooling device described in (7) above, wherein the rack cooling device is provided in a room of a data center and further comprises an exhaust outlet for guiding the exhaust of the plurality of refrigerant cooling devices to the outside of the room.

[0014] (9) One aspect of the present invention is the rack cooling device described in (1) above, further comprising a movable member for moving the position of the heat exchanger.

Advantages of the Invention

[0015] According to the present invention, a rack cooling device capable of improving air conditioning efficiency can be provided.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0016]

Figure 1A

Figure 1B

Figure 1C

Figure 2A

Figure 2B

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Figure 9

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0017] Next, the rack cooling device of the present embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. The embodiments described below are merely examples, and the embodiments to which the present invention is applied are not limited to the following embodiments. In all the drawings for explaining the embodiments, those having the same function are denoted by the same reference numerals, and repeated explanations are omitted.

[0018] (Embodiment) (Rack Cooling Device) Figures 1A to 1C are diagrams showing an example of the rack cooling device 1 according to the present embodiment. Figure 1A shows a perspective view of the rack cooling device 1. The rack cooling device 1 is installed, for example, in the room of the data center 1. The rack cooling device 1 includes racks 10-1 to 10-22, fans 20-1 to 20-9, heat exchangers 30-1 to 30-3, space configuration walls 40-1 to 40-8, and refrigerant cooling devices 50-1 to 50-3.

[0019] An example of the shape of each of the racks 10-1 to 10-22 is a rectangular parallelepiped. Each of the racks 10-1 to 10-11 is arranged such that the surfaces including the long sides of the bottom surface are adjacent to each other, and each of the racks 10-12 to 10-22 is arranged such that the surfaces including the long sides of the bottom surface are adjacent to each other. Hereinafter, the rack row formed by arranging the racks 10-1 to 10-11 as an example is called the first rack row, and the rack row formed by arranging the racks 10-12 to 10-22 as an example is called the second rack row. The first rack row and the second rack row are arranged adjacent to each other with a space in a direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction.

[0020] Racks 10-1 to 10-3 and racks 10-12 to 10-14 are installed to face each other. The space between racks 10-1 to 10-3 and racks 10-12 to 10-14 is bridged by column members CM-1 and CM-2. Specifically, the upper part of rack 10-1 and the upper part of rack 10-12 are connected by column member CM-1, and the upper part of rack 10-3 and the upper part of rack 10-14 are connected by column member CM-2.

[0021] Between column member CM-1 and column member CM-2, a space forming wall 40-1, a heat exchanger 30-1, and a space forming wall 40-6 are attached in a direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the first rack row and the second rack row. On the upper part of the heat exchanger 30-1, fans 20-1 to 20-3 are installed along the longitudinal direction of the first rack row and the second rack row. For example, the fans 20-1 to 20-3 may be attached to the column member CM-1 and the column member CM-2 by fittings (not shown). Further, a drain pan (not shown) is attached to the column member CM-1 and the column member CM-2 to prevent water leakage due to the condensed water adhering to the heat exchanger 30-1.

[0022] The rack 10-4 and the rack 10-15 are installed so as to face each other. The space between the rack 10-4 and the rack 10-15 is bridged by the column members CM-2 and CM-3. Specifically, the upper parts of the rack 10-4 and the rack 10-15 are connected by the column members CM-2 and CM-3. A space-forming wall 40-2 is attached between the column member CM-2 and the column member CM-3 in a direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the first and second rack rows.

[0023] The racks 10-5 to 10-7 and the racks 10-16 to 10-18 are installed so as to face each other. The space between the racks 10-5 to 10-7 and the racks 10-16 to 10-18 is bridged by the column members CM-3 and CM-4. Specifically, the upper part of the rack 10-5 and the upper part of the rack 10-16 are connected by the column member CM-3, and the upper part of the rack 10-7 and the upper part of the rack 10-18 are connected by the column member CM-4.

[0024] A space-forming wall 40-3, a heat exchanger 30-2, and a space-forming wall 40-7 are attached between the column member CM-3 and the column member CM-4 in a direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the first and second rack rows. On the upper part of the heat exchanger 30-2, fans 20-4 to 20-6 are installed along the longitudinal direction of the first and second rack rows. For example, the fans 20-4 to 20-6 may be attached to the column members CM-3 and CM-4 by fittings (not shown). Further, a drain pan (not shown) is attached to the column members CM-3 and CM-4 to prevent water leakage due to the condensed water adhering to the heat exchanger 30-2.

