JPH1027039A - Cooling device for computer system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a cooling device for a computer system which is high in instantaneousness and the limit of a cooling function and has good cooling efficiency while monitoring the temperature in the casing of a computer and jetting cooling gas when high temperature is reached. SOLUTION: Temperature detection parts 12-15 detect the temperature in the casing 10a of the computer 10 and outputs the detected temperature to a temperature control part 11. Then when one of the temperature detection parts 12-15 detects the temperature in the housing 10 exceeding a specific value and outputs an overheating detection signal, the cooling gas injection parts paired with the temperature detection part having detected the high temperature among 16-19 injects cooling gas sucked in from a cooling gas tank 20 in the casing 10a according to a command from the temperature detection part 11 to cool the inside of the casing 10a below specific temperature. At this time, the cooling gas tank 20 supplies the cooling gas by an amount corresponding to a request from the temperature control part 11 which requests the amount of gas based upon the number of temperature detection parts having detected the high temperature.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a cooling device for a computer system, and more particularly, to a cooling device for cooling the inside of a computer housing when the temperature inside the housing has risen to a predetermined value or more.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A computer sometimes becomes extremely hot depending on the environmental temperature of a place where the computer is used or arranged. If the computer is operated in a high temperature state, it will not function properly. However, in such a case, if the main power is immediately turned off and the computer is stopped, for example, data on a hard disk or the like that is performing a recording operation at that time is damaged, so that the computer is gradually cooled and the operation is continued. It is desirable to stop it. For this reason,
2. Description of the Related Art A cooling device in which a fan is provided in the vicinity of a computer system, and when the temperature inside the system becomes high, the fan is rotated to cool the computer by generated wind has been conventionally used.

[0003]

However, a cooling device using a cooling fan is effective for a small computer such as a microcomputer, but is a so-called server (host).
For a large computer such as the one described above, the limit of the immediate effect and the cooling function is low, and the cooling efficiency is poor. In particular, when the temperature exceeds the operating limit of the computer system, there is no other way than to stop the computer system immediately. In this case, the recorded data may be damaged. For example, in the case of a large computer system used in a nuclear power plant, even if the high temperature makes it difficult to continue the operation of the computer system in an emergency of a nuclear reactor, the computer system should be operated with emergency cooling until it is damaged. Is required.

[0004] In view of the above, it is an object of the present invention to continue operation without immediately causing a failure in a computer without stopping the operation by immediately turning off the main power supply of the computer when the temperature of the computer becomes high. It is an object of the present invention to provide a cooling device for a computer system, which has a high limit of immediate effect and a cooling function and high cooling efficiency.

[0005]

In order to achieve the above object, a cooling device for a computer system according to the present invention detects that the temperature inside a housing of a computer has exceeded a predetermined value and generates an overheat detection signal. A temperature detection unit for outputting, a cooling gas storage unit for storing the cooling gas, and a supply of the cooling gas from the cooling gas storage unit, and injecting the cooling gas in response to the overheat detection signal, thereby housing the computer. And a cooling gas injection unit for cooling the inside.

In the computer system cooling apparatus of the present invention, when the temperature inside the computer housing exceeds a predetermined value, the cooling gas can be injected immediately to cool the inside of the computer housing. In addition to solving the problems that occur, it is also possible to keep the temperature of the entire computer normal at all times, to increase the limit of the immediate effect and the cooling function, and to improve the cooling efficiency.

[0007] Preferably, a plurality of the temperature detecting units and the cooling gas injection units are provided so as to form a pair inside the housing of the computer. Further, preferably, a plurality of the cooling gas injection units are provided inside the housing, and the cooling gas is simultaneously injected from the plurality of cooling gas injection units when the temperature detection unit outputs the overheat detection signal. And a temperature control unit for controlling the temperature.

[0008]

The present invention will be described in more detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of a cooling device for a computer system according to the present invention,
FIG. 2 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the cooling device of FIG.

As shown in FIG. 1, a large-sized computer 10 as a so-called server includes a large number of electronic components (not shown) in a housing 10a, temperature detecting units 12 to 15 having temperature sensors, Cooling gas injection units 16 to 19 provided to form a pair with detection units 12 to 15, respectively.
Are provided at a position where the temperature of the entire computer can be controlled. Inside the housing 10a, furthermore, the temperature detectors 12 to 1 are provided.
A temperature control unit 11 for collectively managing the cooling gas injection unit 5 and the cooling gas injection units 16 to 19 is provided. Cooling gas injection unit 16 ~
Each of the 19 injection ports is positioned so that the cooling gas can be injected toward the pair of temperature detection units 12 to 15. The cooling gas injection unit 16 is provided outside the housing 10a.
To 19, a cooling gas tank (cooling gas storage unit) 20 connected to the piping so as to supply the cooling gas to each of them is provided.

