Cooling control device, cooling system, cooling control method, and program

Abstract

[Problem] To provide a cooling control device and the like that make it possible to achieve more suitable cooling costs. [Solution] One aspect of the present invention provides a cooling control device that acquires measurement results for heat flow from a heat flow sensor that is provided near a heat source and, on the basis of the acquired measurement results for heat flow, controls the behavior of a cooling means that is provided to cool the heat source.

Description

Cooling control device, cooling system, cooling control method, and program

[0001] The present invention relates to a cooling control device, a cooling system, a cooling control method, and a program.

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a cooling control device for an internal combustion engine having a cooling circuit that cools the internal combustion engine with cooling water, and an electric water pump connected to the cooling circuit that circulates the cooling water in the cooling circuit, the device including a water temperature acquisition means for acquiring the water temperature of the cooling water, a rotational speed acquisition means for acquiring the rotational speed of the internal combustion engine, a predicted load estimation means for estimating a predicted load which is a future load of the internal combustion engine, and a technique for driving the electric water pump with an output corresponding to the acquired rotational speed when the acquired water temperature is equal to or higher than a predetermined first threshold value and the estimated predicted load is equal to or higher than a predetermined second threshold value.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2024-000121

[0004] When performing cooling control based on the measured temperature, cooling is performed after the temperature of the measurement target has risen, which may result in unnecessary cooling costs.

[0005] In view of the above circumstances, the present invention aims to provide a cooling control device and the like that can make the cooling cost more appropriate.

[0006] According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a cooling control device that acquires a measurement result of heat flux by a heat flux sensor provided close to a heat source, and controls the behavior of a cooling means provided for cooling the heat source based on the acquired measurement result of the heat flux.

[0007] With such a configuration, the cooling cost can be made more appropriate.

[0008] This is a block diagram showing an example of the overall configuration of cooling system 1. This is a diagram showing a simplified view of the cooling system 1. This is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the control unit 20. This is a diagram showing an example of the heat flow to be measured. This is a diagram showing an example of the energy driving the cooling unit 30. This is a diagram showing an example of the energy driving the air conditioning unit 40. This is a diagram showing an example of the temperature change of the integrated circuit 4. This is a diagram showing an example of the temperature change of the integrated circuit 4. This is a block diagram showing an example of the overall configuration of cooling system 1a. This is a diagram showing a simplified view of the cooling system 1a. This is a flowchart showing another example of the operation of the control unit 20. This is a diagram showing a simplified view of the cooling system 1b. This is a diagram showing an example of the output table. This is a diagram showing another example of the output table. This is a diagram showing an example of multiple heat sources. This is a diagram showing an example of the measurement results of multiple heat flows. This is a diagram showing another example of the measurement results of multiple heat flows.

[0009] Preferred embodiments of this disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the attached drawings. In this specification and the drawings, components having substantially the same functional configuration are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant descriptions will be omitted.

[0010] Incidentally, the program for realizing the software appearing in one embodiment may be provided as a computer-readable non-transitor-readable medium, or it may be provided so that it can be downloaded from an external server, or it may be provided so that the program is launched on an external computer and its functions are realized on a client terminal (so-called cloud computing).

[0011] Furthermore, in various information processing according to one embodiment, an input and an output corresponding to the input can be realized. Here, as long as an output is obtained as a result of the input, the form of the information referenced in such information processing (hereinafter referred to as "reference information") is not limited. The reference information may be, for example, rule-based information such as a database, a lookup table, or a predetermined function (including a decision formula such as a regression equation constructed by a statistical method), or a pre-trained model that has learned the correlation between input and output in advance, or a large-scale language model that can output a desired result by inputting a prompt.

[0012] Furthermore, in one embodiment, "part" may include, for example, hardware resources implemented by a circuit in a broad sense, and the information processing of software that can be specifically realized by these hardware resources. Also, in one embodiment, various types of information are handled, and this information can be represented, for example, by the physical values ​​of signal values ​​representing voltage and current, the high or low values ​​of signal values ​​as a set of binary bits composed of 0s or 1s, or by quantum superposition (so-called qubits), and communication and calculations can be performed on a circuit in a broad sense.

[0013] Furthermore, a circuit in a broad sense is a circuit realized by combining at least an appropriate combination of circuits, circuits, processors, and memory. The processor may be a general-purpose processor or a dedicated circuit. In other words, this includes application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), programmable logic devices (for example, simple programmable logic devices (SPLDs), complex programmable logic devices (CPLDs), and field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs)), etc.

[0014] <First Embodiment> The following describes a cooling system according to the first embodiment. A cooling system is a system for cooling a heat source. A cooling system is used, for example, to cool heat-generating equipment such as servers installed in a machine room of a data center, but in the following description, a simplified configuration will be given as an example for the sake of clarity.

[0015] Figure 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the overall configuration of the cooling system 1. Figure 2 is a simplified diagram showing the external appearance of the cooling system 1. The cooling system 1 comprises a circuit unit 2, a heat flow sensor 10, a control unit 20, a cooling unit 30, and an air conditioning unit 40. The circuit unit 2 comprises a substrate 3, an integrated circuit 4, and a heat sink 5.

[0016] The substrate 3 is a plate-shaped component for mounting and connecting electronic components. In the example shown in Figure 2, the integrated circuit 4 and the heat flow sensor 10 are mounted on it. The integrated circuit 4 is a circuit in which multiple electronic components (transistors, resistors, capacitors, etc.) are arranged on a single small chip. The integrated circuit 4 acts as a heat source, releasing a portion of the power flowing through the circuit as heat. The heat sink 5 is a heat dissipation device for diffusing heat, and is formed, for example, by arranging thin metal plates (aluminum or copper, etc.). The heat sink 5 is provided in contact with the integrated circuit 4 and diffuses the heat released from the integrated circuit 4. Since the temperature of the substrate 3 and the heat sink 5 rises due to the heat generated by the integrated circuit 4, they can also be considered a heat source together.

