Cooling System

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention provide a cooling system, which includes a first cooler and a first circulation pipeline. The first cooler is used to cool down the coolant inside it by using external liquid. The first circulation pipeline includes an air-cooled part having a first liquid discharge pipe and a first liquid return pipe, a second cooler and a second circulation pipeline. The second cooler is used to cool down the coolant inside it by using outside air. The second circulation pipeline includes a liquid-cooled part having a second liquid discharge pipe and a second liquid return pipe, and a guide assembly connected between the first circulation pipeline and the second circulation pipeline. In a first state, a part of the coolant in the first liquid discharge pipe is driven into the second liquid discharge pipe, and at least a part of the coolant in the second liquid return pipe is guided into the first liquid return pipe. In a second state, a part of the coolant in the second liquid discharge pipe is driven into the first liquid discharge pipe, and at least a part of the coolant in the first liquid return pipe is guided into the second liquid return pipe.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] [Cross - reference to Related Applications] This application claims the priority of a Chinese invention patent application with the application number 202210826177.1 and the invention title "Cooling System", which was filed on July 13, 2022.

[0002] Embodiments of the present invention generally relate to the technical field of electronic device cooling, and more specifically, to a cooling system.

Background Art

[0003] With the integration and development of new - generation information and communication technologies such as 5G, cloud computing, big data, and artificial intelligence with the real economy, data centers are gradually expanding from serving some enterprises to serving the whole society and becoming a new type of infrastructure. Therefore, the problems of energy and water consumption brought about by data centers have attracted wide attention globally.

[0004] The energy consumption of data centers is increasing daily. Since the conventional air - cooled heat - dissipation solutions have low heat - dissipation efficiency and need to consume a large amount of energy, there are an increasing number of cases where they cannot meet the needs of data centers in terms of cooling capacity and economy. For this reason, liquid - cooling solutions have become an important technical direction (guideline) for data - center construction. The conventional liquid - cooling solution is cold - plate liquid - cooling. Since the server cold - plate design is very complex, in general - purpose servers, only the heat of main components such as the central processing unit (CPU) and the graphics processing unit (GPU) is released outdoors by the cold - plate through the coolant, and the heat of other components is released by the indoor air - conditioning system.

[0005] Currently, improvement of liquid - cooling solutions for data centers is required.

Summary of the Invention

[0006] An object of the present invention is to provide a cooling system in order to at least partially solve the above problems.

[0007] In one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a cooling system, the cooling system comprising a first cooler and a first circulation pipeline connected to the first cooler, the first cooler being configured to cool down the coolant inside thereof by using external liquid, the first circulation pipeline comprising an air-cooled part including a first liquid discharge pipe and a first liquid return pipe, a second cooler, and a second circulation pipeline connected to the second cooler, the second cooler being configured to cool down the coolant inside thereof by using outside air, the second circulation pipeline comprising a liquid-cooled part including a second liquid discharge pipe and a second liquid return pipe, and a guide assembly connected between the first circulation pipeline and the second circulation pipeline and configured to drive a part of the coolant in the first liquid discharge pipe into the second liquid discharge pipe and guide at least a part of the coolant in the second liquid return pipe into the first liquid return pipe in a first state, and drive a part of the coolant in the second liquid discharge pipe into the first liquid discharge pipe and guide at least a part of the coolant in the first liquid return pipe into the second liquid return pipe in a second state.

[0008] In some embodiments, the guide assembly operates in the first state and stops operating in the second state. The first circulation pump that is operating drives a part of the coolant in the first liquid discharge pipe into the second liquid discharge pipe, and the second circulation pump operates in the second state and stops operating in the first state. The second circulation pump that is operating drives a part of the coolant in the second liquid discharge pipe into the first liquid discharge pipe.

[0009] In some embodiments, the guide assembly further comprises a first valve, a second valve, a third valve, and a fourth valve. The first valve is connected in series between the first circulation pump and between the first liquid discharge pipe and the second liquid discharge pipe. The first valve is open in the first state and closed in the second state. The second valve is connected in series between the second circulation pump and between the first liquid discharge pipe and the second liquid discharge pipe. The second valve is open in the second state and closed in the first state. The third valve is connected between the first liquid return pipe and the second liquid return pipe. The third valve is open in the first state and closed in the second state. The fourth valve is connected between the first liquid return pipe and the second liquid return pipe. The fourth valve is open in the second state and closed in the first state.

[0010] In some embodiments, the guide assembly further comprises a first valve, a second valve, and a third valve. The first valve is connected in series between the first circulation pump and between the first liquid discharge pipe and the second liquid discharge pipe. The first valve is open in the first state and closed in the second state. The second valve is connected in series between the second circulation pump and between the first liquid discharge pipe and the second liquid discharge pipe. The second valve is open in the second state and closed in the first state. The third valve is connected between the first liquid return pipe and the second liquid return pipe. The third valve is open in both the first state and the second state.

[0011] In some embodiments, the guide assembly further comprises a first valve and a second valve. The first circulation pump is connected in parallel with the second circulation pump and is connected in series between the first valve and between the first liquid discharge pipe and the second liquid discharge pipe. The first valve is open in both the first state and the second state. The second valve is connected between the first liquid return pipe and the second liquid return pipe, and the second valve is open in both the first state and the second state.

