US-12625484-B2 - Control system for controlling a control target based on a communication abnormality and cooling system

US12625484B2US 12625484 B2US12625484 B2US 12625484B2US-12625484-B2

Abstract

A control system includes a first control device and a second control device. The first control device can control a control target. The first control device includes a first control unit, a first communication unit, a first monitoring unit, and a first determination unit. The first control unit can control the control target. The first communication unit can communicate with the control target. The first monitoring unit monitors communication between the second control device and the control target. The first determination unit determines execution or standby of control of the control target by the first control unit on the basis of a monitoring result of the first monitoring unit. The second control device includes a second control unit and a second communication unit. The second control unit can control the control target. The second communication unit can communicate with the control target.

Inventors

Makoto Itsuki

Assignees

NIDEC CORPORATION

Dates

Publication Date: 20260512
Application Date: 20230222
Priority Date: 20220225

Claims (9)

1 . A control system comprising: a first controller capable of controlling a control target; and a second controller capable of controlling a control target, wherein the first controller includes a first sub-controller capable of controlling the control target, a first transmitter capable of communicating with the control target, § and a first processor that determines execution of control for the control target by the first sub-controller in response to determining an abnormality in communication between the second controller and the control target based on failure to detect the communication between the second controller and the control target during a predetermined period, and the second controller includes a second sub-controller capable of controlling the control target, and a second transmitter capable of communicating with the control target.
2 . The control system according to claim 1 , wherein the first controller further includes a first notifier that notifies of a control status of the control target by the first sub-controller.
3 . The control system according to claim 2 , wherein the second controller further includes a second notifier that notifies of a control status of the control target by the second sub-controller, the second transmitter transmits a status information signal to the first controller, and a second processor that determines execution of control of the control target by the second sub-controller on a basis of failing to receive a response signal responding to the status information signal, when the first processor receives the status information signal transmitted by the second transmitter, the first processor determines standby of control of the control target by the first sub-controller.
4 . The control system according to claim 3 , wherein the second transmitter transmits the status information signal to the control target.
5 . The control system according to claim 3 , wherein the second transmitter transmits the status information signal when a standby time set on a basis of a random number elapses.
6 . The control system according to claim 3 , wherein the second transmitter transmits a request signal requesting a response to the first controller and receives a response signal to the request signal, and when the second transmitter does not receive the response signal within a predetermined period after transmitting the request signal, the second notifier notifies of an abnormality in the first controller.
7 . The control system according to claim 1 , further comprising a wireless communicator capable of communicating with external equipment, wherein the first controller or the second controller communicates with the external equipment via the wireless communicator.
8 . The control system according to claim 1 , wherein the first controller is capable of controlling a plurality of control targets, the second controller is capable of controlling the plurality of control targets, each of the plurality of control targets has unique identification information, the first controller specifies one control target from the plurality of control targets on a basis of the identification information, and the second controller specifies one control target from the plurality of control targets on a basis of the identification information.
9 . A cooling system for cooling electronic equipment, the cooling system comprising: a cooler that cools the electronic equipment; and the control system according to claim 1 that controls the cooler as the control target.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS The present invention claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119 to Japanese Patent Application No. 2022-028522 filed on Feb. 25, 2022, the entire content of which is incorporated herein by reference. FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a control system and a cooling system. BACKGROUND In a conventional duplication system, a programmable logic controller that controls slave equipment communicates with another programmable logic controller that is a duplicated counterpart to monitor a state of the other programmable logic controller. In a case where the own station is a standby system, upon detecting a failure in another programmable logic controller, the programmable logic controller switches the own station to a control system. In the above-described conventional duplication system, one programmable logic controller communicates with another programmable logic controller to detect a failure of the other programmable logic controller. Therefore, for example, in a state where the programmable logic controller of the control system is controlling slave equipment, when the other programmable logic controller in which the failure has occurred is removed from the duplication system, communication is disabled between the programmable logic controllers, and the duplication system may become unstable. SUMMARY An exemplary control system of the present disclosure includes a first control device and a second control device. The first control device can control a control target. The first control device includes a first control unit, a first communication unit, a first monitoring unit, and a first determination unit. The first control unit can control the control target. The first communication unit can communicate with the control target. The first monitoring unit monitors communication between the second control device and the control target. The first determination unit determines execution or standby of control of the control target by the first control unit on the basis of a monitoring result of the first monitoring unit. The second control device includes a second control unit and a second communication unit. The second control unit can control the control target. The second communication unit can communicate with the control target. An exemplary cooling system of the present disclosure cools electronic equipment. An exemplary cooling system of the present disclosure includes a cooling device and a control system. The cooling device cools the electronic equipment. The control system controls the cooling device as the control target. The above and other elements, features, steps, characteristics and advantages of the present disclosure will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments with reference to the attached drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a view showing an outline of a cooling system of an exemplary embodiment; FIG. 2 is an example of a functional block diagram of a control system of the exemplary embodiment; FIG. 3 is a view showing switching of control devices in the control system; FIG. 4 is a sequence diagram showing control processing of the exemplary embodiment; FIG. 5 is another example of a functional block diagram of the control system of the exemplary embodiment; FIG. 6 is a sequence diagram showing determination processing of the control device in the control system of the exemplary embodiment; FIG. 7 is another example of a functional block diagram of the control system of the exemplary embodiment; FIG. 8 is a sequence diagram showing notification processing in the control system; and FIG. 9 is another example of a functional block diagram of the control system of the exemplary embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION Hereinafter, an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, the same or corresponding parts are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description will not be repeated. With reference to FIG. 1, a cooling system 100 having a control system 10 of the exemplary embodiment will be described. FIG. 1 is a view showing an outline of the cooling system 100. The cooling system 100 cools a server 200. The server 200 is an example of electronic equipment. As an example, the server 200 includes the cooling system 100 and three server units U2, U3, and U4. The number of server units included in the server 200 is not limited to three. The cooling system 100 may be provided other than the server 200. The cooling system 100 includes a cooling distribution unit (CDU) U1, a manifold H1, a manifold H2, a cold plate P1, and a cold plate P2. As an example, the cooling distribution unit U1 includes the control system 10, a pump device 21A, a valve device 21B, and a heat exchanger 22. The pump device 21A sucks a refrigerant and discharges the refrigerant. The valve device 21B adjusts the flow rate o