System and method for controlling environmental conditions within an automated data storage library

• US 10,026,455 B1
• Filed: 03/16/2017
• Issued: 07/17/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Miranda Gavillan, Jose G., Goodman, Brian G., Goodman, Gregory J., Qiu, Kenny Nian Gan
• Primary Examiner(s): KLIMOWICZ, WILLIAM JOSEPH
• Application Number:
  US15/460,479
• Time in Patent Office: 488 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 15/68 Automatic cassette changing arrangements; automatic tape changing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 33/12 Disposition of constructional parts in the apparatus, e.g. of power supply, of modules
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 33/14 Reducing influence of physical parameters, e.g. temperature change, moisture, dust
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 33/1406 Reducing the influence of the temperature
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 33/142 by air cooling
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 33/144 by detection, control, regulation of the temperature
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 33/1453 by moisture
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 5/00813 magnetic tapes
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20009 using a gaseous coolant in electronic enclosures in cabinets of standardized dimensions H05K7/20536; in server cabinets H05K7/20709; in vehicle electronic casings H05K7/20845; in power control electronics H05K7/2089; in displays H05K7/20954

Abstract

A system and method for controlling at least one environmental condition within at least one data storage library. The system may include at least one data storage library, the at least one data storage library having at least one component bay therein. The system may also include at least one adapter configured to fit within the at least one component bay, and/or at least one environmental conditioning device connected to the at least one adapter, wherein the at least one environmental conditioning device is configured to control at least one environmental condition within the at least one data storage library.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a data storage library, wherein the data storage library comprises at least one component bay therein;

at least one duct adapter configured to fit within the at least one component bay; and

at least one environmental conditioning unit fluidly connected to the at least one duct adapter via at least one duct, wherein the at least one environmental conditioning unit is configured to control at least one environmental condition within the data storage library,

wherein the at least one duct adapter further comprises at least one environmental sensor configured to sense at least one environmental condition in at least one of in, on, or near the at least one duct adapter and in, on, or near the data storage library.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one component bay is at least one of a drive bay, a power supply bay, a library controller bay, and an optional component bay.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one duct comprises a supply duct configured to supply air from the at least one environmental conditioning unit.

4. The system of claim 3, further comprising a Y-duct, wherein the Y-duct is configured to provide air from the supply duct to a first duct adapter and a second duct adapter.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one duct comprises a supply duct configured to supply air from the at least one environmental conditioning unit and a return duct configured to recirculate conditioned air to the at least one environmental conditioning unit.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the supply duct is fluidly connected to a first duct adapter and the return duct is fluidly connected to at least one of the first duct adapter and a second duct adapter.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one environmental conditioning unit comprises at least one device configured to perform at least one of filtering, refrigerated cooling, heating, evaporative cooling, humidifying, dehumidifying, ionizing, deionizing, thermoelectric cooling, and thermoelectric heating.

8. A system comprising:

at least one data storage library, wherein the at least one data storage library comprises at least one component bay therein;

at least a first duct adapter and a second duct adapter, wherein each of the first duct adapter and the second duct adapter is configured to fit within a respective component bay;

at least one environmental conditioning device connected to the first duct adapter and the second duct adapter via at least one duct, wherein the at least one environmental conditioning device is configured to control at least one environmental condition within the at least one data storage library, and further wherein the at least one duct comprises a supply duct configured to supply air from the at least one environmental conditioning device; and

a Y-duct, wherein the Y-duct is configured to provide air from the supply duct to the first duct adapter and the second duct adapter.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the at least one of the first duct adapter and the second duct adapter comprises at least one environmental device adapter fluidly connected to at least one external environmental conditioning device.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the at least one environmental device adapter comprises a condenser coil.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the condenser coil is fluidly connected to the at least one external environmental conditioning device via at least one refrigerant line.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the at least one environmental conditioning device comprises at least one integrated environmental conditioning device coupled to the at least one of the first duct adapter and the second duct adapter, the at least one integrated environmental conditioning device comprising at least one of a filter, a thermoelectric heater, a thermoelectric cooler, an ionizer, a deionizer, an electric heater, a humidifier, and a dehumidifier.

13. A method of controlling at least one environmental condition within a data storage library, the method comprising:

providing at least one adapter within at least one component bay of the data storage library;

connecting at least one of an external environmental conditioning unit and an external environmental conditioning device to the at least one adapter;

providing conditioned air from the at least one adapter into an interior of the data storage library; and

determining at least one environmental condition within at least one of the at least one adapter and the data storage library, and determining if the at least one environmental condition within at least one of the at least one adapter and the data storage library is within a desired range of at least one selected environmental condition within the data storage library.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein providing at least one adapter comprises providing at least one duct adapter fluidly connected to the at least one external environmental conditioning unit via at least one duct.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising generating positive pressure within the interior of the data storage library by fluidly connecting only one or more supply ducts to the environmental conditioning unit.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein providing at least one adapter comprises providing at least one environmental device adapter fluidly connected to the at least one external environmental conditioning device via at least one refrigerant line.

17. The method of claim 13, further comprising maintaining the at least one environmental condition within the data storage library if the determined at least one environmental condition within at least one of the at least one adapter and the data storage library is within the desired range of the at least one selected environmental condition within the data storage library.