[0025] Rack 10-8 and rack 10-19 are installed so as to face each other. Between rack 10-8 and rack 10-19, a bridge is formed by column members CM-4 and CM-5. Specifically, the upper part of rack 10-8 and the upper part of rack 10-19 are connected by column members CM-4 and CM-5. Between column member CM-4 and column member CM-5, a space forming wall 40-4 is attached in a direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the first rack row and the second rack row.

[0026] Racks 10-9 to 10-11 and racks 10-20 to 10-22 are installed so as to face each other. Between racks 10-9 to 10-11 and racks 10-20 to 10-22, a bridge is formed by column members CM-5 and CM-6. Specifically, the upper part of rack 10-9 and the upper part of rack 10-20 are connected by column member CM-5, and the upper part of rack 10-11 and the upper part of rack 10-22 are connected by column member CM-6.

[0027] Between column member CM-5 and column member CM-6, a space forming wall 40-5, a heat exchanger 30-3, and a space forming wall 40-8 are attached in a direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the first rack row and the second rack row. Above the heat exchanger 30-3, fans 20-7 to 20-9 are installed along the longitudinal direction of the first rack row and the second rack row. For example, fans 20-7 to 20-9 may be attached to column member CM-5 and column member CM-6 by fittings (not shown). Further, a drain pan (not shown) is attached to column member CM-5 and column member CM-6 to prevent water leakage due to condensed water adhering to the heat exchanger 30-3.

[0028] However, in FIG. 1A, for the sake of convenience of explanation, a state before a space forming wall 40-5, a heat exchanger 30-3, and a space forming wall 40-8 are attached between column member CM-5 and column member CM-6 is shown. Further, a state before fans 20-7 to 20-9 are installed above the heat exchanger 30-3 along the longitudinal direction of the first rack row and the second rack row is shown.

[0029] Hereinafter, the direction in which each of the racks 10-1 to 10-11 and the racks 10-12 to 10-22 are arranged is defined as the X-axis, the vertically upward direction is defined as the Y-axis, and the direction perpendicular to the X-axis and the Y-axis is defined as the Z-axis. The direction of the arrow in the figure is the positive direction, and the opposite direction is the negative direction.

[0030] FIG. 1B shows a top view of the rack cooling device 1 as viewed from the positive direction of the Y-axis in FIG. 1A. The heat exchanger 30-1 and the refrigerant cooling device 50-1 are piped by the first pipe 60-1, the heat exchanger 30-2 and the refrigerant cooling device 50-2 are piped by the second pipe 60-2, and the heat exchanger 30-3 and the refrigerant cooling device 50-3 are piped by the third pipe 60-3. The refrigerant cooling devices 50-1 to 50-3 are installed, for example, in the room of the data center 1. By installing the refrigerant cooling devices 50-1 to 50-3 in the same room as the heat exchangers 30-1 to 30-3, the piping from the refrigerant cooling device 50 to the heat exchanger 30 can be shortened.

[0031] FIG. 1C shows a side view of the rack cooling device 1 as viewed from the negative direction of the Z-axis in FIG. 1A. In the racks 10-1 to 10-11, the surfaces in the negative direction of the Z-axis are the air intake surfaces AIS-1 to AIS-11, and the surfaces in the positive direction of the Z-axis are the air exhaust surfaces AES-1 to AES-11.

[0032] Also, although not shown, in the racks 10-12 to 10-22, the surfaces in the negative direction of the Z-axis are the air exhaust surfaces AES-12 to AES-22, and the surfaces in the positive direction of the Z-axis are the air intake surfaces AIS-12 to AIS-22. That is, in the racks 10-1 to 10-11 and the racks 10-12 to 10-22, the air exhaust surfaces AES-1 to AES-11 and the air exhaust surfaces AES-12 to AES-22 are arranged to face each other. The air intake surface and the air exhaust surface will be described later.

[0033] Hereinafter, any one of the racks 10-1 to 10-22 is described as rack 10, any one of the fans 20-1 to 20-9 is described as fan 20, and any one of the heat exchangers 30-1 to 30-3 is described as heat exchanger 30. Also, any one of the space configuration walls 40-1 to 40-8 is described as space configuration wall 40, and any one of the refrigerant cooling devices 50-1 to 50-3 is described as refrigerant cooling device 50. Also, any one of the first pipe 60-1 to the third pipe 60-3 is described as pipe 60, any one of the air intake surfaces AIS―1 to AIS-22 is described as air intake surface AIS, and any one of the air discharge surfaces AES―1 to AES-22 is described as air discharge surface AES.

[0034] Rack 10 has an accommodation space, and communication devices such as server devices can be accommodated in the accommodation space. The communication device operates with exhaust heat. Rack 10 includes an air intake surface AIS and an air discharge surface AES. The air intake surface AIS is the surface where air is inhaled from the outside of rack 10 into the accommodation space. From the air intake surface AIS, the air cooled by the heat exchanger 30 is collected into the accommodation space. The air discharge surface AES is the surface where air is discharged from the accommodation space of rack 10 to the outside. From the air discharge surface AES, the exhaust heat of the communication devices accommodated in the accommodation space is discharged.

