System and method for improving fan life in an information handling system

• US 10,212,844 B2
• Filed: 06/20/2014
• Issued: 02/19/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/20/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Ragupathi, Dinesh K., Silveira, Alaric, Henry, Carlos G., Dang, Thanh Hung, Shabbir, Hasnain
• Primary Examiner(s): Cassity, Robert A
• Application Number:
  US14/310,195
• Publication Number:
  US 20150369253A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,705 Days
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 25/0613 the electric motor being of the inside-out type, i.e. the rotor is arranged radially outside a central stator
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 27/001 Testing thereof; Determination or simulation of flow characteristics; Stall or surge detection, e.g. condition monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 27/005 by changing flow path between different stages or between a plurality of compressors; Load distribution between compressors
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2270/11 to prolong engine life
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/0289 Reconfiguration to prevent failure, e.g. usually as a reaction to incipient failure detection
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/206 comprising thermal management
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20136 Forced ventilation, e.g. by fans H05K7/202 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20209 Thermal management, e.g. fan control
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20718 Forced ventilation of a gaseous coolant in closed loop H05K7/20754
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20836 Thermal management, e.g. server temperature control

Abstract

An information handling system includes a first fan in a first location for cooling a first component of the information handling system, a second fan in a second location for cooling a second component of the information handling system, and a management controller. The management controller determines that the first fan has experienced greater stress than the second fan, and recommends that the first fan be placed in the second location and that the second fan be placed in the first location.

Claims

1. An information handling system comprising:

a first fan in a first location for cooling a first component of the information handling system;

a second fan in a second location for cooling a second component of the information handling system; and

a management controller operable to;

determine that the first fan has experienced greater stress than the second fan in the management controller is further operable to determine a first efficiency level of the first fan, and wherein in determining the first efficiency level, the management controller is further operable to turn on the first fan, turn off the second fan, and measure a power level of the first fan; and

recommend that the first fan be placed in the second location and that the second fan be placed in the first location, wherein the first fan is placed in the second location and the second fan is placed in the first location in response to the recommendation.

2. The information handling system of claim 1, wherein:

in determining that the first fan has experienced greater stress than the second fan, the management controller is further operable to;

determine that the first efficiency level is below a threshold efficiency level; and

recommending that the first fan be placed in the second location and that the second fan be placed in the first location is based upon the determination that the first efficiency level is below the threshold efficiency level.

3. The information handling system of claim 1, wherein:

in determining that the first fan has experienced greater stress than the second fan, the management controller is further operable to;

determine a second efficiency level of the second fan; and

determine that the first efficiency level is less than the second efficiency level; and

recommending that the first fan be placed in the second location and that the second fan be placed in the first location is based upon the determination that the first efficiency level is less than the second efficiency level.

4. The information handling system of claim 1, wherein in determining that the first fan has experienced greater stress than the second fan, the management controller is further operable to:

determine a first usage level of the first fan.

5. The information handling system of claim 4, wherein:

in determining that the first fan has experienced greater stress than the second fan, the management controller is further operable to determine that the first usage level is above a threshold usage level; and

recommending that the first fan be placed in the second location and that the second fan be placed in the first location is based upon the determination that the first usage level is above the threshold usage level.

6. The information handling system of claim 4, wherein:

in determining that the first fan has experienced greater stress than the second fan, the management controller is further operable to;

determine a second usage level of the second fan; and

determine that the first usage level is greater than the second usage level; and

recommending that the first fan be placed in the second location and that the second fan be placed in the first location is based upon the determination that the first usage level is greater than the second usage level.

7. The information handling system of claim 4, wherein the first usage level is determined as:

8. The information handling system of claim 1, wherein the management controller is further operable to:

determine that the first fan has been placed in the second location and that the second fan has been placed in the first location.

9. The information handling system of claim 8, wherein, in determining that the first fan has been placed in the second location and that the second fan has been placed in the first location, the management controller is further operable to:

determine that the first fan has been removed from the first location;

determine that the second fan has been removed from the second location;

determine that the second fan has been inserted into the first location; and

determine that the first fan has been inserted into the second location.

10. The information handling system of claim 8, wherein:

the management controller is further operable to;

write first identification information to the first fan; and

write second identification information to the second fan; and

determining that the first fan has been placed in the second location and that the second fan has been placed in the first location is based upon the first identification information and the second identification information.

11. The information handling system of claim 10, wherein the first identification information includes at least one of a unique identifier for the first fan, an efficiency level of the first fan, and a usage level of the first fan.

12. A method comprising:

turning on, by a management controller of a server, a first fan in a first location of an information handling system;

turning off, by the management controller, a second fan in a second location of the information handling system;

measuring, by the management controller, a first power level of the first fan;

determining, by the management controller, a first efficiency level of the first fan based on the first power level;

determining, by the management controller, a first stress level for the first fan based upon the first efficiency level;

turning on, by the management controller, the second fan;

turning off, by the management controller, the first fan;

measuring, by the management controller, a second power level of the first fan;

determining, by the management controller, a second efficiency level of the second fan based on the second power level;

determining, by the management controller, a second stress level for the second fan based upon the second efficiency level;

determining, by the management controller, that the first stress level is greater than the second stress level;

recommending, by the management controller, that the first fan be placed in the second location and that the second fan be placed in the first location;

placing the first fan in the second location in response to the recommendation; and

placing the second fan in the first location in response to the recommendation.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein:

in determining the first stress level, the method further comprises determining a first usage level of the first fan;

in determining that the first stress level is greater than the second stress level, the method further comprises determining that the first usage level is above a threshold usage level; and

recommending that the first fan be placed in the second location and that the second fan be placed in the first location is based upon the determination that the first usage level is above the threshold usage level.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein:

in determining the first stress level, the method further comprises determining a first usage level of the first fan;

in determining that the first stress level is greater than the second stress level, the method further comprises;

determining a second usage level of the second fan; and

determining that the first usage level is greater than the second usage level; and

recommending that the first fan be placed in the second location and that the second fan be placed in the first location is based upon the determination that the first usage level is greater than the second usage level.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the first usage level is determined as:

16. A non-transitory computer-readable medium including code for performing a method, the method comprising:

turning on a first fan in a first location of an information handling system;

turning off a second fan in a second location of the information handling system;

measuring a first power level of the first fan;

determining a first efficiency level of the first fan based on the first power level;

determining, by a management controller, a first stress level for the first fan based upon the first efficiency, level;

turning on the second fan;

turning off the first fan;

measuring a second power level of the first fan;

determining a second efficiency level of the second fan based on the second power level;

determining, by the management controller, a second stress level for the second based upon the second efficiency level;

determining, by the management controller, that the first stress level is greater than the second stress level; and

recommending, by the management controller, that the first fan be placed in the second location and that the second fan be placed in the first location, wherein the first fan is placed in the second location and the second fan is placed in the first location in response to the recommendation.