Cooling system for container-type computing center and container-type computing center equipped with said system

Abstract

To provide a cooling system for a container-type computing center with low power consumption, and to provide a container-type computing center.SOLUTION: A cooling system for a container-type computing center 10 having an outside air inflow opening at a longitudinal side surface of a container 11, through which outside air flows therein, an exhaust opening for exhausting air in a room at a side surface facing an outside air inlet, and a plurality of servers 31 mounted on a server rack 30 inside includes: a water curtain 20 having a water holding body having a ventilation hole provided so as to cover a front surface of the outside air inflow opening and a water supply device that supplies water to the water holding body; and an exhaust fan 40 provided at the exhaust opening to generate negative pressure in the room. The servers are cooled by the outside air cooled by heat of vaporization of the water held by the water holding body. The air warmed by the heat generated by the servers is discharged to the outside through the exhaust opening without stagnating in the room due to an air current formed by heat radiation fans of the servers and the exhaust fan provided at the exhaust opening.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a cooling system for a container-type computing center that suppresses an increase in indoor temperature caused by heat generated by electronic devices installed in the container by using heat of vaporization and an airflow path, and to a container-type computing center equipped with the system. [Background technology]

[0002] Containerized data centers (also called modular data centers) can be loaded onto vehicles and transported via public roads, making it possible to flexibly change the location of their installation. In addition, compared to data centers that are installed as buildings, they have the advantage of being easy to install at low cost and in a short period of time.

[0003] However, although it depends on the number of electronic devices installed in the container and their computing power, for example, when a server is running, it generates a large amount of heat. The heat generated by the server raises the room temperature, and this rise in room temperature affects the performance and lifespan of the server. For this reason, the power consumption (energy) of the servers and the resulting heat generation are also major issues in container-type data centers.

[0004] Here, the power consumption (energy) in a data center can be roughly divided into those caused by computing by servers, networking by communication devices, and air conditioners that control the rise in room temperature caused by heat generated by these devices. Of these, the largest amount of power consumption is associated with removing the heat generated by servers, etc.

[0005] There are various methods for cooling electronic devices such as servers that have generated heat. For example, one method is to install packaged air conditioners in data centers to generate cold air and use that cold air to cool the servers. However, this alone does not provide an energy-saving cooling system. For this reason, there is a demand for energy-saving cooling systems to reduce the power consumption (energy) of data centers and cut running costs.

[0006] In view of such circumstances, various technologies related to cooling systems for container-type data centers have been disclosed in recent years. The following Patent Document 1 discloses a module and a modular data center, which uses curtains to separate hot and cold areas in a container room to improve the efficiency of air conditioning.

[0007] In other words, the technology described in Patent Document 1 below claims that without a partitioning member such as a curtain, more heat exchange would occur between the hot and cold areas, making it difficult to exhaust hotter air and sending cooler air into the racks. Therefore, by separating the areas with curtains, air that is cooler than the air in the hot area can be brought in from outside or an air conditioner into the air intake. This allows air to circulate inside the servers, making it possible to create an efficient cooling system.

[0008] Patent Document 2 listed below discloses technology related to a modular data center comprising a container, an air conditioner that cools air from a hot area inside the container and sends it to a cold area, a rack installed inside the container and storing servers that add heat to the air in the cold area so that it can escape to the hot area, and arranged to separate the cold area from the hot area, a pallet installed inside the container and on which the rack storing the servers is installed so that it can slide along a groove, a support part that supports the pallet with seismic isolation, and a curtain that is extendable and arranged to separate the space between the rack and the container into a cold area and a hot area, the curtain extending and retracting making it possible to remove the partition between the cold area and the hot area.

[0009] The technology described in Patent Document 2 below, like the technology described in Patent Document 1, installs racks and pallets to separate the cold area from the hot area inside the container room, and arranges curtains to separate the cold area from the hot area. Air in the hot area, where heat from the servers is discharged, is exhausted to the outside through the exhaust vent, and air that is cooler than the hot area flows into the air intake vent from outside or from an air conditioner. By preventing air from the hot area from entering the cold area, an efficient cooling system is created.