[0035] Figures 2A to 2B are diagrams for explaining an example of the operation of the rack cooling device 1 according to the present embodiment. Figure 2A shows a side view of the rack cooling device 1 as viewed from the positive direction of the X-axis. Figure 2B shows a side view of the rack cooling device 1 as viewed from the negative direction of the X-axis. In Figure 2A, a first end face configuration wall (not shown) is attached between the most end face EF-1 in the positive direction of the X-axis of rack 10-1 and the most end face EF-12 in the positive direction of the X-axis of rack 10-12. In Figure 2B, a second end face configuration wall (not shown) is attached between the most end face EF-11 in the negative direction of the X-axis of rack 10-11 and the most end face EF-22 in the negative direction of the X-axis of rack 10-22.

[0036] The space surrounded by the bed surface, the air discharge surfaces AES-1 to AES-11 of the first rack row, the air discharge surfaces AES-12 to AES-22 of the second rack row, the heat exchangers 30-1 to 30-3, the space configuration walls 40-1 to 40-8, the first end face configuration wall, and the second end face configuration wall confines the exhaust heat from the air discharge surfaces AES-1 to AES-11 of the first rack row and the exhaust heat from the air discharge surfaces AES-12 to AES-22 of the second rack row, and is partitioned as the hot aisle HA.

[0037] The heat exchanger 30 cools the exhaust heat of the hot aisle HA. An example of the heat exchanger 30 is a fin-tube type heat exchanger including a tube through which a refrigerant such as water flows and fins that are in contact with the tube and increase the contact area with the surrounding air. Note that the heat exchanger 30 is not limited to this, and a parallel flow type heat exchanger such as a downflow type or a side flow type, which can efficiently perform heat exchange between the refrigerant circulating inside and the air, can be adopted. Fans 20-1 to 20-3 are attached in the positive Y-axis direction of the heat exchanger 30-1, fans 20-4 to 20-6 are attached in the positive Y-axis direction of the heat exchanger 30-2, and fans 20-7 to 20-9 are attached in the positive Y-axis direction of the heat exchanger 30-3. The fan 20 discharges the air whose exhaust heat has been cooled by the heat exchanger 30 to the space outside the hot aisle HA.

[0038] The refrigerant cooling device 50-1 is connected to the heat exchanger 30-1 by the first pipe 60-1, the refrigerant cooling device 50-2 is connected to the heat exchanger 30-2 by the second pipe 60-2, and the refrigerant cooling device 50-3 is connected to the heat exchanger 30-3 by the third pipe 60-3. Each of the first pipe 60-1, the second pipe 60-2, and the third pipe 60-3 is composed of a pair of pipes. In the first pipe 60-1, the refrigerant flowing from the refrigerant cooling device 50-1 to the heat exchanger 30-1 flows through one pipe, and the refrigerant (refrigerant after heat exchange) flowing from the heat exchanger 30-1 to the refrigerant cooling device 50-1 flows through the other pipe. In the second pipe 60-2, the refrigerant flowing from the refrigerant cooling device 50-2 to the heat exchanger 30-2 flows through one pipe, and the refrigerant (refrigerant after heat exchange) flowing from the heat exchanger 30-2 to the refrigerant cooling device 50-2 flows through the other pipe. In the third pipe 60-3, the refrigerant flowing from the refrigerant cooling device 50-3 to the heat exchanger 30-3 flows through one pipe, and the refrigerant (refrigerant after heat exchange) flowing from the heat exchanger 30-3 to the refrigerant cooling device 50-3 flows through the other pipe.

[0039] The refrigerant cooling device 50 may be either an air-cooled type or a water-cooled type, but it is preferably composed of a plurality of refrigerant cooling devices 50. By configuring in this way, since the number of operating refrigerant cooling devices 50 can be changed according to the difference in the temperature of the hot aisle HA, the refrigerant after heat exchange recovered from the heat exchanger 30 can be cooled without waste according to the difference in temperature. The air flow in the rack cooling device 1 will be described. The exhaust heat from the air exhaust surfaces AES-1 to AES-11 of the racks 10-1 to 10-11 included in the first rack row and the air exhaust surfaces AES-12 to AES-22 of the racks 10-12 to 10-22 included in the second rack row is discharged to the hot aisle HA.

