Patent Description:
With rapid development of the ICT (Information and Communication Technology, information and communications technology) industry, a quantity and a scale of data centers are also rapidly increasing, and total energy consumption of the data center is also increasingly higher. An air conditioning system accounts for more than <NUM>% of the total energy consumption. Power of a refrigerant pump is far less than power of a compressor. Therefore, in a compression-type refrigeration cycle system, during the winter or when outdoor temperature is low, the refrigerant pump replaces the compressor to transfer low-temperature refrigerant to cool down indoor hot air, so that system energy consumption can be effectively reduced and an energy saving effect is noticeable.

A prerequisite for stable working of the refrigerant pump is that no cavitation occurs. In actual application, a state of refrigerant that arrives at an inlet of the refrigerant pump after passing through a condenser and a liquid receiver is very unstable. When pressure and the temperature fluctuate, the refrigerant at the inlet of the refrigerant pump easily evaporates or flashes to a gaseous state, cavitation occurs in the refrigerant pump, and consequently a system is shut down or the refrigerant pump is faulty.

Therefore, avoiding cavitation is a key to reliable use of the refrigerant pump in the cooling system.

<CIT> discloses improved centrifugal pumps. In one aspect, it relates to improvements in centrifugal pumps which are particularly useful in handling liquids under low head at the suction of the pump, such as liquids at temperatures substantially at their boiling points at pressures existing at the inlet of the pump; and in another aspect, it relates to improved pumping systems particularly useful in handling liquid refrigerants and liquid absorbents in absorption-refrigeration systems. <CIT> discloses liquid pump and a Rankine cycle device including the liquid pump. <CIT> discloses a kind of refrigeration system, more particularly to a kind of energy-saving refrigeration applied to data center system.

Embodiments of this application provide a refrigerant pump and a data center cooling system, to resolve a problem of cavitation at an inlet of the refrigerant pump. Embodiments not falling within the scope of the claims are for illustrative purposes.

According to a first aspect, an embodiment of this application provides a refrigerant pump, including a housing and a pump body. The housing is provided with a liquid inlet and a liquid outlet. The housing has a hollow structure. The liquid inlet and the liquid outlet are opening structures on the housing that communicate space inside the housing with the outside of the housing. The housing includes first space and second space that are disposed side by side and that are isolated from each other. Specifically, space in the housing is separated into the first space and the second space by using a built-in partition plate. The liquid inlet communicates with the first space, and the liquid outlet communicates with the second space. The pump body includes a pump head and a motor. The pump head is located at the bottom of the first space in a gravity direction. The motor is located in the second space (a specific position of the motor is not limited in this application, where the motor may be located in the second space, may be located in the first space, or may be located outside the housing, provided that the motor can drive the pump head to work). The pump body is configured to transfer refrigerant in the first space to the second space. The first space is configured to store refrigerant of a cooling system. The liquid inlet is configured to be directly connected to a condenser of the cooling system by using a pipeline. No liquid receiver is additionally disposed between the liquid inlet and the condenser.

In this application, the first space is designed as liquid storage space, that is, refrigerant other than refrigerant required for current normal working of the data center cooling system is stored in the first space. Because a pump inlet is located at the bottom of the first space in the gravity direction, the liquid refrigerant may directly flow into the pump inlet, and no cavitation occurs. The refrigerant pump provided in this application has an advantage of high reliability. The refrigerant pump also has a function of a liquid receiver. No liquid receiver needs to be separately disposed in the system, so that the cooling system is more simplified, has a lower cost, and occupies less space. In this application, pipeline configuration of the data center cooling system can also be optimized when the pump body of the refrigerant pump can be protected.

Specifically, the pump body may be a gear pump, a centrifugal pump, a diaphragm pump, or another type of pump.

In a possible implementation, the first space and the second space are arranged from top to bottom in the gravity direction. Specifically, the partition plate is horizontally placed, that is, a plane on which the partition plate is located is approximately in a direction of a horizontal plane. A periphery of the partition plate is connected to a side wall of the housing. A top wall and a bottom wall of the housing are distributed on two opposite sides (which may be understood as an upper side and a lower side in the gravity direction) of the partition plate. The first space is between the top wall and the partition plate, and the second space is between the partition plate and the bottom wall. In this implementation, the first space and the second space are distributed from top to bottom in the gravity direction, so that when the pump head is disposed at any position on the partition plate, the pump head can be located at the bottom of the first space in the gravity direction. Therefore, a degree of freedom in structural design is high, thereby further helping avoid cavitation at an inlet position of the pump head.

