Back flow prevention structure and method in server room

Abstract

To prevent exhaust air from a server from flowing back to a cold aisle in a server room.SOLUTION: In a server room (R), a rack array (30) which extends linearly with one end set to a first wall part (R1) side and the other end set to a second wall part (R2) side is disposed between the first wall part provided with an air outlet (11) of an air conditioner (1) and the second wall part facing the first wall part. A cold aisle (C) is formed along a front surface of the rack array and a hot aisle (H) is formed along a rear surface of the rack array. The server room (R) includes: a wind direction guide member (2) which is arranged so that a blowing direction of cold air flowing from the air outlet to an inlet side end (C1) of the cold aisle and a side surface (3Fs) of an end rack (3F) located at one end side of the rack array is upward; and a block member (4) which is provided so as to cover an upper area (C11) of the inlet side end of the cold aisle and blocks passage of cold air in the upper area.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a backflow prevention structure and method in a server room, and more particularly to a structure and method for preventing exhaust air from a server from flowing back into a cold aisle in a server room that uses a wall-air-discharge system. [Background technology]

[0002] A server room is lined with many server racks (hereafter referred to as racks) housing servers. Servers generate a lot of heat when in operation, and as temperatures rise, their processing power decreases, leading to malfunctions and breakdowns. Therefore, it is necessary to ensure that cool air is circulated evenly among the servers in the server room.

[0003] Therefore, one air conditioning method for server rooms is the wall-discharge air conditioning method.

[0004] In wall-discharge air conditioning systems, in order to prevent hot aisle air from backflowing through gaps in the blanking panels inside the racks, it is necessary to supply a large amount of air from the air conditioner so that the cold aisle side has a higher positive pressure than the hot aisle side.

[0005] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2012-32133 (Patent Document 1) discloses an air conditioning system for a server room that uses a wall-type air outlet method. Patent Document 1 proposes a technology that surrounds the cold aisle with a mesh-like airflow straightening member to equalize the air flow distribution in front of the rack row. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] JP 2012-32133 A (Patent No. 5748469) Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] With the wall-discharge air conditioning system, the cold air flows at a high velocity along the front of the racks (cold aisle side) closest to the air conditioner, which creates the problem of server exhaust air backflowing the closer you are to the air conditioner.

[0008] In the above-mentioned Patent Document 1, it is possible to prevent the backflow of exhaust air from the servers caused by the high flow rate of the air supplied from the air conditioner, but this increases construction costs and the power consumption of the air conditioner's blower fan because the straightening members act as resistance.Furthermore, the straightening members surround the cold aisle, which is the passageway where server maintenance and other tasks are performed, and therefore obstruct passage.

[0009] The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned backflow problem, and its purpose is to provide a structure and method that can easily and inexpensively prevent backflow of exhaust air from servers in wall-discharge air conditioning systems, and that does not interfere with server maintenance, etc. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] A backflow prevention structure in a server room according to one embodiment of the present invention is provided in a server room in which a row of racks extending in a straight line from the first wall side at one end to the second wall side at the other end is arranged between a first wall portion on which an air conditioner's air outlet is provided and a second wall portion facing the first wall portion, a cold aisle is formed along the front of the row of racks, and a hot aisle is formed along the back side of the row of racks, the server room comprising: a wind direction guide member arranged so that the direction of cool air blowing from the air outlet toward the entrance end of the cold aisle and the side of an end rack located at one end of the row of racks is upward; and a shielding member arranged to cover an upper region of the entrance end of the cold aisle and to block the passage of cool air in the upper region.

[0011] Preferably, the space above the row of racks and the space above the cold aisle are connected to each other to form an air passage for cold air.

[0012] Preferably, the air direction guide member is attached to the air outlet and is composed of a louver including a plurality of blades spaced apart from each other in the vertical direction, and the angle between the blades and the horizontal plane is less than or equal to the angle between an imaginary line connecting the lower end of the air outlet and the upper end of the side of the end rack and the horizontal plane.

[0013] Preferably, the angle formed by the blade and the horizontal plane is equal to or greater than the angle formed by an imaginary line connecting the lower end of the air outlet and the lower end of the shielding member and the horizontal plane.

[0014] Preferably, the shielding member is provided so that the height of the lower end thereof is adjustable.

[0015] Preferably, the shielding member is removably attached to the end rack via a mounting member.

