Modular data center and method of controlling modular data center

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9930814-B2
Application number	US-201514706070-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 7, 2015
Priority date	Nov 16, 2012
Publication date	Mar 27, 2018
Grant date	Mar 27, 2018

Abstract

A modular data center includes a fan which creates a cooling wind by taking in outside air, electronic devices which takes in the cooling wind and to discharge an exhaust flow, a flow passage which guides a part of the exhaust flow to upstream of the fan, an opening-closing portion which opens and closes the flow passage, and a control unit which adjusts the cooling wind by controlling the fan, and thereby to cool a temperature of the electronic device to a specified temperature. The control unit closes the opening-closing portion when a first assumed value of power consumed by the fan is smaller than a current value of the power. The control unit opens the opening-closing portion when a second assumed value of the power consumed by the fan is smaller than the current value of the power.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A modular data center comprising:
an enclosure including an intake port and an exhaust port;
a fan provided in the enclosure and configured to create a cooling wind by taking in outside air from the intake port;
a plurality of electronic devices provided in the enclosure and configured to take in the cooling wind and to discharge an exhaust flow created from the taken cooling wind to the exhaust port;
a flow passage guiding a part of the exhaust flow to upstream of the fan;
an opening-closing portion configured to open and close the flow passage; and
a control unit configured to adjust an air volume of the cooling wind by controlling the fan, and thereby to cool a temperature of each electronic device to a specified temperature,
wherein the control unit executes:
closing the opening-closing portion when a first assumed value of power consumed by the fan assumed to be consumed in a case of bringing the temperature of the electronic device to the specified temperature by using the cooling wind while closing the opening-closing portion is smaller than a current value of the power, and
opening the opening-closing portion when a second assumed value of the power consumed by the fan assumed to be consumed in a case of bringing the temperature of the electronic device to the specified temperature by using the cooling wind while opening the opening-closing portion is smaller than the current value of the power.

2. The modular data center according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit executes:
referring to a first database formed by relating the first assumed value to a representative value of operating rates of the plurality of electronic devices and a temperature of the outside air, and thus to obtain the first assumed value corresponding to the representative value and the temperature in a current situation, and
determining whether to open or close the opening-closing portion by using the first assumed value.

3. The modular data center according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit executes:
referring to a second database formed by relating the second assumed value to the representative value of the operating rates of the plurality of electronic devices, a degree of an aperture of the opening-closing portion, and a temperature of the outside air, and thus to obtain the second assumed value corresponding to the representative value, the degree of the aperture, and the temperature in a current situation, and
determining whether to open or close the opening-closing portion by using the second assumed value.

4. The modular data center according to claim 3 , wherein the second database is corrected in consideration of a temperature rise of the cooling wind assumed to occur in the case of opening the opening-closing portion.

5. The modular data center according to claim 3 , wherein the second database is corrected in consideration of a change in static pressure of the fan assumed to occur in the case of opening the opening-closing portion.

6. The modular data center according to claim 1 , characterized in that the control unit executes:
referring to a third database formed by relating the second assumed value to a representative value of operating rates of the plurality of electronic devices, a degree of an aperture of the opening-closing portion, a temperature of the outside air, and a static pressure of the fan, and thus to obtain the second assumed value corresponding to the representative value, the degree of the aperture, the temperature, and the static pressure in a current situation, and
determining whether to open or close the opening-closing portion by using the second assumed value.

7. The modular data center according to claim 6 , wherein the third database is corrected in consideration of a temperature rise of the cooling wind assumed to occur in the case of opening the opening-closing portion.

8. The modular data center according to claim 1 , wherein the modular data center comprises:
a first room provided between the intake port and the fan in the enclosure;
a second room provided between the fan and the electronic device in the enclosure, where the cooling wind flowing through the second room; and
a third room provided between the electronic device and the exhaust port in the enclosure, where the exhaust flow flowing through the third room, wherein
the flow passage is connected to the first room and the third room, and
the flow passage is isolated from the second room by a partitioning member.

9. The modular data center according to claim 8 , wherein
the enclosure comprises a first side face and a second side face opposed to each other,
the first room, the second room, and the third room share the first side face and the second side face, and
a ceiling of the second room is defined by the partitioning member.

10. A controlling method of a modular data center, the method comprising:
creating a cooling wind from outside air by using a fan;
cooling a plurality of electronic devices by causing each electronic device to take in the cooling wind;
guiding part of an exhaust flow discharged from the electronic device as a consequence of taking in the cooling wind to upstream of the fan through a flow passage provided with an opening-closing portion;
acquiring a current value of power consumed by the fan;
calculating a first assumed value of the power consumed by the fan assumed to be consumed in a case of bringing a temperature of the electronic device to a specified temperature by using the cooling wind while closing the opening-closing portion;
calculating a second assumed value of the power consumed by the fan assumed to be consumed in a case of bringing the temperature of the electronic device to the specified temperature by using the cooling wind while opening the opening-closing portion;
closing the opening-closing portion when the first assumed value is smaller than the current value; and
opening the opening-closing portion when the second assumed value is smaller than the current value.

11. The controlling method of a modular data center according to claim 10 , wherein the calculating of the first assumed value includes referring to a first database formed by relating the first assumed value to a representative value of operating rates of the plurality of electronic devices and a temperature of the outside air, and thus obtaining the first assumed value corresponding to the representative value and the temperature in a current situation.

12. The controlling method of a modular data center according to claim 10 , wherein the calculating of a second assumed value includes referring to a second database formed by relating the second assumed value to a representative value of operating rates of the plurality of electronic devices, a degree of an aperture of the opening-closing portion, and a temperature of the outside air, and thus obtaining the second assumed value corresponding to the representative value, the degree of the aperture, and the temperature in a current situation.

13. The controlling method of a modular data center according to claim 12 , wherein the second database is corrected in consideration of a temperature rise of the cooling wind assumed to occur in the case of opening the opening-closing portion.

14. The controlling method of a modular data center according to claim 12 , wherein the second database is corrected in consideration of a change in static pressure of the fan assumed to occur in the case of opening the opening-closing portion.

15. The controlling method of a modular data center according to claim 10 , wherein the calculati

Assignees

• Fujitsu Ltd

Inventors

• Endo Hiroshi
• Kodama Hiroyoshi
• Ogawa Masatoshi
• Fukuda Hiroyuki

Classifications

• G06F1/206 Primary

  comprising thermal management · CPC title

• H05K7/20736

  within cabinets for removing heat from server blades · CPC title

• H05K7/20836

  Thermal management, e.g. server temperature control · CPC title

• H05K7/20754 Primary

  Air circulating in closed loop within cabinets · CPC title

• H05K7/207

  Thermal management, e.g. cabinet temperature control · CPC title