WO2008110023A1

WO2008110023A1 - Method and device for heat removal at computer workstations

Info

Publication number: WO2008110023A1
Application number: PCT/CH2008/000092
Authority: WO
Inventors: Max Aeberhard
Original assignee: Ul Tech Ag
Priority date: 2007-03-09
Filing date: 2008-03-07
Publication date: 2008-09-18
Also published as: EP2135495A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a method and device for heat removal at computer workstations (1), providing cooling devices (17) with heat exchangers (19) and fans (21) disposed therebelow for cooling the thermal load of computers. The air is circulated in a closed circuit by guiding means such that no or a minimum amount of air is exchanged with the surrounding area.

Description

Method and apparatus for dissipating heat at computer workstations

The invention relates to a method and a device for dissipating heat in computer workstations according to the features of patent claims 1 and 3.

Computer workstations such as e.g. Stock exchanges typically include multiple computers and screens. The heat load of the electronic devices may e.g. be discharged by fans in the devices to the environment or to the room air and then be discharged through an associated with the building infrastructure air conditioning again from the respective rooms. Air conditioning systems that are designed for such high heat loads are oversized and expensive. In addition, unpleasant strong air currents must be expected, which can lead to health problems.

It is known to equip computer workstations with integrated cooling devices in order to prevent the overloading of a building-side air conditioning system. For example, Technology Desking in London proposes the computers of two opposing workstations in the middle area between these jobs to be arranged below the associated work tables. The computers are each arranged on an extract at each of the workstations, wherein the front panel is provided with ventilation openings. Above the computer, a water-cooled heat exchanger and a fan arranged above it are formed in an essay towering above the worktables. The fan draws in room air through the ventilation openings in the extraction panel. Due to the thermal load of the computer, this air heats up and then passes through the heat exchanger. There, the air releases heat to the cooling water and is then blown away upwards into the room. The arrangement is thus similar to a fireplace with built-in heat exchanger and fan.

The proposed solution produces unpleasant drafts in persons not to be underestimated. As a result of the drafts, dust is also whirled up, which can have a negative effect on allergic persons in particular. In the area of the ventilation openings, through which the air is sucked in, filters must be formed, which prevent the penetration of dust and dirt. Maintenance of these filters causes additional costs. Furthermore, the state of the cooled air blown from the cooling device into the room, in particular, its temperature, not the state of the room air Voted . The cooling device or its efficiency is thus not optimized.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus and method for efficiently dissipating heat at computer workstations, wherein airflows generated by the apparatus in space are small or do not occur as compared to conventional solutions.

This object is achieved by a device and a method for dissipating heat in computer workstations according to the features of patent claims 1 and 3. Advantageous embodiments are specified in the subclaims.

With the method according to the invention and the device according to the invention, the delivery of at least part of the heat load of technical equipment of a computer workstation - e.g. of the

Heat load of several computers of a stock exchange workstation - to prevent the environment or the space in which the computer workstation is located. This is achieved by keeping the air at least partially in a closed circuit to cool the load at the workplace. Another advantage is the low noise emission compared to conventional solutions.

Based on some figures, the invention will be described in more detail below. Show

1 shows a detail of an arrangement of

Computer workstations for stock exchange trading according to the prior art, Figure 2 is an exploded view of parts of a

Arrangement of computer workstations according to

Prior art, Figure 3 is a cross section of a

Figure 2 is a plan view of a double workstation, Figure 5 is a housing or a hood for mounting the cooling device at the computer workstation, Figure 6 is a longitudinal section through a channel with a cooling device.

