Storage Device Testing System Cooling

• US 20110189934A1
• Filed: 02/02/2010
• Published: 08/04/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/02/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Teradyne Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Teradyne Incorporated
• Inventors: Merrow, Brian S.
• Granted Patent: US 8,687,356 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 454/184
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 33/128 of the plurality of recording/reproducing devices, e.g. disk drives, onto a chassis
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 33/142 by air cooling
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20 Modifications to facilitate cooling, ventilating, or heating

Abstract

A storage device testing system that includes at least one rack, test slots housed by each rack, and at least one air mover in pneumatic communication with the test slots. Each test slot includes a test slot housing having an entrance and an exit, with the entrance configured to receive a storage device. The at least one air mover is configured to move air exterior to the racks into the entrance of each test slot housing, over the received storage device, and out of the exit of each test slot housing.

Claims

1. A storage device testing system comprising:

at least one rack;

at least one test slot housed by each rack, each test slot comprising a test slot housing having an entrance and an exit, the entrance configured to receive a storage device; and

at least one air mover in pneumatic communication with the at least one test slot;

wherein the at least one air mover is configured to move air exterior to the at least one rack into the entrance of each test slot housing, over the received storage device, and out of the exit of each test slot housing.

2. The storage device testing system of claim 1, wherein each rack comprises an air conduit pneumatically connecting the test slots of the rack to the at least one air mover, the at least one air mover moving air out of the exit of each test slot housing through the air conduit and to an environment outside of the rack.

3. The storage device testing system of claim 2, wherein the exit of each test slot housing of every rack is in pneumatic communication with the at least one air mover.

4. The storage device testing system of claim 2, wherein the at least one air mover is disposed on each rack in pneumatic communication with the test slots of the respective rack.

5. The storage device testing system of claim 1, wherein each test slot housing has first and second portions, the first portion of the test slot housing defines the entrance and is configured to receive a storage device, the at least one air mover in pneumatic communication with the second portion of the test slot housing.

6. The storage device testing system of claim 5, wherein the air mover includes an air entrance and an air exit, the air mover receiving air along a first direction through its air entrance and delivering air out of its air exit along a second direction substantially perpendicular to the first direction.

7. The storage device testing system of claim 1, wherein the test slot housing entrance is configured to receive a storage device transporter, the storage device transporter has first and second portions, the first portion of the storage device transporter including an air director, the second portion of the storage device transporter configured to receive the storage device, the air director directing air substantially simultaneously over at least top and bottom surfaces of the storage device received in the storage device transporter.

8. The storage device testing system of claim 7, wherein air exterior to the racks is moved into the air director of the received storage device transporter of the respective test slot over the received storage device and out the respective test slot exit by the at least one air mover.

9. The storage device testing system of claim 7, wherein the air director of the received storage device transporter defines at least one air entrance, the storage device having top, bottom, front, rear, right, and left side surfaces, the front storage device surface having an electrical connector, the storage device being received with its rear surface substantially facing the first portion of the storage device transporter, wherein the at least one air entrance directs air over at least the top and bottom surfaces of the received storage device.

10. A storage device testing system comprising:

at least one rack;

an air heat exchanger in pneumatic communication with at least one rack; and

test slots housed by each rack, each test slot comprising;

a test slot housing defining an entrance and an exit, the entrance configured to receive a storage device, at least one of the entrance and the exit in pneumatic communication with the air heat exchanger; and

a test slot air mover disposed in pneumatic communication with the test slot housing and configured to move air into the test slot housing entrance, over the received storage device, and out of the test slot housing exit;

wherein air exterior to the racks is moved into the test slot housing entrance, over the received storage device, by the respective test slot air mover and moved out the respective test slot housing exit and out of the respective rack, the air being moved through the air heat exchanger at least one of before and after passing over the received storage device.

11. The storage device testing system of claim 10, wherein each rack comprises an air conduit that provides pneumatic communication between each test slot housing exit and the air heat exchanger.

12. The storage device testing system of claim 10, wherein the air heat exchanger comprises:

an air heat exchanger housing defining an entrance, an exit, and an air flow path therebetween;

cooling elements disposed in the air flow path; and

at least one of a pump and drain for delivering condensation accumulated from the air heat exchanger out of the air heat exchanger.

13. The storage device testing system of claim 12, wherein the air heat exchanger further comprises an air heat exchanger air mover for moving air into the air heat exchanger housing entrance over the cooling elements and out of the air heat exchanger housing exit.