[0016] A method for preventing backflow in a server room according to one embodiment of the present invention is provided in a server room in which a row of racks extending in a straight line from the first wall side at one end to the second wall side at the other end is arranged between a first wall portion on which an air conditioner's air outlet is provided and a second wall portion facing the first wall portion, a cold aisle is formed along the front of the row of racks, and a hot aisle is formed along the back of the row of racks, and a wind direction guide member provided at the air outlet directs the blowing direction of cold air from the air outlet toward the entrance end of the cold aisle and the side of an end rack located at one end of the row of racks upward, and a shielding member that blocks the passage of cold air is attached to the upper area of ​​the entrance end of the cold aisle. [Effects of the Invention]

[0017] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a structure and method that can easily and inexpensively prevent backflow of exhaust air from servers in a wall-discharge air-conditioning system, and that does not interfere with server maintenance, etc. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0018] [Figure 1]1A is a schematic plan view of a server room in which a backflow prevention structure according to an embodiment of the present invention is used, and FIG. 1B is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB in FIG. 1A. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view showing a part of FIG. 1(A) in an enlarged scale. [Figure 3] 10(A) and 10(B) are schematic side views showing the angle of the blades of the airflow direction guide member. [Figure 4] FIG. 2(A) is a schematic perspective view showing an example of a shielding member, and FIG. 2(B) is a schematic front view showing another example of the shielding member. [Figure 5] (A) is a schematic plan view of a server room that uses a typical wall-discharge air conditioning system, and (B) is a cross-sectional view of (A) taken along line BB. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a schematic perspective view showing a part of FIG. 5(A) in an enlarged scale. [Figure 7] FIG. 6 is an enlarged schematic plan view showing the vicinity of the end rack in FIG. 5(A). DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0019] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, the same or corresponding parts are designated by the same reference numerals and description thereof will not be repeated.

[0020] (General configuration of the server room) A server room R according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

[0021] In Figure 1 etc., the depth direction when viewing the server room R from the machine room M (described later) is indicated by the symbol X, and the left-right direction (width direction) when viewing the server room R from the machine room M is indicated by the symbol Y. The front side of the server room R as viewed from the machine room M is called the front, and the back side is called the rear. The up-down direction of the server room R is indicated by the symbol Z.

[0022] Server room R is a server room that uses a wall-mounted air conditioning system and is configured as follows:

[0023] An air outlet 11 (FIG. 1(B)) of the air conditioner 1 is provided in the wall (first wall portion) R1 that separates the server room R from the machine room M. As shown in FIG. 1(A), a plurality of air conditioners 1 are provided across substantially the entire width of the first wall portion R1. As shown in FIG. 1(B), the air outlet 11 is exposed to the server room R from an opening in the first wall portion R1, and extends from near floor height to above the height of the top of the rack 3. Although the air outlet 11 is shown schematically as a continuous unit in the vertical direction, a plurality of air outlets 11 may be provided above, below, left, or right.

[0024] In the server room R, a plurality of racks 3 are aligned in one direction to form a rack row 30. The rack row 30 extends linearly in the depth direction (front-to-back direction) with one end on the first wall R1 side and the other end on the second wall R2 side. Of the rack row 30, the rack 3 closest to the air conditioner 1 is shown as an end rack 3F.

[0025] 1(A) and 1(B), the row of racks 30 is disposed rearward and away from the first wall portion R1 (air outlet 11), and the space between the first wall portion R1 and the row of racks 30 is referred to as a front space 100. The front space 100 extends in the left-right direction and communicates with multiple cold aisles C. The front space 100 extends upward from the floor to the ceiling of the server room R.

[0026] 1(A), cold aisles C and hot aisles H extending along the direction of airflow from the air conditioner 1 are alternately formed on either side of the rack row 30. The cold aisle C is formed along the front of the rack row 30, and the hot aisle H is formed along the back of the rack row 30.

[0027] Rack 3 houses multiple servers (not shown), and each server uses an internal fan to draw in cool air flowing through the cold aisle from the front of the mesh-structured rack. Hot air from the servers is exhausted to the hot aisle from the rear of the mesh-structured rack.

[0028] In this specification, the space facing the front of the rack row 30 is defined as the cold aisle C. In other words, of the spaces in the server room R through which cool air flows, only the spaces facing the front of the rack row 30 form the cold aisle C. Therefore, in Figures 1(B) and 2, the space facing the front of the rack row 30 (cold aisle) is indicated by the symbol C, and the space above the cold aisle C (space not facing the rack row 30) is indicated by the symbol U2.

