Piping systems, buildings, and methods for constructing piping systems

Abstract

This invention provides a piping system, a building, and a method for constructing a piping system that enable efficient placement of on / off valves. [Solution] The piping system according to the present invention is a piping system between a heat exchanger and a plurality of racks, each containing a heat-generating element, comprising: a loop-shaped main pipe that can be arranged to connect to the heat exchanger; and branch pipes that can be arranged to connect the main pipe and each of the plurality of racks, wherein the main pipe comprises a first main pipe body and a second main pipe body that can be arranged in parallel along the direction of arrangement in which the plurality of racks are lined up in a plan view; the branch pipe comprises a connecting pipe section that connects the first main pipe body and the second main pipe body section; a branch pipe body that can be arranged to connect the connecting pipe section and the racks; and a first on / off valve and a second on / off valve arranged on both sides of the connecting section to which the branch pipe body is connected, and capable of opening and closing the connecting pipe section.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a piping system, a building, and a method for constructing a piping system.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 describes a cooling system including a plurality of racks that accommodate heating elements respectively, a supply line that supplies a refrigerant for cooling the heating elements to each rack, and a discharge line that discharges the refrigerant that has passed through each rack.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] With the development of generative AI in recent years, the use of GPUs (abbreviation for Graphics Processing Unit) with high processing power has been increasing. While this type of GPU has high processing power, it also has a very large amount of heat generation and power consumption. Therefore, for example, in a data center where a large number of racks accommodating GPU servers including GPUs are arranged, from the perspective of improving cooling efficiency, the introduction of a liquid cooling system that cools using a coolant is progressing.

[0005] In a piping system for circulating a coolant through a plurality of racks that accommodate heating elements such as GPUs, a plurality of on-off valves capable of opening and closing the flow path are provided for various purposes.

[0006] An object of the present invention is to provide a piping system, a building, and a method for constructing a piping system that can achieve efficient arrangement of on-off valves.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] A piping system as a first embodiment of the present invention is: (1) A piping system capable of forming a flow path for coolant between a heat exchanger and a plurality of racks arranged in a row, each containing a heat-generating element, A loop-shaped main pipe that can be arranged to connect to the heat exchanger, The system includes a main pipe and a branch pipe having a smaller flow path diameter than the main pipe, which can be arranged to connect each of the racks of the plurality of racks. The main pipe comprises a first main pipe body and a second main pipe body that can be arranged in parallel along the direction in which the plurality of racks are arranged in a plan view. The aforementioned branch pipe is A connecting pipe section that connects the first main pipe body and the second main pipe body, A branch pipe body that can be arranged to connect the aforementioned connecting pipe section and the aforementioned rack, The piping system comprises a first on-off valve and a second on-off valve, which are arranged on both sides of the connection portion to which the branch pipe body is connected within the connecting pipe portion, and which are capable of opening and closing the connecting pipe portion.

[0008] A piping system as one embodiment of the present invention is (2) The branch pipes are arranged at intervals in the direction of arrangement, and are part of the piping system described in (1) above.

[0009] A piping system as one embodiment of the present invention is (3) The connecting pipe section is the piping system described in (1) or (2) above, located between the first main pipe body and the second main pipe body in the plan view.

[0010] A piping system as one embodiment of the present invention is (4) The connecting pipe section includes an extending portion that extends vertically above the first main pipe body and the second main pipe body, The first on-off valve and the second on-off valve are provided at the position of the extended portion of the connecting pipe, and the piping system is as described in any one of (1) to (3) above.

[0011] A piping system as one embodiment of the present invention is (5) A forward piping section capable of supplying the coolant from the heat exchanger to the plurality of racks, The system includes a return piping section capable of supplying the coolant from the plurality of racks toward the heat exchanger, At least one of the forward piping section and the return piping section is a piping system according to any one of (1) to (4) above, comprising the main pipe and the branch pipe.

[0012] A piping system as one embodiment of the present invention is (6) Each of the aforementioned supply piping section and the aforementioned return piping section comprises the main pipe and the branch pipe, In the plan view, the piping system described in (5) above is such that one of the main pipes of the supply piping section and the main pipe of the return piping section is located inside the other.

[0013] A building as a second aspect of the present invention is (7) A support base capable of supporting the aforementioned multiple racks, A building comprising a piping system described in any one of (1) to (6) above, which is located in the underfloor space below the support floor portion.

