SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR COOLING AN INFORMATION HANDLING SYSTEM

• US 20160227675A1
• Filed: 02/03/2015
• Published: 08/04/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/03/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: HELBERG, CHRIS, NORTH, TRAVIS C., SHELNUTT, AUSTIN MICHAEL
• Granted Patent: US 10,426,063 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/20 Cooling means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/206 comprising thermal management
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20181 Filters; Louvers
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20836 Thermal management, e.g. server temperature control

Abstract

A method for cooling components of an information handling system (IHS) includes detecting, via a thermal control system, at least one pressure reading, at least one temperature reading and at least one current cooling device setting of the IHS. At least one new cooling device setting is calculated based on the pressure reading and the temperature reading. The new cooling device setting is compared to the current cooling device setting associated with one or more cooling devices of the IHS. In response to the new cooling device setting being different from the current cooling device setting, one or more of the corresponding cooling devices are triggered to adjust its/their current cooling device setting to the new cooling device setting corresponding to the respective cooling device.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for cooling an information handling system (IHS), the method comprising:

detecting, via a thermal control system, at least one pressure reading, at least one temperature reading and at least one current cooling device setting of the IHS;

calculating at least one new cooling device setting based on the pressure reading and the temperature reading;

determining if the new cooling device setting associated with one or more cooling devices of the IHS is different from the current cooling device setting; and

in response to the new cooling device setting being different from the current cooling device setting, triggering one or more of the corresponding cooling devices to adjust its current cooling device setting to the new cooling device setting corresponding to the respective cooling device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

initializing the thermal control system during start-up of the IHS;

establishing communication between the thermal control system, a cooling device controller, the at least one pressure sensor, the at least one temperature sensor and the one or more cooling devices; and

enabling operation of the cooling device controller, the at least one pressure sensor, the at least one temperature sensor and the cooling devices.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

retrieving at least one pressure set point;

calculating at least one pressure error value based on the pressure reading and the pressure set point; and

calculating the new cooling device setting at least partially based on the calculated at least one pressure error value.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

retrieving at least one temperature set point;

calculating at least one temperature error value based on the temperature reading and the temperature set point; and

calculating the new cooling device setting at least partially based on the calculated at least one temperature error value.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

retrieving a first zone information for the IHS, wherein the first zone information includes at least one pressure sensors, at least one temperature sensor and at least one cooling device of the one or more cooling devices; and

calculating at least one new cooling device setting for each of the cooling devices in the first zone based on the pressure sensor readings and the temperature sensor readings.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the pressure reading is detected by a differential pressure sensor.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

retrieving a filter pressure value associated with an air filter of the IHS;

comparing a pressure reading from a location of the air filter to the filter pressure value; and

in response to the pressure reading being greater than the filter pressure value, outputting a warning message indicating that the air filter is clogged, and including information about the location of the air filter.

8. A cooling control system of an information handling system (IHS), the cooling control system comprising:

a cooling controller;

at least one cooling device communicatively coupled to the cooling controller for cooling one or more components of the IHS;

at least one temperature sensor communicatively coupled to the cooling controller and which senses at least one temperature reading associated with the IHS;

at least one pressure sensor communicatively coupled to the cooling controller and which senses at least one pressure reading associated with the IHS;

the cooling controller having firmware executing thereon to enable thermal control of the components of the IHS, wherein the firmware configures the thermal control system to;

detect and/or retrieve the temperature reading and the pressure reading corresponding to an area of the IHS, and to detect and/or read at least one current cooling device setting of at least one cooling device of the IHS;

calculate at least one new cooling device setting based on the pressure reading and the temperature reading;

determine if the new cooling device setting is different from the current cooling device setting associated with the at least one cooling devices of the IHS; and

in response to the new cooling device setting being different from the current cooling device setting, trigger the at least one cooling device to replace the current cooling device setting with the new cooling device setting associated with each respective cooling device.

9. The cooling control system of claim 8, wherein the firmware further configures the cooling controller to:

initialize the thermal control system during start-up of the IHS;

establish communication between the thermal control system, a cooling device controller, the at least one pressure sensor, the at least one temperature sensor and the one or more cooling devices; and

enable operation of the cooling device controller, the at least one pressure sensor, the at least one temperature sensor and the cooling devices.

