Patent Publication Number: US-2012031125-A1

Title: Energy-saving system and container data center including the same

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     1. Technical Field 
     The present disclosure relates to an energy-saving system and a container data center including the energy-saving system. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     Keeping the temperature below 35 degrees Celsius (° C.) in a container data center helps electronic apparatuses therein work normally. To make a container data center comfortable for users, the temperature inside is always controlled between 18° C.-27° C. However, this temperature is still maintained even after the users have left the container data center. Therefore, the energy is being wasted. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Many aspects of the present embodiments can be better understood with reference to the following drawings. The components in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, the emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the present embodiments. Moreover, in the drawings, all the views are schematic, and like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views. 
         FIG. 1  is a block diagram of an exemplary embodiment of an energy-saving system. 
         FIG. 2  is an isometric view of an exemplary embodiment of a container data center including the energy-saving system of  FIG. 1 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The disclosure, including the accompanying drawings, is illustrated by way of examples and not by way of limitation. It should be noted that references to “an” or “one” embodiment in this disclosure are not necessarily to the same embodiment, and such references mean at least one. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , an exemplary embodiment of an energy-saving system  100  includes a first infrared emitter  10 , a first infrared receiver  20 , a second infrared emitter  30 , a second infrared receiver  40 , a controller  50 , an air conditioner  60 , a switch  70 , an alarm  80 , a number of lamps  92 , and a power source  94 . 
     The first and second infrared emitters  10  and  30  emit infrared signals. The first infrared receiver  20  receives the infrared signal of the first infrared emitter  10 . The second infrared receiver  40  receives the infrared signal of the second infrared emitter  30 . 
     The first infrared emitter  10  and the first infrared receiver  20  are mounted on an external surface of the frame of a door  210  of a container data center  200 . The second infrared emitter  30  and the second infrared receiver  40  are mounted substantially opposite on an internal surface of the frame of the door  210 . 
     The height on the door  210  of the infrared emitters  10  and  30 , and the infrared receivers  20  and  40  may range from about 120 centimeters (cm) to about 150 cm. When a user stands between the first infrared emitter  10  and the first infrared receiver  20  or between the second infrared emitter  30  and the second infrared receiver  40 , the first infrared receiver  20  or the second infrared receiver  40  cannot receive the corresponding infrared signal. 
     The first infrared receiver  20  sends out a detecting signal when the first infrared receiver  20  does not receive the infrared signal of the first infrared emitter  10 . The second infrared receiver  40  sends out a detecting signal when the second infrared receiver  40  does not receive the infrared signal of the second infrared emitter  30 . 
     The controller  50  is connected to the first infrared receiver  20 , the second infrared receiver  40 , the air conditioner  60 , and the alarm  80 . The controller  50  determines whether the user enters or exits from the container data center  200  through the door  210  according to the order of receiving the detecting signals of the infrared receivers  20  and  40 . For example, when the controller  50  receives the detecting signal of the first infrared receiver  20  before receiving the detecting signal of the second infrared receiver  40 , the controller  50  determines that the user enters the container data center  200 . 
     A first terminal of the switch  70  is connected to the power source  94 . A second terminal of the switch  70  is connected to the lamps  92 . A third terminal of the switch  70  is connected to the controller  50 . 
     The air conditioner  60 , the lamps  92 , and the power source  94  are mounted in the container data center  200 . The air conditioner  60  is used to cool the air in the container data center  200 . The power source  94  supplies power to the lamps  92 . 
     The alarm  80  is mounted on an outer surface of the container data center  200 . In the embodiment, the alarm  80  can emit red and green lights. 
     The user has to close the door  210  after entering or exiting from the container data center  200 , to prevent the cool air from escaping out of the container data center  200 . 
     When the user enters the container data center  200 , the user passes between the first infrared emitter  10  and the first infrared receiver  20  before passing through the second infrared emitter  30  and the second infrared receiver  40 . The controller  50  receives the detecting signal of the first infrared receiver  20  before receiving the detecting signal of the second infrared receiver  40 . The controller  50  determines that a user has entered the container data center  200 . 
     The controller  50  controls the air conditioner  60  to adjust the temperature to range from about 18° degrees Celsius (° C.) to about 27° C., and controls the alarm  80  to emit red light. At the same time, the controller  50  controls the switch  70  to connect the power source  94  to the lamps  92  to turn on the lamps  92  if the lamps were off. 
     When the user exits from the container data center  200 , the user passes between the second infrared emitter  30  and the second infrared receiver  40  before passing between the first infrared emitter  10  and the first infrared receiver  20 . The controller  50  receives the detecting signal of the second infrared receiver  40  before receiving the detecting signal of the first infrared receiver  20 . The controller  50  determines that the user has exited from the container data center  200 . 
     The controller  50  controls the air conditioner  60  to adjust the temperature to a range from about 27° C. to about 35° C., and controls the alarm  80  to emit green light. At the same time, the controller  50  controls the switch  70  to disconnect the power source  94  from the lamps  92  to turn off the lamps  92 . 
     In other embodiments, the alarm  80  is a buzzer. The buzzer buzzes when the user enters the container data center  200 . 
     The foregoing description of the exemplary embodiments of the disclosure has been presented only for the purposes of illustration and description and is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the disclosure to the precise forms disclosed. Many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above everything. The embodiments were chosen and described in order to explain the principles of the disclosure and their practical application so as to enable others of ordinary skill in the art to utilize the disclosure and various embodiments and with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. Alternative embodiments will become apparent to those of ordinary skills in the art to which the present disclosure pertains without departing from its spirit and scope. Accordingly, the scope of the present disclosure is defined by the appended claims rather than the foregoing description and the exemplary embodiments described therein.