[0014] A third aspect of the present invention is a method for constructing a piping system, (8) A method for constructing a piping system as described in any one of (1) to (6) above, A main pipe installation step, which involves installing a main pipe unit including the main pipe, A branch pipe installation step of installing a branch pipe unit including the branch pipe main body portion of the branch pipe, the first on-off valve, and the second on-off valve so as to be connected to the main pipe unit, and a construction method of a piping system including the same.

Advantages of the Invention

[0015] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a piping system, a building, and a construction method of a piping system that can achieve an improvement in the efficiency of the arrangement of on-off valves.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0016] [Figure 1] It is a diagram showing a building as an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] It is a plan view of a piping system as an embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 1. [Figure 3] It is a diagram showing an enlarged view of the vicinity of a branch pipe of the piping system shown in FIG. 2. [Figure 4] It is a diagram showing the vertical positional relationship between the main pipe and the branch pipe of the piping system shown in FIG. 2. [Figure 5] It is a diagram for explaining an example of a construction method of the piping system shown in FIG. 2. [Figure 6] It is a diagram showing a piping system as a reference example.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0017] Hereinafter, embodiments of a piping system, a building, and a construction method of a piping system according to the present invention will be exemplified and described with reference to the drawings. The same components are denoted by the same reference numerals in each figure.

[0018] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing a building 200 as one embodiment of the building according to the present invention. As shown in Figure 1, the building 200 includes a piping system 100 as one embodiment of the piping system according to the present invention. The building 200 may be a data center including, for example, a server room 200a capable of arranging a plurality of racks 50, each housing a heat-generating element 51. The heat-generating element 51 is not particularly limited, but may be, for example, a processor such as a GPU, a server containing a processor such as a GPU, etc. The racks 50 are not particularly limited as long as they can accommodate the heat-generating element 51, but may be, for example, server racks capable of accommodating a plurality of servers, each containing a processor such as a GPU.

[0019] As shown in Figure 1, the building 200 of this embodiment is equipped with a support floor section 201 capable of supporting multiple racks 50. Furthermore, the building 200 of this embodiment has a subfloor space 202 below the support floor section 201 where a piping system 100 is located.

[0020] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 1, the building 200 of this embodiment is equipped with a heat exchanger 60 and a cooling device 70. The heat exchanger 60 comprises a heat exchange section 60a. The heat exchanger 60 shown in Figure 1 is located in the machine room 200b, which is adjacent to the server room 200a, which houses a plurality of racks 50, separated by a partition wall 210, but the configuration is not limited to this. The heat exchanger 60 may be located, for example, inside the server room 200a. The heat exchanger 60 may be, for example, a CDU (abbreviation for Coolant Distribution Unit). The cooling device 70 may be, for example, a cooling tower located outdoors, such as on the roof of the building 200.

[0021] As shown in Figure 1, in this embodiment, a liquid-cooled cooling system 300 is configured with a plurality of racks 50, a heat exchanger 60, a cooling device 70, and a piping system 100. Cooling liquid is supplied to the plurality of racks 50 through the piping system 100. Each of the plurality of racks 50 is equipped with a cooling section capable of cooling the heat-generating elements 51 it houses. The cooling liquid supplied to each of the plurality of racks 50 through the piping system 100 is delivered to the cooling section within the rack 50. This allows the heat-generating elements 51 housed in each of the plurality of racks 50 to be cooled by the cooling liquid. The configuration of the cooling section that cools the heat-generating elements 51 with the cooling liquid is not particularly limited, but for example, it may include a cold plate, and heat exchange may occur between the heat-generating elements 51 and the cooling liquid via this cold plate. The cooling liquid is not particularly limited as long as it is a liquid capable of cooling the heat-generating elements 51, but for example, it may be water.

[0022] The coolant used to cool the heat-generating elements 51 of each of the multiple racks 50 is discharged from each of the multiple racks 50 and sent to the heat exchanger 60 through the piping system 100. The heat exchanger 60 is supplied with a liquid such as water to cool the coolant from the cooling device 70. Therefore, the coolant sent to the heat exchanger 60 through the piping system 100 is cooled by heat exchange with the liquid such as water supplied from the cooling device 70, and is then supplied back to the multiple racks 50 through the piping system 100. The liquid supplied from the cooling device 70 to the heat exchanger 60 is returned to the cooling device 70, cooled in the cooling device 70, and then supplied back to the heat exchanger 60.