[0040] The air (hot air) of the hot aisle HA rises due to the exhaust heat discharged to the hot aisle HA and is cooled by the heat exchangers 30-1 to 30-3. The air (cold air) cooled by the heat exchangers 30-1 to 30-3 is discharged to the space outside the hot aisle HA by the fans 20-1 to 20-9.

[0041] The cold air discharged to the space outside the hot aisle HA moves along the ceiling CE and the wall WL in the data center room and reaches the air intake surfaces AIS-1 to AIS-11 of the racks 10-1 to 10-11 and the air intake surfaces AIS-12 to AIS-22 of the racks 10-12 to 10-22. The cold air that reaches the air intake surfaces AIS-1 to AIS-11 of racks 10-1 to 10-11 is collected from the air intake surfaces AIS-1 to AIS-11 into the respective accommodation spaces of racks 10-1 to 10-11. The cold air that reaches the air intake surfaces AIS-12 to AIS-22 of racks 10-12 to 10-22 is collected from the air intake surfaces AIS-12 to AIS-22 into the respective accommodation spaces of racks 10-12 to 10-22.

[0042] The cold air collected in the respective accommodation spaces of racks 10-1 to 10-11 takes away the heat of the communication devices installed in the accommodation spaces, and temperature adjustment is performed. The exhaust heat from the air exhaust surfaces AES-1 to AES-11 of racks 10-1 to 10-11 is discharged to the hot aisle HA. Similarly, the cold air collected in the respective accommodation spaces of racks 10-12 to 10-22 takes away the heat of the communication devices installed in the accommodation spaces, and temperature adjustment is performed. The exhaust heat from the air exhaust surfaces AES-12 to AES-22 of racks 10-12 to 10-22 is discharged to the hot aisle HA. That is, the exhaust heat contained in the hot aisle HA formed by facing the air exhaust surfaces AES-1 to AES-11 of racks 10-1 to 10-11 and the air exhaust surfaces AES-12 to AES-22 of racks 10-12 to 10-22 is cooled by the heat exchangers 30-1 to 30-3, and the cooled exhaust heat is circulated indoors.

[0043] In the above-described embodiment, the case where the rack cooling device 1 includes 22 racks 10 has been described, but it is not limited to this example. For example, the rack cooling device 1 may be configured to include 2 to 21 racks 10, or may be configured to include 23 or more racks 10. However, when the air exhaust surfaces AES face each other, the number of racks 10 needs to be even. In the foregoing embodiment, the case where the rack cooling device 1 includes three heat exchangers 30 has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this example. For example, the rack cooling device 1 may be configured to include one or two heat exchangers 30, or may be configured to include four or more heat exchangers 30. In the foregoing embodiment, the case where the rack cooling device 1 includes nine fans 20 has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this example. For example, the rack cooling device 1 may be configured to include one to eight fans 20, or may be configured to include ten or more fans 20.

[0044] In the foregoing embodiment, a door may be provided on the first end face forming wall. By configuring in this way, it becomes possible for a person to enter and exit from the door of the first end face forming wall into the interior of the hot aisle HA. In the foregoing embodiment, a door may be provided on the second end face forming wall. By configuring in this way, it becomes possible for a person to enter and exit from the door of the second end face forming wall into the interior of the hot aisle HA.

[0045] In the foregoing embodiment, the position of the heat exchanger 30 may be made changeable. For example, a movable member (not shown) for moving the heat exchanger 30 is provided. An example of the movable member can be moved on a column member having a plurality of fixed points. By moving the movable member, the heat exchanger 30 is moved, for example, in the Z-axis direction. In the foregoing embodiment, the heat exchanger 30 and the fan 20 may be installed on a part of the first end face forming wall, or may be installed on a part of the second end face forming wall. Further, the heat exchanger 30 and the fan 20 may be installed on a part of the first end face forming wall and a part of the second end face forming wall.

[0046] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the rack cooling device 1 according to Modification 1 of the embodiment. FIG. 3 shows a side view of the rack cooling device 1 as viewed from the positive direction of the X-axis. In the example shown in FIG. 3, the rack cooling device 1 further includes an introduction portion 70 that introduces the cold air discharged from the fan 20 to the air intake surface AIS. An example of the introduction portion 70 is a pipe such as a duct.

[0047] The air flow in the rack cooling device 1 equipped with the introduction part 70 will be described. The exhaust heat from the air exhaust surfaces AES-1 to AES-11 of the racks 10-1 to 10-11 included in the first rack row and the air exhaust surfaces AES-12 to AES-22 of the racks 10-12 to 10-22 included in the second rack row is discharged to the hot aisle HA.

[0048] Due to the exhaust heat discharged to the hot aisle HA, the air (hot air) in the hot aisle HA rises and is cooled by the heat exchangers 30-1 to 30-3. The air (cold air) cooled by the heat exchangers 30-1 to 30-3 is discharged to the introduction part 70 by the fans 20-1 to 20-9.