In a possible implementation, the housing includes a top wall and a bottom wall that are arranged from top to bottom in the gravity direction. Both the first space and the second space are formed between the top wall and the bottom wall. A part of the bottom wall is located at the bottom of the first space, and a part of the bottom wall is located at the bottom of the second space. In this implementation, that the first space and the second space are disposed side by side in a horizontal direction may be understood as follows: The partition plate is disposed vertically, that is, a plane on which the partition plate is located is approximately perpendicular to a direction of a horizontal plane, so that the first space and the second space are respectively on left and right sides of the partition plate. A top edge of the partition plate is connected to the top wall of the housing, and a bottom edge of the partition plate is connected to the bottom of the housing. In this implementation, the pump head is installed at a position that is on the partition plate and that is close to the bottom wall.

In a possible implementation, the refrigerant pump further includes a one-way valve, the one-way valve and the pump head are disposed in parallel between the first space and the second space, and the one-way valve is located at the bottom of the first space in the gravity direction. In this implementation, the one-way valve is added between the first space and the second space, so that the one-way valve can implement flow of refrigerant from the first space to the second space. The one-way valve forms a branch in parallel with the pump head. When the pump head works, the refrigeration liquid in the first space may flow to the second space by using the pump head. When the pump head does not work, pressure of the first space is greater than pressure of the second space, and the one-way valve is opened, so that the refrigerant flows from the first space to the second space, and the refrigerant entering the second space flows out through the liquid outlet of the housing.

In a possible implementation, the refrigerant pump further includes a liquid level sensor, and the liquid level sensor is located in the first space. The liquid level sensor is configured to detect a position of a liquid level of the refrigerant in the first space. The liquid level sensor is electrically connected to a control center located outside the housing, to transmit liquid level position information to the control center. When the liquid level is lower than a preset value, the pump head has a risk of cavitation, and the control center controls the pump head to stop working, or generates an alarm to prompt work personnel to supplement the refrigerant. A horizontal plane on which the inlet of the pump head is located may be used as a reference for the preset value herein, and the preset value may be the horizontal plane on which the inlet of the pump head is located, or may be higher than the horizontal plane on which the inlet of the pump head is located. In this application, the liquid level sensor is disposed in the first space, so that a state of refrigerant at the inlet position of the pump body can be monitored in real time, thereby facilitating development, testing, and alarm protection during running.

The liquid level sensor may be of a plurality of types such as a float type or a solenoid valve type.

In a possible implementation, a horizontal plane on which the liquid level sensor is located is higher than the horizontal plane on which the inlet position of the pump head is located. The liquid level sensor is disposed at a position higher than the inlet position of the pump head, so that it can be ensured that there is sufficient refrigerant at the inlet position of the pump head, and a risk of cavitation is avoided. In addition, the liquid level sensor can also detect whether a liquid storage amount in the first space meets a pipeline cycle amount of the cooling system.

In a possible implementation, the refrigerant pump further includes a first electrical connector disposed on the housing, the first electrical connector is electrically connected to the liquid level sensor, and the first electrical connector may be electrically connected to the control center by using a cable, so that the liquid level sensor transmits a signal to the control center.

In a possible implementation, the refrigerant pump further includes a filter, and the filter is located in the first space, and is located between the liquid inlet and the pump head. The filter is configured to filter out refrigerant impurities. The filter may be installed on a periphery of the pump head, and mask the pump head. For example, the pump head is installed on the partition plate inside the housing. Alternatively, the filter may be installed on the partition plate, the filter and the partition plate enclose enclosed space, and the pump head is in the enclosed space. A size of the filter of this architecture is relatively small, provided that the pump head can be masked. In another implementation, the filter may have a mesh structure of a relatively large size. For example, the filter is combined with an inner wall of the housing. The filter separates the first space into two parts. The pump head is located on one side of the filter, and the liquid inlet on the housing is located on the other side of the filter. The filter may be located below the liquid level, or may be located above the liquid level, provided that the refrigerant flowing into the first space through the liquid inlet can pass through the filter.

In a possible implementation, the liquid storage amount in the first space is greater than or equal to <NUM> liters. The liquid storage amount in the first space is specifically limited, so that "the amount of refrigerant stored in the first space is a liquid storage amount used for the entire cooling system" can be clearly limited, and the liquid storage amount in the first space is far greater than an amount of refrigerant included in the refrigerant pump that is generally configured to transfer only the refrigerant.

