Electronic equipment and rack apparatus

• US 20080068793A1
• Filed: 07/26/2007
• Published: 03/20/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/19/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Ishimine, Junichi
• Granted Patent: US 7,522,418 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 361/688
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/206 comprising thermal management
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20736 within cabinets for removing heat from server blades
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20781 within cabinets for removing heat from server blades

Abstract

An electronic equipment has a heat-generating part therein. A housing accommodates component parts including the heat-generating part. A cooling-medium circulation system circulates a liquid internal cooling-medium between a heat-absorbing part and a heat-radiating part, the heat-absorbing part absorbing heat from the heat-generating part, the heat-radiating part radiating the heat absorbed by the heat-absorbing part. The heat-radiating part of the cooling-medium circulation system includes a first heat exchanger that performs heat exchange between a liquid external cooling-medium and the internal cooling-medium, the external cooling-medium being supplied from outside the electronic equipment, and a second heat exchanger that performs heat exchange between an air and said internal cooling-medium, the air being exhausted from the housing to outside.

Claims

1. An electronic equipment having a heat-generating part therein, the electronic equipment comprising:

a housing accommodating component parts including the heat-generating part; and

a cooling-medium circulation system for circulating a liquid internal cooling-medium between a heat-absorbing part and a heat-radiating part, the heat-absorbing part absorbing heat from said heat-generating part, the heat-radiating part radiating the heat absorbed by the heat-absorbing part,

wherein said heat-radiating part of said cooling-medium circulation system includes;

a first heat exchanger that performs heat exchange between a liquid external cooling-medium and said internal cooling-medium, the external cooling-medium being supplied from outside said electronic equipment; and

a second heat exchanger that performs heat exchange between an air and said internal cooling-medium, the air being exhausted from said housing to outside.

2. The electronic equipment as claimed in claim 1, wherein a fan is provided in a vicinity of said second heat exchanger so that air inside said housing is exhausted to outside said housing by the fan.

3. The electronic equipment as claimed in claim 1, wherein said heat-absorbing part of said cooling-medium circulation system is a heat sink provided to said heat-generating part.

4. The electronic equipment as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first heat exchanger is arranged along a path of said internal cooling-medium and between said heat-absorbing part and said second heat exchanger.

5. The electronic equipment as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a fan arranged in a vicinity of said second heat exchanger so as to exhaust air inside said housing to outside said housing;

an air-temperature detector detecting a temperature of the air inside said housing so as to generate an air-temperature detection signal;

a cooling-medium temperature detector detecting a temperature of said internal cooling-medium of said cooling-medium circulation system so as to generated a cooling-medium temperature detection signal; and

a control part controlling an amount of air flow of said fan based on said air-temperature detection signal and said cooling-medium temperature detection signal.

6. The electronic equipment as claimed in claim 5, wherein said control part controls the amount of air flow of said fan when a difference between a temperature of said internal cooling-medium at a position between said first heat exchanger and said second heat exchanger and a temperature detected by said air-temperature detector exceeds a predetermined threshold value, and said control part stops said fan when the difference is equal to or smaller than the threshold value.

7. The electronic equipment as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a flow meter detecting an amount of flow of said external cooling-medium so as to generate a flow detection signal;

a fan arranged in a vicinity of said second heat exchanger so as to exhaust the air inside said housing to outside said housing; and

a control part controlling an amount of air flow of said fan based on said flow detection signal.

8. The electronic equipment as claimed in claim 1, wherein a fluid coupling is provided to an external cooling-medium pipe for supplying or discharging said external cooling-medium to or from said first heat exchanger.

9. The electronic equipment as claimed in claim 1, wherein an open and close valve is provided to an external cooling-medium pipe for supplying or discharging said external cooling-medium to or from said first heat exchanger.

10. The electronic equipment as claimed in claim 1, wherein a relief valve is provided between an external cooling-medium pipe for supplying said external cooling-medium to said first heat exchanger and an external cooling-medium pipe for discharging said external cooling-medium from said first heat exchanger.

11. The electronic equipment as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

an electromagnetic open and close valve provided to an external cooling-medium pipe for supplying or discharging said external cooling-medium to or from said first heat exchanger; and

a control part controlling opening and closing of the electromagnetic open and close valve.

12. The electronic equipment as claimed in claim 1, wherein a short-circuit passage for short-circuiting between a pipe for supplying said internal cooling-medium to said first heat exchanger and a pip for discharging said internal cooling-medium from said first heat exchanger, and an open and close mechanism is provided to open and close the short-circuit passage.

13. The electronic equipment as claimed in claim 12, wherein said open and close mechanism includes an open and close valve incorporated in said short-circuit passage.

14. The electronic equipment as claimed in claim 13, wherein said open and close valve is an electromagnetic open and close valve.

15. The electronic equipment as claimed in claim 12, wherein said short-circuit passage has a tube having elasticity, and a blocking member is attached to said first heat exchanger, the blocking member configured to block off said short-circuit passage by pressing and squashing said tube.

16. The electronic equipment as claimed in claim 15, wherein said first heat exchanger is detachably attached using a fluid coupling.

17. The electronic equipment as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first heat exchanger is detachably attached using a fluid coupling.

18. A rack apparatus comprising:

a rack; and

at least one electronic equipment accommodated in said rack,

wherein said electronic equipment has a heat-generating part therein and includes;

a housing accommodating component parts including the heat-generating part; and

a cooling-medium circulation system for circulating a liquid internal cooling-medium between a heat-absorbing part and a heat-radiating part, the heat absorbing part absorbing heat from said heat-generating part, the heat-radiating part radiating the heat absorbed by the heat-absorbing part,

wherein said heat-radiating part of said cooling-medium circulation system includes;

a first heat exchanger that performs heat exchange between a liquid external cooling-medium and said internal cooling-medium, the external cooling-medium being supplied from outside said electronic equipment; and

a second heat exchanger that performs heat exchange an air and said internal cooling-medium, the air being exhausted from said housing to outside.

19. A rack apparatus comprising:

an electronic equipment having a heat-generating part therein; and

a liquid-liquid type heat exchanger configured to be connectable to said electronic equipment, a liquid external cooling-medium being supplied from outside,

wherein said electronic equipment includes;

a housing accommodating component parts including the heat-generating part; and

a cooling-medium circulation system for circulating a liquid internal cooling-medium between a heat-absorbing part and a heat-radiating part, the heat absorbing part absorbing heat from said heat-generating part, the heat-radiating part radiating the heat absorbed by the heat-absorbing part,

wherein said heat-radiating part of said cooling-medium circulation system includes a gas-liquid type heat exchanger that performs heat exchange between air exhausted from said housing to outside and said internal cooling-medium.