[0049] The cold air discharged to the introduction part 70 moves inside the introduction part 70 and reaches the air intake surfaces AIS-1 to AIS-11 of the racks 10-1 to 10-11 and the air intake surfaces AIS-12 to AIS-22 of the racks 10-12 to 10-22. The cold air that reaches the air intake surfaces AIS-1 to AIS-11 of the racks 10-1 to 10-11 is collected from the air intake surfaces AIS-1 to AIS-11 of the racks 10-1 to 10-11 into the respective accommodation spaces of the racks 10-1 to 10-11. The cold air that reaches the air intake surfaces AIS-12 to AIS-22 of the racks 10-12 to 10-22 is collected from the air intake surfaces AIS-12 to AIS-22 of the racks 10-12 to 10-22 into the respective accommodation spaces of the racks 10-12 to 10-22.

[0050] The cold air collected in each accommodation space of racks 10-1 to 10-11 takes away the heat of the communication devices installed in the accommodation space, and temperature adjustment is performed. The waste heat from the air discharge surfaces AES-1 to AES-11 of racks 10-1 to 10-11 is discharged to the hot aisle HA. The cold air collected in each accommodation space of racks 10-12 to 10-22 takes away the heat of the communication devices installed in the accommodation space, and temperature adjustment is performed. The waste heat from the air discharge surfaces AES-12 to AES-22 of racks 10-12 to 10-22 is discharged to the hot aisle HA.

[0051] In FIG. 3, the case where the lead-out unit 70 introduces all of the cold air discharged from the fan 20 to the air intake surface AIS has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this example. For example, the lead-out unit 70 may be configured to introduce a part of the cold air discharged from the fan 20 to the air intake surface AIS. For example, the lead-out unit 70 is configured to introduce the cold air from at least one of the heat exchangers 30-1 to 30-3 to at least one of the plurality of air intake surfaces AIS.

[0052] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the rack cooling device 1 according to Modification 2 of the embodiment. FIG. 4 shows a side view of the rack cooling device 1 as viewed from the negative direction of the X axis. In the example shown in FIG. 4, the rack cooling device 1 includes a power generation element 80. The power generation element 80 is installed at a position where it can detect the temperature of the air cooled by the heat exchanger 30 and the temperature of the air in the hot aisle HA. The power generation element 80 generates electricity based on the temperature difference between the air cooled by the heat exchanger 30 and the air in the hot aisle HA. By configuring in this way, for example, when lighting (not shown) is installed in the hot aisle HA, the lighting can be lit with the electric power generated by the power generation element 80.

[0053] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of the rack cooling device 1 according to Modification Example 3 of the embodiment. FIG. 5 shows a side view of the rack cooling device 1 as viewed from the negative direction of the X-axis in FIG. 1A. In the example shown in FIG. 4, in the rack cooling device 1, the space configuration wall 40 (in FIG. 5, the space configuration walls 40-5 and 40-8 are shown.) is arranged so as to have a gap D between it and the rack 10. The interval D is, for example, a length such that a conducting wire can pass between the space configuration wall 40 and the rack 10. By configuring it in this way, for example, when wiring the fan 20, the heat exchanger 30, the communication devices housed in the rack 10, etc., since the conducting wire can be routed through the gap D between the space configuration wall 40 and the rack 10, the length of the conducting wire can be shortened compared to the case of routing the wire around the rack cooling device 1. Here, for example, portions other than the portion where the conducting wire passes through the gap D between the space configuration wall 40 and the rack 10 can be covered with a heat-insulating cloth to prevent hot air such as exhaust heat from the hot spot HA from escaping to the outside.

[0054] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of the rack cooling device 1 according to Modification Example 4 of the embodiment. FIG. 6 shows a side view of the rack cooling device 1 as viewed from the positive direction of the X-axis. In the example shown in FIG. 6, in the rack cooling device 1, an introduction portion 90 is formed in a part of the space configuration wall 40. An example of the introduction portion 90 is a through hole formed in the space configuration wall 40. Also, an example of the introduction portion 90 may be a gap formed between the space configuration wall 40 and the rack 10. The introduction portion 90 introduces a part of the cold air discharged from the fan 20 to the hot spot HA. Since the cold air can be returned to the hot spot HA, the temperature of the passage of the hot spot HA can be adjusted and the power consumption of the refrigerant cooling device can be reduced.

