COOLANT AND AMBIENT TEMPERATURE CONTROL FOR CHILLERLESS LIQUID COOLED DATA CENTERS

• US 20130264046A1
• Filed: 04/04/2012
• Published: 10/10/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/04/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: CHAINER, TIMOTHY J., PARIDA, PRITISH R., DAVID, MILNES P., IYENGAR, MADHUSUDAN K., SIMONS, ROBERT E.
• Granted Patent: US 9,250,636 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 165/287
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 27/02 for controlling the distribution of heat-exchange media between different channels static flow control means in header boxes F28F9/026; arrangements of guide plates or guide vanes F28F9/22, F28F25/12
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1932 to control the temperature of a plurality of spaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/206 comprising thermal management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/201 Cooling arrangements using cooling fluid
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20836 Thermal management, e.g. server temperature control
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

Cooling control methods and systems include measuring a temperature of air provided to one or more nodes by an air-to-liquid heat exchanger; measuring a temperature of at least one component of the one or more nodes and finding a maximum component temperature across all such nodes; comparing the maximum component temperature to a first and second component threshold and comparing the air temperature to a first and second air threshold; and controlling a proportion of coolant flow and a coolant flow rate to the air-to-liquid heat exchanger and the one or more nodes based on the comparisons.

Claims

1. A cooling control method, comprising:

measuring a temperature of air provided to one or more nodes by an air-to-liquid heat exchanger;

measuring a temperature of at least one component of the one or more nodes and finding a maximum component temperature across all such nodes;

comparing the maximum component temperature to a first and second component threshold and comparing the air temperature to a first and second air threshold; and

controlling a proportion of coolant flow and a coolant flow rate to the air-to-liquid heat exchanger and the one or more nodes based on said comparisons.

2. The cooling control method of claim 1, further comprising repeating said measuring, comparing, and controlling at periodic intervals.

3. The cooling method of claim 2, wherein said periodic interval is based on historical rates of temperature change.

4. The cooling method of claim 1, wherein controlling a proportion of coolant flow to the air-to-liquid heat exchanger and the one or more nodes comprises controlling a three-way valve that divides an input coolant flow between the air-to-liquid heat exchanger and the one or more nodes.

5. The cooling method of claim 1, wherein the one or more nodes are connected in serial with the air-to-liquid heat exchanger and wherein controlling a proportion of coolant flow to the air-to-liquid heat exchanger and the one or more nodes comprises controlling a two-way bypass valve that allows coolant to flow directly to the liquid cooling system.

6. The cooling method of claim 1, wherein controlling a coolant flow rate to the air-to-liquid heat exchanger and the one or more nodes comprises controlling a pump strength that determines a rate of input coolant flow.

7. The cooling method of claim 1, wherein controlling a coolant flow rate to the air-to-liquid heat exchanger comprises controlling a two-way valve configured to limit a coolant flow to the air-to-liquid heat exchanger.

8. The cooling method of claim 1, wherein controlling a coolant flow rate to the one or more nodes exchanger comprises controlling a two-way valve configured to limit a coolant flow to the one or more nodes.

9. A cooling control method, comprising:

measuring a temperature of air provided to one or more nodes by an air-to-liquid heat exchanger;

measuring a temperature of at least one component of the one or more nodes and finding a maximum component temperature across all such nodes;

comparing the maximum component temperature to a first and second component threshold and comparing the air temperature to a first and second air threshold; and

controlling a proportion of coolant flow and a coolant flow rate to the air-to-liquid heat exchanger and the one or more nodes based on said comparisons by adjusting one or more valves that control relative flow rate between the air-to-liquid heat exchanger and the one or more nodes.

10. The cooling method of claim 9, wherein the one or more valves include a three-way valve that divides an input coolant flow between the air-to-liquid heat exchanger and the one or more nodes.

11. The cooling method of claim 9, wherein the one or more nodes are connected in serial with the air-to-liquid heat exchanger and wherein the one or more valves include a two-way bypass valve that allows coolant to flow directly to the liquid cooling system.

12. The cooling method of claim 9, wherein the one or more valves include a two-way valve configured to limit a coolant flow to the air-to-liquid heat exchanger.

13. The cooling method of claim 9, wherein the one or more valves include a two-way valve configured to limit a coolant flow to the one or more nodes.

14. A cooling system comprising:

one or more nodes, each node having at least one temperature sensor to monitor a temperature of internal node components;

an air-to-liquid heat exchanger configured to accept a liquid coolant input and to provide cooled air to the one or more nodes;

a temperature sensor to monitor a temperature of the air provided by the air-to-liquid heat exchanger;

a liquid cooling system configured to provide liquid coolant to components of the one or more nodes;

a valve configured to control coolant flow to the air-to-liquid heat exchanger and the liquid cooling system based on the temperature of internal node components and the temperature of the air provided by the air-to-liquid heat exchanger; and

a pump configured to provide liquid coolant to the liquid cooling system and the air-to-liquid heat exchanger, having a pump strength that is based on the temperature of internal node components and the temperature of the air provided by the air-to-liquid heat exchanger.

15. The cooling system of claim 14, further comprising control logic configured to compare a maximum internal node component temperature to a first and second component threshold and to compare the air temperature to a first and second air threshold.

16. The cooling system of claim 15, wherein the control logic is further configured to control the valve and the pump according to said comparisons.

17. The cooling system of claim 14, further comprising a flow rate valve configured to limit a coolant flow to the air-to-liquid heat exchanger based on the temperature of internal node components and the temperature of the air provided by the air-to-liquid heat exchanger.

18. The cooling system of claim 14, further comprising a flow rate valve configured to limit a coolant flow to the liquid cooling system based on the temperature of internal node components and the temperature of the air provided by the air-to-liquid heat exchanger.

19. The cooling system of claim 14, wherein the valve is a three-way valve that connects the air-to-liquid heat exchanger and the liquid cooling system to the pump in parallel.

20. The cooling system of claim 14, wherein the air-to-liquid heat exchanger and the liquid cooling system are connected serially and the valve is a two-way bypass valve.

21. The cooling system of claim 20, wherein the two-way bypass valve provides a bypass for the air-to-liquid heat exchanger, such that opening the two-way bypass valve allows coolant to flow directly to the liquid cooling system.