Low profile highly accessible computer enclosure with plenum for cooling high power processors

• US 6,525,935 B2
• Filed: 03/12/2001
• Issued: 02/25/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Appro International Incorporated (Hewlett-Packard Enterprise Company)
• Original Assignee: Appro International Incorporated (Hewlett-Packard Enterprise Company)
• Inventors: Casebolt, Matthew P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Schuberg, Darren
• Assistant Examiner(s): DUONG, HUNG V
• Application Number:
  US09/804,559
• Publication Number:
  US 20020126449A1
• Time in Patent Office: 715 Days
• Field of Search: 361/687, 361/690, 361/691, 361/692, 361/695, 361/697, 361/707-709, 454/184, 454/353, 165/80.3, 165/121-126, 312/236
• US Class Current: 361/679.46
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/181 Enclosures for portable computers G06F1/1613
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/20 Cooling means
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20736 within cabinets for removing heat from server blades

Abstract

A low profile highly accessible computer enclosure with a processor plenum for cooling high power processors is disclosed. The enclosure includes one or more air movement devices that discharge air into a plenum. The plenum channels the air to a location proximate to one or more high power processors where it is discharged over the processors. The velocity of the air is sufficient to achieve a convection coefficient that will cool the high power processors. The enclosure can also be slidably mounted in a computer rack and include a multi-section top cover. While the computer is operating, an operator can access, inspect, service, repair, or replace components within server by sliding the server out of the front and/or rear of the computer rack and then removing one or more of the cover sections.

Claims

1. A computer system comprising:

a chassis;

a processor disposed in the chassis wherein the processor has a passive heatsink mounted thereon;

an air movement device disposed in the chassis, the air movement device having an inlet for receiving air and an outlet for expelling air; and

a plenum disposed in the chassis, the plenum having an inlet for receiving air from the outlet of the air movement device and an outlet for expelling the air proximate to the processor.

2. The computer system of claim 1 wherein the chassis is a low profile chassis.

3. The computer system of claim 1 wherein the chassis is approximately 1.75″

in height.

4. The computer system of claim 1 wherein the air movement device is a centrifugal blower.

5. A computer system comprising:

a chassis;

a processor disposed in the chassis;

an air movement device disposed in the chassis, the air movement device having an inlet for receiving air and an outlet for expelling air; and

a plenum disposed in the chassis, the plenum having an inlet for receiving air from the outlet of the air movement device and an outlet for expelling the air proximate to the processor

wherein the chassis includes a first processor and a second processor and the plenum includes a first outlet for expelling air proximate to the first processor and a second outlet for expelling air proximate to the second processor.

6. A computer system comprising:

a chassis;

a processor disposed in the chassis;

an air movement device disposed in the chassis, the air movement device having an inlet for receiving air and an outlet for expelling air; and

a plenum disposed in the chassis, the plenum having an inlet for receiving air from the outlet of the air movement device and an outlet for expelling the air proximate to the processor

wherein the air movement device is located in a center region of the chassis and the plenum extends from the air movement device along the side of a motherboard to which the processor is mounted to a location proximate to the processor.

7. A computer system comprising:

a chassis;

a processor disposed in the chassis wherein the processor has a passive heatsink mounted thereon;

air movement means disposed in the chassis for drawing air into the chassis and expelling air; and

air channeling means disposed in the chassis for channeling the expelled from the air movement means to a location proximate to the processor and directing the air over the processor.

8. The computer system of claim 7 wherein the chassis is a low profile chassis.

9. The computer system of claim 7 wherein the chassis is approximately 1.75″

in height.

10. The computer system of claim 7 wherein the air movement means is a centrifugal blower.

11. A computer system comprising:

a chassis;

a processor disposed in the chassis;

air movement means disposed in the chassis for drawing air into the chassis and expelling air; and

air channeling means disposed in the chassis for channeling the expelled from the air movement means to a location proximate to the processor and directing the air over the processor

wherein the chassis includes a first processor and a second processor and the air channeling means includes a first outlet for directing air over the first processor and a second outlet for directing air over the second processor.

12. A computer system comprising:

a chassis;

a processor disposed in the chassis;

air movement means disposed in the chassis for drawing air into the chassis and expelling air; and

air channeling means disposed in the chassis for channeling the expelled from the air movement means to allocation proximate to the processor and directing the air over the processor

wherein the air movement means is located in a center region of the chassis and the air channeling means extends from the air movement means along the side of a motherboard to which the processor is mounted to a location proximate to the processor.

13. A method for cooling a processor disposed in a chassis, the method comprising:

drawing air through an inlet of the chassis into an air movement device wherein the processor has a passive heatsink mounted thereon;

expelling the air from the air movement device into a plenum;

redirecting the air to a location proximate to the processor via the plenum; and

discharging the air from an outlet of the plenum over the processor.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the chassis is a low profile chassis.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein the chassis is approximately 1.75″

in height.

16. The method of claim 13 wherein the air movement device is a centrifugal blower.

17. A method for cooling a processor disposed in a chassis, the method comprising:

drawing air through an inlet of the chassis into an air movement device;

expelling the air from the air movement device into a plenum;

redirecting the air to a location proximate to the processor via the plenum; and

discharging the air from an outlet of the plenum over the processor

wherein the chassis includes a first processor and a second processor and the step of redirecting the air to a location proximate to the processor includes redirecting a portion of the air expelled from the air movement device to a location proximate to the first processor and redirecting a portion of the air expelled from the air movement device to a location proximate to the second processor.

