Cubicle and method for cooling a cubicle

Abstract

To improve the cooling performance of the GFI and transformer located inside the cubicle. [Solution] In a cubicle housing multiple devices, the temperature control device includes a temperature sensor provided in the device, a temperature measuring unit that collects temperature information measured from the temperature sensor, and a cooling control unit that refers to an operating temperature table storing the operating temperature ranges of multiple devices, compares the temperature of the device obtained from the temperature measuring unit with the operating temperature range of the device obtained from the operating temperature table, determines whether the device is approaching the upper limit of its operating temperature range, and instructs the cooling device to start up when it is determined that the device is approaching the upper limit of its operating temperature range.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a cubicle and a method for cooling the cubicle.

Background Art

[0002] A cubicle used for power receiving and transforming equipment has the advantage that, compared with an open-type power receiving and transforming equipment, it is compact and does not occupy much space, so the cost can be reduced.

[0003] In addition, since it is installed after being assembled at the factory, the on-site work is also limited, the construction period is short, and since the equipment is housed in a metal box, there is also the advantage that failures due to temperature such as heat and cold and the risk of electric shock can be reduced. Due to such advantages, cubicles are currently used in various fields.

[0004] In a conventional power system, synchronous power sources such as thermal power generation have provided inertia force and contributed to maintaining power quality (frequency, voltage). However, as the amount of solar and wind power generation connected by inverters without inertia force increases, the inertia force of the power system decreases, and there is a problem that the risk of a large-scale power outage when a power source dropout accident occurs is increasing.

[0005] To solve this problem, a grid-forming inverter (GFI: Grid Forming Inverter) having a control function for pseudo-supplying inertia force to the power system is used. GFI is sometimes called a power conditioning system (PCS: Power Conditioning System).

[0006] GFI is often used together with a transformer (TR) etc. and is often installed outdoors, so there are problems of leakage and deterioration due to exposure to wind and rain. For this reason, a cubicle for storing GFI and transformers is required.

[0007] The temperature inside the cubicle rises not only due to the increase caused by solar radiation but also due to the heat generated during the operation of equipment such as GFI and transformers installed inside the cubicle.

[0008] Therefore, using GFI or similar equipment in environments exceeding the temperature specified for each device can not only shorten the lifespan of the equipment but also cause equipment failure or fire.

[0009] Patent Document 1 discloses a control panel in which a duct is installed inside the control panel enclosure, and cooling air introduced from outside the enclosure is directly guided through the duct to the object to be cooled inside the control panel. An exhaust port for discharging the cooling air after it has passed through the object to be cooled is formed at a position opposite the object to be cooled, and an exhaust fan is provided between the exhaust port and the object to be cooled. Partition walls are installed to divide the inside of the control panel, and the inside of the partition walls is configured as a ventilation passage and is used as a duct.

[0010] Furthermore, it is disclosed that a temperature sensor is provided on the object to be cooled, and a fan is driven based on the output of the temperature sensor. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0011] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2016-111194 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0012] The present invention aims to operate a cooling system that responds to the temperature of the GFI and transformer located inside a cubicle. [Means for solving the problem]

[0013] The above problem can be solved by a temperature control device that houses multiple pieces of equipment and includes a temperature sensor attached to the equipment, a temperature measurement unit that collects temperature information measured from the temperature sensor, and a cooling control unit that refers to an operating temperature table storing the operating temperature ranges of multiple pieces of equipment, compares the temperature of the equipment obtained from the temperature measurement unit with the operating temperature range of the equipment obtained from the operating temperature table, determines whether the equipment is approaching the upper limit of its operating temperature range, and instructs the cooling device to start up when it is determined that the equipment is approaching the upper limit of its operating temperature range. [Effects of the Invention]

[0014] This enables the operation of cooling systems within the cubicle, depending on the temperature of the GFI and transformer. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0015] [Figure 1] An example of a block diagram of a temperature control device for a cubicle in an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] An example of an operating temperature table in an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] An example of a temperature history table in an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] An example of a front view of a cubicle in an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] An example of a rear view of a cubicle in an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] An example of a left side view of a cubicle in an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] An example of a right side view of a cubicle in an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] An example of a front view of the equipment layout of a cubicle in an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] An example of a rear equipment layout diagram for a cubicle in an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] A graph showing the temperature change when the equipment is powered on in an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 11] A graph showing the temperature change when the equipment power is shut off in an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 12] An example of a flowchart showing the processing of the cubicle temperature control device in Example 1 of the present invention. [Figure 13] An example of a flowchart showing the processing of the cubicle temperature control device in Example 2 of the present invention.

