Cooling system for electronic equipment

Abstract

A cooling system for electronic equipment includes an evaporator cooling the electronic equipment, a blower making air heated by the electronic equipment flow into the evaporator, and a condenser condensing a refrigerant to be supplied to the evaporator and also includes a refrigerant liquid pipe guiding a liquefied refrigerant from the condenser to a lower part of the evaporator, a refrigerant gas pipe guiding the refrigerant which evaporates by cooling the electronic equipment from an upper part of the evaporator to the condenser, a refrigerant flow rate control valve controlling a flow rate of the refrigerant flowing into the evaporator, a temperature sensor detecting a temperature of air obtained after passing through the evaporator, and a controller for control valve controlling the control valve on the basis of a detection value of the temperature sensor.

1 . A cooling system for electronic equipment of the type comprising an evaporator which evaporates a refrigerant with heat generated from electronic equipment, a blower which makes air which is heated with the heat generated from the electronic equipment flow into the evaporator, and a condenser which is disposed higher than the evaporator and cools and condenses the refrigerant to be supplied to the evaporator to a liquefied refrigerant, comprising:
 a refrigerant liquid pipe which guides the liquefied refrigerant from the condenser to a lower part of the evaporator;   a refrigerant gas pipe which guides the refrigerant from an upper part of the evaporator to the condenser;   a refrigerant flow rate control unit which controls a flow rate of the refrigerant in accordance with a temperature of air obtained after the air has passed through the evaporator; and   a temperature sensor which detects the temperature of the air obtained after the air has passed through the evaporator,   wherein the temperature sensor is disposed on the side of an air outlet of the evaporator and higher than a half of the height of the evaporator.   
     
     
         2 . The cooling system for electronic equipment according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the evaporator includes a coiled vertical pipe through which the refrigerant flows upward from below, and the temperature sensor is disposed higher than a half of the height of the coiled vertical pipe.   
     
     
         3 . The cooling system for electronic equipment according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the temperature sensor is disposed lower than an upper end of the evaporator.   
     
     
         4 . The cooling system for electronic equipment according to  claim 2 ,
 wherein the temperature sensor is disposed lower than an upper end of the coiled vertical pipe.   
     
     
         5 . A cooling system for electronic equipment of the type comprising an evaporator which evaporates a refrigerant with heat generated from electronic equipment, a blower which makes air which is heated with the heat generated from the electronic equipment flow into the evaporator, and a condenser which is disposed higher than the evaporator and cools and condenses the refrigerant to be supplied to the evaporator to a liquefied refrigerant, comprising:
 a refrigerant liquid pipe which guides the liquefied refrigerant from the condenser to a lower part of the evaporator;   a refrigerant gas pipe which guides the refrigerant from an upper part of the evaporator to the condenser;   a refrigerant flow rate control valve which is disposed in at least one of the refrigerant liquid pine and the refrigerant gas pipe and controls a flow rate of the refrigerant which flows within the evaporator;   a temperature sensor which detects a temperature of air obtained after the air has passed through the evaporator; and   a controller for control valve which controls the refrigerant flow rate control valve on the basis of a detection value of the temperature sensor,   wherein the temperature sensor is disposed on the side of an air outlet of the evaporator and on an upper part of the evaporator.   
     
     
         6 . The cooling system for electronic equipment according to  claim 5 ,
 wherein when a temperature value which is detected by the temperature sensor is higher than a predetermined value, the controller for control valve increases the opening of the refrigerant flow rate control valve to increase the flow rate of the liquefied refrigerant to be supplied to the evaporator, and when a temperature value which is detected by the temperature sensor is lower than a predetermined value, the controller for control valve decreases the opening of the refrigerant flow rate control valve to decrease the flow rate of the liquid refrigerant to be supplied to the evaporator.   
     
     
         7 . The cooling system for electronic equipment according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the refrigerant is conveyed between the evaporator and the condenser by a refrigerant natural circulation system.   
     
     
         8 . The cooling system for electronic equipment according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the blower is disposed downstream of the evaporator and the temperature sensor is disposed between the evaporator and the blower.   
     
     
         9 . The cooling system for electronic equipment according to  claim 8 ,
 wherein a plurality of the blowers is vertically disposed on the evaporator and the temperature sensor is disposed in the vicinity of a blower which is disposed at an upper stage in the plurality of blowers.   
     
     
         10 . The cooling system for electronic equipment according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the condenser condenses a gaseous refrigerant which flows into it through the refrigerant gas pipe by being cooled by a refrigerating machine.   
     
     
         11 . The cooling system for electronic equipment according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the condenser condenses a gaseous refrigerant which flows into it through the refrigerant gas pipe by being cooled with outside air or external cooling water.   
     
     
         12 . The cooling system for electronic equipment according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the condenser is a condenser which is included in a refrigerating machine, the evaporator is an evaporator which is included in the refrigerating machine, a gaseous refrigerant which is sent through the refrigerant gas pipe is compressed by a compressor included in the refrigerating machine, is sent to the condenser and is condensed to a liquefied refrigerant through heat exchange with outside air or external cooling water, and the liquefied refrigerant so condensed by the condenser is sent to the refrigerant liquid pipe and a refrigerant flow rate control valve which is configured using an electronic expansion valve is disposed in the refrigerant liquid pipe as the refrigerant flow rate control unit so as to expand the refrigerant while controlling the flow rate of the refrigerant by the refrigerant flow rate control valve, thereby making the refrigerant flow into the evaporator.   
     
     
         13 . The cooling system for electronic equipment according to  claim 5 ,
 wherein a plurality of the evaporator are disposed, the refrigerant flow rate control valve is disposed in the refrigerant liquid pipe, the refrigerant liquid pipe is branched into respective pipes on the downstream side of the refrigerant flow rate control valve and the branched pipes are connected to lower parts of the plurality of evaporators, a plurality of refrigerant gas pipes are respectively connected to upper parts of the plurality of evaporators, the plurality of refrigerant gas pipes are configured to be united together so as to guide a gaseous refrigerant to the condenser, a plurality of the temperature sensors are respectively disposed on upper parts of the respective evaporators, and the refrigerant flow rate control valve is configured to be controlled by the controller for control valve on the basis of detection values of the respective temperature sensors.   
     
     
         14 . The cooling system for electronic equipment according to  claim 13 ,
 wherein the refrigerant flow rate control valve is controlled by the controller for control valve such that a mean value of the detection values detected by the temperature sensors disposed on the respective evaporators is within a predetermined temperature range.   
     
     
         15 . The cooling system for electronic equipment according to  claim 13 ,
 wherein the refrigerant flow rate control valve is controlled by the controller for control valve such that a maximum detection value of the detection values detected by the temperature sensors disposed on the respective evaporators is within a predetermined temperature range.