[0017] The cooling unit 30 is a device for removing heat from a heat source to lower the temperature. In the example in Figure 2, the cooling unit 30 has a fan and a motor, and is an air-cooling device that cools by rotating the fan and blowing air. In the example in Figure 2, the cooling unit 30 is attached to the heat sink 5, and by cooling the heat sink 5, it indirectly cools the integrated circuit 4 as well. The air conditioning unit 40 has a refrigerant and a compressor, and is a device that adjusts the temperature of the room air to a lower level by exchanging heat with the refrigerant. The cooling unit 30 and the air conditioning unit 40 are electrically connected to the control unit 20. Although the electrical connections of each device are shown as wired in Figure 1, they may also be wireless.

[0018] The control unit 20 is a device that controls the operation of the cooling unit 30 and the air conditioning unit 40, and has at least one processor and a memory unit. The processor may be composed of, for example, a Central Processing Unit (CPU), an MPU (Micro Processing Unit), a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), one or more Integrated Circuits, one or more Discrete Circuits, or a combination thereof.

[0019] The control unit 20 is a computer that realizes various functions related to the cooling system 1 by reading predetermined programs stored in the memory unit. In other words, information processing by software stored in the memory unit is concretely realized by the control unit 20, which is an example of hardware, and can be executed as each functional unit included in the control unit 20. Note that the control unit 20 is not limited to being a single unit, and may be implemented with multiple control units 20 for each function, or a combination thereof.

[0020] The control unit 20 is also electrically connected to the heat flow sensor 10. The control unit 20 controls the operation of the cooling unit 30 and the air conditioning unit 40 based on the measurement results of the heat flow sensor 10. The heat flow sensor 10 is a sensor that measures the heat flow at the measurement point of the object to be measured. In the example shown in Figure 2, the heat flow sensor 10 is attached to the substrate 3 at a proximity point S3 adjacent to the integrated circuit 4. The heat generated by the integrated circuit 4 conducts through the substrate 3, generating a heat flow at the proximity point S3. The heat flow sensor 10 measures the heat flow generated at the proximity point S3 in this manner.

[0021] The heat flow sensor 10 is, for example, a heat flow sensor based on transverse thermoelectric effects such as the anomalous Nernst effect or the spin Seebeck effect of a thin film type. The elements (thermoelectric conversion elements) of the heat flow sensor (i.e., thermoelectric conversion device) may be composed of compounds that exhibit the anomalous Nernst effect. These elements may be composed of, for example, topological ferromagnetic materials or topological antiferromagnetic materials called Weyl semimetals, or ferrimagnetic materials, or a combination thereof.

[0022] Topological ferromagnets are Co ２ Co such as MnGa ２ It may be a metal with MnX composition (where X is one of Si, Ge, Sn, Al, and Ga), or its composition formula may be Fe ３ X may be a known alloy of a topological ferromagnetic material, such as a metal represented by X (where X is a stoichiometric composition of a typical element or transition element such as Al or Ga). Furthermore, the topological antiferromagnetic material may be Mn. ３ X (where X is one or more elements selected from Sn, Ge, Ga, Pt, Ir, Rh, or compounds thereof) may be a known topological antiferromagnetic material.

[0023] The compound constituting the element is, for example, an alloy containing a transition metal, and the alloy is a compound having a crystal structure with a kagome lattice plane due to the transition metal, and may exhibit an anomalous Nernst effect. The ferrimagnetic material is also not particularly limited as long as it exhibits an anomalous Nernst effect. The structure of the element is not particularly limited, and known structures can be used. Furthermore, the element according to this embodiment may be provided by sputtering, vapor deposition, MBE, plating, sintering, printing, bonding, etc.

[0024] The cooling control method by the control unit 20 will be explained with reference to Figure 3 and subsequent figures. Figure 3 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the control unit 20. In a machine room, the air conditioning unit 40 is normally kept running without stopping, but for the sake of brevity, the normal case will be explained later, and in the example of Figure 3, it is assumed that the cooling unit 30 and the air conditioning unit 40 are initially stopped. First, the control unit 20 acquires the measurement result of the heat flow by the heat flow sensor 10 (step S11). Next, the control unit 20 determines whether the acquired measurement result is above a first threshold (step S12).

[0025] If the control unit 20 determines that the measurement result is not equal to or greater than the threshold Th11 (NO), it returns to step S11 and continues operation. If the control unit 20 determines that the measurement result is equal to or greater than the threshold Th11 (YES), it starts the operation of the cooling means, the cooling unit 30 and the air conditioning unit 40 (step S13). Even after starting the operation of the cooling means, the control unit 20 acquires the measurement result of the heat flow by the heat flow sensor 10 (step S21). Subsequently, the control unit 20 determines whether the acquired measurement result is less than the threshold Th12 (step S22).

[0026] If the control unit 20 determines that the measurement result is not less than the threshold Th12 (NO), it returns to step S21 and continues operation. If the control unit 20 determines that the measurement result is less than the threshold Th12 (YES), it stops the cooling means, which are the cooling unit 30 and the air conditioning unit 40 (step S23). After stopping the cooling means, the control unit 20 returns to step S11 and continues operation. As described above, the control unit 20 performs heat flow control to control the behavior of the cooling means based on the measured heat flow.

[0027] Regarding heat flow control, we will explain it with a specific example of heat flow. Figure 4 is a diagram showing an example of measured heat flow. In Figure 4, the horizontal axis represents time and the vertical axis represents heat flow in a graph. In the example in Figure 4, the measured heat flow is 0 until time t1. Then, the heat flow Q11 is continuously measured from time t11 to time t13, and after time t13, the heat flow becomes 0.