[0029] In this specification, the space facing the back of the row of racks 30 is defined as the hot aisle H. As shown in FIGS. 1(A) and 1(B), the hot aisle H and the space above the hot aisle H (upper space U3) are surrounded by containment 9. This separates the air intake side and the air exhaust side, with the rack 3 as the boundary. The ceiling is double-layered, and an opening (not shown) is provided in the ceiling so that the space U3 above the hot aisle H communicates with the attic space D.

[0030] The attic space D is connected to the machine room M, and the exhaust (hot air) from the server passes through the attic space D and returns to the machine room M, and the cool air that has been heat exchanged with the hot air in the air conditioner 1 is supplied to the server room R through the air outlet 11.

[0031] The present invention prevents the backflow of exhaust air from servers by providing airflow direction guide members and shielding members, which will be described later. Prior to describing the airflow direction guide members and shielding members of this embodiment, we will explain the backflow of exhaust air from servers in a server room that uses a typical wall-air-discharge air-conditioning system.

[0032] (Regarding backflow in wall-discharge air conditioning systems) Figure 5(A) is a plan view of a typical server room that uses a wall-air-conditioning system, Figure 5(B) is a cross-sectional view of the same server room taken along line BB, and Figures 6 and 7 are enlarged views of the area around the end racks. In each figure, the arrows indicate the general flow of cool air.

[0033] As shown in Figure 7, the servers S in each rack 3 use internal fans (not shown) to draw in cool air from the cold aisle C on the front side (arrow E0), and exhaust the air that has become hot due to the heat from the servers S to the hot aisle H on the rear side (arrow E1).

[0034] If the pressure on the cold aisle side is not high enough, the intake air from this fan will create negative pressure on the cold aisle C side, and conversely, the exhaust air from the servers will create positive pressure on the hot aisle H side, causing the high-temperature exhaust air from server S to flow back toward the cold aisle C side (the front side of the server rack).

[0035] A blank panel 6 is normally provided on the front side of the rack 3 between the server S and the rack 3 to prevent backflow, but due to wiring arrangements, a gap is created between the blank panel 6 and the server S, and exhaust air flows out from this gap to the front side of the rack.

[0036] In order to prevent such backflow of exhaust air from the fan installed inside the server S, it is necessary to supply a large amount of air to the cold aisle C from the air conditioner 1 shown in Figures 5 and 6 so that the cold aisle C side has a more positive pressure than the hot aisle H side.

[0037] Therefore, as shown in Figure 7, the pressure P1 in the space 101 illustrated by the dotted line in the cold aisle C (the space further back than the entrance to the cold aisle C) is typically more positive than the pressure P2 in the space 102 illustrated by the dotted line in the hot aisle H.

[0038] However, near the end rack 3F located close to the air conditioner 1, the linear cold air F1 blown out from the air conditioner 1 and the cold air F2 flowing along the side surface 3Fs of the end rack 3F join together and flow into the entrance of the cold aisle C. The end of the cold aisle C that receives the cold air is called the entrance end C1.

[0039] The width of the aisle in cold aisle C is particularly narrow in data centers where it is necessary to accommodate as many racks as possible. In other words, it is significantly narrower than the width of front space 100 (Figure 5(A)). As a result, the flow rate of the cold air becomes extremely fast near space 103, indicated by the two-dot chain line in front of end rack 3F.

[0040] If the flow velocity is extremely fast, the increase in dynamic pressure will create areas of low static pressure near the front of the server (air supply side), and as a result, the pressure P3 in the space 103 near the front of the end rack 3F will be smaller than the pressure P2 in the space 102 of the hot aisle.

[0041] Due to the difference between this pressure P2 and pressure P3, part of the exhaust air E1 from the server S becomes exhaust air E2 that flows toward the cold aisle C through the gap between the blank panel 6 and the server S in the end rack 3F, and the exhaust air E2 is sucked into the server S by the internal fan of the server S. This hinders the cooling of the server S in the end rack 3F.

[0042] Therefore, in order to solve the problem of backflow due to the high flow rate mentioned above, it is considered effective to supply a sufficient amount of air from the air conditioner to the cold aisle while slowing down the flow rate of the cold air flowing in front of the end rack 3F.