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0016] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In each of the drawings for explaining the embodiments, the same components are given the same names and reference numerals as much as possible, and the repeated explanations thereof are omitted.

[0017] The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described below, and includes various modifications and equivalent configurations within the scope of the appended claims. For example, the above-described embodiments have been described in detail for easy understanding of the present invention, and the present invention is not necessarily limited to those having all the configurations described.

[0018] Also, the processing units and processing modules described in the embodiments may be realized in hardware by designing a part or all of them, for example, by an integrated circuit, or may be realized in software by a processor interpreting and executing a program for realizing each function.

[0019] The information described in the embodiments may be a table or a database (DB), or may be data stored in the main memory.

Embodiment

[0020] FIG. 1 is an example of a block diagram of a cubicle temperature control device in an embodiment of the present invention. The temperature control device 1 is realized using a computer. In this embodiment, an example of realizing it with a microcomputer provided in the cubicle will be described, but a stand-alone computer or a cloud system connected by a network and providing computer resources may also be used.

[0021] The temperature control device 1 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 9, main memory 6, external memory 7, and input / output unit 8.

[0022] The CPU 9 may be an MPU (Micro Processing Unit), GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), etc. The main memory 6 is composed of semiconductor elements such as ROM (Read Only Memory) and RAM (Random Access Memory).

[0023] The external storage device 7 is configured using devices such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or an SSD (Solid State Drive).

[0024] The main memory 6 includes a cooling control unit 10 that controls the fan that introduces outside air into the cubicle, a GFI operation detection unit 11 that detects the operating status of the GFI, and a temperature measurement unit 12 that receives signals from temperature sensors installed on the GFI and transformer equipment and measures the temperature of each piece of equipment.

[0025] The cooling control unit 10, the GFI operation detection unit 11, and the temperature measurement unit 12 are implemented as software modules and stored in the main memory. These software modules refer to the data in the table stored in the external storage device 7 and are executed by the CPU 9.

[0026] In this embodiment, the cooling system for the cubicle is described as using a fan that takes in outside air to lower the temperature inside the cubicle, but a cooling device that lowers the temperature of the air inside the cubicle, such as an air conditioner or chiller, may also be used.

[0027] By using coolers and chillers, not only can the cooling effect be improved, but dust from the outside can be prevented from entering the cubicle, and condensation on equipment inside the cubicle can be prevented by lowering the humidity.

[0028] The external storage device 7 contains an operating temperature table 13 that shows the operating temperature range of the equipment installed in the cubicle. The temperature range is data provided by the supplier of each piece of equipment in manuals, instruction manuals, etc.

[0029] Furthermore, the cooling control unit 10 includes a temperature history table 14 that stores the conditions and date / time when the fan was operated. This table makes it possible to check whether the temperature of the cubicle was properly managed. If it is found that the temperature was not properly managed, the cause can be investigated and settings can be changed.

[0030] The input / output unit 8 is a network interface, etc., which enables management of the cubicle via the network. It also includes a display unit, input devices, and terminals for checking and setting values ​​on-site. Furthermore, temperature information is collected from temperature sensors installed in the equipment within the cubicle via the input / output unit 8.

[0031] Furthermore, the output unit refers to a temperature history table and outputs the equipment that has been determined to be closest to the upper limit of its operating temperature range the most times, thereby informing the user of equipment that requires attention to temperature management. Alternatively, the temperature control device may be automatically configured to use the temperature information of equipment that has been determined to be closest to the upper limit the most times as a trigger to activate the cooling system.

[0032] Figure 2 shows an example of an operating temperature table in an embodiment of the present invention. The operating temperature table stores the sensor ID, equipment name, lower limit temperature (the lower limit of the operating temperature range), and upper limit temperature (the upper limit of the operating temperature range) of temperature sensors installed in equipment such as GFIs, transformers (TRs), and reactors stored in the cubicle, in an associated manner.