In a possible implementation, the housing of the refrigerant pump further includes a branch opening. The branch opening communicates the first space with the outside of the housing. The branch opening may be located at (but is not limited to) the bottom of the first space in the gravity direction. The branch opening is configured to be connected to a one-way valve branch. In this implementation, no one-way valve is disposed in the housing, and the one-way valve branch is disposed outside the housing. However, the refrigeration liquid of the cooling system first flows into the first space, and then selectively flows to the pump head or the one-way valve branch. That is, the one-way valve branch and the pump body are connected in parallel between the first space and an evaporator.

In a possible implementation, the refrigerant pump further includes a motor configured to drive the pump head, and the motor is disposed in the second space. The second space and the first space are isolated from each other by using the partition plate, the first space is configured to store refrigerant, there is a relatively large amount of refrigerant in the first space, and temperature of a storage environment of the refrigerant needs to be kept stable and appropriate. Therefore, in this implementation, a position for placing the motor is specially designed to be isolated from the refrigerant, to prevent the temperature of the storage environment of the refrigerant from being affected by heat generated when the motor works. If the motor is placed in the first space, the motor is directly immersed in the refrigerant. When the motor works to generate heat, the refrigerant is directly heated, and consequently the refrigerant may vaporize. The second space is only a path through which the refrigerant flows, and does not need to store the refrigerant. The refrigerant entering the second space is output through the liquid outlet at the same time.

According to a second aspect, this application provides a data center cooling system, including a condenser, an evaporator, and a refrigerant pump connected between the condenser and the evaporator, where refrigerant of the data center cooling system includes working refrigerant and storage refrigerant, the working refrigerant is in a cycle pipeline of the data center cooling system, and the storage refrigerant is stored in first space of the refrigerant pump. In the data center cooling system provided in this application, no liquid receiver needs to be disposed. When the refrigerant pump according to the first aspect is configured to transfer refrigerant, the refrigerant pump may further store refrigerant, so that not only a problem of cavitation of the refrigerant pump is resolved, but also an overall architecture of the cooling system is simplified, and less space is occupied.

According to a third aspect, which is according to the present invention, this application provides a data center cooling system, including a refrigerant pump connected between a condenser and an evaporator, where the refrigerant pump includes a housing, a partition plate, and a pump head, the housing is provided with a liquid inlet and a liquid outlet, the partition plate is disposed inside the housing, the partition plate and the housing jointly form first space and second space that are disposed side by side and that are isolated from each other, the liquid inlet communicates with the first space, the liquid outlet communicates with the second space, the pump head is connected to the partition plate and is located at the bottom of the first space in a gravity direction, the pump head is configured to transfer refrigerant in the first space to the second space, the liquid inlet is directly connected to the condenser by using a pipeline, and the first space is configured to store refrigerant of the data center cooling system, so that no liquid receiver is additionally disposed in the data center cooling system.

A beneficial effect of the data center cooling system according to the third aspect is the same as that in the second aspect, and details are not described again.

A one-way valve is disposed on the partition plate, the one-way valve and the pump head are disposed in parallel between the first space and the second space, and the one-way valve is located at the bottom of the first space in the gravity direction.

In this implementation, both the one-way valve and the pump head are installed on the partition plate, so that structural configuration inside the housing of the refrigerant pump is simplified and proper, and a cost of the refrigerant pump is reduced. In addition, no parallel branch needs to be added outside the refrigerant pump, so that a structure of the data center cooling system is also simplified.

In a possible implementation, the refrigerant pump further includes a filter, and the filter is connected to the partition plate and masks the pump head. The filter is fastened to the partition plate, so that the partition plate becomes an installation carrier in the refrigerant pump, and bears most of components, including the pump head, the one-way valve, and the filter. This configuration enables the refrigerant pump to have a simple structure and be easy to assemble.

In a possible implementation, the refrigerant pump further includes a liquid level sensor, and the liquid level sensor is located in the first space.

In a possible implementation, the liquid level sensor is located inside mask space of the filter, and is located at an inlet position of the pump head. In this implementation, the liquid level sensor is combined inside the mask space of the filter, so that refrigerant around the liquid level sensor is filtered refrigerant, and has good purity, thereby helping ensure a service life of the liquid level sensor.

In a possible implementation, the liquid level sensor is located outside mask space of the filter, and is close to the filter. The liquid level sensor is disposed outside the mask space of the filter, so that both installation and fastening of the liquid level sensor are convenient.