[0043] Therefore, the main feature of the present invention is that it includes a "wind direction guide member" that is arranged so that the direction in which cold air is blown toward the side of the end rack is upward, and a "shielding member" that is arranged to cover the upper area of ​​the entrance end of the cold aisle and blocks the passage of cold air in the upper area.

[0044] (Airflow direction guide member) As shown in Figures 1(A) and 1(B), in this embodiment, an airflow direction guide member 2 is attached to the air outlet 11. As shown in Figure 1(B), the airflow direction guide member 2 is configured as a so-called louver, and includes a plurality of blades 21 that are provided at intervals in the up-down direction along the air outlet 11. As shown in Figure 1(A), the blades 21 extend in the left-right direction of the air conditioner 1. The blades 21 may be divided in the left-right direction.

[0045] 1(B), the blades 21 are provided so as to be inclined upward with respect to the horizontal plane (a plane parallel to the floor surface 8), so that the direction of blowing of cool air passing through the blades 21 is obliquely upward.

[0046] The attachment of the airflow direction guide member 2 to the air outlet 11 is not limited to direct attachment to the air outlet 11. For example, the airflow direction guide member 2 may be disposed apart from the air outlet 11 in the front space 100, and cool air may be blown out from the air outlet 11 toward the airflow direction guide member 2, which may then direct the cool air upward.

[0047] (About the angle of the blades) As shown in Figure 3(A), it is desirable that the angle between the blade 21 and the horizontal plane (floor surface 8) is less than or equal to the angle between an imaginary line connecting the lower end 11e of the air outlet 11 and the upper end 3Fe of the side surface 3Fs of the end rack 3F and the horizontal plane.

[0048] The purpose of installing the louvers is to allow more of the supply air from the air conditioner to flow into the space above the cold aisle C (upper space U2); however, if the angle between the louvers 21 and the horizontal plane is too large, the resistance of the louvers 21 to the supply air will increase and the cool air will not be able to be efficiently sent to the back of the server room.

[0049] Generally, the depth of the forward space 100 from the air conditioner 1 to the end rack 3F is about 2 to 3 m for the convenience of transporting racks, etc., and the height of the end rack 3F is 2 to 2.4 m, so the angle between the blade 21 and the horizontal plane can be approximately 45 degrees as a guideline.

[0050] It is also desirable that the angle formed by the blade 21 and the horizontal plane be equal to or greater than the angle formed by the horizontal plane and an imaginary line connecting the lower end 11e of the air outlet 11 and the lower end 4e of the shielding member 4. If the angle formed by the blade 21 and the horizontal plane is too small, the amount of air flowing into the inlet end of the cold aisle increases, which may lead to backflow due to the high flow velocity described above.

[0051] 3(B), the angle of the blades 21 may be different in the upper and lower regions of the air outlet 11. For example, the angle θ1 of the blades 21 (the lowest blades 21) in the lower region of the air outlet 11 may be larger than the angle θ2 of the blades 21 (the highest blades 21) in the upper region of the air outlet 11. Also, for example, the angle of the blades 21 may decrease from the lower end to the upper end of the air outlet 11. In other words, the angle of each blade 21 may be adjusted separately.

[0052] Therefore, "the angle between the blade 21 and the horizontal plane is greater than or equal to the angle between an imaginary line connecting the lower end 11e of the air outlet 11 and the lower end 4e of the shielding member 4 and the horizontal plane" does not necessarily mean that all of the blades 21 are greater than or equal to such an angle, but also means that at least one blade 21 provided in the lower region of the air outlet 11 is greater than or equal to such an angle.

[0053] If the angle of the vanes 21 in the upper region of the air outlet 11 is small, it will be easier to deliver sufficient cold air to the back of the server room R through the space above the rack row 30 (the upper space U1 in Figure 2) and the upper space U2 of the cold aisle C.

[0054] Alternatively, the air conditioning fans may be installed in two tiers, one above the other, with louvers attached only to the lower tier air conditioning fan. In this case, cool air is supplied diagonally upward from the lower region of the air outlet 11, and cool air is supplied parallel to the floor surface from the upper region.

[0055] (About shielding materials) As illustrated in FIG. 2, a shielding member 4 is provided in an upper region C11 of the entrance end C1 of the cold aisle C.

[0056] The shielding member 4 is made up of a non-breathable shielding sheet 4S, and is attached to the end rack 3F by, for example, a first bar 41 and a second bar 42 (an example of an attachment member). The first bar 41 holds the upper end of the shielding sheet 4S, and the second bar 42 holds the lower end of the shielding sheet 4S.