[0033] Each device can operate between the lower and upper temperature limits. However, even if the fan is activated to start cooling when the upper temperature limit is reached, cooling may not be sufficient, potentially exceeding the upper temperature limit. Therefore, the fan's operating temperature may be set to a predetermined temperature lower than the upper temperature limit.

[0034] Regarding the lower temperature limit, a heating device such as a heater may be used to preheat the device before it reaches the lower temperature limit, ensuring that it does not fall below the lower limit.

[0035] Alternatively, the lower and upper temperature limits, which do not exceed the operating temperature range, may be set as the temperatures at which temperature control actually begins.

[0036] Figure 3 shows an example of a temperature history table in an embodiment of the present invention. The temperature history table 14 stores the history of temperature control operations. This example shows an instance where cooling by a fan was performed, but the history of heating may also be included.

[0037] The history stores the date and time when temperature control was performed, the sensor ID of the sensor that triggered the control, the equipment to which the sensor was attached, and the temperature at which cooling began, all linked together.

[0038] This table makes it possible to see which devices generate the most heat and are approaching the upper limit of their operating temperature range the fastest.

[0039] Based on the cubicle's maintenance schedule, the duration for which temperature history should be retained is determined, and the necessary memory is installed. After the period expires, the memory is reused by overwriting.

[0040] Figure 4 shows an example of a front view of a cubicle in an embodiment of the present invention. The front of the cubicle 2 is provided with a door having a gallery for ventilation, and a fan 3 is provided on the left side. By using a gallery with a filter, it is possible to prevent dust from entering the cubicle from the outside and to take measures against salt damage.

[0041] Figure 5 shows an example of a rear view of a cubicle in an embodiment of the present invention. A rear door 4 is provided on the rear, allowing access to the equipment stored in the cubicle.

[0042] Figure 6 shows an example of a left side view of a cubicle in an embodiment of the present invention. A gallery and a maintenance door 5 are provided on the left side of the cubicle. By having maintenance personnel enter the cubicle through the maintenance door 5, various types of equipment maintenance can be performed.

[0043] Figure 7 is an example of a right side view of a cubicle in an embodiment of the present invention. A gallery and a fan 3 are provided on the right side of the cubicle.

[0044] Figure 8 shows an example of a front view of the equipment layout of a cubicle in an embodiment of the present invention. A temperature control device 1 is located in the upper right and is cooled by outside air (2) taken in from the gallery at the lower right side.

[0045] A transformer 20 is installed in the lower left section and is equipped with a TR temperature sensor 22. The transformer 20 is cooled by outside air (1) taken in from the gallery in the lower left section, and the taken-in outside air is exhausted from a fan 3 installed in the upper left section.

[0046] The temperature control device 1 and the TR temperature sensor 22 are connected via the input / output unit 8.

[0047] Figure 9 shows an example of the rear equipment layout of a cubicle in an embodiment of the present invention. A GFI21 is installed at the top, and the GFI21 is equipped with a GFI temperature sensor 23. The GFI21 is cooled by outside air (4) taken in from the lower left gallery and outside air (5) taken in from the lower right gallery, and both types of outside air are discharged by a fan 3.

[0048] The temperature control device 1 and the GFI temperature sensor 23 are connected via the input / output unit 8. If there are multiple GFIs 21, installing a GFI temperature sensor 23 in each GFI will enable more accurate temperature control.

[0049] Figure 10 is a graph showing the temperature change when the equipment is powered on in an embodiment of the present invention. The solid line shows the temperature rise of the GFI21, and the dashed line shows the temperature rise of the transformer 20. When the equipment such as the GFI21 and transformer 20 starts operating, the heat generated by the equipment itself causes a temperature rise inside the cubicle. The temperature rise rate is faster for the GFI21, and then the temperature rise of the transformer 20 follows.

[0050] Therefore, the GFI21 reaches the upper limit of its operating temperature range first. This graph assumes that the upper limit for both the GFI21 and the transformer 20 is 40°C, but whether the temperature has reached the upper limit must be determined by the upper limit of the operating temperature range of each individual piece of equipment.

[0051] In this example, the GFI21's temperature reaches its upper limit first, so the fan needs to be activated based on the value from the GFI temperature sensor built into the GFI21.