[0028] In the example shown in Figure 4, threshold values ​​Th11 and Th12 are assumed to be the same and both smaller than the heat flow Q11. In this case, when the heat flow Q11 is measured at time t11, the control unit 20 determines that the measured heat flow is greater than or equal to threshold value Th11 and starts the operation of the cooling unit 30 and the air conditioning unit 40. Then, when the measured heat flow becomes 0 at time t13, the control unit 20 determines that the measured heat flow is less than threshold value Th12 and stops the operation of the cooling unit 30 and the air conditioning unit 40.

[0029] Figure 5 shows an example of the energy used to drive the cooling unit 30. In Figure 5, a graph is shown where the horizontal axis represents time and the vertical axis represents air cooling energy. Air cooling energy is the energy used per unit time by the cooling unit 30, which is an air-cooled cooling device. The air cooling energy becomes E11 when the operation starts at time t11, is maintained at the value of E11 from time t11 to time t13, and becomes 0 when the operation stops at time t13.

[0030] Figure 6 shows an example of the energy used to drive the air conditioning unit 40. In Figure 6, a graph is shown where the horizontal axis represents time and the vertical axis represents air conditioning energy. Air conditioning energy is the energy used by the air conditioning unit 40 per unit time. The air conditioning energy becomes E21 when the operation starts at time t11, is maintained at the value of E21 from time t11 to time t13, and becomes 0 when the operation stops at time t13.

[0031] As described above, the control unit 20 functions as an example of a cooling control device that controls the behavior of the cooling means. The cooling unit 30 and the air conditioning unit 40 are examples of cooling means, respectively. First, the control unit 20 acquires the measurement result of the heat flow from the heat flow sensor 10, which is installed in close proximity to the heat source. The integrated circuit 4 is an example of a heat source. Then, based on the acquired heat flow measurement result, the control unit 20 controls the behavior of the cooling means installed to cool the heat source. As the control unit 20 performs this control, the temperature of the integrated circuit 4 changes as shown in Figure 7.

[0032] Although the heat flow sensor 10 is mounted on the circuit board 3 in this implementation, it may also be mounted at other locations where heat flows, such as the interface between the cooler and the heat source. Furthermore, while the above example uses binary heat flow control, the cooling capacity may also be controlled by referring to tables or the like for each piece of information, such as heat flow and the rise / fall of heat flow. These will be explained with examples later.

[0033] Figure 7 shows an example of the temperature change of the integrated circuit 4. In Figure 7, the horizontal axis represents time and the vertical axis represents temperature in the graph. The temperature of the integrated circuit 4 is Temp 11 before time t11. From time t11, when the heat flow Q11 is measured, to time t12, the heat generation effect is greater than the cooling effect of the cooling unit 30 and the air conditioning unit 40, causing the temperature to rise until it reaches Temp 12 at time t12. From time t12 onwards, the cooling effect becomes dominant, and the temperature decreases. After time t13, when the heat flow becomes 0, the cooling means stop operating. However, since the heat flow is also 0, the temperature decreases due to natural heat dissipation, and returns to the original Temp 11 at time t14.

[0034] The heat flow control described above is compared with temperature control, which is a cooling control based on temperature. Figure 8 shows an example of comparing the temperature changes of the integrated circuit 4. In Figure 8, the temperature changes shown in Figure 7 are shown by solid lines, and the temperature changes of the integrated circuit 4 when temperature control is performed are shown by dashed lines. In the example in Figure 8, a temperature sensor is provided instead of the heat flow sensor 10, and the control unit 20 starts the operation of the cooling unit 30 and the air conditioning unit 40 when the measured temperature becomes equal to or greater than the threshold Th21, and stops the operation of the cooling unit 30 and the air conditioning unit 40 when the measured heat flow falls below the threshold Th22.

[0035] First, the temperature of the integrated circuit 4, which was Temp 11, begins to rise from time t11. At this stage, the temperature is below the threshold Th 21, so the cooling unit 30 and the air conditioning unit 40 are not operating. Compared to the example in Figure 7, where the cooling unit 30 and the air conditioning unit 40 are activated from time t11, the temperature rises faster. Then, at time t21, when the temperature exceeds the threshold Th 21, the cooling unit 30 and the air conditioning unit 40 begin to operate. From time t21 to time t22, the heat generation effect by the cooling unit 30 and the air conditioning unit 40 is greater than the cooling effect, causing the temperature to rise until it reaches Temp 22 at time t22. From time t22 onward, the cooling effect becomes dominant, the temperature decreases, and it returns to its original Temp 11 at time t24, a little after time t23, when the temperature would normally reach Th 12.

[0036] Comparing heat flow control (example in Figure 7) and temperature control (example in Figure 8), the time T11 (from time t11 to t12) from when the temperature rise begins to decrease in heat flow control is shorter than the same time T21 (from time t21 to time t22) in temperature control. This is because in heat flow control, cooling starts immediately after the heat flow Q11 is measured, whereas in temperature control, cooling does not start until the integrated circuit 4 and substrate 3 have accumulated a certain amount of heat, so the amount of heat that needs to be removed is larger compared to heat flow control.

[0037] Therefore, the temperature at which the temperature begins to decline is higher at Temp 22 for temperature control than at Temp 12 for heat flow control. The time required to return to the original temperature from the start of the temperature rise, i.e., the time the heat source is at a high temperature (high temperature time), is also shorter at high temperature T13 for heat flow control compared to high temperature time T23 for temperature control. As a result, the operating time from the start to the stop of the cooling operation is also shorter at operating time T12 for heat flow control compared to operating time T22 for temperature control.