FIG. 1 shows a view of computer workstations 1 according to the prior art. In particular, in the case of trading areas of stock exchanges, a plurality of units of computer workstations 1, which are arranged opposite each other in pairs, are arranged in a row, as can be seen from FIG. Behind a table top 3 are several screens 5 on a table top. 3 superior support device 7 held. In the work stations 1 located opposite one another, a cover 9 on each side below the respective tabletop 3 borders the foot region from an equipment room 11 arranged behind it. This equipment room 11 is visible in Figure 2, where parts of the computer workstations 1 are shown schematically as an exploded view. On the left side of each workstation 1 is below the table top 3 an extract 13 for receiving computers 14 (Figure 3) and / or other technical devices formed. The front side 15 of the drawer 13 comprises ventilation openings and is arranged flush with the cover 9 when the drawer 13 is closed. Above the equipment room 11, a cooling device 17 with a heat exchanger 19 and a ventilator 21 arranged above it is formed within a frame 16. As fan 21 is an elongated radial fan with both sides each have an inlet opening 23 for sucking air, which serves as a first medium for dissipating the waste heat used. Due to the suction effect of the fan 21 room air enters through the ventilation openings in the front 15 of the drawer 13 in the equipment room 11, there is heated by the heat load of the computer 14 and the technical equipment, then passes through the heat exchanger 19, there is heat to a second medium (a flowed through by cold water and thus cooled tube coil) and is then by a top of the fan 21st attached outlet opening 25 upwards and blown by a resting on the frame 16 of the cooling device 17 exhaust grille 26 in the environment or the room.

In a workplace 1 with the inventive

Apparatus for cooling or dissipating the heat generated by computers 14 or other equipment in the equipment room 11, the air cooled by a finned heat exchanger or generally from the heat exchanger 19 or the first medium is not simply blown into the room, but at least partially by Leit- or Guidance means returned to the heat source or returned. Such guidance or guidance means may e.g. Channels, tubes, flex tubes, baffles and the like include. Figure 3 shows schematically an exemplary embodiment of the inventive device and its operation. One or more computers 14 are disposed behind the front 15 on the extension 13 in the equipment room 11. In order to dissipate the waste heat generated by the computers 14, designed as a cross-flow fan fan 21 promotes cooled air from the heat exchanger 19 to the front or operating side of the computer 14. The air flow is guided in the region of the heat exchanger 19 by a plate divider 27, which is vertical to the slats a lamella packet 29 is arranged. Within the

Lamella packages 29, the slats separation plate 27, the air flow U-shaped. The slat dividing plate 27 protrudes below at the disk set 29 and there leads the air flow generated by the fan 21 so that the rear exiting the computers 14 heated air enters the heat exchanger 19 and the output side of the heat exchanger 19 exiting cooled air is directed to the front of the computer 14. In addition, further curved or straight air baffles 31 or corresponding other means may be provided to guide the flow of air from the exhaust side of the heat source to the entrance of the heat exchanger 19 and from the outlet to the supply air side of the heat source. In particular, the enclosure 11 enclosing enclosure or parts thereof, such as the cover 9, the front panel 15 of the drawer 13 or between the table tops 3 and a heat exchanger 19 covering tunnel-like hood 33 arranged wells or channels 35 as a guide or guide means for to serve the airflow. The entire cooling system is thus located in a closed enclosure. In principle, the cooling device 17 could also be arranged at another location separated from the equipment room 11, the air exchange then taking place in a closed circuit via connecting pipes between the cooling device 17 and the heat sources. The device according to the invention makes it possible to cool the heat generated by the computers 14 in a closed circuit of the first medium (air) without any air exchange with the environment taking place. Accordingly, for example, in the front 15 of the drawer 13 no air inlet openings and in the hood 33 on the heat exchanger 19 no air outlet openings required. Of course, it would also be possible to provide at these locations only small openings or partially permeable covers to allow a minimum exchange of air with the environment.

With such a closed circuit, the temperature may be in the interior of the enclosed space in which the computer or heat sources are at a different level (such as max. 40 ⁰ C) are held as the temperature in the surrounding office space (eg 22 ° C) , When cooling can thus be used a larger temperature difference. The efficiency of the cooling device 17 is significantly increased.

In workplaces 1 with double tables or tables 3 opposite each other, the computers 14 are arranged, as can be seen in the plan view in FIG. 4, on the left side in each case. The warm exhaust air of the computer 14 is blown by axial fans (represented by propeller symbols with arrows) at the rear in the equipment room 11 enclosed by a housing 37. The circulation of air inside the enclosure 37 is opposite on the left side and the right side. For cooling the air therefore a special composite heat exchanger with two diagonally interconnected heat exchangers 19 is used, as in Figure 4 is symbolically represented by the crossing connecting lines 20 between the two heat exchangers 19. Alternatively, the air circulation of the two heat exchangers 19 may also be rectified when the exhaust air and supply air flows from and to

Heat exchanger 19 with suitable guide means (e.g., flexible tubes) is led crosswise to the other side of the computers 14. In this case, the cooling device 17 includes only a heat exchanger 19 and a fan 21 (not shown).