[0023] When the liquid such as water supplied from the cooling device 70 to the heat exchanger 60 is referred to as the "primary side coolant," and the coolant supplied from the heat exchanger 60 to the multiple racks 50 is referred to as the "secondary side coolant," the cooling system 300 of this embodiment includes a first circulation path 300a through which the primary side coolant circulates between the heat exchanger 60 and the cooling device 70, and a second circulation path 300b through which the secondary side coolant circulates between the multiple racks 50, the heat exchanger 60, and the piping system 100.

[0024] Next, we will describe the details of the piping system 100.

[0025] Figure 2 is a plan view of the piping system 100 as seen from above in the vertical direction. For ease of explanation, Figure 2 also shows the heat exchanger 60 and multiple racks 50 supported on the support base 201 (see Figure 1). Figure 3 is a magnified view of the vicinity of the branch pipe 20 shown in Figure 2. Figure 4 is a diagram showing the vertical positional relationship between the main pipe 10 and the branch pipe 20 of the piping system 100.

[0026] As shown in Figure 2, the piping system 100 is configured to form a flow path for coolant (in this embodiment, "secondary coolant," and hereinafter simply referred to as "coolant") between the heat exchanger 60 and a plurality of racks 50 arranged in a row, each housing a heat-generating element 51.

[0027] As shown in Figure 2, the piping system 100 of this embodiment includes a forward piping section 101 capable of supplying coolant from the heat exchanger 60 to a plurality of racks 50, and a return piping section 102 capable of supplying coolant from the plurality of racks 50 to the heat exchanger 60.

[0028] In this embodiment, the forward piping section 101 and the return piping section 102 each include a loop-shaped main pipe 10 and a plurality of branch pipes 20. However, only one of the forward piping section 101 or the return piping section 102 may include a loop-shaped main pipe 10 and a plurality of branch pipes 20. Hereinafter, in this embodiment, in order to distinguish between the main pipe 10 and branch pipes 20 of the forward piping section 101 and the main pipe 10 and branch pipes 20 of the return piping section 102, the main pipe 10 and branch pipes 20 of the forward piping section 101 will be described as "main pipe 10a" and "branch pipe 20a," and the main pipe 10 and branch pipes 20 of the return piping section 102 will be described as "main pipe 10b" and "branch pipe 20b." Furthermore, if there is no particular distinction between main pipe 10a and main pipe 10b, it shall simply be written as "main pipe 10," and if there is no particular distinction between branch pipes 20a and branch pipe 20b, it shall simply be written as "branch pipe 20."

[0029] As shown in Figure 2, the loop-shaped main pipe 10 is arranged to connect to the heat exchanger 60. The branch pipes 20 are arranged to connect the loop-shaped main pipe 10 to each of the multiple racks 50. The flow rate of the coolant flowing through a branch pipe 20 connected to one rack 50 is smaller than the flow rate of the coolant flowing through the main pipe 10 connected to multiple branch pipes 20. Therefore, the flow path diameter of the branch pipes 20 is smaller than the flow path diameter of the main pipe 10.

[0030] As shown in Figure 2, the loop-shaped main pipe 10 comprises a first main pipe body 11 and a second main pipe body 12 arranged in parallel along the arrangement direction A in a plan view, where multiple racks 50 are lined up.

[0031] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 2 and 3, the branch pipe 20 comprises a connecting pipe section 21, a branch pipe body section 22, a first on-off valve 23, and a second on-off valve 24.

[0032] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the connecting pipe section 21 connects the first main pipe body section 11 and the second main pipe body section 12 of the main pipe 10. Specifically, the connecting pipe section 21 of the branch pipe 20a in this embodiment connects the first main pipe body section 11 and the second main pipe body section 12 of the main pipe 10a. Similarly, the connecting pipe section 21 of the branch pipe 20b in this embodiment connects the first main pipe body section 11 and the second main pipe body section 12 of the main pipe 10b.

[0033] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the branch pipe body 22 is arranged to connect the connecting pipe section 21 and the rack 50. As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the first on / off valve 23 and the second on / off valve 24 are arranged on both sides of the connecting section 21a to which the branch pipe body 22 is connected within the connecting pipe section 21, and are configured to open and close the connecting pipe section 21.

[0034] By having the main pipe 10 and branch pipes 20 configured as described above, the number of shut-off valves required to open and close the main pipe 10 can be reduced. The details of this will be explained below using the example shown in Figure 6.