[0052] Figure 11 is a graph showing the temperature change when the equipment power is shut off in an embodiment of the present invention. When the GFI 21 and transformer 20 stop, as shown in Figure 11, the temperature of the GFI 21 drops first, and the temperature of the transformer 20 follows suit. If the fan is stopped based on the temperature of the GFI 21 when the equipment stops, the heat from the transformer 20 will cause a temperature rise, which will adversely affect equipment other than the transformer 20.

[0053] Therefore, the fan must be stopped based on the value of the TR temperature sensor 22 installed in the transformer 20, which has a slow temperature decrease.

[0054] If there are other devices in the cubicle besides GFIs and transformers that generate a lot of heat or have a slow rate of temperature reduction, it is necessary to manage the temperature based on the temperature of those devices.

[0055] If it is necessary to determine which device has the greatest impact, this can be determined based on the data in the temperature history table 14 output via the input / output unit 8.

[0056] Figure 12 is an example flowchart showing the processing of the cubicle temperature control device in Embodiment 1 of the present invention. First, the cooling control unit 10 uses the GFI operation detection unit 11 to detect whether the GFI has started up (S100). If it is detected that the GFI has started up, the unit determines whether the temperature of the GFI temperature sensor obtained from the temperature measurement unit 12 has reached the upper limit temperature of the GFI's operating temperature range (S105).

[0057] The operating temperature range does not necessarily have to be determined at a set temperature; it can also be determined at a predetermined temperature before reaching the upper limit.

[0058] If the upper temperature limit has been reached, the cooling system is activated (S106), and the process proceeds to step S104. If the upper temperature limit has not been reached, the system waits for it to be reached. The GFI temperature sensor may be checked at predetermined time intervals.

[0059] If the GFI is not started in step S100, the cooling control unit 10 determines whether the GFI is stopped (S101). If the GFI is stopped, it determines whether the temperature of the TR temperature sensor obtained from the temperature measurement unit 12 has fallen below a predetermined temperature from the upper limit of the operating temperature range of the transformer (TR) (S102).

[0060] If the temperature falls below a predetermined level, the cooling device is stopped (S103), and the system waits for a predetermined time to elapse (S104). If the time has elapsed, the system returns to step 100.

[0061] This process is repeated until the GFI operation detection unit 11 detects the start of the GFI 21 and then detects its stop.

[0062] This process allows the temperature of the equipment to be checked at predetermined intervals, and whether or not cooling is necessary.

[0063] In this example, we described a case where the GFI is the device that triggers temperature control, but if other devices are the trigger, processing must be carried out based on the startup and shutdown of those devices. [Examples]

[0064] Example 2 describes the process when the equipment that triggers temperature control changes or is not specified. The block diagrams, tables, etc. shown in Figures 1 to 9 are the same, so their explanation is omitted.

[0065] Figure 13 is an example flowchart showing the processing of the cubicle temperature control device in Embodiment 2 of the present invention. The first temperature sensor to be processed is set (S200). The temperature of the set temperature sensor is collected (S201). The upper and lower limits of the operating temperature range registered in the operating temperature table 13 are compared with the temperature of the obtained temperature sensor (S202).

[0066] Then, it is determined whether the difference between the upper limit of the operating temperature range and the temperature of the temperature sensor is smaller than a predetermined value (S203). A similar comparison may be made between the lower limit of the operating temperature range and the temperature of the temperature sensor.

[0067] When the difference between the upper limit of the operating temperature range and the temperature of the temperature sensor is less than a predetermined value, the cooling system is activated (S204). The cooling system consists of fans, coolers, and chillers installed in the cubicle.

[0068] The identifier of the device that triggered the activation of the cooling system, the date and time, temperature, sensor ID, etc., are associated with each other and stored in the temperature history table 14 (S205).

[0069] If the difference between the upper limit of the operating temperature range and the temperature of the temperature sensor is not less than a predetermined value, it is determined whether the temperatures of all temperature sensors in the cubicle have been collected (S206).

[0070] If there are any remaining temperature sensors, set them as the temperature sensors for the next processing step, and return to step S201. If the temperature data has been collected from all temperature sensors, wait until a predetermined time has elapsed (S208), and return to step S200.

[0071] In this example, the temperature control device is always running, and temperature control is initiated when the GFI21 starts up or stops. However, temperature control could also be initiated based on the start or stop of other equipment. Alternatively, the temperature control device could be started remotely from outside the cubicle.

