Cooling method and apparatus for an electric device

• US 6,522,539 B2
• Filed: 08/21/2002
• Issued: 02/18/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd., Hitachi Video & Information System Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd., Hitachi Video & Information System Incorporated
• Inventors: Moriyama, Takashi, Ota, Shigemi
• Primary Examiner(s): CHERVINSKY, BORIS LEO
• Application Number:
  US10/224,600
• Publication Number:
  US 20020191376A1
• Time in Patent Office: 181 Days
• Field of Search: 361/687, 361/690, 361/692-695, 174/16.1, 174/16.3, 165/80.5, 165/104.33, 165/122, 454/184
• US Class Current: 361/695
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20581 Cabinets including a drawer for fans
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20718 Forced ventilation of a gaseous coolant in closed loop H05K7/20754
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20736 within cabinets for removing heat from server blades

Abstract

A cooling apparatus is constructed wherein, a fan box is provided with a plurality of suction openings and exhaust openings formed on a suction main surface and an exhaust main surface opposite to each other, a plurality of fan units each comprising a multi-blade fan and a suction duct disposed in different positions in a inserting direction are alternately arranged in an axial direction of the multi-blade fan so as to be able to insert and drawn out, and the fan unit is configured so that a suction duct thereof operates as a suction passage for the multi-blade fans of the next fan unit by communicating a fan suction opening with the suction opening through the suction duct and communicating a fan exhaust opening with the exhaust opening.

Claims

1. A cooling method for an electrical device comprising the steps of:

disposing a plurality of multi-blade fans in parallel so that a suction opening of each multi-blade fan faces toward the suction opening of an adjacently arranged multi-blade fan; and

connecting an exhaust opening of each multi-blade fan to a partition wall for dividing a suction side of the multi-blade fans from an exhaust side thereof.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

providing a check valve in at least one of a suction flow passage and an exhaust flow passage of each multi-blade fan;

connecting a duct to the exhaust side of the partition wall; and

closing a valve body of the check valve by use of an internal pressure in the duct when the corresponding multi-blade fan stops, so that the check valve autonomously prevents the air from flowing from the exhaust opening to the suction opening by closing the suction flow passage or the exhaust flow passage when the corresponding multi-blade fan stops.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

providing a check valve in at least one of a suction flow passage and an exhaust flow passage of each multi-blade fan; and

closing a valve body of the check valve by use of its own weight when the corresponding multi-blade fan stops, so that the check valve autonomously prevents the air from flowing from the exhaust opening to the suction opening by closing the suction flow passage or the exhaust flow passage when the corresponding multi-blade fan stops.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

providing a check valve in at least one of a suction flow passage and an exhaust flow passage of each multi-blade fan;

continuously providing a biasing force on a valve body of the check valve so as to close the valve body;

opening the valve body by use of a dynamic pressure of the suction air flow or the exhaust air flow against the biasing force when the multi-blade fan is operated; and

closing the valve body by use of the biasing force when the multi-blade fan stops, so that the check valve autonomously prevents the air from flowing from the exhaust opening to the suction opening by closing the suction flow passage or the exhaust flow passage when the corresponding multi-blade fan stops.

5. A cooling apparatus comprising:

a plurality of multi-blade fans disposed in parallel so that a suction opening of each multi-blade fan faces toward the suction opening of an adjacently arranged multi-blade fan; and

a partition wall dividing a suction side of the multi-blade fan from an exhaust side thereof.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising:

a check valve disposed in at least one of a suction flow passage and an exhaust flow passage of each multi-blade fan, the check valve comprising a valve body which moves freely within an acute rotational range between an open position and a closed position; and

a duct connected to the exhaust side of the partition wall, wherein

the valve body of the check valve is closed by an internal pressure in the duct when the corresponding multi-blade fan stops, so that the check valve autonomously prevents the air from flowing from the exhaust opening to the suction opening by closing the suction flow passage or the exhaust flow passage when the corresponding multi-blade fan stops.

7. The apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising:

a check valve disposed in at least one of a suction flow passage and an exhaust flow passage of each multi-blade fan, the check valve comprising a valve body which moves freely between an open position and a closed position, wherein

the valve body of the check valve is closed by its own weight when the corresponding multi-blade fan stops, so that the check valve autonomously prevents the air from flowing from the exhaust opening to the suction opening by closing the suction flow passage or the exhaust flow passage when the corresponding multi-blade fan stops.

8. The apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising:

a check valve disposed in at least one of a suction flow passage and an exhaust flow passage of each multi-blade fan, the check valve comprising a valve body which moves freely between an open position and a closed position; and

biasing means for continuously providing a biasing force on the valve body so as to close the valve body, wherein

the valve body of the check valve is opened by a dynamic pressure of the suction air flow or the exhaust air flow against the biasing force when the multi-blade fan is operated, and closed by the biasing force when the corresponding multi-blade fan stops, so that the check valve autonomously prevents the air from flowing from the exhaust opening to the suction opening by closing the suction flow passage or the exhaust flow passage when the corresponding multi-blade fan stops.

9. A data processing apparatus comprising:

a first casing;

at least an external storage unit and a power supply unit mounted within the first casing; and

a cooling apparatus mounted within the first casing, comprising a plurality of multi-blade fans disposed in parallel so that a suction opening of each multi-blade fans is in opposition to the suction opening of an adjacently arranged multi-blade fan, and a partition wall dividing a suction side of the multi-blade fan from an exhaust side thereof.