[0035] Figure 6 shows a piping system 1000 as a reference example. The piping system 1000 shown in Figure 6 is configured to form a flow path for coolant between a heat exchanger 60 and a plurality of racks 50 arranged in a row, each housing a heat-generating element 51. As shown in Figure 6, the piping system 1000 also includes a forward piping section 1101 that can deliver coolant from the heat exchanger 60 to the plurality of racks 50, and a return piping section 1102 that can deliver coolant from the plurality of racks 50 to the heat exchanger 60. The forward piping section 1101 and the return piping section 1102 shown in Figure 6 each include a loop-shaped main pipe 1110 and a plurality of branch pipes 1120. As shown in Figure 6, the loop-shaped main pipe 1110 is arranged to connect to the heat exchanger 60. The branch pipes 1120 are arranged to connect the loop-shaped main pipe 1110 to each of the racks 50. The flow rate of the coolant flowing through the branch pipe 1120 connected to one rack 50 is smaller than the flow rate of the coolant flowing through the main pipe 1110 connected to multiple branch pipes 1120. Therefore, the flow path diameter of the branch pipe 1120 is smaller than the flow path diameter of the main pipe 1110. Furthermore, the loop-shaped main pipe 1110 shown in Figure 6 comprises a first main pipe body section 1111 and a second main pipe body section 1112 arranged in parallel along the arrangement direction A in a plan view in which multiple racks 50 are lined up.

[0036] Comparing the piping system 100 shown in Figure 2 with the reference example piping system 1000 shown in Figure 6, the branch pipe 20 of piping system 100 includes a connecting pipe section 21 and a branch pipe body section 22, as shown in Figures 2 and 3, whereas the branch pipe 1120 of piping system 1000 does not have a connecting pipe section that connects the first main pipe body section 1111 and the second main pipe body section 1112 of the main pipe 1110. Furthermore, the branch pipe 1120 of piping system 1000 shown in Figure 6 connects one of the first main pipe body section 1111 and the second main pipe body section 1112 of the main pipe 1110 (the first main pipe body section 1111 in Figure 6) to the rack 50. In other words, the configuration of the branch pipes differs between the piping system 100 shown in Figure 2 and the reference example piping system 1000 shown in Figure 6.

[0037] In the piping system 1000 shown in Figure 6, each branch pipe 1120 is provided with an on / off valve 1300 capable of blocking the flow of coolant between the main pipe 1110 and each rack 50. Because each branch pipe 1120 is provided with an on / off valve 1300, for example, one rack 50 can be attached to or detached from one branch pipe 1120 while maintaining the flow of coolant between the other racks 50 and the main pipe 1110 (Effect 1).

[0038] Furthermore, in the piping system 1000, if a malfunction occurs in the on-off valve 1300, such as a failure of the on-off valve 1300, it is necessary to repair or replace the on-off valve 1300. Therefore, two on-off valves 1400 capable of opening and closing the main pipe 1110 are arranged on both sides of the connection section 1500 to which the branch pipe 1120 is connected within the loop-shaped main pipe 1110. Thus, by using the two on-off valves 1400 provided on the main pipe 1110, the malfunctioning on-off valve 1300 can be repaired or replaced (Effect 2).

[0039] Furthermore, in the piping system 1000, if a malfunction occurs in the on-off valve 1400, such as a failure of the on-off valve 1400, it is necessary to repair or replace the on-off valve 1400. In the piping system 1000, two on-off valves 1400 are provided separately for each connection 1500 of the main pipe 1110. In other words, in the loop-shaped main pipe 1110, the two on-off valves 1400 located on either side of any one connection 1500 are not interchangeable with the two on-off valves 1400 located on either side of other connection 1500. Therefore, even if a malfunction occurs in either of the two on-off valves 1400 located on either side of any one connection 1500, the malfunctioning on-off valve 1400 can be repaired or replaced without interrupting the flow of coolant between the main pipe 1110 and one rack 50 through that connection 1500, in other words, without interrupting the flow of coolant between the main pipe 1110 and all the other racks 50 (Effect 3).