[0038] As described above, with temperature control, cooling begins only after the heat source's temperature has risen, which can result in unnecessary cooling costs. Cooling costs refer to the energy consumed by the cooling means, such as the electricity consumed. In contrast, with cooling system 1, cooling begins as soon as the heat flow is measured, so compared to temperature control, cooling can be performed efficiently before the heat source's temperature rises or heat diffuses into the surroundings, thus making cooling costs more appropriate.

[0039] In the cooling system 1, more specifically, the control unit 20 starts the operation of the cooling means when the acquired heat flow measurement result exceeds a first threshold. Th11 shown in Figure 4 is an example of the first threshold. With this configuration, cooling can be started before heat accumulates. The control unit 20 also stops the operation of the cooling means when the acquired heat flow measurement result falls below a second threshold. Th12 shown in Figure 4 is an example of the second threshold. With this configuration, excessive cooling can be suppressed by allowing natural heat dissipation once the heat generation subsides.

[0040] Note that the position where the heat flux sensor 10 is attached is not limited to the position shown in FIG. 2. For example, it may be attached to a position on the surface of the substrate 3 that is in close contact with the integrated circuit 4, or it may be directly attached to the integrated circuit 4. It may also be attached to the heat sink 5. The key point is that it should be attached to a position where the heat generated from the integrated circuit 4, which is the heat source, can be conducted and the heat flux can be measured. A position closer to the integrated circuit 4 is desirable because the heat flux can be measured earlier and cooling can be started earlier.

[0041] Also, in the above example, the threshold Th11, which is an example of the first threshold, and the threshold Th12, which is an example of the second threshold, were equal, but they may be different values. For example, by setting the threshold Th11 > the threshold Th12, it may be easier to continue cooling even when the heat flux decreases, and the temperature of the heat source may be kept as low as possible. However, if the threshold Th11 < the threshold Th12, if the state where the heat flux is above the threshold Th11 continues after the cooling stops when the heat flux becomes less than the threshold Th12, it is possible that the cooling will not start and the temperature of the heat source will continue to rise. Therefore, it is desirable to set the threshold Th11 ≥ the threshold Th12.

[0042] Further, the control unit 20 may start the operation of the cooling means when the measured heat flux becomes equal to or greater than the threshold Th11 and a certain time has elapsed, or may stop the operation of the cooling means when the measured heat flux becomes less than the threshold Th12 and a certain time has elapsed. In short, the control unit 20 only needs to start and stop the operation of the cooling means at appropriate timings based on the measured heat flux.

[0043] <Second Embodiment> Next, a cooling system according to the second embodiment will be described. FIG. 9 is a block diagram showing an example of the overall configuration of the cooling system 1a. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a simplified external appearance of the cooling system 1a. The cooling system 1a includes a temperature sensor 50 in addition to each part shown in FIG. 1. The temperature sensor 50 is electrically connected to the control unit 20.

[0044] The temperature sensor 50 is a sensor that measures the ambient temperature and outputs it as an electrical signal or digital data. The temperature sensor 50 is, for example, a thermocouple, a thermistor, or a resistance temperature detector, etc. In the example of FIG. 10, the temperature sensor 50 is attached to a proximity location S4 on the substrate 3 that is close to the integrated circuit 4. The heat generated by the integrated circuit 4 conducts through the substrate 3 and raises the temperature of the proximity location S4. The temperature sensor 50 measures the temperature of the proximity location S3 that has risen in this way.

[0045] In the cooling system 1a, the control unit 20 (an example of a cooling control device) acquires the measurement result of the temperature by the temperature sensor 50 provided at a position corresponding to the heat source. The position corresponding to the heat source is the position where the heat generated by the heat source conducts. Then, the control unit 20 controls the behavior of the cooling means based on the acquired measurement result of the temperature in addition to the measurement result of the heat flow.

[0046] FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing another example of the operation of the control unit 20. In the example of FIG. 11, the control unit 20 first acquires the measurement result of the heat flow by the heat flow sensor 10 (step S31). Next, the control unit 20 acquires the measurement result of the temperature by the temperature sensor 50 (step S32). S31 and S32 may be in reverse order or may be executed in parallel. Subsequently, the control unit 20 determines whether either the measured heat flow is equal to or greater than the threshold value Th11 or the measured temperature is equal to or greater than the threshold value Th21 (step S33).

[0047] When the heat flow is not equal to or greater than the threshold value Th11 and the temperature is not equal to or greater than the threshold value Th21 (NO case), the control unit 20 returns to step S31 and continues the operation. When the measured heat flow is equal to or greater than the threshold value Th11 or the measured temperature is equal to or greater than the threshold value Th21 (YES case), the control unit 20 starts the operation of the cooling unit 30 and the air conditioning unit 40, which are the cooling means (step S34). After starting the operation of the cooling means, the control unit 20 also acquires the measurement result of the heat flow by the heat flow sensor 10 (step S41) and acquires the measurement result of the temperature by the temperature sensor 50 (step S42). S41 and S42 may be in reverse order or may be executed in parallel.

[0048] Next, the control unit 20 determines whether the measured heat flow is less than the threshold Th12 and the measured temperature is less than the threshold Th22 (step S43). If the heat flow is not less than the threshold Th12 or the measured temperature is not less than the threshold Th22 (NO), the control unit 20 returns to step S41 and continues operation. If the heat flow is less than the threshold Th12 and the temperature is less than the threshold Th22 (YES), the control unit 20 stops the operation of the cooling means, the cooling unit 30 and the air conditioning unit 40 (step S44). After stopping the operation of the cooling means, the control unit 20 returns to step S31 and continues operation.

[0049] As described above, the control unit 20 performs heat flow and temperature control to control the behavior of the cooling means based on both the measured heat flow and the measured temperature. In this case, for example, when heat is continuously released to such an extent that the heat flow falls below the threshold Th11 (an example of a first threshold), causing the temperature of the heat source to gradually rise, cooling cannot be started with heat flow control alone. However, by also performing temperature control, cooling can be started.