14. The storage device testing system of claim 12, wherein the air heat exchanger further comprises an evaporator disposed on the respective rack of the air heat exchanger and in fluid communication with the at least one of the pump and the drain.

15. The storage device testing system of claim 10, wherein the test slot housing entrance is configured to receive a storage device transporter, the storage device transporter has first and second portions, the first portion of the storage device transporter including an air director, the second portion of the storage device transporter configured to receive the storage device, the air director directing air substantially simultaneously over at least top and bottom surfaces of the storage device received in the storage device transporter.

16. The storage device testing system of claim 15, wherein air exterior to the racks is moved into the air director of the received storage device transporter of the respective test slot over the received storage device by the respective test slot air mover and moved out the respective test slot exit through the air heat exchanger and out of the respective rack.

17. The storage device testing system of claim 15, wherein the air director of the received storage device transporter defines at least one air entrance, the storage device having top, bottom, front, rear, right, and left side surfaces, the front storage device surface having an electrical connector, the storage device being received with its rear surface substantially facing the first portion of the storage device transporter, wherein the at least one air entrance directs air over at least the top and bottom surfaces of the received storage device.

18. The storage device testing system of claim 10, wherein the air mover includes an air entrance and an air exit, the air mover receiving air along a first direction through its air entrance and delivering air out of its air exit along a second direction substantially perpendicular to the first direction.

19. The storage device testing system of claim 18, wherein the air mover comprises an air mover body having a width of about 45 mm, a length of about 45 mm, and a height of about 10 mm.

20. The storage device testing system of claim 10, further comprising at least one robotic arm defining a first axis substantially normal to a floor surface, the robotic arm operable to rotate through a predetermined arc about, and extend radially from, the first axis, the racks arranged around the robotic arm for servicing by the robotic arm.

21. A method of regulating the temperature of a storage device received in a storage device testing system, the method comprising:

moving a flow of air into an air entrance of a test slot housing of a test slot received in a rack;

moving the air flow over a storage device received in the test slot;

moving the air out an air exit of the test slot housing of the test slot; and

releasing the air exteriorly of the rack.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising moving the air flow substantially simultaneously over at least top and bottom surfaces of a storage device received in the test slot.

23. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

moving air exterior to the rack into the test slot housing entrance, over the received storage device; and

moving the air out the test slot housing exit through an air conduit and out of the rack;

wherein the air conduit is in pneumatic communication with the exits of each test slot housing of the rack.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising moving the air through the test slots and the air conduit with an air mover pneumatically connected to the air conduit.

25. The method of claim 23, further comprising moving the air through the test slots with a test slot air mover and into the air conduit for deliverance out of the rack.

26. The method of claim 21, further comprising moving air exterior to the rack into the test slot housing entrance, over the received storage device, by a test slot air mover of the test slot, and moving the air out the test slot housing exit through an air heat exchanger.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein moving the air out of the test slot housing exit to the air heat exchanger comprises moving the air through an air conduit in pneumatic communication with the test slot housing exit of each test slot of the rack and the air heat exchanger.

28. The method of claim 26, further comprising moving the air through the air heat exchanger with an air heat exchanger air mover, the air heat exchanger air mover moving air from the air conduit into an entrance of the air heat exchanger, over cooling elements of the air heat exchanger, and out an exit of the air heat exchanger.

29. The method of claim 21, further comprising pumping condensation out of the rack.

30. The method of claim 21, further comprising receiving the flow of air from over the received storage device into an air mover along a first direction and delivering the air flow from the air mover to the test slot housing exit along a second direction substantially perpendicular to the first direction.

31. The method of claim 21, further comprising moving the flow of air into an air entrance of a storage device transporter received in the entrance of the test slot housing, the storage device transporter supporting the received storage device in pneumatic communication with the air entrance of the storage device transporter.

32. The method of claim 31, further comprising moving the flow of air through an air director of the storage device transporter, the air director directing the air flow over at least the top and bottom surfaces of the received storage device.

33. The method of claim 31, wherein the storage device transporter has first and second portions, the first portion including the air director, the second portion configured to receive the storage device, the storage device having top, bottom, front, rear, right, and left side surfaces, the front storage device surface having an electrical connector, the method further comprising receiving the storage device with its rear surface substantially facing the first portion of the storage device transporter.