[0040] As described above, in the piping system 1000 shown in Figure 6 as a reference example, the number of on-off valves 1400 placed on the main pipe 1110 tends to be large in order to obtain the above-mentioned (effects 1) to (effects 3). As mentioned above, the main pipe 1110 has a larger flow path diameter compared to the branch pipe 1120. Therefore, the on-off valves 1400 for opening and closing the main pipe 1110 tend to be larger than the on-off valves 1300 for opening and closing the branch pipe 1120. Consequently, if the number of on-off valves 1400 placed on the main pipe 1110 increases, the entire piping system 1000 also tends to become larger. Therefore, the piping system 1000 shown in Figure 6 has room for improvement in terms of the efficiency of the arrangement of on-off valves.

[0041] Furthermore, the shut-off valve 1400, which can open and close the main pipe 1110 with a large flow diameter, tends to be more expensive than the shut-off valve 1300, which can open and close the branch pipe 1120 with a smaller flow diameter. Therefore, if the number of shut-off valves 1400 placed in the main pipe 1110 increases, the entire piping system 1000 tends to become more expensive.

[0042] In contrast, in the piping system 100 shown in Figure 2, each branch pipe 20 is equipped with a connecting pipe section 21. The main branch pipe section 22 connected to each rack 50 branches off from the connecting pipe section 21. Therefore, in the piping system 100, the above effects (1) to (3) can be achieved by providing a first on-off valve 23 and a second on-off valve 24 on both sides of the connecting section 21a to which the main branch pipe section 22 is connected. In other words, with the piping system 100, the above effects (1) to (3) can be achieved with a smaller number of on-off valves arranged on the main pipe 10 compared to the reference example piping system 1000 shown in Figure 6.

[0043] Thus, the piping system 100 allows for more efficient placement of the on / off valves compared to the reference example piping system 1000 shown in Figure 6. This makes it easier to realize a compact piping system 100.

[0044] Further details of the piping system 100 of this embodiment will be described below.

[0045] As shown in Figure 2, the loop-shaped main pipe 10 of this embodiment includes, in addition to the first main pipe body portion 11 and the second main pipe body portion 12 described above, a first connecting portion 13 and a second connecting portion 14 that connect the first main pipe body portion 11 and the second main pipe body portion 12. The first connecting portion 13 connects the first main pipe body portion 11 and the second main pipe body portion 12 on one side of the arrangement direction A (the right side in Figure 2 in this embodiment). The second connecting portion 14 connects the first main pipe body portion 11 and the second main pipe body portion 12 on the other side of the arrangement direction A (the left side in Figure 2 in this embodiment). Thus, the main pipe 10 of this embodiment is formed in a loop shape by the first main pipe body portion 11, the second main pipe body portion 12, the first connecting portion 13 and the second connecting portion 14.

[0046] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 2, the main pipe 10 in this embodiment is connected to the heat exchanger 60 via a connecting pipe 61. As shown in Figure 2, the connecting pipe 61 is equipped with an on / off valve 62 that can open and close the connecting pipe 61. In this embodiment, the main pipe 10 is connected to two heat exchangers 60, but the number of heat exchangers 60 connected to the main pipe 10 is not particularly limited. In addition, the two heat exchangers 60 in this embodiment may be operated simultaneously unless one of them is unable to operate due to a malfunction or the like.

[0047] As shown in Figure 2, the main pipe 10 of this embodiment is equipped with multiple on-off valves 15. Each of the multiple on-off valves 15 can open and close the main pipe 10. The multiple on-off valves 15 are used, for example, when a malfunction occurs in either the first on-off valve 23 or the second on-off valve 24 of the branch pipe 20. Specifically, when a malfunction occurs in either the first on-off valve 23 or the second on-off valve 24 of the branch pipe 20, two of the multiple on-off valves 15 can be used to shut off the flow of coolant in either the first main pipe body 11 or the second main pipe body 12 of the main pipe 10. This allows for the repair or replacement of the malfunctioning on-off valve, either the first on-off valve 23 or the second on-off valve 24.

[0048] As shown in Figure 2, the branch pipes 20 in this embodiment are arranged with spacing in the arrangement direction A. More specifically, in the forward piping section 101, the branch pipes 20a are arranged with spacing in the arrangement direction A. In the return piping section 102, the branch pipes 20b are arranged with spacing in the arrangement direction A. By doing so, the arrangement of the first on / off valve 23 and the second on / off valve 24 of each branch pipe 20 can be made more efficient, making it easier to realize a compact piping system 100.