[0010] However, both of the technologies described in Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2 below aim to improve the efficiency of the cooling system by separating the hot area from the cold area to prevent air circulation between them, and the cold air sent to the cold area must be cooled by an air conditioner. Since most of the power consumption in a data center is due to air conditioners, there is a problem that although it is an efficient cooling system, a considerable amount of power is required to operate the air conditioner. Another problem is that separating the areas with curtains, pallets, etc. makes it difficult to maintain the servers.

[0011] Here, the above-mentioned container-type datacenter requires strict room temperature control to prevent the room temperature from rising. This is because it is necessary to ensure stable, continuous operation of the servers, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, and to stabilize the server processing capacity. In addition, datacenters consume a lot of power (generate a lot of heat) because they must be equipped with backup systems and data security systems in case of server shutdowns or data loss due to unforeseen circumstances. Container-type datacenters have the problem that the indoor temperature must be strictly controlled, requiring a large amount of power for the cooling system.

[0012] However, in a center (referred to as a computing center in this specification) that plays a part in distributed computing where a decrease in server processing power or temporary server shutdowns are acceptable, strict room temperature control like that of a data center is not required.

[0013] This is because even if the temperature inside the container rises and the server temporarily stops as a result, the calculation results up until the time when the server stopped are shared on the cloud via the network.Then, the server can be restarted after the amount of heat generated by the server's shutdown has decreased, or the room temperature has dropped due to a drop in the outside temperature. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0014] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2013-030027 [Patent Document 2] Patent Publication No. 2013-109423 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0015] Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide a cooling system for a container-type computing center that can be easily installed anywhere in a short period of time at low cost, can efficiently suppress the rise in indoor temperature due to heat generated by electronic devices installed inside the container, and has low power (energy) consumption, and a container-type computing center equipped with said system. [Means for solving the problem]

[0016] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides a cooling system for a container-type computing center having an outside air inlet opening on a longitudinal side through which outside air flows, an exhaust opening on a side opposite to the outside air inlet opening through which indoor air is exhausted, and a plurality of servers mounted on racks inside, The outside air inlet opening A water curtain is provided to cover the outside of the room and has a water retaining body with ventilation holes, and an exhaust fan is provided at the exhaust opening to create a negative pressure in the room, The outside air flows in from the outside air inlet opening due to the negative pressure in the room and is cooled by the water retaining body, and exchanges heat with the server, and the warmed outside air becomes an airflow toward the exhaust opening formed by the heat dissipation fan of the server and the negative pressure, and is discharged to the outside from the exhaust opening without remaining in the room as warm air. , is.

[0017] The exhaust fan creates a negative pressure state inside the container room, and the outside air (air) flowing in from the outside air inlet opening is cooled by the heat of vaporization of the water held in the water retaining body as it passes through the ventilation holes in the water retaining body. The cooled air cools the servers that are generating heat during operation, and then warms up and becomes hot air. The hot air is discharged from the exhaust opening without stagnating inside the container room, due to the airflow path formed by the blowing force of the server's heat dissipation fan and the suction force of the exhaust fan. This makes it possible to suppress the rise in the room temperature caused by heat generated by the servers.

[0018] The servers mounted on the racks inside the container room are preferably arranged in the longitudinal direction of the container and located closer to the exhaust opening than to the center. This arrangement allows hot air generated by the servers to be quickly exhausted without accumulating inside the container room.

[0019] It is preferable that the water-retaining body can be divided into several parts and configured so that it can be attached and detached from the outer frame. Configuring it so that it can be attached and detached improves maintainability. It is also preferable that the ventilation holes of the water-retaining body are inclined at a 45 degree angle upward from the air inlet to the air outlet. This improves ventilation and reduces lateral shaking caused by wind pressure.