[0012] In some embodiments, the guide assembly further comprises a first valve and a second valve. The first valve, the first circulation pump, and the second circulation pump are connected in series between the first liquid discharge pipe and the second liquid discharge pipe. The first valve is open in both the first state and the second state. The second valve is connected between the first liquid return pipe and the second liquid return pipe, and the second valve is open in both the first state and the second state.

[0013] In some embodiments, the guide assembly is connected to the first liquid discharge pipe and the second liquid discharge pipe via a valve, and comprises a reservoir chamber configured to receive the coolant from the first liquid discharge pipe in the first state and receive the coolant from the second liquid discharge pipe in the second state, and a third circulation pump connected to the reservoir chamber and configured to drive the coolant in the reservoir chamber to the second liquid discharge pipe in the first state and drive the coolant in the reservoir chamber to the first liquid discharge pipe in the second state.

[0014] In some embodiments, the guide assembly further includes a first valve, a second valve, a third valve, and a fourth valve. The first valve is connected between the first liquid discharge pipe and the reservoir chamber. The first valve is open in the first state and closed in the second state. The second valve is connected between the second liquid discharge pipe and the reservoir chamber. The second valve is open in the second state and closed in the first state. The third valve is connected between the first liquid discharge pipe and the outlet of the third circulation pump. The third valve is open in the second state and closed in the first state. The fourth valve is connected between the outlet of the third circulation pump and the second liquid discharge pipe. The fourth valve is open in the first state and closed in the second state.

[0015] In some embodiments, the guide assembly further includes a fifth valve. The fifth valve is connected between the first liquid return pipe and the second liquid return pipe. The fifth valve is open in both the first state and the second state.

[0016] In some embodiments, the first cooler includes a cooling tower and / or the second cooler includes a dry cooler.

[0017] According to the embodiments of the present invention, by providing a guide assembly between the air-cooled part and the liquid-cooled part, the temperature difference in different seasons can be utilized to complement each other between the air-cooled part and the liquid-cooled part, and the respective advantages of the first cooler and the second cooler can be fully utilized. In the low-temperature season, the second cooler can be used to supplement the cooling of the air-cooled part, increase the proportion of natural cooling, and significantly reduce the power usage efficiency (PUE) and water usage efficiency (WUE). In the high-temperature season, the first cooler can be used to supplement the cooling of the liquid-cooled part, saving the initial investment cost and floor area of the second cooler.

[0018] It should be understood that the content described in the summary part of the present invention is not intended to limit the main features or important features of the embodiments of the present invention, nor is it intended to limit the scope of the present invention. Other features of the present invention will be easily understood from the following description.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0019] With reference to the drawings and the following detailed description, the above-described features, as well as other features, advantages, and aspects of each embodiment of the present invention will become more apparent. In the drawings, the same or similar symbols indicate the same or similar elements, where

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0020] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to the drawings. Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention are shown in the drawings, it should be understood that the present invention can be implemented in various forms and should not be construed as being limited to the embodiments described herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided to more fully and clearly convey the present invention and to enable those skilled in the art to fully understand the scope of the present invention.

[0021] As used herein, the term "comprising" and similar terms are open-ended inclusion meaning "including but not limited to". Unless otherwise specified, the term "or" means "and / or". The term "based on" means "at least partially based on". The terms "one exemplary embodiment" and "one embodiment" mean "at least one exemplary embodiment". The term "another embodiment" means "at least one other embodiment". Terms such as "first", "second", etc. can refer to different or the same objects.

[0022] FIG. 1 shows a schematic configuration diagram of a conventional cooling system 100. As shown in FIG. 1, the cooling system 100 described herein generally includes an air-cooling unit 2 and a liquid-cooling unit 3. The liquid-cooling unit 3 is used to release the heat of main components such as a CPU and a GPU in a cabinet 9, and the air-cooling unit 2 is used to release the heat of other devices in the cabinet 9.

[0023] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 1, the air-cooling unit 2 includes a first cooler 21 and a first circulation pipeline 22 connected to the first cooler 21. The first cooler 21 is configured to cool the coolant inside it using external liquid. For example, the first cooler 21 may be a cooling tower, which uses the sprayed cooling water to cool the coolant inside it. The first circulation pipeline 22 includes a first liquid discharge pipe 221 and a first liquid return pipe 222. The coolant cooled by the external cooling water in the first cooler 21 can flow out through the first liquid discharge pipe 221, and the coolant that has already been heated in temperature and circulates in the air-cooling unit 2 can return to the first cooler 21 through the first liquid return pipe 222 and can be cooled again by the first cooler 21.

[0024] It should be understood that the cooling tower is only an example of the first cooler 21, and in the embodiments according to the present invention, the first cooler 21 may be other types of coolers that use external liquid to cool the coolant inside it, and the embodiments of the present invention do not limit this.

[0025] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 1, the air-cooling part 2 further includes an air wall 23 provided in the indoor cooling pool 8. The air wall 23 may be provided with heat dissipation pipes communicating with the first liquid discharge pipe 221 and the first liquid return pipe 222, and the coolant may flow from the first liquid discharge pipe 221 into the heat dissipation pipes and then from the heat dissipation pipes into the first liquid return pipe 222. A fan may be provided on the air wall 23. The fan may be driven so that the air in the cabinet 9 flows through the air wall 23, cooling the hot air from the cabinet 9 with the heat dissipation pipes in the air wall 23, and discharging the cooled air into the indoor cooling pool 8. In this process, the coolant in the heat dissipation pipes of the air wall 23 has its temperature increased by heat absorption. After the temperature is increased, the coolant returns to the first cooler 21 through the first liquid return pipe 222 and is cooled again by the external cooling water in the first cooler 21 for the next cycle.