[0049] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 2, the connecting pipe section 21 in this embodiment is located between the first main pipe body section 11 and the second main pipe body section 12 of the main pipe 10 in a plan view. Specifically, in the supply piping section 101 of this embodiment, the connecting pipe section 21 of the branch pipe 20a is located between the first main pipe body section 11 and the second main pipe body section 12 of the main pipe 10a. Also, in the return piping section 102 of this embodiment, the connecting pipe section 21 of the branch pipe 20b is located between the first main pipe body section 11 and the second main pipe body section 12 of the main pipe 10b. In other words, the first on / off valve 23 and the second on / off valve 24 provided in each connecting pipe section 21 can be arranged in a line along the arrangement direction A at a position between the first main pipe body section 11 and the second main pipe body section 12 of the main pipe 10 in a plan view (see Figure 2). This allows for a more efficient arrangement of the first on / off valve 23 and the second on / off valve 24 of each branch pipe 20, making it easier to realize a compact piping system 100.

[0050] Furthermore, the connecting pipe section 21 of this embodiment extends in a direction perpendicular to the arrangement direction A when viewed in plan (see Figure 2).

[0051] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 4, the connecting pipe section 21 of this embodiment includes an extended section 30 that extends vertically above the first main pipe body section 11 and the second main pipe body section 12. The extended section 30 extends substantially horizontally. As shown in Figure 2, the first on-off valve 23 and the second on-off valve 24 of this embodiment are provided at the position of the extended section 30 of the connecting pipe section 21. Therefore, the first on-off valve 23 and the second on-off valve 24 can be positioned near the support floor section 201 in the underfloor space 202 (see Figure 1). This makes it possible to easily open and close the first on-off valve 23 and the second on-off valve 24, for example, through an opening provided in the support floor section 201.

[0052] Furthermore, the connecting portion 21a of the connecting pipe portion 21 to which the branch pipe body portion 22 is connected is also provided at the position of the extended portion 30. As shown in Figure 4, the branch pipe body portion 22 in this embodiment is connected horizontally from the extended portion 30. This allows the first on-off valve 23 and the second on-off valve 24 to be positioned closer to the support floor portion 201 in the underfloor space 202 (see Figure 1). This makes it easier to open and close the first on-off valve 23 and the second on-off valve 24, for example, through an opening provided in the support floor portion 201.

[0053] As shown in Figure 4, the connecting pipe section 21 of this embodiment includes connecting pipe sections 31 that are connected to both ends of the extending section 30, curve downward in the vertical direction, and are connected to the main pipe 10. More specifically, the connecting pipe section 31 connected to one end of the extending section 30 is connected to the upper part of the first main pipe body section 11 of the main pipe 10. The connecting pipe section 31 connected to the other end of the extending section 30 is connected to the upper part of the second main pipe body section 12 of the main pipe 10.

[0054] As described above, in this embodiment, the supply piping section 101 and the return piping section 102 each include a main pipe 10 and a branch pipe 20. As shown in Figure 2, in a plan view, one of the main pipes 10a of the supply piping section 101 and the main pipe 10b of the return piping section 102 is located inside the other. More specifically, in this embodiment, in a plan view (see Figure 2), the loop-shaped main pipe 10b of the return piping section 102 is located inside the loop-shaped main pipe 10a of the supply piping section 101. However, the configuration is not limited to this. In a plan view (see Figure 2), the loop-shaped main pipe 10a of the supply piping section 101 may be located inside the loop-shaped main pipe 10b of the return piping section 102. In this way, by arranging the main pipe 10a of the supply piping section 101 and the main pipe 10b of the return piping section 102 to be located inside the other in a plan view, the piping system 100, including the supply piping section 101 and the return piping section 102, can be made more compact.

[0055] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the main pipe 10a of the supply piping section 101 and the main pipe 10b of the return piping section 102 are arranged at approximately equal heights in the vertical direction. By doing so, the height of the piping system 100, including the supply piping section 101 and the return piping section 102, can be reduced, resulting in a more compact configuration.

