Constant temperature CRAC control algorithm

Abstract

A method of cooling including providing a fluid flow at a predetermined temperature, and adjusting at least one cooling parameter of at least one cooling device to maintain the predetermined temperature of the fluid flow when a desired mass flow of the fluid flow changes. A cooling system and further embodiments are also disclosed.

1 . A method of cooling, the method comprising acts of:
 A) providing a fluid flow at a predetermined temperature; and   B) adjusting at least one cooling parameter of at least one cooling device to maintain the predetermined temperature of the fluid flow when a desired mass flow of the fluid flow changes.   
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein maintaining the predetermined temperature comprises limiting an amount of change in a current output temperature of the fluid flow. 
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the amount of change is limited to two degrees Fahrenheit per minute and five degrees Fahrenheit per hour from the predetermined temperature. 
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the fluid flow includes an air flow. 
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one cooling parameter includes at least one speed of a compressor of the at least one cooling device. 
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the at least one speed of the compressor corresponds to a cooling capacity of the at least one cooling device. 
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising an act of C) changing the mass flow of the fluid flow, based on at least one representation of the desired mass flow of the fluid flow. 
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 7 , further comprising an act of D) receiving the at least one representation of the desired mass flow of the fluid flow. 
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the act A comprises providing the fluid flow to at least one piece of electronic equipment. 
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the at least one piece of electronic equipment is stored in at least one rack, and the act A includes providing the fluid flow to the at least one rack. 
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the desired mass flow of the fluid flow is greater than a second mass flow of the fluid flow taken in by the at least one rack. 
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the desired mass flow of the fluid flow is at least as great as a second mass flow of the fluid flow taken in by the at least one rack. 
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the act A comprises providing the fluid flow to a data center room in which the at least one rack is disposed. 
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 7 , further comprising an act of D) measuring at least one physical characteristic on which the at least one representation of the desired mass flow of the fluid flow is based. 
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the at least one physical characteristic includes at least one mass flow of the fluid flow taken in by at least one housing of an object. 
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the act C comprises changing at least one fan speed of the at least one cooling device based, at least in part, on the at least one representation of the desired mass flow of the fluid flow. 
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the act C comprises changing the at least one fan speed of the at least one cooling device based, at least in part, on a mapping of fan speed to output mass flow of fluid. 
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the act B comprises adjusting the at least one cooling parameter based on at least one stored value indicating at least one cooling parameter value. 
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the at least one stored value indicates at least one cooling parameter value corresponding to at least one of a desired cooling capacity of the at least one cooling device. 
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising acts of:
 C) monitoring at least one cooling condition; and   D) adjusting the at least one cooling parameter based on a change in the at least one cooling condition to maintain the desired mass flow of the fluid flow and the predetermined temperature.   
   
   
       21 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the at least one cooling condition includes at least one of a current mass flow of fluid to current cooling capacity ratio, a pressure loss, a temperature, and a temperature change. 
   
   
       22 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the act D includes adjusting the at least one cooling parameter to avoid spikes in the mass flow of the fluid and a current output temperature of the fluid. 
   
   
       23 . A system for providing a fluid flow at a predetermined temperature, the system comprising:
 a cooling element configured to cool the fluid flow;   a fluid moving element configured to provide the fluid flow; and   a controller configured to control at least one parameter of at least one of the cooling element and the fluid moving element to maintain the fluid flow at the predetermined temperature and at a desired mass flow of the fluid.   
   
   
       24 . The system of  claim 23 , wherein to maintain the fluid flow at the predetermined temperature, the controller is configured to limit an amount of changing in a current output temperature of the fluid flow. 
   
   
       25 . The system of  claim 24 , wherein the amount of change is less than two degrees Fahrenheit per minute and five degrees Fahrenheit per hour. 
   
   
       26 . The system of  claim 23 , wherein the fluid flow includes an air flow. 
   
   
       27 . The system of  claim 23 , wherein the cooling element includes at least one compressor, and the at least one cooling parameter includes at least one speed of the compressor. 
   
   
       28 . The system of  claim 23 , wherein the controller is configured to receive at least one indication of the desired mass flow of the fluid. 
   
   
       29 . The system of  claim 28 , wherein the fluid moving element is configured to provide the fluid flow to at least one piece of electronic equipment. 
   
   
       30 . The system of  claim 29 , wherein the at least one piece of electronic equipment is stored in at least one rack. 
   
