Automatic Computer Room Air Conditioning Control Method

• US 20150184883A1
• Filed: 12/27/2013
• Published: 07/02/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Hamann, Hendrik F., Manzer, Dennis G., Bermudez Rodriguez, Sergio A., Wehle, Hans-Dieter
• Granted Patent: US 9,883,009 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20836 Thermal management, e.g. server temperature control
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 30/70 Efficient control or regulation technologies, e.g. for control of refrigerant flow, motor or heating

Abstract

Techniques for automatically and efficiently controlling air conditioning units (ACUs) in a data center are provided. In one aspect, a method for controlling ACUs in a data center is provided. The method includes the following steps. It is identified which of the ACUs in the data center comprise base ACUs and which of the ACUs in the data center comprise redundant ACUs. Output from one or more of the redundant ACUs is increased in response to one or more control events. Output from the redundant ACUs is decreased once a predetermined period of time has elapsed without a new control event occurring.

Claims

1. A method for controlling air conditioning units in a data center, the method comprising the steps of:

identifying which of the air conditioning units in the data center comprise base air conditioning units and which of the air conditioning units in the data center comprise redundant air conditioning units;

increasing output from one or more of the redundant air conditioning units in response to one or more control events; and

decreasing output from the redundant air conditioning units once a predetermined period of time has elapsed without a new control event occurring.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein output from the one or more redundant air conditioning units is increased by turning on the one or more redundant air conditioning units, and output from the one or more redundant air conditioning units is decreased by turning off the one or more redundant air conditioning units.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the air conditioning units in the data center have fan speed control, and wherein output from the one or more redundant air conditioning units is increased by increasing a fan speed of the one or more redundant air conditioning units, and output from the one or more redundant air conditioning units is decreased by decreasing the fan speed of the one or more redundant air conditioning units.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

determining utilization levels of each of the air conditioning units in the data center based on removed heat and air conditioning unit cooling capacity; and

using the utilization levels and redundancy requirements to identify which of the air conditioning units in the data center comprise the base air conditioning units and which of the air conditioning units in the data center comprise the redundant air conditioning units.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the control events are weighted by severity.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the control events are cumulative.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein one or more of the control events comprise T-events wherein temperatures at one or more locations in the data center exceed a threshold value.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the T-events are weighted by severity based on a number of the locations having a temperature that exceeds the threshold value.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the data center comprises a sub-floor plenum through which chilled air is introduced by the air conditioning units to the data center, and wherein one or more of the control events comprise P-events wherein pressure values at one or more locations in the sub-floor plenum are below a threshold value.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the P-events are weighted by severity based on a number of the locations having a pressure value that is below the threshold value.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein one or more of the control events comprise F-events wherein failures occur at one or more of the base air conditioning units.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the F-events are weighted by severity based on a number of the base air conditioning units at which the failures occur.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the redundant air conditioning units are controlled by relays or by a computer interface connected to an MMT server through a network, and wherein one or more of the control events comprise N-events wherein network communication failures occur between the MMT server and the relays.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the N-events are weighted by severity based on a number of the network communication failures that occur between the MMT server and the relays or the computer interface.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein temperatures at one or more locations in the data center are detected using temperature sensors, and wherein one or more of the control events comprise S-events wherein the temperature sensors report out of range values.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the S-events are weighted by severity based on a number of the temperature sensors reporting the out of range values.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the data center comprises a sub-floor plenum through which chilled air is introduced by the air conditioning units to the data center, and wherein pressure values at one or more locations in the sub-floor plenum are detected using pressure sensors, and wherein one or more of the control events comprise S-events wherein the pressure sensors report out of range values.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the S-events are weighted by severity based on a number of the pressure sensors reporting the out of range values.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein air flow at the base air conditioning units and at the redundant air conditioning units is detected using air flow sensors, and wherein one or more of the control events comprise S-events wherein the air flow sensors report out of range values.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the S-events are weighted by severity based on a number of the air flow sensors reporting the out of range values.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein the redundant air conditioning units are controlled by relays or by a computer interface, a communication computer bus, or a digital system, connected to an MMT server through a network, that are equipped with air conditioning unit sensors detecting a state of the air conditioning unit, and wherein one or more of the control events comprise SU-events wherein the air conditioning unit sensors report out of range values.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the SU-events are weighted by severity based on a number of the air conditioning unit sensors reporting the out of range values.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein one or more of the control events comprise S(_S)-events wherein inconsistencies occur between data obtained from the air conditioning unit sensors and a status of the redundant air conditioning units, wherein the status comprises:

i) whether the redundant air conditioning units are on or off, or ii) a fan speed of the redundant air conditioning units.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the S(_S)-events are weighted by severity based on a number of the inconsistencies that occur between the data obtained from the air conditioning unit sensors and the status of the redundant air conditioning units.

25. A non-transitory article of manufacture for controlling air conditioning units in a data center, comprising a machine-readable medium containing one or more programs which when executed implement the steps of:

identifying which of the air conditioning units in the data center comprise base air conditioning units and which of the air conditioning units in the data center comprise redundant air conditioning units;

increasing output from one or more of the redundant air conditioning units in response to one or more control events; and

decreasing output from the redundant air conditioning units once a predetermined period of time has elapsed without a new control event occurring.

26. An apparatus for controlling air conditioning units in a data center, the apparatus comprising:

a memory; and

at least one processor, coupled to the memory, operative to;

identify which of the air conditioning units in the data center comprise base air conditioning units and which of the air conditioning units in the data center comprise redundant air conditioning units;

increase output from one or more of the redundant air conditioning units in response to one or more control events; and

decrease output from the redundant air conditioning units once a predetermined period of time has elapsed without a new control event occurring.