In a possible implementation, the refrigerant pump further includes a motor configured to drive the pump head, and the motor is disposed in the second space.

In a possible implementation, the data center cooling system further includes a compressor and a bypass. The compressor and the bypass are connected in parallel between the condenser and the evaporator. The condenser, the pump head of the refrigerant pump, the evaporator, and the bypass jointly constitute a first cycle path. The condenser, the one-way valve of the refrigerant pump, the evaporator, and the compressor jointly constitute a second cycle path.

The following describes the embodiments of the present application with reference to accompanying drawings.

<FIG> is a schematic diagram of a data center cooling system according to an implementation of this application. The data center cooling system includes a condenser <NUM>, an evaporator <NUM>, a compressor <NUM>, a bypass <NUM>, an expansion valve <NUM>, and a refrigerant pump <NUM>. The compressor <NUM> and the bypass <NUM> are connected in parallel between the condenser <NUM> and the evaporator <NUM> by using a pipeline, and the bypass <NUM> includes a one-way valve <NUM>. The refrigerant pump <NUM> is also connected between the condenser <NUM> and the evaporator <NUM>. When ambient temperature is low, the cooling system can implement heat dissipation without compressing by the compressor <NUM>. In this case, the refrigerant pump <NUM> provides power to save energy. In this implementation, two branches connected in parallel are disposed in the refrigerant pump <NUM>, and are respectively a pump body branch and a one-way valve branch. A pump body includes a pump head <NUM> and a motor. The pump head <NUM> and a one-way valve <NUM> are disposed in parallel. A refrigerant flow path passing through the pump head <NUM> is the pump body branch, and a refrigerant flow path passing through the one-way valve <NUM> is the one-way valve branch. The condenser <NUM>, the pump head <NUM> of the refrigerant pump <NUM>, the evaporator <NUM>, and the bypass <NUM> jointly constitute a first cycle path. The condenser <NUM>, the one-way valve <NUM> of the refrigerant pump <NUM>, the evaporator <NUM>, and the compressor <NUM> jointly constitute a second cycle path. The first cycle path and the second cycle path are used as required. For example, when ambient temperature is relatively high and the compressor <NUM> needs to be used, the second cycle path is enabled in the data center cooling system. When ambient temperature is relatively low and a refrigeration function can be implemented by driving refrigerant only by using the refrigerant pump <NUM>, the first cycle path may be enabled.

<FIG> is a schematic diagram of a data center cooling system according to another implementation of this application. A difference between this implementation and the implementation shown in <FIG> lies in the following: In this implementation, no one-way valve is disposed in a refrigerant pump <NUM>, that is, there is only a pump body branch in the refrigerant pump <NUM>. A one-way valve branch <NUM> is added outside the refrigerant pump <NUM>, and a one-way valve <NUM> is disposed on the one-way valve branch <NUM>. Specifically, a branch opening P is led from a housing of the refrigerant pump <NUM>. One end of the one-way valve branch <NUM> is connected to the branch opening P, and the other end of the one-way valve branch <NUM> is connected to an evaporator <NUM>. When a pump body works, the one-way valve <NUM> is closed, and refrigerant flows only from the pump body branch to the evaporator <NUM>. When a pump body does not work, refrigerant enters liquid storage space in the refrigerant pump <NUM> from a condenser <NUM>, and then flows to the one-way valve branch <NUM> from the branch opening P. The condenser <NUM>, the liquid storage space in the refrigerant pump <NUM>, the pump body, the evaporator <NUM>, and the bypass <NUM> jointly constitute a first cycle path. The condenser <NUM>, the liquid storage space in the refrigerant pump <NUM>, the one-way valve branch <NUM>, the evaporator <NUM>, and the compressor <NUM> jointly constitute a second cycle path. In this architecture, the one-way valve branch <NUM> and the bypass <NUM> may be in a same pipeline form, and are both implemented by connecting a one-way valve in the pipeline. It may be understood that the one-way valve may not be used for the bypass <NUM>, and another valve structure such as a solenoid valve may be used. Similarly, the one-way valve may also be replaced with another valve structure for the one-way valve branch <NUM>.