[0026] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 1, in order to promote the driving of the fan in the air wall 23 for the gas in the cabinet 9, a closed gas passage (passage) 7 may be formed between the cabinet 9 and the air wall 23, and the gas from the cabinet 9 may be guided to the air wall 23 through the gas passage 7.

[0027] It should be understood that in the embodiments according to the present invention, the air wall 23 is merely exemplary, and other types of gas driving devices or arrangements are also possible. For example, in some embodiments, the air-cooling part 2 may include an in-row air conditioner arranged adjacent to each cabinet 9, and the in-row air conditioner is connected to the first liquid discharge pipe 221 and the first liquid return pipe 222. The in-row air conditioner may blow air horizontally into the cabinet 9 so as to take heat away from the devices inside the cabinet 9.

[0028] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 1, according to conditions such as weather and region, the air-cooling unit 2 further includes a supplementary cooling source 24. The supplementary cooling source 24 is provided in the first liquid discharge pipe 221 and is used to supply additional cold air to the circulation pipeline of the air-cooling unit 2. By utilizing the supplementary cooling source 24, the cooling capacity of the air-cooling unit 2 can be further improved.

[0029] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 1, the liquid-cooling unit 3 includes a second cooler 31 and a second circulation pipeline 32 connected to the second cooler 31. The second cooler 31 is configured to cool the coolant inside it by utilizing the outside air. For example, the second cooler 31 may be a dry cooler and can cool the coolant inside it by utilizing the outside air. The second circulation pipeline 32 includes a second liquid discharge pipe 321 and a second liquid return pipe 322. The coolant cooled by the outside air in the second cooler 31 flows out through the second liquid discharge pipe 321, and the coolant that has already been heated in temperature during circulation within the liquid-cooling unit 3 returns to the second cooler 31 through the second liquid return pipe 322 and may be cooled again by the second cooler 31.

[0030] The dry cooler is only an example of the second cooler 31. It should be understood that in the embodiments according to the present invention, the second cooler 31 may be other types of coolers that utilize the outside air to cool the coolant inside it, and the embodiments of the present invention do not limit this.

[0031] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 1, the liquid cooling unit 3 further includes a coolant distribution unit (CDU) 33 and a third circulation pipeline 34. The coolant distribution unit 33 is connected between the third circulation pipeline 34 and the second circulation pipeline 32 and is used to distribute and manage the coolant provided to the cabinet 9. The third circulation pipeline 34 is connected to a cold plate provided in the cabinet 9 and is used to cool main components such as a CPU and a GPU. Since the feed water temperature of the cold plate is as high as 45 to 50°C and the return water temperature is as high as 60°C, natural cooling is possible throughout the year in most regions. The third circulation pipeline 34 includes a third liquid discharge pipe 342 and a third liquid return pipe 341. The coolant distribution unit 33 can provide the coolant to the cold plate through the third liquid discharge pipe 342, and the coolant heated in the cold plate can return into the coolant distribution unit 33 through the third liquid return pipe 341. The coolant distribution unit 33 may include a plate heat exchanger. The plate heat exchanger can be connected to the second circulation pipeline 32 to form a first coolant circulation path, and the plate heat exchanger can be connected to the third circulation pipeline 34 to form a second coolant circulation path. The coolants in the two circulation paths can exchange heat through the plate heat exchanger.

[0032] In some embodiments, the second circulation pipeline 32 is directly connected to a cold plate in the cabinet 9, and can directly provide the coolant to main components such as a CPU and a GPU without the need for heat exchange of the coolant in the two circulation paths through the coolant distribution unit 33. In some other embodiments, the liquid cooling unit 3 may include a plurality of coolant distribution units 33 and a plurality of coolant circulation paths for multiple heat exchanges, and the embodiments of the present invention do not limit this.

[0033] With the development and evolution of electronic devices, especially the heat generation of devices such as memories and hard disks has been gradually increasing, and the amount of heat carried away (removed) by the air-cooling unit 2 has also become quite significant. However, since the air-cooling unit 2 exchanges heat with high-temperature air, its heat exchange efficiency is relatively low. In order to perform effective cooling, it is necessary to provide a lower feed water temperature by the first cooler 21 such as a cooling tower. Therefore, the energy consumption and water consumption of the air-cooling unit 2 increase, and it becomes difficult to keep the power usage effectiveness (PUE) and water usage effectiveness (WUE) low even when using a liquid-cooling unit in a data center.

[0034] Since the cold plate in the liquid-cooling unit 3 can directly pass the coolant over the server surface, the heat exchange efficiency is very high, and the water temperature is often high. Therefore, an external cooling device with high energy efficiency and water efficiency such as the second cooler 31 like a dry cooler can be selected. The drawback of the second cooler 31 is that in summer, as the temperature difference between the outdoor temperature and the coolant becomes smaller, the heat dissipation efficiency of the second cooler 31 decreases. In order to meet the requirements of the coolant in abnormal weather conditions, it is often necessary to increase the heat exchange area of the second cooler 31, which leads to an increase in the initial investment and an increase in the floor area. When deploying an ultra-large-scale data center, the use of such an energy-saving and water-saving second cooler 31 is restricted, and cooling towers and the same type of external cooling devices with low energy efficiency and water efficiency are preferentially introduced. Also, in seasons with lower temperatures such as winter, the coolant generated by the second cooler 31 cannot be fully utilized, resulting in waste.