   
       31 . The system of  claim 30 , wherein the desired mass flow of the fluid is greater than a mass flow range of a second mass flow of the fluid taken in by the at least one rack. 
   
   
       32 . The system of  claim 30 , wherein the desired mass flow of the fluid is at least as great as a second mass flow of the fluid taken in by the at least one rack. 
   
   
       33 . The system of  claim 30 , wherein the fluid moving element is configured to provide the fluid flow to a data center room in which the at least one rack is disposed. 
   
   
       34 . The system of  claim 28 , further comprising a sensor configured to measure at least one physical characteristic and transmit a representation of the at least one physical characteristic to the controller, and wherein the at least one indication of the desired mass flow includes the representation. 
   
   
       35 . The system of  claim 34 , wherein the at least one physical characteristic include at least one volume of the fluid flow taken in by at least one housing of at least one object. 
   
   
       36 . The system of  claim 35 , wherein the at least one object includes at least one piece of electronic equipment and the housing includes at least one rack. 
   
   
       37 . The system of  claim 23 , wherein the fluid moving element includes at least one fan. 
   
   
       38 . The system of  claim 23 , wherein the controller is configured to control the at least one parameter of the cooling element based on at least one stored value indicating at least one parameter value. 
   
   
       39 . The system of  claim 38 , wherein the at least stored value indicates the at least one parameter value corresponding to at least one available cooling capacity of the cooling element. 
   
   
       40 . The system of  claim 23 , wherein the controller is configured to control the at least one parameter of the fluid moving element based on at least one stored value indicating at least one parameter value. 
   
   
       41 . The system of  claim 40 , wherein the at least stored value indicates the at least one parameter value corresponding to at least one available mass flow of fluid from the fluid moving element. 
   
   
       42 . The system of  claim 23 , wherein the controller is further configured to adjust at least one of the at least one parameter of the cooling element and the at least one parameter of the fluid moving element based on at least one monitored cooling condition to maintain the predetermined temperature and provide the desired mass flow of the fluid. 
   
   
       43 . The system of  claim 42 , wherein the at least one cooling condition includes at least one of a current mass flow of fluid to current cooling capacity ratio, a pressure loss, a temperature, and a temperature change. 
   
   
       44 . The system of  claim 42 , wherein the controller is configured to adjust the at least one of at least one parameter of the cooling element and the at least one parameter of the fluid moving element based on the at least one monitored cooling condition to maintain the predetermined temperature and provide the desired mass flow of the fluid without temperature and mass flow of fluid spikes. 
   
   
       45 . The system of  claim 42 , further comprising at least one sensor configured to measure the at least one cooling condition and transmit a representation of the cooling condition to the controller. 
   
   
       46 . A method of cooling at least one equipment rack with a fluid flow, the method comprising:
 generating at least one first stored value indicating at least one first cooling parameter value for a cooling device configured to generate the fluid flow;   providing the fluid flow from the cooling device at a first predetermined temperature and a first output mass flow of the fluid flow;   measuring a change in an intake mass flow to the at least one equipment rack;   determining a first chosen cooling parameter value from the at least one first stored value, wherein the cooling device using the first chosen cooling parameter value generates a second mass flow of the fluid flow that is closer to the intake mass flow than the first mass flow of the fluid flow;   generating at least one second stored value indicating at least one second cooling parameter value for the cooling device;   determining a second chosen cooling parameter value from the at least one second stored value, wherein the cooling device using the second chosen cooling parameter value and the first chosen cooling parameter value maintains the predetermined temperature of the fluid flow and the second mass flow of the fluid flow; and   adjusting the cooling device to use the first and second chosen cooling parameter values.   
   
   
       47 . The method of  claim 46 , further comprising:
 monitoring at least one physical characteristic; and   adjusting at least one of the first and second cooling parameter values, based, at least in part, on the monitored physical characteristic so that the cooling device generates a third mass flow of the fluid flow that is closer to the intake mass flow than the second mass flow of fluid.   
   
   
       48 . The method of  claim 46 , wherein maintaining the predetermined temperature includes limiting an amount of change in a current temperature of the fluid flow. 
   
   
       49 . The method of  claim 48 , wherein the amount of change includes a change of two degrees Fahrenheit per minute and five degrees Fahrenheit per hour. 
   
   
       50 . The method of  claim 46 , wherein the fluid flow includes an air flow. 
   
   
       51 . The method of  claim 46 , wherein the first cooling parameter includes a fan speed and the second cooling parameter includes a compressor speed.