18. A method for cooling a processor disposed in a chassis, the method comprising:

drawing air through an inlet of the chassis into an air movement device;

expelling the air from the air movement device into a plenum;

redirecting the air to a location proximate to the processor via the plenum; and

discharging the air from an outlet of the plenum over the processor

wherein the air movement device is located in a center region of the chassis and the plenum extends from the air movement device along the side of a motherboard to which the processor is mounted to a location proximate to the processor.

19. A computer system comprising:

a chassis;

slides disposed on a first side and a second side of the chassis, the slides for mounting the chassis in a computer rack; and

a cover having at least two removable sections, wherein the chassis can be partially removed from the computer rack by partially sliding the chassis out of the front and/or rear of the rack thereby allowing an operator to access computer components located beneath one of the removable sections.

20. The computer system of claim 19 wherein the chassis is a low profile chassis.

21. The computer system of claim 22 wherein the chassis is approximately 1.75″

in height.

22. The computer system of claim 19 wherein the cover includes a front section, a mid-section, and a rear section and the mid-section can be accessed and removed by partially sliding the chassis out of the front and/or rear of the rack thereby allowing an operator to access computer components located beneath the mid-section without having to remove the front section or the rear section.

23. The computer system of claim 19 wherein the chassis is connected to a computer network and the chassis can be partially removed from the computer rack by partially sliding the chassis out of the rack thereby allowing an operator to access computer components located beneath one of the sections without having to disconnect the chassis from the network.

24. A computer system comprising:

a chassis;

mounting means disposed on a first side and a second side of the chassis, the mounting means for mounting the chassis in a computer rack; and

cover means disposed over a top portion of the chassis having at least two removable sections, wherein the cover means allows an operator to partially remove the chassis from the front and/or rear of the computer rack, remove a section of the cover means, and access one or more computer components located below the removed section of the cover means.

25. The computer system of claim 24 wherein the chassis is a low profile chassis.

26. The computer system of claim 24 wherein the chassis is approximately 1.75″

in height.

27. The computer system of claim 24 wherein the cover means includes a front section, a middle section, and a rear section, and the middle section can be accessed and removed by partially sliding the chassis out of the rack thereby allowing an operator to access computer components located beneath the middle section without having to remove the front section or the rear section.

28. The computer system of claim 24 wherein the chassis is connected to a computer network and the chassis can be partially removed from the computer rack by partially sliding the chassis out of the rack thereby allowing an operator to access computer components located beneath one of the sections without having to disconnect the chassis from the network.

29. A computer enclosure comprising:

a chassis;

a first processor disposed in the chassis wherein the processor has a passive heatsink mounted thereon;

an air movement device disposed in the chassis, the air movement device having an inlet for receiving air and an outlet for expelling air; and

a plenum disposed in the chassis, the plenum having an inlet for receiving air from the outlet of the air movement device and an outlet for expelling the air proximate to the first processor.

30. The computer enclosure of claim 29 wherein the chassis is a low profile chassis.

31. The computer enclosure of claim 29 wherein the chassis is approximately 1.75″

in height.

32. The computer enclosure of claim 29 wherein the air movement device is a centrifugal blower.

33. A computer enclosure comprising:

a chassis;

a first processor disposed in the chassis;

an air movement device disposed in the chassis, the air movement device having an inlet for receiving air and an outlet for expelling air; and

a plenum disposed in the chassis, the plenum having an inlet for receiving air from the outlet of the air movement device and an outlet for expelling the air proximate to the first processor

wherein the chassis includes a second processor and the plenum includes a first outlet for expelling air proximate to the first processor and a second outlet for expelling air proximate to the second processor.

34. A computer enclosure comprising:

a chassis;

a first processor disposed in the chassis;

an air movement device disposed in the chassis, the air movement device having an inlet for receiving air and an outlet for expelling air; and

a plenum disposed in the chassis, the plenum having an inlet for receiving air from the outlet of the air movement device and an outlet for expelling the air proximate to the first processor

wherein the air movement device is located in a center region of the chassis and the plenum extends from the air movement device along the side of a motherboard to which the processor is mounted to a location proximate to the processor.

35. A computer enclosure comprising:

a chassis;

slides disposed on a first side and a second side of the chassis, the slides for mounting the chassis in a computer rack; and

a cover having at least two removable sections, wherein the chassis can be partially removed from the computer rack by partially sliding the chassis out of the front and the rear of the rack thereby allowing an operator to access computer components located beneath one of the removable sections.

36. The computer enclosure of claim 35 wherein the chassis is a low profile chassis.

37. The computer enclosure of claim 35 wherein the chassis is approximately 1.75″

in height.

38. The computer enclosure of claim 35 wherein the cover includes a front section, a mid-section, and a rear section and the mid-section can be accessed and removed by partially sliding the chassis out of the front and the rear of the rack thereby allowing an operator to access computer components located beneath the mid-section without having to remove the front section or the rear section.

39. The computer enclosure of claim 35 wherein the chassis is connected to a computer network and the chassis can be partially removed from the computer rack by partially sliding the chassis out of the rack thereby allowing an operator to access computer components located beneath one of the sections without having to disconnect the chassis from the network.