[0055] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of the rack cooling device 1 according to Modification Example 5 of the embodiment. FIG. 7 shows a top view of the rack cooling device 1 as viewed from the positive direction of the Y-axis. The rack cooling device 1 is installed in the indoor IND of the data center 1. The exhaust heat of each of the refrigerant cooling devices 50-1 to 50-3 is respectively guided from the ducts DU-1 to DU-3 to the exhaust section EP, and is discharged from the exhaust section EP to the outside of the indoor IND.

[0056] Also, the indoor IND may be provided with an air conditioner AC. The air conditioner AC may switch between blowing and cooling based on the temperature of the indoor IND. That is, when the outside air temperature is low, the air conditioner AC takes in the outside air to manage the temperature and humidity of the indoor IND. Also, when the temperature of the indoor IND is high, the air conditioner AC performs cooling to manage the temperature and humidity of the indoor IND. For example, the air conditioner AC may perform blowing when the temperature of the indoor IND is equal to or lower than the first temperature, and perform cooling when the temperature is equal to or higher than the second temperature. An example of the first temperature may be 25 degrees or more and less than 35 degrees, or may be 27 degrees or more and 33 degrees or less. In Modification Example 5 of the embodiment, the first temperature is 30 degrees. An example of the second temperature may be more than 30 degrees and less than 40 degrees, or may be 32 degrees or more and 38 degrees or less. In Modification Example 5 of the embodiment, the second temperature is 35 degrees. In FIG. 7, the direction of the blown or cooled air is indicated by a dashed line.

[0057] To confirm the effect of the rack cooling device 1 according to Modification Example 5 of the embodiment, the temperatures of each part of the rack cooling device 1 were measured. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing the temperature measurement positions in an example of the rack cooling device 1 according to Modification Example 5 of the embodiment. In the example shown in FIG. 8, the rack cooling device 1 includes racks 10-31 to 10-36, fans 20-11 to 20-26, and heat exchangers 30-11 to 30-18. In FIG. 8, the refrigerant cooling device 50 is omitted. The power consumption of the communication equipment is 2 kW per rack. The cooling of the container (hot aisle HA) is 2 kW per rack.

[0058] Thermocouples were attached to each of the plurality of temperature measurement positions. Specifically, at each of racks 10-31 to 10-36, thermocouples were attached at three locations on the air intake surface AIS to measure the temperature of the air inhaled into rack 10, and at three locations on the air exhaust surface AIS to measure the temperature of the container (hot aisle HA). Further, thermocouples were attached to each of fans 20-11 to 20-26 to measure the temperature of the exhaust heat.

[0059] FIG. 9 is a diagram showing temperature measurement results in an example of the rack cooling device 1 according to Modification 5 of the embodiment. In FIG. 9, the horizontal axis represents time [h], and the vertical axis represents temperature [°C]. The intake air temperature (rack intake air temperature average) inhaled into rack 10 is the average of the temperatures measured by the thermocouples attached at three locations on the air intake surface AIS of each of racks 10-31 to 10-36. The temperature of the container (average inside the container) is the average of the temperatures measured by the thermocouples attached at three locations on the air exhaust surface AES of each of racks 10-31 to 10-36. The temperature of the exhaust heat (radiator exhaust heat average) is the average of the temperatures measured by the thermocouples attached to each of fans 20-11 to 20-26.

[0060] Temperature measurement was started by setting the temperature of the refrigerant flowing from the refrigerant cooling device to the heat exchanger 30 to 15 degrees. When about 1 hour had elapsed since the start of temperature measurement (indicated by "CH" in FIG. 9), the setting was changed so that the temperature of the refrigerant flowing from the refrigerant cooling device to the heat exchanger 30 became 10 degrees. According to FIG. 9, it can be seen that when about 2 hours have elapsed since the start of temperature measurement, the rack intake air temperature average and the radiator exhaust heat average become almost the same temperature. From this, it can be seen that by cooling at 2.0 kW per rack, setting the temperature of the refrigerant flowing from the refrigerant cooling device to the heat exchanger 30 to 10 degrees, and configuring the exhaust heat from the refrigerant cooling device to flow to the ventilation side of room IND, the rack intake air temperature average and the radiator exhaust heat average become almost the same at about 30 degrees, so cooling can be achieved without using the air conditioner AC in room IND.