[0057] The first bar 41 and the second bar 42 are attached so as to span between the pair of end racks 3F, and a shielding sheet 4S is installed. The shielding sheet 4S prevents cold air from the air conditioner 1 from flowing into the upper area C11 of the entrance end C1 of the cold aisle C. The shielding sheet 4S is, for example, a vinyl sheet, but may also be made of board material or the like.

[0058] The first bar 41 and the second bar 42 may be detachably provided on the end rack 3F, and the height of the shielding sheet 4S may be adjusted by moving the second bar 42 up and down.

[0059] The shielding members 4 may not only be installed between a pair of end racks 3F, but also, as shown in Figure 1(A), in the cold aisle C located near the walls on both sides of the left and right (width) direction of the server room R, the shielding members 4 may be installed between the end racks 3F and the wall.

[0060] As shown in Figure 2, the shielding member 4 is arranged to cover only the upper area C11 of the cold aisle C, and does not cover the lower area C12, so it does not hinder workers from passing through the aisle in front of the rack (cold aisle C) for maintenance purposes, etc.

[0061] The shielding member 4 does not block the flow of cold air coming from the air conditioner in the depth direction in the space U2 above the cold aisle C and the space U1 above the row of racks 30, so that cold air can be supplied to the back of the server room R. The space U1 above the row of racks 30 and the space U2 above the cold aisle C are connected to each other in the left-right direction Y, forming a ventilation path for cold air.

[0062] The shielding member 4 is provided along the side surface 3Fs of the end rack 3F, and therefore does not interfere with opening and closing of the door of the rack 3, which normally has a single swinging door on the front.

[0063] 1 and 3, the thickness of the shielding member 4 is exaggerated to make it easier to see.

[0064] (Flow of cool air in this embodiment) 1 and 2, the flow of cold air in the server room R will be described. In the figures, arrows schematically show the flow of cold air, with the thick line representing cold air Fs with a high wind speed and the dashed line representing cold air Fw with a low wind speed.

[0065] 1(A) and 1(B), an airflow direction guide member 2 is installed at the air outlet 11 of the air conditioner 1, so that a large amount of cool air Fs is blown out obliquely upward from the air outlet 11 into the front space 100. This reduces the amount of cool air supplied to the lower region C12 (FIG. 2) of the cold aisle C.

[0066] Most of the cold air Fs blown diagonally upward from the central and lower regions of the outlet 11 facing the cold aisle C is prevented from flowing into the upper region C11 of the entrance end C1 of the cold aisle C (Figure 2) by a shielding member 4 provided in the upper region C11 of the entrance end C1.

[0067] 2, the cold air Fs that hits the shielding member 4 flows upward along the shielding member 4, then flows over the shielding member 4 into the upper space U2 of the cold aisle C, and flows toward the back of the server room R. The cold air Fs that hits the side surface 3Fs of the end rack 3F flows over the end rack 3F into the upper space U1 of the end rack 3F, and flows toward the back of the server room R.

[0068] As shown in Figure 1(B), the cold air Fs blown out from the upper end of the air outlet 11 flows directly into the space U2 above the cold aisle C and the space U1 (Figure 2) above the rack row 30, and flows along the ceiling toward the back of the server room R (to the right of the page).

[0069] According to this embodiment, by orienting the airflow direction guide member 2 upward and providing the shielding member 4 in the upper region C11 of the entrance side end C1 of the cold aisle C, it is possible to suppress the confluence of cold air in front of the end rack 3F.

[0070] In other words, it is possible to prevent the cold air Fs flowing in a straight line from the air outlet 11 into the cold aisle C from merging with the cold air Fs flowing along the side 3Fs of the end rack 3F and flowing into the cold aisle C.

[0071] As a result, the flow speed of the cold air flowing in front of the end rack 3F can be slowed down, which will solve the problem of backflow caused by high flow speed mentioned above.

[0072] Also, as shown in Figures 1(B) and 2, not all of the cold air Fs supplied from the air outlet 11 flows above the shielding member 4, and due to changes in air flow, etc., some of the cold air passes below the shielding member 4 and flows into the cold aisle C.

[0073] However, since a large amount of cold air does not flow into the cold aisle C, the cold air Fw flowing through the cold aisle C is prevented from becoming extremely fast at the end rack 3F, and the cold air that passes under the shielding member 4 can properly cool the servers in the end rack 3F and the rear rack 3.