10. The cooling control system of claim 8, wherein the firmware further configures the cooling controller to:

retrieve at least one pressure set point;

calculate at least one pressure error value based on the pressure reading and the pressure set point; and

calculate the new cooling device setting at least partially based on the calculated at least one pressure error value.

11. The cooling control system of claim 8, wherein the firmware further configures the cooling controller to:

retrieve at least one temperature set point;

calculate at least one temperature error value based on the temperature reading and the temperature set point; and

calculate the new cooling device setting at least partially based on the calculated at least one temperature error value.

12. The cooling control system of claim 8, wherein the firmware further configures the cooling controller to:

retrieve a first zone information for the information handing system, wherein the first zone information includes at least one of the pressure sensors, at least one of the temperature sensor and at least one of the cooling devices; and

calculate at least one new cooling device setting for each of the cooling devices in the first zone based on the pressure sensor reading and the temperature sensor reading.

13. The cooling control system of claim 8, wherein the pressure sensor is a differential pressure sensor.

14. The cooling control system of claim 8, wherein the firmware further configures the cooling controller to:

retrieve a filter pressure value associated with an air filter of the IHS;

compare a pressure reading from a location of the air filter to the filter pressure value; and

in response to the pressure reading being greater than the filter pressure value, output a warning message indicating that the air filter is clogged, and include information about the location of the air filter.

15. An information handling system (IHS) comprising:

a processor and a memory coupled to the processor via a system interconnect;

a cooling controller and at least one cooling device communicatively coupled to the cooling controller for cooling one or more components of the IHS;

at least one temperature sensor communicatively coupled to the cooling controller and which senses at least one temperature reading associated with the IHS;

at least one pressure sensor communicatively coupled to the cooling controller and which senses at least one pressure reading associated with the IHS;

the cooling controller having firmware executing thereon to enable thermal control of the components of the IHS, wherein the firmware configures the thermal control system to;

detect and/or retrieve the temperature reading and the pressure reading corresponding to an area of the IHS and to detect and/or read at least one current cooling device setting of at least one cooling device of the IHS;

calculate at least one new cooling device setting based on the pressure reading and the temperature reading;

determine if the new cooling device setting is different from the current cooling device setting associated with at least one cooling device of the IHS; and

in response to the new cooling device setting being different from the current cooling device setting, trigger the at least one cooling device to replace the current cooling device setting with the new cooling device setting associated with each respective cooling device.

16. The information handling system of claim 15, wherein the firmware further configures the cooling controller to:

initialize the thermal control system during start-up of the IHS;

establish communication between the thermal control system, a cooling device controller, the at least one pressure sensor, the at least one temperature sensor and the one or more cooling devices; and

enable operation of the cooling device controller, the at least one pressure sensor, the at least one temperature sensor and the cooling devices.

17. The information handling system of claim 15, wherein the firmware further configures the cooling controller to:

retrieve at least one pressure set point;

calculate at least one pressure error value based on the pressure reading and the pressure set point; and

calculate the new cooling device setting at least partially based on the calculated at least one pressure error value.

18. The information handling system of claim 15, wherein the firmware further configures the cooling controller to:

retrieve at least one temperature set point;

calculate at least one temperature error value based on the temperature reading and the temperature set point; and

calculate the new cooling device setting at least partially based on the calculated at least one temperature error value.

19. The information handling system of claim 15, wherein the firmware further configures the cooling controller to:

retrieve a first zone information for the IHS, wherein the first zone information includes at least one of the pressure sensors, at least one of the temperature sensor and at least one of the cooling devices; and

calculate at least one new cooling device setting for each of the cooling devices in the first zone based on the pressure sensor reading and the temperature sensor reading.

20. The information handling system of claim 15, wherein the pressure sensor is a differential pressure sensor.

21. The information handling system of claim 15, wherein the firmware further configures the cooling controller to:

retrieve a filter pressure value associated with an air filter of the IHS;

compare a pressure reading from a location of the air filter to the filter pressure value; and

in response to the pressure reading being greater than the filter pressure value, output a warning message indicating that the air filter is clogged, and include information about the location of the air filter.