초록 ▼

A cooling apparatus and method are provided. The cooling apparatus includes a coolant-cooled heat exchanger for facilitating dissipation of heat generated within an electronics rack, and a coolant control apparatus. The coolant control apparatus includes at least one coolant recirculation conduit co

A cooling apparatus and method are provided. The cooling apparatus includes a coolant-cooled heat exchanger for facilitating dissipation of heat generated within an electronics rack, and a coolant control apparatus. The coolant control apparatus includes at least one coolant recirculation conduit coupled in fluid communication between a facility coolant supply and return, wherein the facility coolant supply and return facilitate providing facility coolant to the heat exchanger. The control apparatus further includes a coolant pump(s) associated with the recirculation conduit(s) and a controller which monitors a temperature of facility coolant supplied to the heat exchanger, and redirects facility coolant, via the coolant recirculation conduit(s) and coolant pump(s), from the facility coolant return to the facility coolant supply to, at least in part, ensure that facility coolant supplied to the heat exchanger remains above a dew point temperature.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A cooling apparatus comprising: A coolant-cooled heat exchanger associated with an electronic rack and facilitating dissipation of heat generated within the electronics rack; anda coolant control apparatus, the coolant control apparatus comprising: at least one coolant recirculation conduit coupl

1. A cooling apparatus comprising: A coolant-cooled heat exchanger associated with an electronic rack and facilitating dissipation of heat generated within the electronics rack; anda coolant control apparatus, the coolant control apparatus comprising: at least one coolant recirculation conduit coupled in fluid communication between a facility coolant supply conduit and a facility coolant return conduit, the facility coolant supply conduit facilitating a flow of liquid facility coolant to the coolant-cooled heat exchanger and the facility coolant return conduit facilitating exhausting the liquid facility coolant from the coolant-cooled heat exchanger;at least one liquid coolant pump associated with the at least one coolant recirculation conduit, the at least one liquid coolant pump facilitating controlled recirculation of liquid facility coolant from the facility coolant return conduit to the facility coolant supply conduit through the at least one coolant recirculation conduit;at least one check valve whining the at least one coolant recirculation conduit, the at least one check valve preventing backflow of the liquid facility coolant from the facility coolant supply conduit to the facility coolant return conduit through the at least one recirculation conduit; anda controller, the controller monitoring a temperature of the liquid facility coolant supplied to the coolant-cooled heat exchanger, and controlling the at least one liquid coolant pump to control recirculation of the liquid facility coolant, via the at least one coolant recirculation conduit, from the facility coolant return conduit to the facility coolant supply conduit to, at least in part, ensure that the liquid facility coolant supplied to the coolant-cooled heat exchanger remains above a dew point temperature. 2. The cooling apparatus of claim 1, wherein the coolant control apparatus further comprises a flow control valve associated with the facility coolant supply conduit, the at least one recirculation conduit being coupled in fluid communication with the facility coolant supply conduit between the flow control valve and an inlet to the coolant-cooled heat exchanger, and the controller controlling the flow control valve to control a flow of liquid facility coolant within the facility coolant supply conduit, and wherein the controller automatically adjusts the at least one liquid coolant pump and the flow control valve to, at least in part, ensure that the liquid facility coolant supplied to the coolant-cooled heat exchanger remains above the dew point temperature. 3. The cooling apparatus of claim 2, wherein the controller further controls the at least one liquid coolant pump and the flow control valve to, at least in part, ensure a sufficient flow of facility coolant to the coolant-cooled heat exchanger in combination with ensuring that the facility coolant supplied to the coolant-cooled heat exchanger remains above the dew point temperature. 4. The cooling apparatus of claim 1, wherein the coolant control apparatus further comprises a differential pressure sensor coupled between the facility coolant supply conduit and the facility coolant return conduit, the differential pressure sensor sensing a differential pressure between the facility coolant supply conduit and the facility coolant return conduit, and the sensed differential pressure facilitating maintaining, by the controller, facility coolant flow through the coolant-cooled heat exchanger. 5. The cooling apparatus of claim 4, wherein the differential pressure sensor is coupled between the facility coolant supply conduit and the facility coolant return conduit between where the at least one coolant recirculation conduit couples in fluid communication with the facility coolant supply conduit and an inlet to the coolant-cooled heat exchanger. 6. The cooling apparatus of claim 1, further comprising multiple coolant-cooled heat exchangers, each coolant-cooled heat exchanger being associated with a respective electronics rack of multiple electronics racks, wherein the coolant control apparatus controls recirculation of facility coolant through the at least one coolant recirculation conduit to, at least in part, ensure that facility coolant supplied to each coolant-cooled heat exchanger of the multiple coolant-cooled heat exchangers remains above the dew point temperature. 7. The cooling apparatus of claim 1, wherein the coolant control apparatus further comprises a flow control valve coupled in fluid communication with the facility coolant supply conduit, the at least one recirculation conduit being coupled in fluid communication with the facility coolant supply conduit between the flow control valve and an inlet to the coolant-cooled heat exchanger, and the controller controlling the flow control valve to control flow of facility coolant within the facility coolant supply conduit, and wherein the controller senses temperature of facility coolant supplied to the coolant-cooled heat exchanger and determines whether the sensed facility coolant temperature is below a lower set point temperature or above an upper set point temperature, and responsive to the facility coolant temperature being below the lower set point temperature, the controller automatically incrementally closes the flow control valve to provide less facility coolant flow therethrough, and responsive to the facility coolant temperature being above the upper set point temperature, the controller automatically incrementally opens the flow control valve to provide additional facility coolant flow therethrough. 