[0061] An example of calculating the PUE value will be described. The calculation formula for the PUE value is expressed by Equation (1). PUE value = Total power consumption of the data center (kW) / Power consumption of equipment (kW) (1) If only considering the air conditioner, the PUE value is expressed by Equation (2). PUE value = (Air conditioner power consumption + Power consumption of equipment) / Power consumption of equipment (2)

[0062] The following conditions are assumed. · Equipment power consumption: 12 kW (6 racks, 2 kW each) · Chiller power consumption: 4.2 kW (at water temperature of 10°C and pumping pressure of 0.5 MPa) · Exhaust fan power consumption: 0.7 kW (total value)

[0063] The power consumption of the air conditioner in the case of air cooling is shown by Equation (3) (APC White Paper #3). · Total power consumption of equipment (W) × 0.67 / 1000 (3) Therefore, the following holds. · In the case of an air-cooled system: 8.0 kW · In the case of a water-cooled system: 5.6 kW For the chiller: 4.2 kW (measured value)

[0064] The PUE values for the 12 kW case are shown below. · In the case of an air-cooled system: (8.0 + 12) / 12 = 1.7 · In the case of a water-cooled system: (5.6 + 12) / 12 = 1.5 The PUE values when cooling 12 kW with a chiller are shown below. (4.2 + 12 + 0.7) / 12 = 1.4 From the above, it can be seen that the PUE value improves by 0.3 when compared with the air-cooled system (PUE value: 1.7), and the PUE value improves by 0.1 when compared with the water-cooled system (PUE value: 1.5).

[0065] The exhaust heat of each of the refrigerant cooling devices 50-1 to 50-3 may be introduced into the hot oil HA. For example, for each of the refrigerant cooling devices 50-1 to 50-2, a heat exhaust part (not shown) where the exhaust heat is discharged and a part of the first end face forming wall are connected by a pipe such as a duct, and the exhaust heat of each of the refrigerant cooling devices 50-1 to 50-2 passes through the inside of the pipe and flows to the hot oil HA. Further, for the refrigerant cooling device 50-3, a heat exhaust part (not shown) where the exhaust heat is discharged and a part of the second end face forming wall are connected by a pipe such as a duct, and the exhaust heat of the refrigerant cooling device 50-3 passes through the inside of the pipe and flows to the hot oil HA.

[0066] By flowing the exhaust heat of the refrigerant cooling device 50 to the hot oil HA side in this way, the exhaust heat of the refrigerant cooling device 50 can be cooled by the heat exchanger 30, so it is assumed that it can be operated as a floor-complete cooling system. Further, since the distance between the heat exchanger 30 and the refrigerant cooling device 50 can be made closer, the piping for sending the refrigerant to the heat exchanger 30 can be shortened. Since the piping can be shortened, the rise in the temperature of the refrigerant until it reaches the heat exchanger 30 can be suppressed, and the loss due to the increase in the temperature of the refrigerant can be reduced. Since the loss due to the increase in the temperature of the refrigerant can be reduced, the load of the refrigerant cooling device 50 can be reduced, and it is assumed that the air conditioning efficiency can be improved.

[0067] According to the rack cooling device 1 according to the embodiment, the rack cooling device 1 is a wall member that partitions a space in which a plurality of racks 10 each having an air intake surface AIS and an air discharge surface AES are arranged, and confines the air discharged from the air discharge surface AES side in the internal space. A space forming wall 40, a heat exchanger 30 provided in a part of the space forming wall 40 for cooling the air in the internal space, and a fan 20 for discharging the air cooled by the heat exchanger 30 to the external space.

[0068] By configuring it in this way, the rack cooling device 1 can discharge the air discharged from the air exhaust surface AES side from the internal space to the external space by the fan 20. When being discharged from the internal space to the external space, the air is cooled by the heat exchanger 30 and returns to the room where the rack cooling device 1 is installed. The cooled air returned to the room returns to the air intake surface AIS of the rack 10, returns from the air intake surface AIS to the accommodation space of the rack, air-cools the equipment installed in the rack 10, and is discharged from the air exhaust surface AES side. By this circulation of air, the air conditioning in the data center room can be cooled by the refrigerant cooling device 50 without using it. Therefore, the PUE value of the data center can be reduced, contributing to the reduction of the power consumption borne by the data center.

[0069] In the rack cooling device 1, a plurality of racks 10 are arranged such that their air exhaust surfaces face each other. By configuring it in this way, the rack cooling device 1 can confine the air discharged from the air exhaust surface AES side in the internal space formed by the opposing air exhaust surface AES, the space configuration wall 40, and the heat exchanger 30, and can form a hot aisle HA.

[0070] The rack cooling device 1 further includes an introduction part 70 for introducing the cold air discharged from the fan 20 to the air intake surface AIS. By configuring it in this way, the rack cooling device 1 can return the cold air returned from the internal space to the room to the air intake surface AIS of the rack 10. Therefore, compared with the case where the introduction part 70 is not used, the cold air discharged from the fan 20 can be introduced to the air intake surface AIS more efficiently.

[0071] In the rack cooling device 1, the space configuration wall 40 is arranged so as to have a gap D between it and the rack 10. By configuring it in this way, since a conducting wire can be passed through the gap D between the space configuration wall 40 and the rack 10, wiring can be performed even when there is a portion partitioned by the hot aisle HA.