[0050] Furthermore, the control unit 20 (an example of a cooling control device) continues to operate the cooling means when the acquired heat flow measurement result falls below the second threshold and the measured temperature of the heat source is above the third threshold. In other words, the control unit 20 stops the operation of the cooling means when the measured heat flow falls below the threshold Th12 (an example of a second threshold) and the measured temperature falls below the threshold Th22 (an example of a third threshold). According to this embodiment, cooling continues as long as the temperature of the heat source is high even if the heat flow decreases, so the temperature of the heat source can be kept lower compared to the case of heat flow control alone.

[0051] For example, if a large heat flow is generated in a short period of time, heat flow control alone may not be sufficient to cool the heat source sufficiently because cooling will only occur for a short time. However, by also implementing temperature control, cooling can continue until the heat source temperature drops. In this way, combining heat flow control and temperature control allows for a more appropriate cooling cost compared to using heat flow control alone.

[0052] The method of heat flow and temperature control is not limited to the examples above. For example, the control unit 20 may start the operation of the cooling means when the heat flow is above threshold Th11 and the temperature is above threshold Th21, or it may stop the operation of the cooling means when the heat flow is below threshold Th12 or the temperature is below threshold Th22. Also, thresholds Th11 and Th12 may be set to different values, and thresholds Th21 and Th22 may be set to different values. Furthermore, the control unit 20 may start the operation of the cooling means when the heat flow and / or temperature are above a threshold and a certain period of time has elapsed, or it may stop the operation of the cooling means when the heat flow and / or temperature are below a threshold and a certain period of time has elapsed. In short, the control unit 20 should start the operation of the cooling means and stop the operation of the cooling means at an appropriate timing based on the measured heat flow and measured temperature.

[0053] <Modification: Heat Source> The heat source to be cooled is not limited to the integrated circuit 4. For example, heat sources such as flash memory, storage, power supply, transformer, display, light, or motor may be used as the cooling target. Also, heat sources such as personal computers, servers, engines, or factory machinery may be used as the cooling target. If the cooling target is different, the space in which the cooling system 1 is installed will also be different, including a machine room in a data center, a machine room in an office, an office, a vehicle, or a factory. In any case, the amount of heat generated changes depending on the usage conditions, and the heat flow in adjacent areas also changes, so by controlling the heat flow, the cooling cost can be made more appropriate, as described above.

[0054] <Modification: Cooling means> The cooling means is not limited to the cooling unit 30 and air conditioning unit 40 described above. For example, although the cooling unit 30 was an air-cooled cooling means, it may also be water-cooled or oil-cooled. All of these are cooling means that use a fluid as a cooling medium, but the fluid may also contain alcohols such as methanol, ethanol, and ethylene glycol. Alcohols have good fluidity even at low temperatures and are often used as a cooling medium, similar to water.

[0055] Furthermore, the cooling method is not limited to those using fluids. For example, it could be a cooling method having a Peltier element, or a cooling method using evaporative cooling or radiative cooling. In short, any cooling method can be used as long as it can cool the object to be cooled in an appropriate manner.

[0056] Furthermore, although two types of cooling means, a cooling unit 30 and an air conditioning unit 40, were used in the above example, only one type of cooling means may be used, or three or more types of cooling means may be used. Also, although the number of each type of cooling means was the same in the above example, they may be different. For example, there may be only one or a few air conditioning units 40 in the machine room, and a cooling unit 30 may be provided for each heat source.

[0057] Furthermore, in the above example, the control unit 20 controlled the behavior of both the cooling unit 30 and the air conditioning unit 40 in the same way, but their behavior may be controlled in different ways. For example, the control unit 20 may perform heat flow and temperature control on the cooling unit 30 and heat flow control on the air conditioning unit 40. Alternatively, the control unit 20 may control only the behavior of the cooling unit 30, or only the behavior of the air conditioning unit 40. In that case, the cooling means that is not being controlled may be kept operating at a constant output.

[0058] Furthermore, the control unit 20 may control the behavior of the cooling unit 30 and the air conditioning unit 40 using different thresholds. This allows the control unit 20 to control the behavior of only one of the cooling unit 30 and the air conditioning unit 40, or to control the behavior of both the cooling unit 30 and the air conditioning unit 40, for example, based on the magnitude of heat flow, temperature, or both.

[0059] <Modification: Position of the temperature sensor> The position in which the temperature sensor 50 is attached is not limited to the position shown in Figure 10. For example, it may be attached to a position on the surface of the substrate 3 that is in close contact with the integrated circuit 4, or it may be attached directly to the integrated circuit 4. It may also be attached to the heat sink 5. Furthermore, the temperature sensor 50 may be attached to a cooling means. An example of this is shown in Figure 11.

[0060] Figure 12 is a simplified diagram showing the external appearance of the cooling system 1b. The cooling system 1b includes a water-cooled cooling unit 30b as a cooling means. The cooling unit 30b, which is an example of a cooling means, is a means of transporting fluid from upstream to cool a heat source located downstream. In this case, the heat source is the heat sink 5 and the integrated circuit 4, and the fluid is water. The cooling unit 30b cools the target by circulating water inside and exchanging heat with the water. The cooling unit 30b circulates water while in operation, and stops circulating water when it stops operating.

[0061] The temperature sensor 50b is attached to the cooling unit 30b. More specifically, if the direction in which water flows inside the cooling unit 30b is defined as the water flow direction D1, the temperature sensor 50b is attached upstream of the position where the cooling unit 30b is in contact with the heat sink 5 in the water flow direction D1. The temperature sensor 50b, attached in the position shown in Figure 12, measures the temperature of the fluid upstream of the heat source. The control unit 20 then prevents the cooling means from operating if the measured temperature of the upstream fluid is above a predetermined threshold.