[0020] The second invention is a container-type computing center having an outside air inlet opening on a longitudinal side through which outside air flows in, an exhaust opening on a side opposite to the outside air inlet opening through which indoor air is exhausted, and a plurality of servers mounted on racks inside, A water curtain provided to cover the outdoor side of the outdoor air inlet opening, the water curtain having a vent hole and a water retaining body configured to be detachably divided; an exhaust fan provided at the exhaust opening to create a negative pressure in the room; and a dustproof net provided on the front surface of the water curtain. , is. Effect of the Invention

[0021] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a cooling system that can be easily installed anywhere in a short time at low cost and that consumes little power (energy) and can efficiently suppress an increase in the room temperature caused by heat generated by electronic devices installed in the container. It is also possible to provide a container-type computing center equipped with such a cooling system. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0022] An embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings, but the present invention is not limited thereto. Fig. 1 is a plan view of a container-type computing center 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention. A container 11 constituting the container-type computing center 10 is composed of a ceiling portion (upper surface), walls (surrounding surfaces), and a floor portion (lower surface). The container 11 of this embodiment is provided with an exterior door 18 that allows a person to enter and exit the container 11 from the outside to the inside.

[0023] The container 11 only needs to have a space inside (indoors) where at least a plurality of servers can be installed, and the container 11 may include, for example, a shipping container, etc., and may be anything that can be transported on a truck, etc. In short, it is a transportable hollow container, and is preferably configured to provide some degree of thermal insulation between the inside and outside.

[0024] Fig. 2 is a front view (external air inlet opening side) of a container 11 according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Fig. 2, an external air inlet opening 101 through which external air flows in is provided on a longitudinal side surface of the container 11 according to an embodiment of the present invention. However, the external air inlet opening 101 is not limited to this, and multiple openings may be provided. In short, it is appropriately determined based on a balance between ensuring the amount of external air inflow required to cool the servers 31 and the decrease in container rigidity caused by a larger opening.

[0025] Fig. 3 is a rear view (exhaust opening side) of the container 11 according to one embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Figs. 1 and 3, an exhaust fan 40 is attached to an exhaust opening 102 by a mounting frame or the like on the surface facing the outside air inlet opening 101. The exhaust fan 40 exhausts indoor air to the outside, thereby generating negative pressure in the room.

[0026] As shown in Fig. 1, a rack 30 is provided in the interior of the container 11 in the longitudinal direction, and a server 31 is mounted on the rack 30. The rack 30 is disposed closer to the exhaust fan 40 than the center in the longitudinal direction. The rack 30 is designed to be small compared to the floor area inside the container 11, so that the space between the rack 30 and the container wall can be used as an aisle. Power lines and communication lines are wired to the server 31 from the control panel 50 via the rack.

[0027] 4 is a cross-sectional view of a container 11 according to an embodiment of the present invention. A water curtain 20 is provided in front of the outside air inlet opening 101 of the container 11 so as to cover it, and a dustproof net 60 is provided in front of the water curtain 20. The dustproof net 60 is for preventing moths, flying insects, pollen, fluff, etc. from entering the water curtain 20 and the inside of the container 11. A suitable material for the dustproof net is, for example, a stainless steel filter. To filter dust particles exceeding 5 um in the air and other floating substances, a polyester fiber filter with a thickness of about 5 mm is suitable, and these may be used in combination.

[0028] The container 11 has a floor 111, a ceiling 110 facing the floor 111, and a wall 113 which, together with the floor 111 and the ceiling 110, forms the internal space (server room space) of the container 11. The container 11 uses a beam foundation 112 to accommodate flexible modifications. The rack 30 is made of steel, aluminum, fiber-reinforced plastic (FRP), etc., and a server 31 can be installed on each level. It is preferable to store each server 31 in the same direction. In this way, a path for sucking in air to cool the servers 31 and a path for discharging air warmed by heat generated by the servers 31 are set, and the suction force of the exhaust fan 40 and the heat dissipation fan of the server 31 prevent warm air from stagnating in the container room, and the exhaust fan 40 exhausts the warm air to the outside of the container 11.