[0072] However, to ensure that temperature control is always performed, it is desirable to have it operate in conjunction with one of the main pieces of equipment inside the cubicle.

[0073] Furthermore, if there is an uneven increase in the temperature of equipment within the cubicle due to changes in how the equipment is operated, the cooling control unit may instruct the cooling system to start based on the temperature of the equipment that has been determined to be closest to the upper limit of the operating temperature range the most times in the temperature history table.

[0074] When multiple pieces of equipment are located within a single cubicle, the load of continuous temperature collection by a temperature control device can be reduced. Furthermore, when operating multiple cubicles housing the same equipment, costs can be reduced by installing a temperature control device in one cubicle and having the other cubicles without temperature control devices perform the same temperature management as the cubicle with the device. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0075] 1: Temperature control device 2: Cubicle 3: Fan 4: Rear door 5: Maintenance Door 6: Main memory 7: External storage device 8: Input / output section 9:CPU 10: Cooling Control Unit 11: GFI Operation Detection Unit 12:Temperature measurement part 13: Operating Temperature Table 14: Temperature history table 20: Transformer 21: GFI 22: TR temperature sensor 23: GFI Temperature Sensor

Claims

1. In a cubicle that houses multiple pieces of equipment, The temperature sensor provided in the aforementioned device, A temperature measuring unit that collects temperature information measured from the temperature sensor, Referencing an operating temperature table that stores the operating temperature ranges of the aforementioned multiple devices, The temperature of the device obtained from the temperature measuring unit is compared with the operating temperature range of the device obtained from the operating temperature table. Determine whether the device is approaching the upper limit of its operating temperature range. A cubicle equipped with a temperature control device having a cooling control unit that instructs the cooling device to start when it determines that the temperature is approaching the upper limit of the operating temperature range.

2. In the cubicle according to claim 1, The temperature sensor is provided in the grid forming inverter and the transformer. The cooling control unit is a cubicle equipped with a temperature control device that, when the grid forming inverter is started, instructs the cooling device to start based on the temperature of a temperature sensor provided in the grid forming inverter.

3. In the cubicle according to claim 1, The temperature sensor is provided in the grid forming inverter and the transformer. The cooling control unit is a cubicle equipped with a temperature control device that, when the grid forming inverter stops, instructs the cooling device to stop based on the temperature of a temperature sensor provided in the transformer.

4. In the cubicle according to claim 1, When the cooling control unit determines that the temperature of the equipment is approaching the upper limit of the operating temperature range, it includes a temperature history table that stores the identifier of the equipment whose temperature is approaching the upper limit of the operating temperature range and the date and time of the determination. A cubicle equipped with a temperature control device having an output unit that refers to the aforementioned temperature history table and outputs the equipment that has been determined to be closest to the upper limit of the operating temperature range the most times.

5. In the cubicle according to claim 4, The cooling control unit is a cubicle equipped with a temperature control device that instructs the cooling device to start based on the temperature of the equipment that has been determined to be closest to the upper limit of the operating temperature range the most times in the temperature history table.

6. A cubicle according to claim 1, wherein the cooling device is a temperature control device which is a fan that discharges air inside the cubicle to the outside of the cubicle.

7. A cubicle according to claim 1, wherein the cooling device is a temperature control device which is a chiller that lowers the temperature of the air inside the cubicle.

8. The cubicle according to claim 1, wherein the temperature measuring unit is a temperature control device that collects temperature information of the equipment equipped with a temperature sensor inside the cubicle at predetermined time intervals.

9. The cubicle according to claim 1, wherein the temperature control device is a temperature control device that operates in conjunction with at least one of the devices inside the cubicle.

10. In a cooling method for a cubicle equipped with a temperature control device that houses multiple pieces of equipment, The temperature control device comprises a temperature measuring unit and a cooling control unit. The temperature measurement unit collects temperature information measured by the temperature sensor, The cooling control unit refers to an operating temperature table that stores the operating temperature ranges of the multiple devices, The temperature of the device obtained from the temperature measuring unit is compared with the operating temperature range of the device obtained from the operating temperature table. Determine whether the device is approaching the upper limit of its operating temperature range. A cooling method for a cubicle that instructs the cooling device to start when it is determined that the operating temperature is approaching the upper limit of the operating temperature range.

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