[0062] Because water is circulated, the water heated by the heat sink 5 travels around to the mounting position of the temperature sensor 50b. If the water temperature has not cooled sufficiently, the water temperature may be almost the same as or higher than the temperature of the heat sink 5. In this case, circulating the water will not have a cooling effect or may even increase the temperature. Therefore, by controlling the cooling means to not operate as described above, it is possible to reduce the waste of cooling costs compared to keeping the cooling means operating constantly. Note that the fluid is not limited to water; it may also be oil or air. In the case of air, by measuring the temperature of the air upstream of the cooling unit 30 and performing the same control as described above, it is possible to reduce the waste of cooling costs by transporting hot air.

[0063] <Modification: Cooling Output> In the cooling system 1, the cooling output may be controlled. In this case, for example, the temperature sensor 50 is either directly attached to the integrated circuit 4 or attached to the substrate 3 or heat sink 5 in close proximity to the integrated circuit 4. The control unit 20 (an example of a cooling control device) changes the cooling output of the cooling means according to the acquired temperature measurement result when operating the cooling means. The control unit 20 uses an output table that defines the cooling output.

[0064] Figure 13 shows an example of an output table. In the output table TB1 shown in Figure 13, the measured temperatures "less than Th31", "Th31 or more but less than Th32", and "Th32 or more" are associated with cooling outputs "E31", "E32", and "E33" (E31 < E32 < E33). For example, if the measured temperature is "Th31 or more but less than Th32", the control unit 20 controls the cooling means to set the cooling output to "E32", which is associated with this temperature in the output table TB1. When using the output table TB1, the control unit 20 increases the cooling output of the cooling means as the measured temperature obtained is higher.

[0065] Even with the same heat flow, the smaller the heat capacity of the heat source, the faster the temperature rises. Therefore, if the cooling output is insufficient, the temperature will rise too high before it can begin to decrease, potentially causing malfunctions in the heat source, such as in the integrated circuit 4. Thus, as described above, by changing the cooling output according to the measured temperature, the temperature rise of the heat source can be suppressed compared to when the cooling output is constant, thereby preventing malfunctions in the heat source due to high temperatures.

[0066] Furthermore, the control unit 20 may change the cooling output of the cooling means according to the rate of temperature change indicated by the acquired measurement results. For example, even if the temperature is the same, the control unit 20 may increase the cooling output if the rate of temperature change shows an upward trend, and decrease the cooling output if it shows a downward trend. By considering the rate of temperature change in this way, more precise cooling control can be performed compared to when the rate of temperature change is not considered.

[0067] Furthermore, when operating the cooling means, the control unit 20 (an example of a cooling control device) may change the cooling output of the cooling means according to the acquired heat flow measurement results.

[0068] Figure 14 shows another example of an output table. In the output table TB2 shown in Figure 14, the measured heat flow values ​​"less than Th41", "Th41 or more but less than Th42", and "Th42 or more" are associated with cooling outputs "E41", "E42", and "E43" (E41 < E42 < E43). For example, if the measured heat flow is "Th42 or more", the control unit 20 controls the cooling means to set the cooling output to "E43", which is associated with this heat flow in the output table TB2. When using the output table TB2, the control unit 20 increases the cooling output of the cooling means as the measured heat flow value increases.

[0069] The greater the heat flow generated, the faster the temperature of the heat source rises. Therefore, if the cooling output is insufficient, the temperature may become too high before it can begin to decrease, potentially causing malfunctions in the heat source, such as in the integrated circuit 4. As described above, by increasing the cooling output as the measured heat flow increases, the temperature rise of the heat source can be suppressed compared to when the cooling output is constant, thereby preventing malfunctions in the heat source due to high temperatures.

[0070] Furthermore, the control unit 20 may change the cooling output of the cooling means according to the rate of change of heat flow indicated by the acquired measurement results. For example, even if the heat flow is the same, if the rate of change of heat flow shows an upward trend, a large rise in the temperature of the heat source is expected, so the control unit 20 increases the cooling output, and if it shows a downward trend, the temperature of the heat source is not expected to rise so much, so the cooling output decreases. By considering the rate of change of heat flow in this way, the temperature of the heat source can be appropriately maintained with a necessary and sufficient output, and cooling costs can be made more appropriate compared to not considering the rate of change of heat flow.

[0071] Furthermore, the control unit 20 may control the behavior of the cooling means in accordance with all of the heat flow, temperature, rate of change of heat flow, and rate of change of temperature. For example, the control unit 20 starts the operation of the cooling means when either the heat flow or temperature exceeds a threshold, and stops the operation of the cooling means when both the heat flow and temperature fall below the threshold. After starting operation, the control unit 20 changes the cooling output according to the combination of heat flow, temperature, rate of change of heat flow, and rate of change of temperature. In this case as well, the cooling cost can be made more appropriate.

[0072] Furthermore, in each of the above examples, the control unit 20 stopped the cooling means when the acquired heat flow or temperature was below a threshold, but it may also keep it running at all times without stopping. For example, as mentioned above, in a machine room, it is common to keep the air conditioning unit 40 running without stopping, so the control unit 20 may control the start, stop, and output magnitude of the cooling unit 30 according to the acquired heat flow and temperature, while controlling only the output magnitude of the air conditioning unit 40.

[0073] <Modification: Multiple Heat Sources> In the above examples, there was one heat source, but there may be multiple heat sources. In that case, the control unit 20 (an example of a cooling control device) acquires the measurement results of the heat flow for each of the multiple heat sources located in a common space. The common space is, for example, a machine room, and the multiple heat sources are multiple servers.