[0035] Embodiments according to the present invention utilize the temperature differences in different seasons to complement each other between the air-cooling unit 2 and the liquid-cooling unit 3, and to fully utilize the respective advantages of the first cooler 21 and the second cooler 31, thereby providing a cooling system 100. Hereinafter, the principle of the present invention will be described in detail in conjunction with FIGS. 2 to 6.

[0036] Figure 2 shows a schematic configuration diagram of a cooling system 100 according to some embodiments of the present invention. As shown in Figure 2, the cooling system 100 includes an air-cooling unit 2 and a liquid-cooling unit 3. The configurations of the air-cooling unit 2 and the liquid-cooling unit 3 shown in Figure 2 are the same as those of the air-cooling unit 2 and the liquid-cooling unit 3 shown in Figure 1. Hereinafter, only the differences between the two will be described in detail, and further detailed descriptions of the same parts will be omitted.

[0037] In some embodiments, as shown in Figure 2, the air-cooling unit 2 further includes a coolant circulation pump 25. The coolant circulation pump 25 is provided in the first liquid discharge pipe 221 and is used to drive the circulation of the coolant in the air-cooling unit 2.

[0038] In some embodiments, as shown in Figure 2, the liquid-cooling unit 3 further includes a coolant circulation pump 35. The coolant circulation pump 35 is provided in the second liquid discharge pipe 321 and is used to drive the circulation of the coolant in the first coolant circulation path of the liquid-cooling unit 3.

[0039] In some embodiments, as shown in Figure 2, the cooling system 100 further includes a guide assembly 4. The guide assembly 4 is connected between the first circulation pipeline 22 and the second circulation pipeline 32. The guide assembly 4 can be switched between a first state and a second state. In the first state, the guide assembly 4 can drive a part of the coolant in the first liquid discharge pipe 221 into the second liquid discharge pipe 321 and guide at least a part of the coolant in the second liquid return pipe 322 into the first liquid return pipe 222. In the second state, the guide assembly 4 can drive a part of the coolant in the second liquid discharge pipe 321 into the first liquid discharge pipe 221 and guide at least a part of the coolant in the first liquid return pipe 222 into the second liquid return pipe 322.

[0040] In high-temperature seasons (such as summer), the guide assembly 4 can be set to the first state, and a part of the coolant in the first liquid discharge pipe 221 can flow into the second liquid discharge pipe 321. Thereby, the cooling of the liquid cooling part 3 can be supplemented by using the first cooler 21, and thereby, the initial investment cost and floor area of the second cooler 31 can be saved.

[0041] In low-temperature seasons (such as winter, spring, and autumn), the guide assembly 4 can be set to the second state, and a part of the coolant in the second liquid discharge pipe 321 can flow into the first liquid discharge pipe 221. Thereby, the cooling of the air cooling part 2 can be complemented by using the second cooler 31, the proportion of natural cooling can be increased, and the PUE and WUE can be significantly reduced.

[0042] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 2, the guide assembly 4 includes a first circulation pump 401 and a second circulation pump 402. The first circulation pump 401 and the second circulation pump 402 are provided in different branch flow paths. The first circulation pump 401 operates in the first state and stops operating in the second state. The operating first circulation pump 401 can drive a part of the coolant in the first liquid discharge pipe 221 into the second liquid discharge pipe 321. The second circulation pump 402 operates in the second state and stops operating in the first state. The operating second circulation pump 402 can drive a part of the coolant in the second liquid discharge pipe 321 into the first liquid discharge pipe 221. The first circulation pump 401 and the second circulation pump 402 can be used to drive the circulation of the coolant between the air cooling part 2 and the liquid cooling part 3, and thereby, mutual cooling supplementation can be realized as needed. For example, in high-temperature seasons, the first circulation pump 401 can drive a part of the coolant in the first liquid discharge pipe 221 into the second liquid discharge pipe 321, and in low-temperature seasons, the second circulation pump 402 can drive a part of the coolant in the second liquid discharge pipe 321 into the first liquid discharge pipe 221.

[0043] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 2, the guide assembly 4 further includes a first valve 411, a second valve 412, a third valve 413, and a fourth valve 414. The first valve 411 is connected in series between the first circulation pump 401 and between the first liquid discharge pipe 221 and the second liquid discharge pipe 321. The first valve 411 is open in the first state and closed in the second state. The second valve 412 is connected in series between the second circulation pump 402 and between the first liquid discharge pipe 221 and the second liquid discharge pipe 321. The second valve 412 is open in the second state and closed in the first state. The third valve 413 is connected between the first liquid return pipe 222 and the second liquid return pipe 322. The third valve 413 is open in the first state and closed in the second state. The fourth valve 414 is connected between the first liquid return pipe 222 and the second liquid return pipe 322. The fourth valve 414 is open in the second state and closed in the first state.