[0056] In this embodiment, the branch pipe 20a of the supply piping section 101 and the branch pipe 20b of the return piping section 102 are also arranged at approximately equal heights in the vertical direction. As shown in Figure 2, the branch pipe 20a of the supply piping section 101 and the branch pipe 20b of the return piping section 102 are arranged alternately along the arrangement direction A. By doing so, both the first on / off valve 23 and the second on / off valve 24 provided in the branch pipe 20a of the supply piping section 101 and the first on / off valve 23 and the second on / off valve 24 provided in the branch pipe 20b of the return piping section 102 can be positioned close to the support floor section 201 in the underfloor space 202 (see Figure 1). Therefore, in the piping system 100 including the supply piping section 101 and the return piping section 102, the arrangement of the first on / off valve 23 and the second on / off valve 24 provided in the branch pipe 20a of the supply piping section 101, and the first on / off valve 23 and the second on / off valve 24 provided in the branch pipe 20b of the return piping section 102 can be made more efficient, and the height of the piping system 100 including the supply piping section 101 and the return piping section 102 can be reduced, making the piping system 100 even more compact.

[0057] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, in the piping system 100 of this embodiment, a flow rate adjustment valve 25 is provided in the main body 22 of the branch pipe 20b of the return piping section 102, but the configuration is not limited to this. The flow rate adjustment valve 25 may not be provided.

[0058] Figure 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of a construction method for the piping system 100 of this embodiment. As shown in Figure 5, the piping system 100 of this embodiment is preferably constructed by connecting a main pipe unit 500 including a main pipe 10 and a branch pipe unit 600 including the branch pipe body 22, a first on-off valve 23, and a second on-off valve 24 of a branch pipe 20. Specifically, the construction method for the piping system 100 shown in Figure 5 includes a main pipe installation step of installing the main pipe unit 500 including the main pipe 10, and a branch pipe installation step of installing the branch pipe unit 600, including the branch pipe body 22, a first on-off valve 23, and a second on-off valve 24 of a branch pipe 20, so as to connect it to the main pipe unit 500. The connecting pipe section 21 of the branch pipe 20 is formed by connecting the main pipe unit 500 and the branch pipe unit 600. In this way, the main pipe unit 500 and the branch pipe unit 600 can be manufactured in a factory. Furthermore, the piping system 100 can be formed on-site by connecting the main pipe unit 500 and the branch pipe unit 600. This increases the construction efficiency of the piping system 100.

[0059] As described above, the piping system 100 of this embodiment includes a supply piping section 101 and a return piping section 102 (see Figure 2). Therefore, the main pipe unit including the main pipe 10a of the supply piping section 101 and the main pipe unit including the main pipe 10b of the return piping section 102 may be manufactured separately. Alternatively, the branch pipe unit including the branch pipe body 22, first on / off valve 23 and second on / off valve 24 of the branch pipe 20a of the supply piping section 101 and the branch pipe unit including the branch pipe body 22, first on / off valve 23 and second on / off valve 24 of the branch pipe 20b of the return piping section 102 may be manufactured separately. However, from the viewpoint of improving construction efficiency, it is preferable to manufacture a main pipe unit 500 including both the main pipe 10a of the supply piping section 101 and the main pipe 10b of the return piping section 102, as shown in Figure 5. Furthermore, from the viewpoint of improving construction efficiency, as shown in Figure 5, it is preferable to manufacture a branch pipe unit 600 that includes both the branch pipe body 22, first on / off valve 23 and second on / off valve 24 of the branch pipe 20a of the supply piping section 101, and the branch pipe body 22, first on / off valve 23 and second on / off valve 24 of the branch pipe 20b of the return piping section 102. By doing so, construction efficiency can be further improved in the piping system 100 which includes the supply piping section 101 and the return piping section 102.

[0060] As shown in Figure 5, the main pipe unit 500 may be formed, for example, by fixing both the main pipe 10a of the supply piping section 101 and the main pipe 10b of the return piping section 102 on a support frame 501. Similarly, the branch pipe unit 600 may be formed, for example, by fixing both the branch pipe body 22, the first on / off valve 23 and the second on / off valve 24 of the branch pipe 20a of the supply piping section 101, and the branch pipe body 22, the first on / off valve 23 and the second on / off valve 24 of the branch pipe 20b of the return piping section 102 on a support frame 601. The main pipe unit 500 and the branch pipe unit 600 may be connected, for example, by fastening a part of the connecting pipe section 21 included in the main pipe unit 500 and the remaining part of the connecting pipe section 21 included in the branch pipe unit 600 with bolts or the like using flanges.