The installation location of the temperature detectors 12 to 15 is not particularly limited, but the installation location of the cooling gas tank 20 is as described above in order to make it possible to supply the cooling gas even during operation of the computer 10. 10a.

The temperature detectors 12 to 15 are provided by the computer 1
The temperature inside the housing 10a of the “0” is detected, and the detected temperature is output to the temperature control unit 11. When one of the temperature detectors 12 to 15 detects that the temperature inside the housing 10a has reached a predetermined value or higher and outputs an overheat detection signal, the cooling gas injectors 16 to 19 have detected a high temperature. A cooling gas injection unit that forms a pair with the temperature detection unit injects cooling gas sucked from the cooling gas tank 20 inside the housing 10a based on a command from the temperature control unit 11 to cool the inside of the housing 10a. To a predetermined temperature or less. At this time, the cooling gas tank 20 supplies the cooling gas in an amount corresponding to a request from the temperature control unit 11 that requests a gas amount based on the number of temperature detecting units that have detected a high temperature.

Next, the control operation of the temperature control unit 11 of the cooling device will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

In the main routine starting with the label "start of processing", first, in step S1, the control waits for the input of an overheat detection signal for a predetermined time. And step S
2, the detection signals from the temperature detectors 12 to 15 are:
If it is determined that the signal is not an overheat detection signal but a normal signal notifying that the temperature inside the housing 10a is lower than the predetermined temperature, the process returns to step S1 and waits.

If it is determined in step S2 that an overheat detection signal has been input from one temperature detector and the temperature of a specific portion inside the housing 10a has reached a predetermined value or higher, the process proceeds to step S3, in which the cooling gas is detected. Cooling gas from the cooling gas tank 20 is sucked into the injection units 16 to 19, respectively. Then, in step S4, each of the cooling gas injection units 16 to 19
, The cooling gas is simultaneously injected into the inside of the housing 10a, and the process returns. As a result, the inside of the housing 10a of the computer 10 is rapidly cooled down to a predetermined temperature or lower.

In the above configuration, a plurality of cooling gas injection units can be provided for one temperature detection unit. Also, based on the overheat detection signal from one temperature detection unit,
It is also possible to configure so that the cooling gas is injected simultaneously from a plurality of cooling gas injection units.

Although the present invention has been described based on the preferred embodiment, the cooling device of the computer system of the present invention is not limited to the configuration of the above-described embodiment, but rather is limited to the above-described embodiment. The cooling device obtained by making various modifications and changes from the configuration described in the above is also included in the scope of the present invention.

[0017]

As described above, the cooling device for a computer system according to the present invention monitors the temperature inside the computer housing, and injects a cooling gas when the temperature of the computer housing becomes high, so that the inside of the computer housing is cooled. Can be individually and rapidly cooled, so that the operation can be continued without causing a failure in the computer immediately without stopping the operation by immediately turning off the main power supply of the computer when the temperature is high. Therefore, the present invention has a remarkable effect of providing a cooling device for a computer system which has a high limit of the immediate effect and the cooling function and has a high cooling efficiency.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of a cooling device for a computer system according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating a control operation of the cooling device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Computer 10a Housing 11 Temperature control part 12-15 Temperature detection part 16-19 Cooling gas injection part 20 Cooling gas tank (cooling gas storage part)

Claims (3)

[Claims] A temperature detecting unit that detects that the temperature inside the housing of the computer has become equal to or higher than a predetermined value and outputs an overheat detection signal; a cooling gas storage unit that stores a cooling gas; A cooling gas injection unit that receives a supply of cooling gas from the unit and injects the cooling gas in response to the overheat detection signal to cool the inside of the housing of the computer. 2. The cooling device for a computer system according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of the temperature detection units and the cooling gas injection units are provided so as to form a pair inside the housing of the computer. 3. A plurality of cooling gas injection units are provided inside a housing, and when the temperature detection unit outputs the overheat detection signal, cooling gas is simultaneously injected from the plurality of cooling gas injection units. The cooling device for a computer system according to claim 1, further comprising a temperature control unit that controls the temperature of the computer system.