Information handling system thermal management enhanced by estimated energy states

• US 10,136,558 B2
• Filed: 07/30/2014
• Issued: 11/20/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Shabbir, Hasnain, Lovicott, Dominick A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ali, Mohammad
• Assistant Examiner(s): Booker, Kelvin
• Application Number:
  US14/446,704
• Publication Number:
  US 20160037686A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,574 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/206 comprising thermal management
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20727 within server blades for removing heat from heat source
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

Thermal conditions at processing components disposed in an information handling system are estimated by applying conservation of energy and component power consumption so that discrete control of information handling system exhaust temperatures is more accurately maintained. For example, a PCI backplane communications card has its power consumption estimated based upon its width so that air flow through the information handling system is adequate to meet an exhaust temperature constraint.

Claims

1. A system for thermal management at an information handling system, the system comprising:

plural temperature sensors operable to sense temperatures at plural locations associated with the information handling system;

a power supply operable to provide power to plural subsystems of the information handling system;

a cooling fan operable to generate a cooling airflow in the information handling system at plural airflow rates; and

a thermal manager stored in non-transitory memory and interfaced with the plural temperature sensors, the power supply and the cooling fan, the thermal manager operable to execute on a processing component to apply at least the power provided to one of the plural subsystems to determine estimate a thermal condition of cooling airflow proximate the one of the plural subsystems and to apply the estimated thermal condition to set the cooling fan airflow rate, the one of the plural subsystems lacking a thermal sensor, the thermal condition at the discrete location derived from at least an estimated airflow temperature entering the discrete location and power consumed by a subcomponent at the discrete location, comparing the thermal condition with a thermal constraint, and in response to comparing, commanding airflow through the information handling system housing at a second airflow rate to adjust the airflow to the second airflow rate that exhausts the airflow from the discrete location at a predetermined temperature.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the thermal condition comprises an ambient temperature within the one of the plural subsystems.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the one of the plural subsystems comprises a backplane communications manager.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein the backplane communications manager is a PCI card.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein the thermal condition is derived at least in part from a width of the PCI card.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the thermal condition comprises an inlet temperature at another of the plural subsystems.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the thermal manager applies the thermal condition to set the cooling fan airflow rate in order to maintain a thermal constraint of the one of the plural subsystems.

8. The system of claim 1 further comprising a training module monitoring the thermal module and operable to apply the thermal conditions over time to generate a thermal profile of the one of the plural subsystems.

9. A method for thermal management at an information handling system, the method comprising:

monitoring plural temperature sensors disposed in the information handling system;

monitoring power applied to plural subcomponents in the information handling system;

commanding airflow through the information handling system housing at a first airflow rate;

applying at least one of the plural temperatures, the power applied to one of the plural subcomponents and the first airflow rate to determine a thermal condition of cooling airflow at a discrete location in the information handling system, the discrete location lacking a temperature sensor; and

applying the thermal condition at the discrete location derived from at least an estimated airflow temperature entering the discrete location and power consumed by a subcomponent at the discrete location, comparing the thermal condition with a thermal constraint, and in response to comparing, commanding airflow through the information handling system housing at a second airflow rate to adjust the airflow to the second airflow rate that exhausts the airflow from the discrete location at a predetermined temperature.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the thermal condition at the discrete location comprises an ambient temperature of the one of the subsystems having monitored power.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein the thermal condition at the discrete location comprises an exhaust temperature of the one of the subsystems having monitored power.

12. The method of claim 9 wherein the one of the subsystems having monitored power comprises a backplane communications manager and wherein the thermal condition is further determined based upon a width of the backplane communications manager.

13. An information handling system comprising:

a housing;

a cooling fan disposed in the housing and operable to generate a cooling airflow at selectable airflow rates;

plural temperature sensors operable to detect temperatures at plural locations associated with the housing;

plural subsystems disposed in the housing and operable to cooperate to process information, at least some of the plural subsystems lacking a temperature sensor;

a power supply operable to provide power to the plural subsystems; and

a thermal manager interfaced with the plural temperature sensors, the power supply and the cooling fan, the thermal manager operable to determine estimate a thermal condition proximate the one of the plural subsystems lacking a temperature sensor based at least in part on one or more temperatures measured at one or more locations and power supplied to one or more of the plural subsystems and to apply the thermal condition to set the cooling fan airflow rate to achieve a predetermined temperature of the cooling airflow exiting at the one of the plural subsystems, the temperature of the cooling airflow determined based at least in part upon the thermal condition and power consumed by the one of the plural subsystems.

14. The information handling system of claim 13 wherein the one of the plural subsystems comprise a backplane communication manager.

15. The information handling system of claim 14 wherein the thermal manager determines the backplane communication manager thermal condition by determining power consumption based upon a width of the backplane communications manager.

16. The information handling system of claim 13 wherein the thermal condition is an ambient temperature of the one of the plural subsystems.

17. The information handling system claim 16 wherein the thermal manager is further operable to set the cooling fan airflow rate to maintain a desired ambient temperature.

18. The information handling system of claim 16 wherein the thermal manager is further operable to apply the ambient temperature to set the cooling fan airflow rate to maintain a desired exhaust temperature of the housing.