8. The cooling apparatus of claim 7, further comprising a differential pressure sensor coupled to sense a pressure differential between the facility coolant supply conduit and the facility coolant return conduit, and wherein the controller determines whether the sensed pressure differential between the facility coolant supply conduit and facility coolant return conduit is less than a lower-pressure differential set point or above an upper-pressure differential set point, and responsive to the sensed pressure differential being below the lower-pressure differential set point, the controller automatically incrementally increases speed of the at least one liquid coolant pump, and responsive to the pressure differential being above the upper-pressure differential set point, the controller automatically incrementally decreases speed of the at least one liquid coolant pump. 9. The cooling apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller automatically determines the dew point temperature based on a sensed ambient air temperature and a sensed relative humidity of ambient air. 10. The cooling apparatus of claim 9, wherein the controller periodically re-determines the dew point temperature based on a current, sensed ambient air temperature and a current, sensed relative humidity of the ambient air. 11. The cooling apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a shut off valve coupled in fluid communication with the facility coolant return conduit, wherein the at least one recirculation conduit is coupled in fluid communication with the facility coolant return conduit between the shut off valve and an outlet of the coolant-cooled heat exchanger, and wherein the controller controls the shut off valve at start up of the electronics rack to facilitate recirculation of facility coolant to ensure that the facility coolant supplied to the coolant-cooled heat exchanger remains above the dew point temperature. 12. A cooled electronics system comprising: an electronics rack comprising an air inlet side and an air outlet side, wherein air passes through the electronics rack from the air inlet side to the air outlet side thereof; anda cooling apparatus comprising: an air-to-liquid heat exchanger associated with the electronics rack for cooling air passing through the electronics rack;a coolant control apparatus, the coolant control apparatus comprising: at least one coolant recirculation conduit coupled in fluid communication between a facility coolant supply conduit and a facility coolant return conduit, the facility coolant supply conduit facilitating a flow of liquid facility coolant to the air-to-liquid heat exchanger and the facility coolant return conduit facilitating exhausting of the liquid facility coolant from the air-to-liquid heat exchanger;at least one liquid coolant pump associated with the at least one coolant recirculation conduit, the at least one liquid coolant pump facilitating controlled recirculation of facility coolant directly from the liquid facility coolant return conduit to the facility coolant supply conduit through the at least one coolant recirculation conduit;at least one check valve within the at least one coolant recirculation conduit, the at least one check valve preventing backflow of the liquid facility coolant from the facility coolant supply conduit to the facility coolant return conduit through the at least one recirculation conduit; anda controller, the controller monitoring a temperature of the liquid facility coolant supplied to the air-to-liquid heat exchanger, and controlling the at least one liquid coolant pump to control recirculation of the liquid facility coolant, via the at least one coolant recirculation conduit, from the facility coolant return conduit to the liquid facility coolant supply conduit to, at least in part, ensure that the facility coolant supplied to the air-to-liquid heat exchanger remains above a dew point temperature. 13. The cooled electronic system of claim 12, wherein the coolant control apparatus further comprises a flow control valve associated with the facility coolant supply conduit, the at least one recirculation conduit being coupled in fluid communication with the facility coolant supply conduit between the flow control valve and an inlet to the air-to-liquid heat exchanger, and the controller controlling the flow control valve to control a flow of facility coolant within the liquid facility coolant supply conduit, and wherein the controller automatically adjusts the at least one liquid coolant pump and the flow control valve to, at least in part, ensure a sufficient flow of liquid facility coolant to the air-to-liquid heat exchanger in combination with ensuring that the liquid facility coolant supplied to the air-to-liquid heat exchanger remains above the dew point temperature. 14. The cooled electronic system of claim 12, wherein the coolant control apparatus further comprises a differential pressure sensor coupled between the facility coolant supply conduit and the facility coolant return conduit, the differential pressure sensor sensing a differential pressure between the facility coolant supply conduit and the facility coolant return conduit, and thereby facilitating maintaining, by the controller, liquid facility coolant flow through the air-to-liquid heat exchanger, and wherein the differential pressure sensor is coupled between the facility coolant supply conduit and the facility coolant return conduit between where the at least one coolant recirculation conduit couples in fluid communication with the facility coolant supply conduit and an inlet to the air-to-liquid heat exchanger. 15. The cooled electronic system of claim 12, further comprising multiple air-to-liquid heat exchangers, each air-to-liquid heat exchanger being disposed at one of an air inlet side or an air outlet side of a respective electronics rack of multiple electronics racks, wherein air flows through each electronics rack from the air inlet side to the air outlet side thereof, and the coolant control apparatus controls recirculation of liquid facility coolant through the at least one coolant recirculation conduit to, at least in part, ensure that facility coolant supplied to each air-to-liquid heat exchanger of the multiple air-to-liquid heat exchangers remains above the dew point temperature. 16. The cooled electronic system of claim 12, wherein the controller automatically determines the dew point temperature based on a sensed ambient air temperature and a sensed relative humidity of ambient air. 17. The cooled electronic system of claim 12, further comprising a shut off valve coupled in fluid communication with the facility coolant return conduit, wherein the at least one recirculation conduit is coupled in fluid communication with the facility coolant return conduit between the shut off valve and an outlet of the air-to-liquid heat exchanger, and wherein the controller controls the shut off valve at start up of the electronics rack to facilitate recirculation of liquid facility coolant to ensure that the facility coolant supplied to the coolant-cooled heat exchanger remains above the dew point temperature.