[0044] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 2, the first circulation pump 401 is connected to the first liquid discharge pipe 221, and the first valve 411 is connected to the second liquid discharge pipe 321. In other embodiments, the positions of the first circulation pump 401 and the first valve 411 can be exchanged, that is, the first circulation pump 401 may be connected to the second liquid discharge pipe 321, and the first valve 411 may be connected to the first liquid discharge pipe 221.

[0045] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 2, the second circulation pump 402 is connected to the first liquid discharge pipe 221, and the second valve 412 is connected to the second liquid discharge pipe 321. In other embodiments, the positions of the second circulation pump 402 and the second valve 412 can be exchanged, that is, the second circulation pump 402 may be connected to the second liquid discharge pipe 321, and the second valve 412 may be connected to the first liquid discharge pipe 221.

[0046] In the first state, the first circulation pump 401 operates, and the second circulation pump 402 stops operating. At this time, the first valve 411 and the third valve 413 are open, and the second valve 412 and the fourth valve 414 are closed. By using such an arrangement, the first circulation pump 401 can drive a part of the coolant in the first liquid discharge pipe 221 into the second liquid discharge pipe 321, and at least a part of the coolant in the second liquid return pipe 322 is guided into the first liquid return pipe 222 through the third valve 413 and can flow into the first cooler 21 and be cooled again. Therefore, when the outdoor temperature is higher, it is easy to obtain the coolant of the first cooler 21, a part of the coolant in the air-cooled part 2 can be provided to the liquid-cooled part 3, and it is not necessary to make the second cooler 31 very large to meet the requirement of the coolant of the liquid-cooled part 3 in abnormal weather, so good economic savings are achieved.

[0047] In the second state, the second circulation pump 402 operates, and the first circulation pump 401 stops operating. At this time, the second valve 412 and the fourth valve 414 are open, and the first valve 411 and the third valve 413 are closed. By using such an arrangement, the second circulation pump 402 can drive a part of the coolant in the second liquid discharge pipe 321 into the first liquid discharge pipe 221, and at least a part of the coolant in the first liquid return pipe 222 is guided into the second liquid return pipe 322 through the fourth valve 414 and can flow into the second cooler 31 and be cooled again. Therefore, when the outdoor temperature is lower, the heat exchange efficiency of the second cooler 31 is higher, and the coolant of the second cooler 31 can be provided to the air-cooled part 2 to help cool the air wall 23. In such a case, the first cooler 21 can be operated partially or completely stopped, and the proportion of natural cooling of the data center can be improved as a whole, achieving significant energy consumption savings and water consumption savings.

[0048] In some embodiments, when it is not necessary to perform coolant circulation between the air-cooling unit 2 and the liquid-cooling unit 3, all operations of the first circulation pump 401 and the second circulation pump 402 can be stopped, and all of the first valve 411, the second valve 412, the third valve 413, and the fourth valve 414 can be closed. In such a case, the air-cooling unit 2 and the liquid-cooling unit 3 can operate independently.

[0049] FIG. 3 shows a schematic configuration diagram of a cooling system 100 according to some embodiments of the present invention. The configuration of the cooling system 100 shown in FIG. 3 is the same as the configuration of the cooling system 100 shown in FIG. 2. Hereinafter, only the differences between the two will be described in detail, and detailed descriptions of the same parts will be omitted.

[0050] As shown in FIG. 3, the guide assembly 4 includes a first circulation pump 401 and a second circulation pump 402. The first circulation pump 401 and the second circulation pump 402 are provided in different branch flow paths. The first circulation pump 401 operates in the first state and stops operating in the second state. The operating first circulation pump 401 can drive a part of the coolant in the first liquid discharge pipe 221 into the second liquid discharge pipe 321. The second circulation pump 402 operates in the second state and stops operating in the first state. The operating second circulation pump 402 can drive a part of the coolant in the second liquid discharge pipe 321 into the first liquid discharge pipe 221.

[0051] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 3, the guide assembly 4 further includes a first valve 411, a second valve 412, and a third valve 413. The first valve 411 is connected in series between the first circulation pump 401 and between the first liquid discharge pipe 221 and the second liquid discharge pipe 321. The first valve 411 is open in the first state and closed in the second state. The second valve 412 is connected in series between the second circulation pump 402 and between the first liquid discharge pipe 221 and the second liquid discharge pipe 321. The second valve 412 is open in the second state and closed in the first state. The third valve 413 is connected between the first liquid return pipe 222 and the second liquid return pipe 322. The third valve 413 is open in both the first state and the second state.

[0052] Since the third valve 413 is open in both the first state and the second state, when the circulation assembly 4 is in the first state and the second state, the coolant circulation between the first liquid return pipe 222 and the second liquid return pipe 322 can be realized through the branch flow path where the third valve 413, which is open in both cases, is located. For example, when the circulation assembly 4 is in the first state, at least a part of the coolant in the second liquid return pipe 322 can flow into the first liquid return pipe 222 through the third valve 413, flow into the first cooler 21, and be cooled again. When the circulation assembly 4 is in the second state, at least a part of the coolant in the first liquid return pipe 222 can flow into the second liquid return pipe 322 through the third valve 413, flow into the second cooler 31, and be cooled again. Compared with the circulation assembly 4 shown in FIG. 2, the configuration of the circulation assembly 4 shown in FIG. 3 is simpler (more concise) and can save costs.

