Cooling abnormality detection system for electronic equipment

• US 5,333,676 A
• Filed: 11/08/1993
• Issued: 08/02/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/1988
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Mizuno, Tsukasa
• Primary Examiner(s): Ford, John K.
• Application Number:
  US08/148,863
• Time in Patent Office: 267 Days
• Field of Search: 236/78 B, 361/385, 165/11.1, 165/13, 165/104.33, 62/259.2
• US Class Current: 165/294
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/24 the sensing element having a resistance varying with temperature, e.g. a thermistor

Abstract

A cooling abnormality detection system for external electronic equipment includes a protection unit. The protection unit includes two temperature sensors arranged in each piece of external electrical equipment to be monitored, in order to measure the temperature of each. A temperature difference measuring means receives the measured temperature from each piece of equipment and outputs a sensor failure signal when the absolute value of difference between the temperatures measured by the two temperature sensors exceeds a first predetermined value. An abnormal temperature signal is output from the temperature difference measuring means when the two measured temperatures both exceed a second value. The sensor failure signal is transmitted to the electronic equipment, while generation of the abnormal temperature alarm interrupts the power supply to the electronic equipment.

Claims

1. A cooling abnormality detection system for external electronic equipment, including a heat exchanger for performing heat exchange of a liquid coolant supplied from the external electronic equipment, a coolant tank for absorbing expansion of the liquid coolant supplied from said heat exchanger, a pump for supplying the liquid coolant stored in the coolant tank to the external electronic equipment again, and a protection unit for detecting a cooling abnormality of the liquid coolant in said electronic equipment, said protection unit being arranged to stop power supply to a given electronic equipment when the cooling abnormality of said given electronic equipment is detected, thereby preventing reliability degradation and breakdown of said electronic equipment, and said protection unit comprising:

temperature measuring means for causing a plurality of temperature sensors arranged in each of said electronic equipment to measure temperatures of powered electronic equipment;

temperature/temperature difference measuring means for receiving a measured temperature from said temperature measuring means, for outputting a sensor failure signal when a difference between measured temperatures of said plurality of temperature sensors exceeds a first predetermined value, and for outputting an abnormal temperature signal when the difference between the measured temperatures from said plurality of temperature sensors falls within the first predetermined value and all of the measured temperatures from said plurality of temperature sensors exceed a second predetermined value;

sensor failure alarm means for receiving the sensor failure signal and transmits the sensor failure signal to said electronic equipment; and

abnormal temperature alarm means for receiving the abnormal temperature signal and transmits the abnormal temperature signal to said electronic equipment.