Air-conditioning control system and air volume adjustment device

Abstract

An air volume adjustment device is located at a vent for connecting an equipment installation area, where a rack for housing computers is installed, to a free access floor provided below a floor of the equipment installation area and supplied with air from an air conditioner. The air volume adjustment device includes an air volume adjustment sheet provided with an opening to allow passage of air, a first roll connected to one end portion of the air volume adjustment sheet and made capable of reeling in the air volume adjustment sheet, and a second roll located away from the first roll, connected to another end portion of the air volume adjustment sheet, and made capable of reeling in the air volume adjustment sheet.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An air-conditioning control system comprising:
 a rack housing a plurality of computers;   an equipment installation area where the rack is installed;   a free access floor provided under a floor of the equipment installation area;   an air conditioner configured to take in air from the equipment installation area and to supply the air at adjusted temperature to the free access floor;   a vent connecting the equipment installation area to the free access floor;   an air volume adjustment device located at the vent and configured to adjust a volume of air flowing from the free access floor to the equipment installation area;   a driving unit configured to drive the air volume adjustment device; and   a control unit configured to control the driving unit,   wherein the air volume adjustment device comprises:   an air volume adjustment sheet provided with an opening to allow passage of air;   a first roll connected to one end portion of the air volume adjustment sheet and made capable of reeling in the air volume adjustment sheet; and   a second roll located away from the first roll, connected to another end portion of the air volume adjustment sheet, and made capable of reeling in the air volume adjustment sheet.   
     
     
         2 . The air-conditioning control system according to  claim 1 , the system further comprising:
 a temperature measurement unit configured to measure a temperature of the rack,   wherein the control unit controls the driving unit on the basis of a result of temperature measurement performed by the temperature measurement unit.   
     
     
         3 . The air-conditioning control system according to  claim 2 , wherein the temperature measurement unit measures the temperature of the rack by using an optical fiber as a temperature sensor. 
     
     
         4 . The air-conditioning control system according to  claim 1 , wherein the air volume adjustment sheet is provided with a plurality of the openings in different shapes arranged in a longitudinal direction of the sheet. 
     
     
         5 . The air-conditioning control system according to  claim 4 , wherein at least one of the plurality of openings provided to the air volume adjustment sheet includes a fin having an inclination angle varied by passage of the air. 
     
     
         6 . The air-conditioning control system according to  claim 1 , the system further comprising:
 a management computer configured to manage operating conditions of the computers housed in the rack,   wherein the control unit acquires an information on the operating conditions of the computers from the management computer and controls the driving unit on the basis of the information on the operating conditions of the computers.   
     
     
         7 . The air-conditioning control system according to  claim 6 , wherein the management computer determines which computer to submit a job to depending on a shape of the opening of the air volume adjustment sheet. 
     
     
         8 . The air-conditioning control system according to  claim 6 , wherein the control unit acquires information on power consumption by a plurality of the racks from the management computer, controls the driving unit based on a ratio of the power consumption among the racks, and thereby adjusts an aperture ratio of the air volume adjustment device located in front of the racks. 
     
     
         9 . The air-conditioning control system according to  claim 1 , wherein the air volume adjustment sheet is provided with a position control marker,
 the driving unit controls the air volume adjustment device based on a result of detection of the position control marker in such a way that a predetermined portion of the air volume adjustment sheet is located between the first roll and the second roll.   
     
     
         10 . The air-conditioning control system according to  claim 1 , wherein the control unit controls an air blow volume of the air conditioner depending on the aperture ratio determined by a size of the opening located between the first roll and the second roll. 
     
     
         11 . The air-conditioning control system according to  claim 10 , wherein the control unit controls the air blow volume of the air conditioner in such a way that a volume of air blowing out of the vent having the largest aperture ratio out of a plurality of the vents is a specified volume. 
     
     
         12 . The air-conditioning control system according to  claim 1 , wherein the single air volume adjustment device is provided with respect to a plurality of the racks. 
     
     
         13 . An air volume adjustment device comprising:
 an air volume adjustment sheet provided with an opening to allow passage of air;   a first roll connected to one end portion of the air volume adjustment sheet and made capable of reeling in the air volume adjustment sheet; and   a second roll located away from the first roll, connected to another end portion of the air volume adjustment sheet, and made capable of reeling in the air volume adjustment sheet.   
     
     
         14 . The air volume adjustment device according to  claim 13 , wherein the air volume adjustment sheet is provided with a plurality of the openings in different shapes arranged in a longitudinal direction of the sheet. 
     
     
         15 . The air volume adjustment device according to  claim 14 , wherein at least one of the plurality of openings provided to the air volume adjustment sheet includes a fin having an inclination angle varied by passage of the air. 
     
     
         16 . The air volume adjustment device according to  claim 14 , wherein the air volume adjustment sheet is provided with a position control marker.