[0074] 2, the upper space U1 of the end rack 3F and the upper space U2 of the cold aisle C communicate with each other in the left-right direction to form an air passage, so that cold air Fw also flows from the upper space U1 into the cold aisle C. Therefore, the servers housed in the upper area 3Fu of the end rack 3F adjacent to the upper area C11 of the entrance end C1 of the cold aisle C can also be properly cooled.

[0075] (Examples of mounting materials for shielding members) 4(A) shows an example of a mounting member 4A, which includes a first bar 41, a second bar 42, and a third bar 43. A non-ventilated sheet 4S (e.g., a vinyl sheet) serving as a shielding member is detachably mounted to the end rack 3F by the first to third bars 41 to 43. The first to third bars are attached to the end rack 3F by magnets (not shown), for example, provided at the ends of the bottom surface.

[0076] The second bar 42 is adhered to the lower end of the sheet 4S and attached to the side surface 3Fs of the end rack 3F. The third bar 43 is adhered to the upper end of the sheet 4S and attached to the upper surface of the end rack 3F. The first bar 41 is not adhered to the sheet 4S and is attached to the front side of the third bar 43 (at the corner of the end rack 3F).

[0077] In the above configuration, by changing the height of the attachment position of the second bar 42, the height of the lower end 4e of the shielding member (sheet 4S) can be adjusted.

[0078] For example, the second bar 42 is lowered to a height where the diagonally upward airflow from the air outlet 11 does not directly hit the front (cold aisle side) of the end rack 3F, and the sheet 4S between the first bar 41 and the second bar 42 is pulled tightly. In addition, the excess length of the sheet 4S is adjusted between the first bar 41 and the third bar 43. In this case, it is desirable to position the third bar 43 as close as possible to the first bar 41 so that the cold air Fw (FIG. 2) flowing through the space U3 above the end rack 3F can flow into the cold aisle C.

[0079] Since the first to third bars are fixed to the end rack by magnets, workers can easily enter and exit the cold aisle by temporarily moving the second bar 42 upward.

[0080] Furthermore, in data centers that operate by renting out to users, the users often bring their own racks, and if the structure is like Sheet 4S and Bars 1 to 3, it is removable and will not damage the end racks, making it easier to obtain user consent for the installation of shielding materials.

[0081] The extent to which the second bar 42 is lowered depends on the on-site conditions of the server room, but for example, for an end rack 3F with a height of 2m to 2.4m, it is expected that the length from the first bar 41 to the second bar 42 (the vertical length of the sheet 4S) will be approximately 1m to 1.5m.

[0082] 4(B) shows another example of a mounting member 4B. The mounting member 4B includes a pair of legs 46 and an upper bar 45 connected to the upper ends of the pair of legs 46. A sheet 47 does not allow ventilation and blocks the cold air from the air outlet.

[0083] The sheet 47 is arranged in the front space 100 so as to block the entrance end C1 of the cold aisle C between the pair of end racks 3F shown in Figure 1(A). This configuration can be effectively used when blocking the cold aisle C (the cold aisle communicating with the front space 100) between the end rack 3F and the side wall of the server room R.

[0084] (Backflow prevention method according to the present invention) The airflow direction guide member 2 provided at the air outlet 11 directs the cold air blowing from the air outlet 11 toward the entrance end C1 of the cold aisle C and the side 3Fs of the end rack 3F upward, and backflow due to the high flow rate described above can be prevented by a simple and low-cost method of simply attaching a blocking member 4 that blocks the passage of cold air in the upper area C11 of the entrance end C1 of the cold aisle C.

[0085] It should be noted that the term "airflow direction guide member provided at the air outlet" is not limited to being provided directly at the air outlet 11. For example, an airflow direction guide member may be disposed in the front space 100 away from the air outlet 11 so that the cool air blown out from the air outlet 11 flows upward.

[0086] (Comparative study) In a typical server room using a wall-air-discharge air conditioning system, a computer simulation was conducted to compare the performance of the airflow direction guide member and shielding member according to this embodiment with that of the absence of them, with the setting of blowing out cool air at 24°C, and the following results were obtained.

[0087] If airflow guide members and shielding members are not used, the temperature of the air supplied to the servers in the edge racks will rise extremely (over 27°C), and there is a high possibility that it will exceed the recommended temperature range (18-27°C) for normal server operation. If the server continues to operate in this state, it will lead to server failure, and if the supply air temperature of the air conditioner is lowered to lower the temperature, the energy required for air conditioning will increase.