[0029] FIG. 5 shows a front view (FIG. 5(a)) and a side view (FIG. 5(b)) of a water curtain 20 according to one embodiment of the present invention. The water curtain 20 is installed in front of (on the outside of) the outside air inlet opening 101 of the container 11 so as to cover it. In the water curtain 20 shown in FIG. 5, the water retention body 21 (see FIG. 6) which constitutes it is constructed in two parts. By constructing the water retention body 21 in two or more parts and removably attaching it to the mounting frame of the container 11, even if part of the water retention body 21 is damaged, it is possible to get by by simply replacing that part. Furthermore, by constructing it in a detachable manner, maintainability against dirt, clogging, etc. is improved. Water is supplied from the top of the water retention body 21, and the water that flows down from the end of the water retention body 21 is collected by the water tank 23. The water collected in the water tank 23 is pumped up by the micro pump 24 (see FIG. 6) and supplied from the top of the water retention body 21.

[0030] Fig. 6 is a diagram showing the configuration of a water curtain 20 according to one embodiment of the present invention. The water curtain 20 is comprised of a water retaining body 21 and a water supply device which supplies water from the upper part of the water retaining body 21. The water stored in the water tank 23 is supplied from a water supply pipe 25 and is controlled by a water supply valve so that the water level in the water tank 23 is kept constant.

[0031] Fig. 7 is a schematic diagram of a water curtain 20 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Water in the water tank 23 is supplied from a vertical water supply pipe to a horizontal water supply pipe 22 installed at the top of the water retention body 21 by micro pumps 24 arranged on both ends of the water retention body 21, and drips (flows down) evenly from holes formed in the horizontal water supply pipe 22. As a result, the entire water retention body 21 is evenly submerged in water, and the water that flows down from the water retention body 21 is collected in the water tank 23 and circulated. The water consumption in this embodiment was about 20 kg / h per square meter at a temperature of 35°C and a humidity of 60%.

[0032] The material of the water-retaining body 21 may be polymer fiber, glass fiber, kraft paper, or a combination of these. Among these, kraft paper is preferable because it is inexpensive and has a high cooling effect. The water-retaining body 21 has many holes for ventilation, and the ventilation holes are inclined at approximately 45 degrees upward from the front surface (external air inflow side) to the rear surface (external air exhaust side). This pore structure ensures water permeability, ventilation, and wind resistance.

[0033] Outside air flowing in from the outside air inlet 101 passes through the water retention body 21, during which the water molecules in the water retention body absorb heat and evaporate. This endothermic reaction causes the outside air passing through the water retention body to become cooler than the air inside the room. This cold air cools the heat-generating server 31, thereby making it possible to suppress a rise in temperature inside the container 11. Furthermore, by discharging the air warmed by the server 31 without allowing it to stagnate inside the container 11, it is possible to more effectively suppress a rise in the indoor temperature.

[0034] Fig. 8 is a plan view showing the airflow path of the outside air cooled by the water curtain 20, which cools the heat-generating servers 31, and then is heated as hot air and discharged by the exhaust fan 40. Fig. 9 is a cross-sectional view showing the airflow path of the outside air cooled by the water curtain 20, which cools the heat-generating servers 31, and then is heated as hot air and discharged by the exhaust fan 40.

[0035] The interior of the container 11 is kept under negative pressure by the exhaust fan 40. Therefore, the outside air flowing in from the outside air inlet opening 101 is cooled by the water curtain 20 to cool the server 31, and then blown as warm air by the heat dissipation fan of the server 31. The warm air is discharged outside the container 11 by the exhaust fan 40 along an airflow path formed by the heat dissipation fan and the exhaust fan 40 as shown in FIG. 8 in plan view. Also, the warm air is discharged outside the container 11 by the exhaust fan 40 along an airflow path as shown in FIG. 9 in cross section. As a result, the warm air is discharged outside the container 11 without stagnation inside the container 11.