[0061] In particular, in a configuration like the piping system 100 of this embodiment, where the branch pipe body 22, first on / off valve 23, and second on / off valve 24 in all branch pipes 20a of the supply piping section 101, and the branch pipe body 22, first on / off valve 23, and second on / off valve 24 in all branch pipes 20b of the return piping section 102 are located inside both the main pipe 10a of the supply piping section 101 and the main pipe 10b of the return piping section 102 in a plan view, it is easy to include all the first on / off valves 23 and second on / off valves 24 together in the branch pipe unit 600. Therefore, from the viewpoint of improving construction efficiency, it is beneficial to carry out the construction using the main pipe unit 500 and branch pipe unit 600 shown in Figure 5.

[0062] The piping system, building, and construction method of the piping system according to the present invention are not limited to the specific configurations and processes shown in the embodiments described above, and various modifications, changes, substitutions, and combinations are possible as long as they do not depart from the scope of the claims. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0063] 10: Master 10a: Main pipe for the supply line piping 10b: Main pipe of the return piping section 11:First main body part 12:Second main pipe main body part 13: 1st connection part 14:Second connection part 15: Shut-off valve 20: Branch pipe 20a: Branch pipe of the supply piping section 20b: Branch pipe of the return piping section 21: Liaison Section 21a: Connection part 22: Main body of the branch pipe 23: First shut-off valve 24: Second shut-off valve 25: Flow control valve 30: Extended section of the connecting pipe 31: Connecting pipe section of the connecting pipe section 50: Rack 51: Heating element 60: Heat exchanger 60a: Heat exchange section 61: Connecting pipe 62: Shut-off valve 70: Cooling device 100: Piping System 101: Outbound piping section 102: Return piping section 200: Building 200a: Server Room 200b: Machine room 201:Support floor part 202: Underfloor space 300: Cooling System 300a: 1st circulation route 300b: 2nd circulation route 500: Main Unit 501: Stand 600: Branch pipe unit 601: Stand 1000: Piping System 1101: Outbound piping section 1102: Return piping section 1110: Master 1111: 1st main pipe main body part 1112:Second main pipe main body part 1120: Branch pipe 1300: On / off valve 1400: On / off valve 1500: Connection part A: Array direction

Claims

1. A piping system capable of forming a flow path for coolant between a heat exchanger and a plurality of racks arranged in a row, each containing a heat-generating element, A loop-shaped main pipe that can be arranged to connect to the heat exchanger, The system includes a main pipe and a branch pipe having a smaller flow path diameter than the main pipe, which can be arranged to connect each of the racks of the plurality of racks. The main pipe comprises a first main pipe body and a second main pipe body that can be arranged in parallel along the direction in which the plurality of racks are arranged in a plan view. The aforementioned branch pipe is A connecting pipe section that connects the first main pipe body and the second main pipe body, A branch pipe body that can be arranged to connect the aforementioned connecting pipe section and the aforementioned rack, A piping system comprising a first on-off valve and a second on-off valve, which are arranged on both sides of the connecting portion to which the branch pipe body is connected within the connecting pipe portion, and which are capable of opening and closing the connecting pipe portion.

2. The piping system according to claim 1, wherein the branch pipes are arranged at intervals in the direction of arrangement.

3. The piping system according to claim 1, wherein the connecting pipe section is located between the first main pipe body and the second main pipe body in the plan view.

4. The connecting pipe section includes an extending portion that extends vertically above the first main pipe body and the second main pipe body, The piping system according to claim 1, wherein the first on-off valve and the second on-off valve are provided at the position of the extended portion of the connecting pipe.

5. A forward piping section capable of supplying the coolant from the heat exchanger to the plurality of racks, The system includes a return piping section capable of supplying the coolant from the plurality of racks toward the heat exchanger, The piping system according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the forward piping section and the return piping section comprises the main pipe and the branch pipe.

6. Each of the aforementioned supply piping section and the aforementioned return piping section comprises the main pipe and the branch pipe, The piping system according to claim 5, wherein, in the plan view, one of the main pipes of the supply piping section and the main pipe of the return piping section is located inside the other.

7. A support base capable of supporting the aforementioned multiple racks, A building comprising a piping system according to any one of claims 1 to 6, which is located in the underfloor space below the support floor portion.

8. A method for constructing a piping system according to any one of claims 1 to 6, A main pipe installation step, which involves installing a main pipe unit including the main pipe, A method for constructing a piping system, comprising: a branch pipe installation step of installing a branch pipe unit, which includes the branch pipe body, a first on-off valve, and a second on-off valve of the branch pipe, so as to connect it to the main pipe unit.

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