In the data center cooling systems provided in the two implementations shown in <FIG>, the liquid storage space in the refrigerant pump is used, and no liquid receiver is additionally disposed. The refrigerant pump <NUM> is directly connected to the condenser <NUM> by using a pipeline, and no liquid receiver is disposed. However, the refrigerant pump <NUM> in the system has two functions: liquid storage and providing power to the refrigerant, that is, extra refrigerant is stored in the refrigerant pump <NUM> when the data center cooling system runs.

Refer to <FIG>. A refrigerant pump <NUM> includes a housing <NUM>, a pump head <NUM> installed in the housing <NUM>, and a motor <NUM> configured to drive the pump head <NUM>. The pump head <NUM> and the motor <NUM> jointly constitute a pump body.

The housing <NUM> is provided with a liquid inlet <NUM> and a liquid outlet <NUM>. The housing <NUM> has a hollow structure. The liquid inlet <NUM> and the liquid outlet <NUM> are opening structures on the housing <NUM> that communicate space inside the housing <NUM> with the outside of the housing <NUM>. The housing <NUM> includes first space R1 and second space R2 that are disposed side by side and that are isolated from each other. A pipeline of a cooling system is connected at a position of the liquid inlet <NUM>, and the liquid inlet <NUM> is connected to a condenser <NUM> by using the pipeline. A pipeline of the cooling system is connected at a position of the liquid outlet <NUM>, and the liquid outlet <NUM> is connected to an evaporator <NUM> by using the pipeline. An expansion valve <NUM> may be disposed in each of the pipeline between the liquid inlet <NUM> and the condenser <NUM> and the pipeline between the liquid outlet <NUM> and the evaporator <NUM>, but no liquid receiver is disposed, that is, refrigerant directly enters the first space R1 in the housing <NUM> through the liquid inlet from the condenser <NUM> by using a pipeline. The pump head <NUM> is located at the bottom of the first space R1 in a gravity direction. The pump head <NUM> is configured to transfer refrigerant in the first space R1 to the second space R2. The first space R1 is configured to store refrigerant of the cooling system. The liquid inlet <NUM> is configured to be directly connected to the condenser <NUM> of the cooling system by using a pipeline. No liquid receiver is additionally disposed between the liquid inlet <NUM> and the condenser <NUM>.

In a possible implementation, a liquid storage amount in the first space R1 is greater than or equal to <NUM> liters. The liquid storage amount in the first space R1 is specifically limited, so that "the amount of refrigerant stored in the first space R1 is a liquid storage amount used for the entire cooling system" can be clearly limited, and the liquid storage amount in the first space R1 is far greater than an amount of refrigerant included in the refrigerant pump <NUM> that is generally configured to transfer only the refrigerant.

Specifically, the housing <NUM> includes a top wall <NUM>, a bottom wall <NUM>, and a side wall <NUM> connected between the top wall <NUM> and the bottom wall <NUM>. The top wall <NUM> and the bottom wall <NUM> are arranged from top to bottom in the gravity direction.

The entire housing <NUM> may be but is not limited to a cylindrical shape, a cuboid shape, or a spherical shape. The top wall <NUM> and the bottom wall <NUM> may have a curved surface structure or a planar structure. Similarly, the side wall <NUM> may also have a planar structure or a curved surface structure. The side wall <NUM> may enclose cylindrical space or may enclose square space. A clear boundary may be formed between the side wall <NUM> and the top wall <NUM>, or the two walls may be coplanar. For example, when the entire housing <NUM> is a spherical shape or a hemispherical shape, both the top wall <NUM> and the side wall <NUM> are curved surfaces with same curvature, to jointly form a spherical surface.

Specific positions of the liquid inlet <NUM> and the liquid outlet <NUM> are not limited to an implementation, provided that it can be ensured that the refrigerant can enter the first space R1 through the liquid inlet <NUM> and can be output from the refrigerant pump <NUM> through the liquid outlet <NUM>. Based on different position arrangement architectures of the first space R1 and the second space R2, the position of the liquid inlet <NUM> may be located on the top wall <NUM> or may be disposed on the side wall <NUM> or the bottom wall <NUM>, and the position of the liquid outlet <NUM> may be disposed on the side wall <NUM> or may be disposed on the bottom wall <NUM> or the top wall <NUM>.

Space in the housing <NUM> is separated into the first space R1 and the second space R2 by using a built-in partition plate <NUM>. An edge of the partition plate <NUM> may be connected to an inner surface of the housing <NUM> through sealing. In an implementation, the housing <NUM> may have an integral structure, the edge of the partition plate <NUM> may be connected to the inner surface of the housing <NUM> through concave-convex fitting, and a sealant or a sealing gasket may be disposed at a joint. In another implementation, the housing <NUM> may be divided into two parts. The partition plate <NUM> and one part of the housing <NUM> may be integrally formed, and the two parts of the housing <NUM> are connected and fastened, for example, may be fastened through welding and sealing.