[0074] Figure 15 shows an example of multiple heat sources. The cooling system 1c shown in Figure 15 comprises a control unit 20 and cooling units 100-1, 100-2, ..., 100-6 (hereinafter referred to as "cooling unit 100" unless otherwise distinguished). Each cooling unit 100 comprises a substrate 3, an integrated circuit 4, a heat sink 5, a heat flow sensor 10, a cooling section 30, and an air conditioning section 40. The control unit 20 is electrically connected to each heat flow sensor 10, each cooling section 30, and each air conditioning section 40. The control unit 20 (an example of a cooling control device) controls the behavior of the cooling means to reduce temperature imbalances in a common space based on the acquired measurement results of multiple heat flows.

[0075] Figure 16 shows an example of the measurement results of multiple heat flows. In the example in Figure 16, the heat flows measured by cooling units 100-1 and 100-3 are "large," while the heat flows measured by the other cooling units 100 are "small." In this case, the control unit 20 sets the output of the cooling means of cooling units 100-1 and 100-3 to "strong" according to the heat flow measurement results, and sets the output of the cooling means of cooling units 100-4, 100-5, and 100-6 to "weak" according to the heat flow measurement results.

[0076] On the other hand, for cooling unit 100-2, which is located between cooling units 100-1 and 100-3, where the heat flow is "large", the control unit 20 may set the output to "low" according to the heat flow measurement result, but considering that the air warms up due to the heat generated by cooling units 100-1 and 100-3, reducing the cooling effect, it may increase the output by one level to "medium".

[0077] Figure 17 shows another example of the measurement results of multiple heat flows. In the example in Figure 17, the heat flow measured by cooling unit 100-2 is "large," and the heat flow measured by the other cooling units 100 is "small." In this case, the control unit 20 sets the output of the cooling means of the other cooling units 100 to "weak" according to the heat flow measurement results. Also, although the output of cooling unit 100-2 according to the heat flow measurement results is "strong," the control unit 20 may lower the output by one level to "medium," taking into account that the heat of the air warmed by the heat of cooling unit 100-2 is easily diffused into the surroundings and its temperature decreases.

[0078] Furthermore, the control unit 20 may, for example, when determining the output of the cooling means of a certain cooling unit 100, calculate the average value of the heat flow measured by that cooling unit 100 and the amount of heat measured by surrounding cooling units 100, and determine an output size corresponding to the calculated average value. By determining the output of the cooling means in this way, the cooling output can be increased for heat sources that are difficult to cool due to ambient influences, and decreased for heat sources that are easy to cool due to ambient influences, thereby optimizing the temperature conditions of the entire space.

[0079] In the example shown in Figure 15, the control unit 20 only performs heat flow control, but it may also perform heat flow and temperature control. In that case as well, the control unit 20 controls the behavior of the cooling means to reduce temperature imbalances in the common space based on the acquired multiple heat flow measurement results and multiple temperature measurement results. For example, when determining the output of the cooling means of a certain cooling unit 100, the control unit 20 calculates the average value of the heat flow and the average value of the temperature measured by the surrounding cooling units 100, including the cooling unit 100, and determines an output of a magnitude corresponding to the calculated average values ​​of the heat flow and temperature.

[0080] More specifically, the control unit 20 starts the operation of the cooling means when the average value of the heat flow becomes equal to or greater than the threshold Th11 or the average value of the temperature becomes equal to or greater than the threshold Th21, and stops the operation of the cooling means when the average value of the heat flow becomes less than the threshold Th12 and the average value of the temperature becomes less than the threshold Th22. The control unit 20 may also vary the magnitude of the output of the cooling means, for example, according to the sum of the average values ​​of the heat flow and the average values ​​of the temperature. In this way, even when heat flow and temperature are controlled, the temperature conditions of the entire space can be optimized.

[0081] In the example shown in Figure 15, for the sake of clarity, the same number of cooling units 30 and air conditioning units 40 were provided as the number of heat sources. However, the number of heat sources, cooling units 30, and air conditioning units 40 may differ. For example, for servers, which are heat sources, installed in a machine room, the same number of cooling units 30 may be provided, but only one to several air conditioning units 40 may be provided. Even in this case, the control unit 20 can control the behavior of each cooling means to reduce temperature imbalances in the machine room based on the acquired multiple heat flow measurement results (and multiple temperature measurement results).

[0082] <Other Modifications> The above-described embodiment of the cooling system 1 is merely an example and is not limited thereto. For example, the control unit 20 and the cooling means were separate devices, but they may be integrated. The calculations performed by the cooling system 1 (such as heat flow calculation or temperature calculation) are not limited to calculations using digital signals, but may also be calculations using analog circuits such as adder circuits, or a combination of these.

[0083] The information processing performed by the control unit 20 may be on-premise or in a cloud-based configuration. For example, external devices in a cloud-based configuration may provide the above-mentioned functions and processing in the form of SaaS (Software as a Service) or cloud computing. Furthermore, various storage and control functions performed by the control unit 20 may be delegated to multiple external devices. That is, various information and programs may be distributed and stored across multiple external devices using blockchain technology or the like.

[0084] The above embodiment is not limited to a cooling system 1 comprising a control unit 20, which is an example of a cooling control device, and a heat flow sensor 10 provided in close proximity to a heat source. For example, it could be a cooling control method or a cooling control program. In the case of a cooling control method, the cooling control method is a method by which the cooling control device performs each of the operations described above. In the case of a cooling control program, the program is a program that causes a computer controlling the cooling control device to perform each of the operations.

[0085] The above-mentioned cooling system 1, etc., may be provided in any of the following embodiments.

[0086] (1) A cooling control device that acquires the results of a heat flow measurement by a heat flow sensor provided in close proximity to a heat source, and controls the behavior of a cooling means provided for cooling the heat source based on the acquired heat flow measurement results.

[0087] This configuration allows for more appropriate cooling costs.

[0088] (2) A cooling control device described in (1) above, wherein the operation of the cooling means is started when the acquired heat flow measurement result becomes equal to or greater than a first threshold.

