Air conditioning apparatus and air conditioning system

• US 9,033,776 B2
• Filed: 08/16/2011
• Issued: 05/19/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/14/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Kinoshita, Tomoyuki, Hanada, Yuuichi, Ootani, Hideyoshi, Takagi, Yasuo, Murayama, Dai, Morimoto, Hiroshi, Takahashi, Koubun
• Primary Examiner(s): Huson, Gregory
• Assistant Examiner(s): TIGHE, DANA K
• Application Number:
  US13/210,500
• Publication Number:
  US 20110300789A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,372 Days
• Field of Search: 454/184, 454/239, 454/251, 454/253
• US Class Current: 454/184
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/0001 for ventilation F24F11/30 takes precedence
• 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 11/32 Responding to malfunctions or emergencies
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/74 for controlling air flow rate or air velocity
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2011/0002 for admittance of outside air
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2110/20 Humidity
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20745 within rooms for removing heat from cabinets, e.g. by air conditioning device

Abstract

An embodiment includes a first space, a second space, a first damper, a second damper, and a third damper. The first space is connected to a cold space, having cold air reside therein to send to the cold space. The second space has return air reside therein, as it is discharged from a hot space. The first damper has an opening adjusted under control of a controller to take in outdoor air to the first space, and is operable to have an open state in an emergency with a server being supplied with power. The second damper has an opening adjusted under control of the controller to discharge return air in the second space, outside thereof, and is operable to have an open state in the emergency. The third damper has an opening adjusted under control of the controller to recirculate return air in the second space to the first space.

Claims

1. An air conditioning apparatus connected to a server room configured with a cold space and a hot space separated from each other, including a server provided normally with a service of power from a commercial power source and in emergencies with a service of power from an uninterruptible power supply and disposed between the cold space and the hot space, to have cold air supplied through the cold space, heated by dissipation of heat at the server, and discharged as return air through the hot space, the air conditioning apparatus comprising:

a first space connected to the cold space, and adapted to have cold air reside therein to send to the cold space;

a second space adapted to have return air as discharged from the hot space reside therein;

a first damper configured to have an opening adjusted under control of a controller to take in outdoor air to the first space, and adapted to have an open state in an emergency in which the server is supplied with power from the uninterruptible power supply;

a second damper configured to have an opening adjusted under control of the controller to discharge return air in the second space, outside thereof, and adapted to have an open state in the emergency; and

a third damper configured to have an opening adjusted under control of the controller to recirculate return air in the second space to the first space;

wherein, in the emergency, the controller is configured to close the third damper and is further configured to keep the third damper closed after the emergency, when the supply of power from the uninterruptible power supply has ended.

2. An air conditioning system comprising an air conditioning apparatus connected to a server room configured with a set of cold spaces and a hot space separated from each other, including a set of servers provided normally with a service of power from a commercial power source and in emergencies with a service of power from an uninterruptible power supply and disposed between the set of cold spaces and the hot space, to have cold air supplied through cold spaces, heated by dissipation of heat at the servers, and discharged as return air through the hot space, and a controller configured to control the air conditioning apparatus, the air conditioning apparatus comprising:

a first space connected to the set of cold spaces, and adapted to have cold air reside therein to send to the set of cold spaces;

a second space adapted to have return air as discharged from the hot space reside therein;

a first damper configured to have an opening adjusted under control of the controller to take in outdoor air to the first space, and adapted to have an open state in an emergency in which the servers are being supplied with power from the uninterruptible power supply;

a second damper configured to have an opening adjusted under control of the controller to discharge return air in the second space, outside thereof, and adapted to have an open state in the emergency; and

a third damper configured to have an opening adjusted under control of the controller to recirculate return air in the second space to the first space;

wherein, in the emergency, the controller is configured to close the third damper and is further configured to keep the third damper closed after the emergency, when the supply of power from the uninterruptible power supply has ended.

3. An air conditioning system comprising an air conditioning apparatus connected to a server room configured with a set of cold spaces and a hot space separated from each other, including a set of servers provided normally with a service of power from a commercial power source and in emergencies with a service of power from an uninterruptible power supply and disposed between the set of cold spaces and the hot space, to have cold air supplied through cold spaces, heated by dissipation of heat at the servers, and discharged as return air through the hot space, and a controller configured to control the air conditioning apparatus, the air conditioning apparatus comprising:

a first space connected to the set of cold spaces, and adapted to have cold air reside therein to send to the set of cold spaces;

a second space adapted to have return air as discharged from the hot space reside therein;

a first damper configured to have an opening adjusted under control of the controller to take in outdoor air to the first space;

a second damper configured to have an opening adjusted under control of the controller to discharge return air in the second space, outside thereof;

a third damper configured to have an opening adjusted under control of the controller to recirculate return air in the second space to the first space;

a cooler operable to cool air in the first space; and

air blowers operable to produce streams of air in the first space, a first cold space, a second cold space, and the second space,

the controller being configured to;

open the first and second dampers and close the third damper, in an emergency when power is supplied from the uninterruptable power supply to the server, and

upon occurrence of an end of service of power from the uninterruptible power supply to the servers at an end of the emergency, to keep open the first and second dampers, keep the third damper closed, drive the cooler into an operating state, and drive the air blowers into operating states.