The first space R1 and the second space R2 are arranged from top to bottom in the gravity direction. Specifically, the partition plate <NUM> is horizontally placed, that is, a plane on which the partition plate <NUM> is located is approximately in a direction of a horizontal plane. A periphery of the partition plate <NUM> is connected to the side wall <NUM> of the housing <NUM>. The top wall <NUM> and the bottom wall <NUM> of the housing <NUM> are distributed on two opposite sides (which may be understood as an upper side and a lower side in the gravity direction) of the partition plate <NUM>. The first space R1 is between the top wall <NUM> and the partition plate <NUM>, and the second space R2 is between the partition plate <NUM> and the bottom wall <NUM>. In this implementation, the first space R1 and the second space R2 are distributed from top to bottom in the gravity direction, so that when the pump head <NUM> is disposed at any position on the partition plate <NUM>, the pump head <NUM> can be located at the bottom of the first space R1 in the gravity direction. Therefore, a degree of freedom in structural design is high, thereby further helping avoid cavitation at an inlet position of the pump head <NUM>.

In this implementation, the motor <NUM> configured to drive the pump head <NUM> is disposed in the second space R2, and the motor <NUM> is installed on the bottom wall <NUM>. The second space R2 and the first space R1 are isolated from each other by using the partition plate <NUM>, the first space R1 is configured to store refrigerant, there is a relatively large amount of refrigerant in the first space R1, and temperature of a storage environment of the refrigerant needs to be kept stable and appropriate. Therefore, in this implementation, a position for placing the motor <NUM> is specially designed to be isolated from the refrigerant, to prevent the temperature of the storage environment of the refrigerant from being affected by heat generated when the motor <NUM> works. If the motor <NUM> is placed in the first space R1, the motor <NUM> is directly immersed in the refrigerant. When the motor <NUM> works to generate heat, the refrigerant is directly heated, and consequently the refrigerant may vaporize. The second space R2 is only a path through which the refrigerant flows, and does not need to store the refrigerant. The refrigerant entering the second space R2 is output through the liquid outlet <NUM> at the same time. Placing the motor <NUM> in the second space R2 also facilitates a layout of an overall architecture of the refrigerant pump <NUM>. The second space R2 may be designed to have a slightly larger size, is not merely configured to transfer the refrigerant, and further needs to accommodate the motor <NUM>. If the second space R2 is located at the bottom of the first space R1 in the gravity direction, the motor <NUM> is at the bottom, so that a weight proportion of the bottom is increased, thereby ensuring stability of the overall structure of the refrigerant pump <NUM>.

It may be understood that, in another implementation, the motor <NUM> may be placed in the first space R1, and the motor <NUM> may be protected, so that heat generated when the motor <NUM> works is not directly transferred to the refrigerant stored in the first space R1; or independent space for placing the motor <NUM> is disposed in the first space R1, so that the motor <NUM> is separated from the refrigerant. In another implementation, the motor <NUM> may be placed outside the housing <NUM>, and a shaft of the motor <NUM> extends into the housing <NUM> to drive the pump head <NUM>, provided that sealing is performed at a joint of the shaft of the motor <NUM> and the housing <NUM>.

Refer to <FIG>. In an implementation of this application, in the housing <NUM> of the refrigerant pump <NUM>, two refrigerant flow paths disposed in parallel are formed between the liquid inlet and the liquid outlet <NUM>. One path is for flow from the liquid inlet to the liquid outlet <NUM> through the pump head <NUM>, and the other path is for flow from the liquid inlet to the liquid outlet <NUM> through a one-way valve <NUM>.