[0072] In the rack cooling device 1, a power generation element that generates power based on the temperature difference between the air cooled by the heat exchanger 30 and the air in the internal space is further provided. With such a configuration, the rack cooling device 1 can, for example, light the lighting installed on the hot aisle HA using the power generated by the power generation element, and can illuminate the hot aisle HA that is also used as a passage. Also, energy can be reused by the cooled air and the air in the internal space.

[0073] In the rack cooling device 1, an introduction part 90 for introducing the cold air discharged from the fan 20 into the internal space is further provided. With such a configuration, the rack cooling device 1 can return the cold air to the hot aisle side, so that the temperature of the passage of the hot aisle can be adjusted and the power consumption of the refrigerant cooling device can be reduced.

[0074] In the rack cooling device 1, a plurality of heat exchangers 30 and a plurality of refrigerant cooling devices 50 connected to each of the plurality of heat exchangers 30 are further provided. With such a configuration, the rack cooling device 1 can continue the process with the non-failed heat exchanger 30 even if any one of the plurality of heat exchangers 30 fails.

[0075] In the rack cooling device 1, the rack cooling device 1 is provided in the indoor IND of the data center, and further includes a duct as an exhaust outlet part for leading the exhaust of the plurality of refrigerant cooling devices 50 to the outside of the indoor IND. With such a configuration, the rack cooling device 1 can lead the exhaust of the plurality of refrigerant cooling devices 50 to the outside of the indoor IND, so that the plurality of refrigerant cooling devices 50 can be installed in the indoor IND.

[0076] In the rack cooling device 1, a movable member for moving the position of the heat exchanger 30 is further provided. By configuring it in this way, the rack cooling device 1 can change the position of the heat exchanger 30. For example, the column member has a structure that also serves as a plurality of fixed points, and the movable member is configured to be able to move on the column member. Even if a heat accumulation occurs in the hot eye HA, the heat exchanger can be moved near the heat accumulation, so that efficient cooling can be achieved.

[0077] As described above, the embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail with reference to the drawings. However, the specific configuration is not limited to this embodiment, and design changes and the like within the scope not departing from the gist of the present invention are also included. For example, among the rack cooling device according to Modification Example 1 of the embodiment, the rack cooling device according to Modification Example 2 of the embodiment, the rack cooling device according to Modification Example 3 of the embodiment, the rack cooling device according to Modification Example 4 of the embodiment, and the rack cooling device according to Modification Example 5 of the embodiment, at least two of them may be appropriately combined.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0078] 1…rack cooling device, 10-1~10-22, 10, 10-31~10-36…rack, 20-1~20-9, 20-11~20-26, 20…fan, 30-1~30-3, 30-11~30-18, 30…heat exchanger, 40-1~40-3, 40-5~40-8, 40…space configuration wall, 50-1~50-3…refrigerant cooling device, 60-1…first pipe, 60-2…second pipe, 60-3…third pipe, 60…pipe, 70…introduction part, 80…power generation element, 90…introduction part

Claims

1. A wall member that partitions a space in which a plurality of racks each having an air intake surface and an air discharge surface are arranged, the wall member including a space-forming wall that confines the air discharged from the air discharge surface side within an internal space, a heat exchanger provided in a part of the space-forming wall for cooling the air in the internal space, and a fan for discharging the air cooled by the heat exchanger to an external space. A rack cooling device comprising the above.

2. The rack cooling device according to Claim 1, wherein the plurality of racks are arranged such that their air discharge surfaces face each other.

3. An introduction part for introducing the cold air discharged from the fan to the air intake surface. The rack cooling device according to Claim 1, further comprising the above.

4. The rack cooling device according to Claim 1, wherein the space-forming wall is arranged so as to have a gap with the rack.

5. A power generation element that generates electricity based on the temperature difference between the air cooled by the heat exchanger and the air in the internal space. The rack cooling device according to Claim 1, further comprising the above.

6. An introduction part for introducing the cold air discharged from the fan to the internal space. The rack cooling device according to Claim 1, further comprising the above.

7. A plurality of heat exchangers, and a plurality of refrigerant cooling devices each connected to each of the plurality of heat exchangers. The rack cooling device according to Claim 1, further comprising the above.

8. The rack cooling device is provided in a room of a data center, and further comprises an exhaust discharge part for discharging the exhaust of the plurality of refrigerant cooling devices to the outside of the room. The rack cooling device according to Claim 7, further comprising the above.

9. A movable member for moving the position of the heat exchanger. The rack cooling device according to Claim 1, further comprising the above.

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