Variable air cooling system for data centers

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10091912-B2
Application number	US-201514600056-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 20, 2015
Priority date	Jan 21, 2014
Publication date	Oct 2, 2018
Grant date	Oct 2, 2018

Abstract

A method and system for variable air cooling for data centers. The system may include: an enclosure to be cooled suitable for housing hardware components; a cooling system including: a first air input for controllably allowing input of outside air from outside the enclosure; a second air input for controllably allowing input of recycled air from the enclosure; a selectively activatable cooling mechanism; an air output for allowing output of air into the enclosure; a first temperature monitor for monitoring an outside air temperature of air outside the enclosure; a second temperature monitor for monitoring a blowing air temperature of air at the air output; and a control mechanism for controlling an operation of the first air input, the second air input, and the cooling mechanism dependent on a monitored outside air temperature at the first temperature monitor and a monitored blowing air temperature at the second temperature monitor.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for cooling air within an enclosure, wherein the enclosure comprises a cooling system and a remaining portion of the enclosure that is external to the cooling system, wherein the cooling system comprises a cooling mechanism for cooling air in the cooling system, a first inlet through which air outside the enclosure enters the cooling system, a second inlet through which recycled air flows from the remaining portion of the enclosure into the cooling system, and an outlet through which air flows from the cooling system into the remaining portion of the enclosure, wherein the first inlet, the second inlet, and the outlet are different openings, in the cooling system, for air flow and are physically separated from one another, wherein the cooling mechanism is supported by functionality of one or more hardware components comprising one or more of a heat exchanger, air/water circuit, an humidifier, a hygrometry monitor, and a cooling mechanism controller, which carry out execution of the method, said method comprising:
monitoring an outside air temperature of air entering the cooling system from outside the enclosure;
monitoring a blowing air temperature of air in the cooling system at the outlet of the cooling system; and
controlling the first inlet to be fully open or fully closed, in dependence on the monitored outside air temperature, to control whether air from outside the enclosure enters or does not enter, respectively, the cooling system;
controlling the second inlet by adjusting an amount of opening of the second inlet, in dependence on the monitored blowing air temperature, to control a flow rate of recycled air entering the cooling system from the remaining portion of the enclosure; and
controlling a valve in a secondary water circuit of the cooling mechanism by adjusting an amount of opening of the valve, in dependence on the monitored outside air temperature,
wherein a specified first temperature is less than a specified second temperature and the specified second temperature is less than a specified third temperature;
wherein said controlling the first inlet comprises either (i) determining that the monitored outside air temperature is less than or equal to the third temperature and in response controlling the first inlet to be fully open or (ii) determining that the monitored outside air temperature is greater than the third temperature and in response controlling the first inlet to be fully closed;
wherein said controlling the second inlet comprises (i) determining that the monitored blowing air temperature is less than the first temperature and in response controlling the second inlet to be partially open, (ii) determining that the monitored blowing air temperature is equal to or greater than the first temperature and less than or equal to the third temperature and in response controlling the second inlet to be fully closed, or (iii) determining that the monitored blowing air temperature is greater than the third temperature and in response controlling the second inlet to be fully open;
wherein said controlling the valve comprises (i) determining that the monitored outside air temperature is less than or equal to the second temperature and in response controlling the valve to be fully closed, or (ii) determining that the monitored outside air temperature is greater than the second temperature and less than or equal to the third temperature and in response controlling the valve to be partially open, or (iii) determining that the monitored outside air temperature is greater than the third temperature and in response controlling the valve to be fully open,
wherein if the outside air temperature is less than or equal to the first temperature then the blowing air temperature is at the first temperature;
wherein if the outside air temperature is greater than the first temperature and less than or equal to the second temperature then the blowing air temperature is at a temperature that monotonically increases from the first temperature to the second temperature as the outside air temperature increases from the first temperature to the second temperature; and
wherein if the outside air temperature is greater than the third temperature then the blowing air temperature is at the third temperature.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein said controlling the second inlet comprises:
determining that the monitored blowing air temperature is less than the first temperature.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein said controlling the valve comprises:
determining that the monitored outside air temperature is greater than the second temperature and less than or equal to the third temperature.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein said controlling the first inlet, said controlling the second inlet, and said controlling the valve are performed simultaneously.

5. The method of claim 1 , said method further comprising:
monitoring a humidity of the air that has exited the cooling system at the outlet; and
controlling operation of a humidifier in the cooling system to control a humidity of air in the cooling system in dependence on the monitored humidity of the air that has exited the cooling system at the outlet.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein said controlling the valve comprises:
determining that the monitored outside air temperature is greater than the third temperature.

7. A data processing system comprising at least one processor, a memory coupled to the at least one processor, and at least one computer readable hardware storage device coupled to the at least one processor, said at least one storage device containing program code which, upon being executed by the at least one processor via the memory, implements a method for cooling air within an enclosure, wherein the enclosure comprises a cooling system and a remaining portion of the enclosure that is external to the cooling system, wherein the cooling system comprises a cooling mechanism for cooling air in the cooling system, a first inlet through which air outside the enclosure enters the cooling system, a second inlet through which recycled air flows from the remaining portion of the enclosure into the cooling system, and an outlet through which air flows from the cooling system into the remaining portion of the enclosure, wherein the first inlet, the second inlet, and the outlet are different openings, in the cooling system, for air flow and are physically separated from one another, said method comprising:
said at least one processor monitoring an outside air temperature of air entering the cooling system from outside the enclosure;
said at least one processor monitoring a blowing air temperature of air in the cooling system at the outlet of the cooling system; and
said at least one processor controlling the first inlet to be fully open or fully closed, in dependence on the monitored outside air temperature, to control whether air from outside the enclosure enters or does not enter, respectively, the cooling system;
said at least one processor controlling the second inlet by adjusting an amount of opening of the second inlet, in dependence on the monitored blowing air temperature, to control a flow rate of recycled air entering the cooling system from the remaining portion of the enclosure; and
said at least one processor controlling a valve in a secondary water circuit of the cooling mechanism by adjusting an amount of opening of the valve, in dependence on the monitored outside air temperature,
wherein a specified first temperature is less than a specified second temperature and the specified second temperature is less than a specified third temperature;
wherein said controlling the first inlet comprises either (i) determining that the monitored outside air temperature is less than or

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Bauchot Frederic
• Clement Jean-Yves
• Legrand Jean-Marc
• Rougeaux Francois-Rene

Classifications

• F24F11/62

  characterised by the type of control or by internal processing, e.g. using fuzzy logic, adaptive control or estimation of values · CPC title

• F24F11/46

  Improving electric energy efficiency or saving · CPC title

• F24F11/30

  for purposes related to the operation of the system, e.g. for safety or monitoring · CPC title

• F24F11/70

  Control systems characterised by their outputs; Constructional details thereof · CPC title

• H05K7/20745 Primary

  within rooms for removing heat from cabinets, e.g. by air conditioning device · CPC title