Specifically, the one-way valve <NUM> and the pump head <NUM> are disposed in parallel between the first space R1 and the second space R2, and the one-way valve <NUM> is located at the bottom of the first space R1 in the gravity direction. In this implementation, the one-way valve <NUM> is added between the first space R1 and the second space R2, so that the one-way valve <NUM> can implement flow of refrigerant from the first space R1 to the second space R2. The one-way valve <NUM> forms a branch in parallel with the pump head <NUM>. When the pump head <NUM> works, the refrigeration liquid in the first space R1 may flow to the second space R2 by using the pump head <NUM>. In this state, the second space R2 is a high pressure area, the first space R1 is a low pressure area, and pressure of the second space R2 is greater than pressure of the first space R1. Therefore, the one-way valve <NUM> cannot input the liquid in the low pressure area into the high pressure area, and the one-way valve <NUM> does not work. After the pump head <NUM> transfers the refrigerant to the second space R2, the refrigerant liquid in the second space R2 flows out through the liquid outlet <NUM> of the housing <NUM>. When the pump head <NUM> does not work, pressure of the first space R1 is greater than pressure of the second space R2, and the one-way valve <NUM> is opened, so that the refrigerant liquid flows from the first space R1 to the second space R2, and the refrigerant entering the second space R2 flows out through the liquid outlet <NUM> of the housing <NUM>.

Refer to <FIG>. The refrigerant pump <NUM> further includes a liquid level sensor <NUM> and a filter <NUM>. The liquid level sensor <NUM> and the filter <NUM> are located in the first space R1. The liquid level sensor <NUM> is configured to detect a position of a liquid level of the refrigerant in the first space R1. The liquid level sensor <NUM> is electrically connected to a control center located outside the housing <NUM>, to transmit liquid level position information to the control center. When the liquid level is lower than a preset value, the pump head <NUM> has a risk of cavitation, and the control center controls the pump head <NUM> to stop working, or generates an alarm to prompt work personnel to supplement the refrigerant. A horizontal plane on which the inlet of the pump head <NUM> is located may be used as a reference for the preset value herein, and the liquid level sensor <NUM> may be located at the horizontal plane on which the inlet of the pump head <NUM> is located, or may be higher than the horizontal plane on which the inlet of the pump head <NUM> is located.

A horizontal plane on which the liquid level sensor <NUM> is located is higher than the horizontal plane on which the inlet position of the pump head <NUM> is located. The liquid level sensor <NUM> is disposed at a position higher than the inlet position of the pump head <NUM>, so that it can be ensured that there is sufficient refrigerant at the inlet position of the pump head <NUM>, and a risk of cavitation is avoided. In addition, the liquid level sensor <NUM> can also detect whether the liquid storage amount in the first space R1 meets a pipeline cycle amount of the cooling system.

The filter <NUM> is located between the liquid inlet <NUM> and the pump head <NUM>. The filter <NUM> is configured to filter out impurities to ensure quality of refrigerant entering the inlet of the pump head <NUM>. The filter <NUM> may be installed on a periphery of the pump head <NUM>, and mask the pump head <NUM>. For example, the pump head <NUM> is installed on the partition plate <NUM> inside the housing <NUM>. Alternatively, the filter <NUM> may be installed on the partition plate <NUM>, the filter <NUM> and the partition plate <NUM> enclose enclosed space, and the pump head <NUM> is in the enclosed space. A size of the filter <NUM> of this architecture is relatively small, provided that the pump head <NUM> can be masked.

Refer to <FIG>. In an implementation in which the filter <NUM> masks the pump head <NUM>, the liquid level sensor <NUM> is located inside mask space of the filter <NUM>, and is located at the inlet position of the pump head <NUM>. The liquid level sensor <NUM> may be fastened to the filter <NUM>, and the horizontal plane on which the liquid level sensor <NUM> is located is higher than the horizontal plane on which the inlet of the pump head <NUM> is located.

Refer to <FIG>. In an implementation in which the filter <NUM> masks the pump head <NUM>, the liquid level sensor <NUM> is located outside mask space of the filter <NUM>, and is close to the filter <NUM>. The liquid level sensor <NUM> may be fastened to the filter <NUM>, or may be fastened to a bracket in the housing <NUM>.

In another implementation, refer to <FIG>. The filter <NUM> may have a mesh structure of a relatively large size. For example, the filter <NUM> is combined with an inner wall of the housing <NUM>. The filter <NUM> separates the first space R1 into two parts. The pump head <NUM> is located on one side of the filter <NUM>, and the liquid inlet <NUM> on the housing <NUM> is located on the other side of the filter <NUM>. The filter <NUM> may be located below the liquid level, or may be located above the liquid level, provided that the refrigerant flowing into the first space R1 through the liquid inlet <NUM> can pass through the filter <NUM>. In the implementation shown in <FIG>, the liquid level sensor <NUM> is fastened to the inner wall of the housing <NUM>. It may be understood that the liquid level sensor <NUM> may be fastened to the filter <NUM>, or the liquid level sensor <NUM> may be fastened to a bracket that extends from the inner wall of the housing <NUM> towards the first space R1.

