Air conditioning system and air conditioning method

• US 6,283,380 B1
• Filed: 03/20/2000
• Issued: 09/04/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 03/25/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Kawase, Motokazu, Nakanishi, Tohru, Terada, Hirohito
• Primary Examiner(s): Tanner, Harry B.
• Application Number:
  US09/531,040
• Time in Patent Office: 533 Days
• Field of Search: 236/49.3, 236/49.1, 236/51, 621/79, 621/80, 621/86, 454/75, 454/258
• US Class Current: 236/49.3
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/30 for purposes related to the operation of the system, e.g. for safety or monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/46 Improving electric energy efficiency or saving
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/58 using Internet communication
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/63 Electronic processing
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/76 by means responsive to temperature, e.g. bimetal springs
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/77 by controlling the speed of ventilators
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/79 for controlling the direction of the supplied air
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2110/10 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2221/40 HVAC with raised floors
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1917 using digital means
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1931 to control the temperature of one space
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/20 Cooling means
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20209 Thermal management, e.g. fan control

Abstract

An air conditioning system and an air conditioning method are disclosed for quickly and effectively controlling the temperature in a room requiring cooling and keeping the room at a uniform temperature. The present invention estimates a temperature distribution in a room through a simulation and controls airflow rates and airflow directions of a plurality of fans on the basis of the simulation result. Temperature sensors are arranged at predetermined positions in a room such as a computer room. A simulation is performed on the basis of temperatures detected by the temperature sensor Sn and the current airflow rates and airflow directions of a plurality of fans to obtain a temperature distribution in the room. It is determined whether obtained temperatures are in a predetermined temperature range. As the result of such determination, at least one of airflow rate and airflow direction of a fan which covers a position being at a temperature out of the predetermined temperature range is controlled. It is preferable to use an underfloor fan that can be fitted into the floor of the computer room.

Claims

1. An air conditioning system for a room requiring cooling, comprising:

a plurality of fans individually controllable in airflow rate and airflow direction;

simulation means for performing a simulation in accordance with the temperatures detected at a plurality of predetermined positions in the room and the current airflow rates and airflow directions of the plurality of fans, in order to obtain the temperatures at a plurality of selected positions in the room; and

control means for controlling at least one of the airflow rate and airflow direction of at least one selected fan in accordance with the result of said simulation.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein said fans are underfloor fans to be fitted into the floor of said room.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein said simulation means obtains temperatures at coordinate positions obtained by dividing the room into a grid.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein the control means determines whether the temperatures supplied from the simulation means are in a predetermined temperature range and controls a fan covering a position at a temperature out of the predetermined temperature range.

5. The system according to claim 4, wherein the control means includes a table including data showing the fans and areas covered with the fans, and the control means determines whether the temperatures supplied from the simulation means are in a predetermined temperature range, and controls a fan covering a position at a temperature out of the predetermined temperature range in accordance with said table.

6. An air conditioning system for a room including a plurality of computer system units, comprising:

plurality of fans individually controllable in airflow rate and airflow direction,

a plurality of temperature sensors provided at a plurality of predetermined positions in the room;

simulation means for performing a simulation in accordance with the temperatures detected by the temperature sensors and the current airflow rates and airflow directions of the fans, in order to obtain the temperatures at a plurality of selected positions in the room; and

control means for controlling at least one of the airflow rate and airflow direction of at least one selected fan in accordance with the result of the simulation.

7. The system according to claim 6, wherein the fans are underfloor fans to be fitted into the floor of the room.

8. The system according to claim 6, wherein said simulation means obtains temperatures at coordinate positions obtained by dividing the room into a grid.

9. The system according to claim 6, wherein said control means determines whether the temperatures supplied from the simulation means are in a predetermined temperature range and controls a fan covering a position at a temperature out of the predetermined temperature range.

10. The system according to claim 9, wherein said control means includes a table including data showing the fans and areas covered with the fans, and said control means determines whether the temperatures supplied from the simulation means are in a predetermined temperature range, and controls a fan covering a position at a temperature out of the predetermined temperature range in accordance with the table.

11. An air conditioning method for a room including a plurality of computer system units, comprising the steps of:

providing a plurality of fans individually controllable in airflow rate and airflow direction;

detecting temperatures at a plurality of predetermined positions in the room by a plurality of temperature sensors arranged at the positions;

performing a simulation in accordance with the temperatures detected by the temperature sensors and the current airflow rates and airflow directions of the fans, in order to obtain the temperatures at a plurality of selected positions in the room; and

controlling at least one of the airflow rate and airflow direction of at least one selected fan in accordance with the result of the simulation.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the fans are underfloor fans to be fitted into the floor of the room.

13. The method according to claim 11, wherein the simulation step obtains temperatures at coordinate positions obtained by dividing the room into a grid.

14. The method according to claim 11, wherein the step of controlling determines whether the temperatures obtained in the simulation step are in a predetermined temperature range and controls a fan covering a position at a temperature out of the predetermined temperature range.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the step of controlling controls a fan covering a position at a temperature out of the predetermined temperature range in accordance with a table including data showing the fans and areas covered with the fans.