Method to identify cooling modules attached to a refrigerant distribution unit in a cooling system

• US 10,156,875 B2
• Filed: 06/04/2013
• Issued: 12/18/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/04/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Schneider Electric IT Corporation (Schneider Electric SE)
• Original Assignee: Schneider Electric IT Corporation (Schneider Electric SE)
• Inventors: Andrews, Bibin
• Primary Examiner(s): Lin, Jason
• Application Number:
  US14/895,033
• Publication Number:
  US 20160116951A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,023 Days
• Field of Search: 700282
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/20 Cooling means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/206 comprising thermal management
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20827 within rooms for removing heat from cabinets, e.g. air conditioning devices

Abstract

Disclosed are systems and methods to facilitate the configuration of a cooling system including at least one the refrigerant distribution unit and cooling module. In one example, a method of configuring a cooling system comprises transmitting one or more signature parameters of a first pump pressure signature from a first refrigerant distribution unit to a cooling module, transmitting one or more identification parameters from the first refrigerant distribution unit to the cooling module, assigning the cooling module to the first refrigerant distribution unit responsive to the one or more identification parameters matching the one or more signature parameters.

Claims

1. A method of configuring a cooling system, the method comprising:

transmitting one or more signature parameters of a first pump signature from a first refrigerant distribution unit of the cooling system to a cooling module of the cooling system, the one or more signature parameters including one or more of a value of a pumping pressure to be supplied by the first refrigerant distribution unit during an identification sequence, a duration of pumping cycles to performed during the identification sequence, and a number of pumping cycles to be performed during the identification sequence;

transmitting one or more identification parameters from the first refrigerant distribution unit to the cooling module; and

assigning the cooling module to the first refrigerant distribution unit responsive to the one or more identification parameters matching the one or more signature parameters.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting the one or more identification parameters from the first refrigerant distribution unit to the cooling module comprises performing the identification sequence, the identification sequence including pumping coolant from the first refrigerant distribution unit in a coded manner to the cooling module.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

measuring one or more identification parameters of the identification sequence at the cooling module; and

comparing the one or more identification parameters with the one or more of the signature parameters.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising unassigning the cooling module from the first refrigerant distribution unit responsive to the one or more identification parameters not matching the one or more signature parameters.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting the one or more signature parameters comprises transmitting values for two or more of the pumping pressure to be supplied by the first refrigerant distribution unit during the identification sequence, the duration of the pumping cycles, and the number of pumping cycles to be performed during the identification sequence.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein transmitting the one or more signature parameters comprises transmitting values for each of the pumping pressure to be supplied by the first refrigerant distribution unit during the identification sequence, the duration of the pumping cycles, and the number of pumping cycles to be performed during the identification sequence.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising periodically resending the request from the cooling module to the first refrigerant distribution unit until the cooling module is assigned.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising performing the identification sequence responsive to a request provided from the cooling module to the first refrigerant distribution unit.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising providing the request from the cooling module to the first refrigerant distribution unit responsive to a boot up of the cooling module.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising performing the identification sequence responsive to a request manually provided on an interface of one of the first refrigerant distribution unit and the cooling module.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising performing a random selection on a controller of the first refrigerant distribution unit of one or more of the pumping pressure to be supplied by the refrigerant distribution unit during the identification sequence, the duration of the pumping cycles, and the number of pumping cycles to be performed during the identification sequence.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting one or more signature parameters of a second pump signature from a second refrigerant distribution unit of the cooling system to the cooling module on a same communication bus as the signature parameters of the first pump pressure signature are transmitted;

performing an identification sequence including pumping coolant from the second refrigerant distribution unit in a coded manner to the cooling module;

measuring one or more identification parameters of the identification sequence at the cooling module;

comparing one or more identification parameters of the identification sequence with the one or more of the signature parameters of the second pump signature; and

assigning the cooling module to the second refrigerant distribution unit responsive to the one or more identification parameters matching the one or more signature parameters of the second pump signature.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting one or more signature parameters of the first pump signature from the first refrigerant distribution unit of the cooling system to a plurality of cooling modules of the cooling system;

performing an identification sequence including pumping coolant from the first refrigerant distribution unit in a coded manner to one or more of the plurality of cooling modules;

measuring one or more identification parameters of the identification sequence at the one or more of the plurality of cooling modules;

comparing the one or more identification parameters with the one or more of the signature parameters; and

assigning a cooling module included in the plurality of cooling modules to the first refrigerant distribution unit responsive to the one or more identification parameters measured at the cooling module included in the plurality of cooling modules matching the one or more signature parameters.

14. A method of retrofitting a data system of a cooling system, the method comprising:

programming a refrigerant distribution unit and a cooling module of the cooling system to perform a configuration algorithm including;

transmitting one or more signature parameters of a pump signature from the refrigerant distribution unit to the cooling module, the one or more signature parameters including one or more of a value of a pumping pressure to be supplied by the refrigerant distribution unit during an identification sequence, a duration of pumping cycles to performed during the identification sequence, and a number of pumping cycles to be performed during the identification sequence;

transmitting one or more identification parameters from the first refrigerant distribution unit to the cooling module; and

assigning the cooling module to the refrigerant distribution unit responsive to the one or more identification parameters matching the one or more signature parameters.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising programming the refrigerant distribution unit to perform the identification sequence, the identification sequence including pumping coolant from the refrigerant distribution unit in a coded manner to the cooling module.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising programming the cooling module to:

measure one or more identification parameters of the identification sequence; and

compare the one or more identification parameters with the one or more of the signature parameters.

17. A cooling system comprising:

a refrigerant distribution unit and a cooling module, the refrigerant distribution unit and cooling module configured and programmed to perform a configuration algorithm including;

transmitting one or more signature parameters of a pump signature from the refrigerant distribution unit to the cooling module, the one or more signature parameters including one or more of a value of a pumping pressure to be supplied by the refrigerant distribution unit during an identification sequence, a duration of pumping cycles to performed during the identification sequence, and a number of pumping cycles to be performed during the identification sequence;

transmitting one or more identification parameters from the first refrigerant distribution unit to the cooling module; and

assigning the cooling module to the refrigerant distribution unit responsive to the one or more identification parameters matching the one or more signature parameters.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the refrigerant distribution unit is further configured and programmed to perform the identification sequence, the identification sequence including pumping coolant from the refrigerant distribution unit in a coded manner to the cooling module.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the cooling module is further configured and programmed to:

measure one or more identification parameters of the identification sequence; and

compare the one or more identification parameters with the one or more of the signature parameters.