[0088] On the other hand, when the present invention is used (using airflow guide members and shielding materials), the temperature rise in the end racks is mitigated, making it less likely to exceed the recommended temperature range. Although there is a possibility that the supply air temperature in the end racks and nearby racks may rise slightly due to changes in airflow, the increase is so minor that it was confirmed that all racks would fall within the recommended temperature range (no racks would exceed 27°C) without having to lower the air conditioner's discharge temperature.

[0089] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above with reference to the drawings, the present invention is not limited to the illustrated embodiments. Various modifications and variations can be made to the illustrated embodiments within the same scope as the present invention or within an equivalent scope.

[0090] For example, although the blades of the airflow direction guide member are illustrated as being straight, they may not be straight, but may be gently curved upward as they extend to the tip.

[0091] The shielding member may also have a structure in which a shielding sheet is unrolled like a roll curtain.

[0092] In addition, in the embodiment, the air outlet 11 is an air outlet of the air conditioner 1 itself, but this is not limited to this. For example, in an embodiment in which a chamber is provided between the air conditioner 1 and the first wall R1 of the server room R, an opening for air discharge formed in the wall R1 may be regarded as an air outlet. [Industrial Applicability]

[0093] The present invention can be advantageously used in a server room that employs a wall-air-discharge air-conditioning system. [Explanation of symbols]

[0094] 1 air conditioner, 11 air outlet, 11e lower end, 2 air direction guide member, 21 blade, 3 rack, 30 rack row, 3F end rack, 3Fs side of end rack 3Fe upper end of side, 4 shielding member, 41-43 1st to 3rd bars (mounting members) 4e lower end, 8 horizontal surface (floor), 100 front space, C cold aisle, C1 entrance side end, C11 upper area, H hot aisle, R server room, R1 first wall portion, R2 second wall portion, U1 space above end rack (rack row), U2 space above cold aisle.

Claims

1. In a server room in which a row of racks is arranged between a first wall portion provided with an air conditioner outlet and a second wall portion facing the first wall portion, the row of racks extending linearly from the first wall portion side at one end to the second wall portion side at the other end, a cold aisle is formed along the front of the row of racks, and a hot aisle is formed along the back of the row of racks, a wind direction guide member arranged so that the blowing direction of cold air from the air outlet toward the entrance end of the cold aisle and the side surface of the end rack located at one end of the rack row is upward; A backflow prevention structure in a server room, characterized in that it comprises a shielding member that covers an upper region of the entrance end of the cold aisle and blocks the passage of cold air in the upper region.

2. 2. The backflow prevention structure in a server room according to claim 1, wherein the space above the row of racks and the space above the cold aisle are connected to each other to form a cooling air passage.

3. the airflow direction guide member is attached to the air outlet and is configured by a louver including a plurality of blades arranged at intervals in the up-down direction, 3. A backflow prevention structure in a server room as described in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the angle between the blades and the horizontal plane is less than or equal to the angle between an imaginary line connecting the lower end of the air outlet and the upper end of the side of the end rack and the horizontal plane.

4. the airflow direction guide member is attached to the air outlet and is configured by a louver including a plurality of blades arranged at intervals in the up-down direction, 3. A backflow prevention structure in a server room as described in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the angle between the blades and the horizontal plane is greater than or equal to the angle between an imaginary line connecting the lower end of the air outlet and the lower end of the shielding member and the horizontal plane.

5. 3. The backflow prevention structure for a server room according to claim 1, wherein the height of the lower end of the shielding member is adjustable.

6. 3. The backflow prevention structure for a server room according to claim 1, wherein the shielding member is detachably attached to the end rack via an attachment member.

7. In a server room in which a row of racks is arranged between a first wall portion provided with an air conditioner outlet and a second wall portion facing the first wall portion, the row of racks extending linearly from the first wall portion side at one end to the second wall portion side at the other end, a cold aisle is formed along the front of the row of racks, and a hot aisle is formed along the back of the row of racks, a wind direction guide member provided at the air outlet to direct the cold air blowing from the air outlet toward the entrance end of the cold aisle and the side of the end rack located at one end of the row of racks upward; A method for preventing backflow in a server room, comprising attaching a shielding member that blocks the passage of cold air to an upper region of the entrance end of the cold aisle.

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