[0053] In some embodiments, when there is no need to perform coolant circulation between the air-cooled part 2 and the liquid-cooled part 3, all operations of the first circulation pump 401 and the second circulation pump 402 can be stopped, and all of the first valve 411, the second valve 412, and the third valve 413 can be closed. In such a case, the air-cooled part 2 and the liquid-cooled part 3 can operate independently.

[0054] Figure 4 shows a schematic configuration diagram of the cooling system 100 according to some embodiments of the present invention. The configuration of the cooling system 100 shown in Figure 4 is the same as that of the cooling system 100 shown in Figure 3. Hereinafter, only the differences between the two will be described in detail, and the detailed description of the same parts will be omitted.

[0055] As shown in Figure 4, the guide assembly 4 includes a first circulation pump 401 and a second circulation pump 402. The first circulation pump 401 is connected in parallel with the second circulation pump 402. The first circulation pump 401 operates in the first state and stops operating in the second state. The operating first circulation pump 401 can drive a part of the coolant in the first liquid discharge pipe 221 into the second liquid discharge pipe 321. The second circulation pump 402 operates in the second state and stops operating in the first state. The operating second circulation pump 402 can drive a part of the coolant in the second liquid discharge pipe 321 into the first liquid discharge pipe 221.

[0056] In some embodiments, as shown in Figure 4, the guide assembly 4 further includes a first valve 411 and a second valve 412. After the first circulation pump 401 is connected in parallel with the second circulation pump 402, it is connected in series between the first valve 411 and between the first liquid discharge pipe 221 and the second liquid discharge pipe 321. The first valve 411 is open in both the first state and the second state. The second valve 412 is connected between the first liquid return pipe 222 and the second liquid return pipe 322. The second valve 412 is open in both the first state and the second state.

[0057] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 4, the first circulation pump 401 and the second circulation pump 402 are connected to the first liquid discharge pipe 221, and the first valve 411 is connected to the second liquid discharge pipe 321. In other embodiments, the first circulation pump 401 and the second circulation pump 402 can exchange positions with the first valve 411, that is, the first circulation pump 401 and the second circulation pump 402 may be connected to the second liquid discharge pipe 321, and the first valve 411 may be connected to the first liquid discharge pipe 221.

[0058] Since the first valve 411 is open in both the first state and the second state, when the circulation assembly 4 is in the first state and the second state, the first circulation pump 401 and the second circulation pump 402 can both be driven so that the coolant circulates between the air-cooled part 2 and the liquid-cooled part 3 through the first valve 411. Compared with the circulation assembly 4 shown in FIG. 3, the configuration of the circulation assembly 4 shown in FIG. 4 is simpler and can save costs.

[0059] In some embodiments, when there is no need to perform coolant circulation between the air-cooled part 2 and the liquid-cooled part 3, both the first circulation pump 401 and the second circulation pump 402 can stop operating, and both the first valve 411 and the second valve 412 can be closed. In such a case, the air-cooled part 2 and the liquid-cooled part 3 can operate independently.

[0060] FIG. 5 shows a schematic configuration diagram of the cooling system 100 according to some embodiments of the present invention. The configuration of the cooling system 100 shown in FIG. 5 is the same as the configuration of the cooling system 100 shown in FIG. 4. Hereinafter, only the differences between the two will be described in detail, and detailed descriptions of the same parts will be omitted.

[0061] As shown in FIG. 5, the first valve 411, the first circulation pump 401, and the second circulation pump 402 are connected in series between the first liquid discharge pipe 221 and the second liquid discharge pipe 321. The first valve 411 is open in both the first state and the second state. When the circulation assembly 4 is in the first state, the first circulation pump 401 operates, the second circulation pump 402 stops operating, and the first circulation pump 401 can drive a part of the coolant in the first liquid discharge pipe 221 into the second liquid discharge pipe 321 through a bypass parallel to the second circulation pump 402 and the first valve 411. When the circulation assembly 4 is in the second state, the first circulation pump 401 stops operating, the second circulation pump 402 operates, and the second circulation pump 402 can drive a part of the coolant in the second liquid discharge pipe 321 into the first liquid discharge pipe 221 through a bypass parallel to the first circulation pump 401 and the first valve 411.

[0062] In some embodiments, when it is not necessary to perform coolant circulation between the air-cooled part 2 and the liquid-cooled part 3, both the first circulation pump 401 and the second circulation pump 402 can stop operating, and both the first valve 411 and the second valve 412 can be closed. In such a case, the air-cooled part 2 and the liquid-cooled part 3 can operate independently.

[0063] FIG. 6 shows a schematic configuration diagram of the cooling system 100 according to some embodiments of the present invention. The configuration of the cooling system 100 shown in FIG. 6 is the same as the configuration of the cooling system 100 shown in FIGS. 2 to 5. Hereinafter, only the differences between the two will be described in detail, and detailed descriptions of the same parts will be omitted.

