Coolant and ambient temperature control for chillerless liquid cooled data centers

• US 9,250,636 B2
• Filed: 04/04/2012
• Issued: 02/02/2016
• 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., David, Milnes P., Iyengar, Madhusudan K., Parida, Pritish R., Simons, Robert E.
• Primary Examiner(s): CIRIC, LJILJANA V
• Application Number:
  US13/439,471
• Publication Number:
  US 20130264046A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,399 Days
• Field of Search: 165/287, 165/290, 165/294, 165/296, 165/299
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 include measuring a temperature of air provided to a plurality of nodes by an air-to-liquid heat exchanger, measuring a temperature of at least one component of the plurality of 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 plurality of nodes based on the comparisons.

Claims

1. A cooling control method, comprising:

measuring the temperature of air provided to a plurality of nodes by an air-to-liquid heat exchanger;

measuring the temperature of at least one component of the plurality of 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 to the plurality of 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 intervals are 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 plurality of nodes comprises controlling a three-way valve that divides an input coolant flow between the air-to-liquid heat exchanger and the plurality of nodes.

5. The cooling method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of nodes are connected in series with the air-to-liquid heat exchanger and wherein controlling a proportion of coolant flow to the air-to-liquid heat exchanger and the plurality of 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 plurality of nodes comprises controlling a pump speed 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 plurality of nodes comprises controlling a two-way valve configured to limit a coolant flow to the plurality of nodes.

9. A cooling control method, comprising:

measuring the temperature of air provided to a plurality of nodes by an air-to-liquid heat exchanger;

measuring the temperature of at least one component of the plurality of 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 to the plurality of nodes based on said comparing by adjusting one or more valves that control relative flow rate between the air-to-liquid heat exchanger and the plurality of 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 plurality of nodes.

11. The cooling method of claim 9, wherein the plurality of nodes are connected in series 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 plurality of nodes.