[0036] The exhaust volume of the exhaust fan varies depending on the number of servers 31, but it is preferable to set it to be at least larger than the total volume of the heat dissipation fans equipped in the servers 31. For example, when 210 servers 31 are operated in the container 11, if the volume of the heat dissipation fans of the servers 31 is 0.09 m3 / s, the total volume of air is 0.09 m3 / s × 210 servers × 3600 s / H = 68,040 m3 / h. If three exhaust fans 40 are installed in the container 11, the total volume of air is at least 23,000 m3 / In this embodiment, an exhaust fan with a capacity of 45,000 m3 / h was used, so that the hot air was discharged to the outside without accumulating inside the container 11.

[0037] Fig. 10 is an example of a layout diagram when six container-type computing centers according to an embodiment of the present invention are installed. As shown in Fig. 10, the exhaust fans 40 of each container-type computing center are arranged to face each other, so that the hot air discharged from the exhaust fans 40 collides with each other. The wall surface of the container 11 functions as a chimney, and the colliding hot air is released and diffused into the air above the container 11. This makes it possible to prevent the hot air discharged by the exhaust fans 40 from flowing into the container-type computing center as outside air. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0038] [Figure 1] 1 is a plan view of a container-type computing center according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 2] 1 is a front view (outside air inlet opening side) of a container according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a rear view (exhaust opening side) of the container according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] 1 is a cross-sectional view of a container according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 5] 1 is a front view of a water curtain according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 6] FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a water curtain according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] 1 is a schematic diagram of a water curtain according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a path of outside air flowing into a container according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing a path of outside air flowing into a container according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] 1 is an example of a layout diagram in which six container-type computing centers according to an embodiment of the present invention are installed. [Explanation of symbols]

[0039] 10 Container-type computing center 11 Container 18 Doors 20 Water Curtain 21 Water Retention Body 22 Water supply pipe 23 Aquarium 24 Micropump 25 Water supply pipe 30 Server Rack 31 Server 40 Exhaust fan 50 Control Panel 60 Dustproof net 101 Outside air inlet opening 102 Exhaust opening 110 Ceiling 111 Floor section 112 Bundle foundation 113 Wall

Claims

1. A cooling system for a container-type computing center having an outside air inlet opening on a longitudinal side through which outside air flows in, an exhaust opening on a side opposite to the outside air inlet opening through which indoor air is exhausted, and a plurality of servers mounted on racks inside, A water curtain is provided to cover the outdoor side of the outdoor air inlet opening and has a water retaining body with a ventilation hole, and an exhaust fan is provided at the exhaust opening to make the indoor space negative pressure, A cooling system for a container-type computing center, characterized in that outside air flows in through the outside air inlet opening due to the negative pressure inside the room and is cooled by the water retaining body, and exchanges heat with the server, and the warmed outside air becomes an airflow toward the exhaust opening formed by the blowing force of the server's heat dissipation fan and the negative pressure, and is discharged to the outside from the exhaust opening without remaining as warm air inside the room.

2. A cooling system for a container-type computing center as described in Claim 1, characterized in that the water-retaining body is configured to be detachably divided, and a dustproof net is provided on the front of the water curtain.

3. A cooling system for a container-type computing center as described in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the exhaust volume of the exhaust fan is at least greater than the total air flow volume of the heat dissipation fans of the multiple servers.

4. A container-type computing center comprising: an outside air inlet opening on a longitudinal side through which outside air flows in; an exhaust opening on a side opposite to the outside air inlet opening through which indoor air is exhausted; and a plurality of servers mounted on racks inside the container-type computing center, A water curtain provided to cover the outdoor side of the outdoor air inlet opening, the water curtain having a vent hole and a water retaining body configured to be detachably divided; an exhaust fan provided at the exhaust opening to create a negative pressure in the room; and a dustproof net provided on the front surface of the water curtain.

5. The container-type computing center according to claim 4, characterized in that the exhaust volume of the exhaust fan is at least greater than the total airflow volume of the heat dissipation fans of the multiple servers.

6. A container-type computing center as described in claim 4 or 5, characterized in that multiple pairs of exhaust fans are arranged facing each other in point-symmetric positions centered on a predetermined position.

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