[0064] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 6, the guide assembly 4 includes a reservoir chamber 420 and a third circulation pump 403. The reservoir chamber 420 is connected to the first liquid discharge pipe 221 and the second liquid discharge pipe 321 via valves. The reservoir chamber 420 can receive the coolant from the first liquid discharge pipe 221 in the first state and receive the coolant from the second liquid discharge pipe 321 in the second state. The third circulation pump 403 is connected to the reservoir chamber 420. The third circulation pump 403 can drive the coolant in the reservoir chamber 420 to the second liquid discharge pipe 321 in the first state. The third circulation pump 403 drives the coolant in the reservoir chamber 420 to the first liquid discharge pipe 221 in the second state. By providing the reservoir chamber 420, the coolant circulated between the air-cooled part 2 and the liquid-cooled part 3 can be temporarily stored, it is easy to balance the flow rate and pressure, and the generation of water hammer can be reduced. In addition, the reservoir chamber 420 has the effect of storing the coolant and making it easier to supplement cooling.

[0065] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 6, the guide assembly 4 further includes a first valve 411, a second valve 412, a third valve 413, and a fourth valve 414. The first valve 411 is connected between the first liquid discharge pipe 221 and the reservoir chamber 420. The first valve 411 is open in the first state and closed in the second state. The second valve 412 is connected between the second liquid discharge pipe 321 and the reservoir chamber 420. The second valve 412 is open in the second state and closed in the first state. The third valve 413 is connected between the first liquid discharge pipe 221 and the outlet of the third circulation pump 403. The third valve 413 is open in the second state and closed in the first state. The fourth valve 414 is connected between the outlet of the third circulation pump 403 and the second liquid discharge pipe 321. The fourth valve 414 is open in the first state and closed in the second state.

[0066] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 6, the guide assembly 4 further includes a fifth valve 415, and the fifth valve 415 is connected between the first liquid return pipe 222 and the second liquid return pipe 322. The fifth valve 415 is open in both the first state and the second state.

[0067] In the first state, the third circulation pump 403 operates, the first valve 411, the fourth valve 414, and the fifth valve 415 are open, and the second valve 412 and the third valve 413 are closed. At this time, the coolant in the first liquid discharge pipe 221 can flow into the reservoir chamber 420 through the first valve 411. The third circulation pump 403 can drive the coolant in the reservoir chamber 420 into the second liquid discharge pipe 321 through the fourth valve 414, and at least a part of the coolant in the second liquid return pipe 322 is guided into the first liquid return pipe 222 through the fifth valve 415 and can flow into the first cooler 21 and be cooled again. Therefore, when the outdoor temperature is higher, since it is easier to obtain the coolant of the first cooler 21, a part of the coolant in the air-cooled part 2 can be provided to the liquid-cooled part 3, and it is not necessary to make the second cooler 31 very large to meet the requirement of the coolant of the liquid-cooled part 3 in abnormal weather, so good economic savings are achieved.

[0068] In the second state, the third circulation pump 403 operates, the second valve 412, the third valve 413, and the fifth valve 415 are open, and the first valve 411 and the fourth valve 414 are closed. At this time, the coolant in the second liquid discharge pipe 321 can flow into the reservoir chamber 420 through the second valve 412. The third circulation pump 403 can drive the coolant in the reservoir chamber 420 into the first liquid discharge pipe 221 through the third valve 413, and at least a part of the coolant in the first liquid return pipe 222 is guided into the second liquid return pipe 322 through the fifth valve 415 and can flow into the second cooler 31 and be cooled again. Therefore, when the outdoor temperature is lower, the heat exchange efficiency of the second cooler 31 is higher, and the coolant of the second cooler 31 can be provided to the air cooling part 2 to help cool the air wall 23. In such a case, the first cooler 21 can operate partially or stop completely, and significant energy consumption savings and water consumption savings can be realized, which can improve the overall proportion of natural cooling in the data center.

[0069] In some embodiments, when there is no need to perform coolant circulation between the air cooling part 2 and the liquid cooling part 3, the third circulation pump 401 can stop operating, and the first valve 411, the second valve 412, the third valve 413, the fourth valve 414, and the fifth valve 415 can all be closed. In such a case, the air cooling part 2 and the liquid cooling part 3 can operate independently.

[0070] It should be understood that in the embodiments according to the present invention, the circulation assembly 4 can be provided with more circulation pumps and / or more valves to control the circulation method of the coolant between the air cooling part 2 and the liquid cooling part 3. In addition, in the embodiments according to the present invention, the operating state of the circulation pump and the opening and closing state of the valve can be realized by automatic control or manual control, and the embodiments of the present invention do not limit this.

[0071] The cooling system 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention has high adaptability globally, can improve the proportion of natural cooling while reducing the initial investment cost and floor area, and can achieve a very low PUE and WUE. In addition, the cooling system 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention has a simplified design, fewer mechanical and power components, a low total cost, and is easy to widely popularize and deploy.

[0072] As described above, each implementation of the present invention has been described. However, the above description is exemplary, not exhaustive, and not limited to the disclosed implementations. Many modifications and changes will be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the described implementations. The selection of the terms used in this specification is intended to best interpret the principles of each implementation, the actual application, or the improvement of the technology in the market, or to enable those skilled in the art to understand each implementation form disclosed in this specification.