Refer to <FIG>. In a possible implementation, the housing <NUM> includes a top wall <NUM> and a bottom wall <NUM> that are arranged from top to bottom in the gravity direction. Both the first space R1 and the second space R2 are formed between the top wall <NUM> and the bottom wall <NUM>. A part of the bottom wall <NUM> is located at the bottom of the first space R1, and a part of the bottom wall <NUM> is located at the bottom of the second space R2. In this implementation, that the first space R1 and the second space R2 are disposed side by side in a horizontal direction may be understood as follows: The partition plate <NUM> is disposed vertically, that is, a plane on which the partition plate <NUM> is located is approximately perpendicular to a direction of a horizontal plane, so that the first space R1 and the second space R2 are respectively on left and right sides of the partition plate <NUM>. A top edge of the partition plate <NUM> is connected to the top wall <NUM> of the housing <NUM>, and a bottom edge of the partition plate <NUM> is connected to the bottom of the housing <NUM>. In this implementation, the pump head <NUM> is installed at a position that is on the partition plate <NUM> and that is close to the bottom wall <NUM>. Specifically, the one-way valve <NUM> may be located between the pump head <NUM> and the bottom wall <NUM>, or the one-way valve <NUM> may be located on a side that is of the pump head <NUM> and that faces away from the bottom wall <NUM>, provided that it is ensured that a position of the one-way valve <NUM> is below the liquid level in the first space R1.

In the implementation shown in <FIG>, both the liquid inlet <NUM> and the liquid outlet <NUM> are disposed on the side wall <NUM>, the liquid inlet <NUM> is close to the top wall <NUM>, and the liquid outlet <NUM> is close to the bottom wall <NUM>. Certainly, the positions of the liquid inlet <NUM> and the liquid outlet <NUM> may be disposed at other positions on the housing <NUM>, provided that refrigerant input and output can be met. This is not limited in this application.

As shown in <FIG>, in a possible implementation, the refrigerant pump <NUM> further includes a first electrical connector <NUM> and a second electrical connector <NUM> that are disposed on the housing <NUM>. The first electrical connector <NUM> is electrically connected to the liquid level sensor <NUM>, and the first electrical connector <NUM> may be electrically connected to the control center by using a cable, so that the liquid level sensor <NUM> transmits a signal to the control center. The second electrical connector <NUM> is electrically connected to the motor <NUM>. Similarly, the second electrical connector <NUM> may also be electrically connected to the control center by using a cable. The first electrical connector <NUM> and the second electrical connector <NUM> are located on a same side of the housing <NUM>, and such an architecture facilitates wiring.

In embodiments shown in <FIG> and <FIG>, a branch opening P is further disposed on the housing <NUM> of the refrigerant pump <NUM>, and the branch opening P communicates the first space R1 with the outside of the housing <NUM>, and is configured to be connected a one-way valve branch (the one-way valve branch <NUM> shown in <FIG>). A structural form of the branch opening P may be the same as forms of the liquid inlet <NUM> and the liquid outlet <NUM>. For a working principle between the one-way valve branch <NUM> connected to the branch opening P and the pump body, refer to the foregoing description in <FIG>. Details are not described again.

Claim 1:
A data center cooling system, comprising a refrigerant pump (<NUM>), a condenser (<NUM>), and an evaporator (<NUM>), wherein the refrigerant pump is connected between the condenser and the evaporator, wherein the refrigerant pump comprises a housing (<NUM>), a partition plate (<NUM>), and a pump head (<NUM>), the housing is provided with a liquid inlet (<NUM>) and a liquid outlet (<NUM>), the partition plate is disposed inside the housing, the partition plate and the housing jointly form first space (R1) and second space (R2) that are disposed side by side and that are isolated from each other, the liquid inlet communicates with the first space, the liquid outlet communicates with the second space, the pump head is connected to the partition plate and is located at the bottom of the first space in a gravity direction, the pump head is configured to transfer refrigerant in the first space to the second space, the liquid inlet is directly connected to the condenser by using a pipeline, and the first space is configured to store refrigerant of the data center cooling system, so that no liquid receiver is additionally disposed in the data center cooling system;
wherein a one-way valve (<NUM>) is disposed on the partition plate, the one-way valve and the pump head are disposed in parallel between the first space and the second space, and the one-way valve is located at the bottom of the first space in the gravity direction.