The heat exchanger 19 or the composite heat exchanger is constructed with optimized countercurrent circuit, so that the temperature change of the first medium is at its maximum cooling and the mass flows can be reduced for energy-efficient operation. The cold water temperature is at least 16 ° C and the or the heat exchanger 19 operate condensate-free.

Figure 5 shows schematically a cross section in the region of the hood 33 and the housing for the cooling device 17. The housing comprises a main channel which extends over the entire width of the table and outside rests on brackets 36 of the table. There, the housing can be attached to the table construction. The side walls 39 of the channel as well as a lid 41 attached thereto and held in a force-locking or positive-locking manner can be provided with a thermally and / or acoustically insulating material, such as z. B. Armaflex be lined. In the boundary region between the side walls 39 and the lid 41 magnetic seals may be provided.

The heat exchangers 19 are installed in this channel by the front end plates 43 (Figure 6), which serve the partitioning of the disk packs 29 and at the edge of a 90 ° bent, arranged parallel to the side walls 39 strips, with the side walls 39 of the channel be screwed. In Figure 6, the connecting lines 45, 47 for the supply of cold water (flow) and for the derivation of the heated water in the heat exchanger 19 (return) are shown. These may e.g. by means of quick couplings to hoses connected to corresponding lines of the building infrastructure. In the

Return line 47, a thermostatic control valve 49 may be installed, which regulates the water return temperature to about 26 ° C. The valve 49 has a minimum flow setting. The supply line is fed via a pump with water of at least 16 ⁰ C (not shown). In the channel, an electronic controller 51 may be formed outside the heat exchanger 19, which may include, for example, a feed for the fan or 21. Via a bus (not shown) or other connections, operation and failure of the cooling devices 17 can be controlled and monitored by a central controller (not shown). there In particular, the intake temperature of the air can be monitored and the second fan 21 switched on when exceeding 32 ⁰ C. For controlling and / or regulating the cooling device 17, additionally or alternatively, various parameters such as

Flow temperature and / or return temperature of the water in the cooling circuit, its flow rate, the rotational speeds of the fan 21, the air quantities conveyed by fans 21 and the like, e.g. be detected by appropriate sensors. Generally speaking, the cooling power requirement is controlled by influencing the flow rates of the first medium (air) and the second medium (water) from the controller 51 or from a central controller.

The entire cooling device 17 may be constructed in a modular manner. The fan module, which includes the fans 21 or the cross-flow fans and air baffles, is arranged in the channel directly below the heat exchanger module 19. Preferably, the drives 22 (Figure 5) of the fan 21 are in the cooled area behind the air outlet opening to the heat exchanger 19. Because the fans 21 are arranged below the heat exchanger 19, the noise in the room is low.

Claims

claims

A method of removing heat at a computer workstation (1) in a room, wherein at least a portion of the waste heat delivered by at least one computer (14) or other thermal load to a gaseous first medium is exchanged by means of a heat exchanger (19) (23) and an outlet opening (25) for the first medium is transferred to a second medium and discharged through this, wherein the first medium by means of at least one air (21) through the heat exchanger (19) is required, characterized in that at least one Part of the at the outlet opening (25) emerging first medium for at least one

Computer (14) or returned to the thermal load.

2. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the return temperature is regulated to a predeterminable or adjustable value.

3. A device for carrying out the method ACCORDANCE one of claims 1 to 2, characterized in that return means for returning at least a portion of the exit opening of the heat exchanger (19) emerging first medium to at least one computer (14) or to the other thermal load are formed.

4. Apparatus according to claim 3, characterized in that the return means are part of a closed circuit for the circulation of the first medium.

5. Device according to one of claims 3 or 4, characterized in that the at least one computer (14) or the thermal load, the heat exchanger (19) and the fan (21) are enclosed by a housing, and that the return means at least one Part of this housing include.

6. Device according to one of claims 3 to 5, characterized in that two or more heat exchangers (19) are each connected diagonally with each other.

7. Device according to one of claims 3 to 6, characterized in that the one or more fans (21) below the or the heat exchanger (19) are arranged.

8. Device according to one of claims 3 to 7, characterized in that the one or more heat exchangers (19) are sealed off by end plates 43 within the channel against each other.