Claims

1. A first cooler (21) and a first circulation pipeline (22) connected to the first cooler (21), wherein the first cooler (21) is configured to cool the coolant inside thereof by using external liquid, and the first circulation pipeline (22) includes an air-cooled part (2) provided with a first liquid discharge pipe (221) and a first liquid return pipe (222), a second cooler (31) and a second circulation pipeline (32) connected to the second cooler (31), wherein the second cooler (31) is configured to cool the coolant inside thereof by using outside air, and the second circulation pipeline (32) includes a liquid-cooled part (3) provided with a second liquid discharge pipe (321) and a second liquid return pipe (322), a guide assembly (4) connected between the first circulation pipeline (22) and the second circulation pipeline (32), and configured to drive a part of the coolant in the first liquid discharge pipe (221) into the second liquid discharge pipe (321) and guide at least a part of the coolant in the second liquid return pipe (322) into the first liquid return pipe (222) in a first state, and drive a part of the coolant in the second liquid discharge pipe (321) into the first liquid discharge pipe (221) and guide at least a part of the coolant in the first liquid return pipe (222) into the second liquid return pipe (322) in a second state, a cooling system (100).

2. The guide assembly (4) is a first circulation pump (401) that operates in the first state and stops operating in the second state, and the operating first circulation pump (401) drives a part of the coolant in the first liquid discharge pipe (221) into the second liquid discharge pipe (321), the first circulation pump (401), a second circulation pump (402) that operates in the second state and stops operating in the first state, and the operating second circulation pump (402) drives a part of the coolant in the second liquid discharge pipe (321) into the first liquid discharge pipe (221), the second circulation pump (402), and is provided with, the cooling system (100) according to Claim 1.

3. The guide assembly (4) further includes a first valve (411), a second valve (412), a third valve (413), and a fourth valve (414), The first valve (411) is connected in series between the first circulation pump (401) and between the first liquid discharge pipe (221) and the second liquid discharge pipe (321). The first valve (411) is open in the first state and closed in the second state. The second valve (412) is connected in series between the second circulation pump (402) and between the first liquid discharge pipe (221) and the second liquid discharge pipe (321). The second valve (412) is open in the second state and closed in the first state. The third valve (413) is connected between the first liquid return pipe (222) and the second liquid return pipe (322). The third valve (413) is open in the first state and closed in the second state. The fourth valve (414) is connected between the first liquid return pipe (222) and the second liquid return pipe (322). The fourth valve (414) is open in the second state and closed in the first state. The cooling system (100) according to claim 2.

4. The guide assembly (4) further includes a first valve (411), a second valve (412), and a third valve (413). The first valve (411) is connected in series between the first circulation pump (401) and between the first liquid discharge pipe (221) and the second liquid discharge pipe (321). The first valve (411) is open in the first state and closed in the second state. The second valve (412) is connected in series between the second circulation pump (402) and between the first liquid discharge pipe (221) and the second liquid discharge pipe (321). The second valve (412) is open in the second state and closed in the first state. The third valve (413) is connected between the first liquid return pipe (222) and the second liquid return pipe (322). The third valve (413) is open in both the first state and the second state. The cooling system (100) according to claim 2.

5. The guide assembly (4) further includes a first valve (411) and a second valve (412). The first circulation pump (401) is connected in parallel with the second circulation pump (402) and is connected in series between the first valve (411) and between the first liquid discharge pipe (221) and the second liquid discharge pipe (321). The first valve (411) is open in both the first state and the second state. The second valve (412) is connected between the first liquid return pipe (222) and the second liquid return pipe (322). The second valve (412) is open in both the first state and the second state. The cooling system (100) according to claim 2.

6. The guide assembly (4) further includes a first valve (411) and a second valve (412). The first valve (411), the first circulation pump (401), and the second circulation pump (402) are connected in series between the first liquid discharge pipe (221) and the second liquid discharge pipe (321). The first valve (411) is open in both the first state and the second state. The second valve (412) is connected between the first liquid return pipe (222) and the second liquid return pipe (322). The second valve (412) is open in both the first state and the second state. The cooling system (100) according to claim 2.

7. The guide assembly (4) is connected to the first liquid discharge pipe (221) and the second liquid discharge pipe (321) via a valve, and is configured to receive the coolant from the first liquid discharge pipe (221) in the first state and receive the coolant from the second liquid discharge pipe (321) in the second state. A reservoir chamber (420); a third circulation pump (403) connected to the reservoir chamber (420) and configured to drive the coolant in the reservoir chamber (420) to the second liquid discharge pipe (321) in the first state and drive the coolant in the reservoir chamber (420) to the first liquid discharge pipe (221) in the second state. The cooling system (100) according to claim 1.

8. The guide assembly (4) further includes a first valve (411), a second valve (412), a third valve (413), and a fourth valve (414). The first valve (411) is connected between the first liquid discharge pipe (221) and the reservoir chamber (420). The first valve (411) is open in the first state and closed in the second state. The second valve (412) is connected between the second liquid discharge pipe (321) and the reservoir chamber (420). The second valve (412) is open in the second state and closed in the first state. The third valve (413) is connected between the first liquid discharge pipe (221) and the outlet of the third circulation pump (403). The third valve (413) is open in the second state and closed in the first state. The fourth valve (414) is connected between the outlet of the third circulation pump (403) and the second liquid discharge pipe (321). The fourth valve (414) is open in the first state and closed in the second state. The cooling system (100) according to claim 7.

9. The guide assembly (4) further includes a fifth valve (415). The fifth valve (415) is connected between the first liquid return pipe (222) and the second liquid return pipe (322). The fifth valve (415) is open in both the first state and the second state. The cooling system (100) according to claim 7.

10. The first cooler (21) includes a cooling tower, and / or the second cooler (31) includes a dry cooler. The cooling system (100) according to claim 1.

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