CONTAINER DATA CENTER

• US 20130068444A1
• Filed: 10/18/2011
• Published: 03/21/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: CHEN, YUNG-CHU
• Granted Patent: US 8,812,170 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 165/287
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20745 within rooms for removing heat from cabinets, e.g. by air conditioning device
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20836 Thermal management, e.g. server temperature control

Abstract

A container data center includes a cooling control system. The cooling control system reads a temperature of a container of the container data center and a direction of wind flowing across the container, and determines whether a first or a second cooling device of the container data center needs to be turned on according to the read temperature. The cooling control system further determines whether the read wind direction is the same to a direction of hot air expelled by the turned on cooling device. When the read wind direction is not the same as a direction of hot air expelled by the turned on cooling device, the cooling control system turns off the turned on cooling device, and turns on the other cooling device.

Claims

1. A container data center comprising:

a container;

a first cooling device defining a first outlet to expel hot air from the container in a first direction;

a second cooling device defining a second outlet to expel the hot air from the container in a second direction opposite to the first direction; and

a cooling control system comprising;

a temperature to sense a temperature in the container;

an anemometer to sense a speed and a direction of wind flowing across the container; and

a main controller connected to the temperature sensor, the anemometer, the first cooling device, and the second cooling device, the main controller comprising;

a storage module to store a predetermined temperature, a predetermined speed, and a predetermined time range;

a reading module to read the temperature of the container from the temperature sensor and read a time in the container;

a determination module to determine whether the read temperature is greater than the predetermined temperature, wherein if the read temperature is greater than the predetermined temperature, the determination module determines whether the read time is in the predetermined time range, if the read time is in the predetermined time range, the determination module outputs a first control signal, if the read time is not in the predetermined time range, the determination module outputs a second control signal; and

a control module to turn on the first cooling device and turn off the second cooling device after receiving the first control signal, and turn off the first cooling device and turn on the second cooling device after receiving the second control signal;

wherein the read module is further used to read the sensed wind speed and wind direction from the anemometer, the determination module is further used to determine whether the read wind direction is the same as the direction of the hot air expelled by the turned on cooling device, if the read direction is different from the direction of the hot air expelled by the turned on cooling device, the determination module determines whether the read wind speed is lower that the predetermined speed, if the read wind speed is greater than or equal to the predetermined speed, the determination module outputs the corresponding first or second control signal to the control module to turn off the turned on cooling device, and turn on the other cooling device.

2. The container data center of claim 1, wherein the temperature sensor is mounted in the container, the anemometer is mounted on the container.

4. The cooling control system of claim 1, wherein the temperature sense is mounted in the container, the anemometer is mounted on the container.

3. A cooling control system to control first and second cooling devices of a container data center to alternately cool a container of the container data center, wherein a first outlet of the first cooling device faces a first direction, a second outlet of the second cooling device faces a second direction opposite to the first direction, the cooling control system comprising:

a temperature to sense a temperature in the container;

an anemometer to sense a speed and a direction of wind flowing across the container; and

a main controller connected to the temperature sensor, the anemometer, the first cooling device, and the second cooling device, the main controller comprising;

a storage module to store a predetermined temperature, a predetermined speed, and a predetermined time range;

a read module to read the temperature in the container from the temperature sensor and read a time in the container;

a determination module to determine whether the read temperature is greater than the predetermined temperature, wherein if the read temperature is greater than the predetermined temperature, the determination module determines whether the read time is in the predetermined time range, if the read time is in the predetermined time range, the determination module outputs a first control signal, if the read time is not in the predetermined time range, the determination module outputs a second control signal; and

a control module to turn on the first cooling device and turn off the second cooling device after receiving the first control signal, and turn off the first cooling device and turn on the second cooling device after receiving the second control signal;

wherein the read module is further used to read the sensed wind speed and wind direction from the anemometer, the determination module is further used to determine whether the read wind direction is the same as the direction of the hot air expelled by the turned on cooling device, if the read direction is different from the direction of the hot air expelled by the turned on cooling device, the determination module determines whether the read wind speed is lower that the predetermined speed, if the read wind speed is greater than or equal to the predetermined speed, the determination module outputs the corresponding first or second control signal to the control module to turn off the turned on cooling device, and turn on the other cooling device.

5. A cooling control method to control first and second cooling devices of a container data center to alternately cool a container of the container data center, the cooling control method comprising:

sensing a temperature of the container;

sensing a speed and a direction of wind flowing across of the container;

reading the sensed temperature of the container;

determining whether the read temperature is greater than a predetermined temperature;

wherein if the read temperature is lower than or equal to the predetermined temperature, the procedure goes back to the step of sensing a temperature of the container;

reading the time in the container if the read temperature is greater than the predetermined temperature;

determining whether the read time is in a predetermined time range;

transmitting a first control signal to turn on the first cooling device and turn off the second cooling device, if the read time is in the predetermined time range;

transmitting a second control signal to turn on the second cooling device and turn off the second cooling device if the read time is not in the predetermined time range;

turning on the corresponding cooling device, and turning off the other cooling device according to the received first or second control signal;

reading the sensed wind speed and the wind direction;

determining whether the read wind direction is the same to a direction of hot air expelled by the turned on cooling device, wherein if the read wind direction is the same as the direction of the hot air expelled by the turned on cooling device, the procedure goes back to the step of sensing a temperature of the container;

determining whether the read wind speed is lower than the predetermined speed if the read wind direction is different from the direction of the hot air expelled by the turned on cooling device, wherein if the read wind speed is lower than the predetermined speed, the procedure goes back to the step of sensing a temperature of the container;

transmitting the corresponding control signal to turn off the turned on cooling device while turn on the other cooling device if the read wind speed is greater than or equal to the predetermined speed, the procedure goes back the step of turning on the corresponding cooling device, and turning off the other cooling device according to the received first or second control signal.