[0089] According to this embodiment, cooling can be initiated before heat accumulates.

[0090] (3) A cooling control device according to (1) or (2) above, wherein the operation of the cooling means is stopped when the acquired heat flow measurement result falls below a second threshold.

[0091] This configuration makes it possible to prevent excessive cooling.

[0092] (4) A cooling control device according to any one of (1) to (3) above, wherein a temperature measurement result is obtained by a temperature sensor provided at a position corresponding to the heat source, and the behavior of the cooling means is controlled based on the obtained temperature measurement result in addition to the heat flow measurement result.

[0093] This configuration allows for more appropriate cooling costs.

[0094] (5) A cooling control device as described in (4) above, wherein the cooling means is a means for transporting an upstream fluid to cool a heat source located downstream, and the temperature sensor measures the temperature of the upstream fluid, and if the measured temperature of the upstream fluid is above a predetermined threshold, the cooling means is not operated.

[0095] This configuration can suppress the wasteful use of cooling costs.

[0096] (6) A cooling control device as described in (5) above, wherein the fluid contains water or alcohol.

[0097] This configuration can suppress the wasteful use of cooling costs.

[0098] (7) A cooling control device as described in (4) above, wherein when the cooling means is operated, the magnitude of the cooling output of the cooling means is changed according to the temperature measurement result obtained.

[0099] According to this embodiment, the occurrence of malfunctions in the heat source can be suppressed.

[0100] (8) A cooling control device according to any one of (1) to (7) above, wherein when the cooling means is operated, the magnitude of the cooling output of the cooling means is changed according to the acquired measurement result of the heat flow.

[0101] According to this embodiment, the occurrence of malfunctions in the heat source can be suppressed.

[0102] (9) A cooling control device as described in (3) above, wherein a temperature sensor provided at a position corresponding to the heat source obtains the temperature measurement result, and when the obtained heat flow measurement result falls below the second threshold, the cooling means continues to operate if the measured temperature is at or above the third threshold.

[0103] According to this configuration, the temperature of the heat source can be kept lower.

[0104] (10) A cooling control device according to any one of (1) to (9) above, wherein the device acquires measurement results of the heat flow for each of the multiple heat sources provided in a common space, and controls the behavior of the cooling means to reduce temperature imbalance in the space based on the acquired measurement results of the multiple heat flows.

[0105] This configuration allows for the optimization of the temperature conditions throughout the entire space.

[0106] (11) A cooling system comprising a cooling control device described in any one of (1) to (10) above, and a heat flow sensor provided in close proximity to a heat source.

[0107] This configuration allows for more appropriate cooling costs.

[0108] (12) A cooling control method wherein a cooling control device performs any one of the operations described in (1) to (10) above.

[0109] This configuration allows for more appropriate cooling costs.

[0110] (13) A program that causes a computer that controls a cooling control device to perform any one of the operations described in (1) to (10) above.

[0111] This configuration allows for more appropriate cooling costs. Of course, this is not always the case.

[0112] Finally, while various embodiments relating to this disclosure have been described, these are presented as examples only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These novel embodiments can be implemented in a variety of other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. These embodiments and their variations are included in the scope and spirit of the invention, as well as in the claims and their equivalents.

[0113] 1: Cooling system, 1a: Cooling system, 1b: Cooling system, 1c: Cooling system, 2: Circuit section, 3: Substrate, 4: Integrated circuit, 5: Heat sink, 10: Heat flow sensor, 20: Control section, 30: Cooling section, 30b: Cooling section, 40: Air conditioning section, 50: Temperature sensor, 50b: Temperature sensor, 100: Cooling unit

Claims

1. A cooling control device that acquires the results of heat flow measurement by a heat flow sensor provided in close proximity to a heat source, and controls the behavior of a cooling means provided for cooling the heat source based on the acquired heat flow measurement results.

2. A cooling control device according to claim 1, wherein the operation of the cooling means is started when the acquired heat flow measurement result becomes equal to or greater than a first threshold.

3. A cooling control device according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the operation of the cooling means is stopped when the acquired heat flow measurement result falls below a second threshold.

4. A cooling control device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein a temperature measurement result is obtained by a temperature sensor provided at a position corresponding to the heat source, and the behavior of the cooling means is controlled based on the obtained temperature measurement result in addition to the heat flow measurement result.

5. A cooling control device according to claim 4, wherein the cooling means is a means for transporting an upstream fluid to cool a heat source located downstream, and the temperature sensor measures the temperature of the upstream fluid, and if the measured temperature of the upstream fluid is above a predetermined threshold, the cooling means is not operated.

6. A cooling control device according to claim 5, wherein the fluid includes water or alcohol.

7. A cooling control device according to claim 4, wherein when the cooling means is operated, the magnitude of the cooling output of the cooling means is changed according to the temperature measurement result obtained.

8. A cooling control device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein when the cooling means is operated, the magnitude of the cooling output of the cooling means is changed according to the acquired measurement result of the heat flow.

9. A cooling control device according to claim 3, wherein a temperature sensor provided at a position corresponding to the heat source acquires the temperature measurement result, and when the acquired heat flow measurement result falls below the second threshold, the cooling means continues to operate if the measured temperature is at or above the third threshold.

10. A cooling control device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the device acquires measurement results of the heat flow for each of the multiple heat sources provided in a common space, and controls the behavior of the cooling means to reduce temperature imbalances in the space based on the acquired measurement results of the multiple heat flows.

11. A cooling system comprising a cooling control device according to any one of claims 1 to 10, and a heat flow sensor provided in close proximity to a heat source.

12. A cooling control method, wherein a cooling control device performs each of the operations described in any one of claims 1 to 10.

13. A program that causes a computer controlling a cooling control device to perform any one of the operations described in claim 1 to claim 10.

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