Method and apparatus for cooling an information handling system

• US 7,554,803 B2
• Filed: 04/13/2005
• Issued: 06/30/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/13/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Gandre, Jerry D., Artman, Paul T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gandhi; Jayprakash N
• Assistant Examiner(s): SMITH, COURTNEY L
• Application Number:
  US11/105,028
• Publication Number:
  US 20060232930A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,539 Days
• Field of Search: 361/695, 361/687, 361/683, 361/727, 361/796, 361/691, 361/696, 312/223.1, 312/223.2, 312/236, 312/263, 312/334.28, 165/122, 165/80.2, 165/121, 174/16.1, 415/178, 454/184
• US Class Current: 361/695
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20563 within sub-racks for removing heat from electronic boards
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20736 within cabinets for removing heat from server blades

Abstract

A cooling apparatus includes a chassis, a plurality of heat producing component slots defined by the chassis, and a plurality of valve systems mounted in the chassis, whereby a valve system is positioned adjacent each heat producing component slot. A fan may be coupled to the apparatus and a plurality of heat producing components such as, for example, a plurality of information handling systems, may be positioned in the heat producing components slots and selectively cooled using the plurality of valve systems, depending on the cooling requirements of each individual heat producing component.

Claims

1. A cooling apparatus comprising:

a chassis including at least one fan for moving air through the chassis;

a plurality of heat producing components each being in its component housing including airflow vents; and

a plurality of adjustable valve systems, each adjustable valve system being adjacent a respective one of the heat producing components and each adjustable valve system being independently adjustable and comprising;

a plurality of relatively movable plates each having alignable airflow apertures being independently movable to change the relative alignment of the airflow apertures and thereby adjusting the amount of airflow to each respective heat producing component, whereby airflow control to any component is independent of airflow control to any other component.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a control system operable to dynamically adjust each valve system in response to changing cooling needs of each respective heat producing component.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

adjustment of a motor operatable to actuate adjustment of each valve system.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein each valve system is operable to optimize the airflow from the fan for optimally cooling the heat producing components.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the independent adjustment includes providing increased airflow from the fan to the heat producing components producing increased heat relative to other heat producing components.

6. An information handling system (IHS) comprising:

a chassis including at least one fan for moving air through the chassis;

a processor mounted in the chassis;

a memory coupled to the processor;

a plurality of heat producing components each being in its component housing including airflow vents; and

a plurality of adjustable valve systems, each adjustable valve system being adjacent a respective one of the heat producing components and each adjustable valve system being independently adjustable and comprising;

a plurality of relatively movable plates each having alignable airflow apertures being independently movable to change the relative alignment of the airflow apertures and thereby adjusting the amount of airflow to each respective heat producing component, whereby airflow control to any component is independent of airflow control to any other component.

7. The IHS of claim 6, further comprising:

a control system operable to dynamically adjust each valve system in response to changing cooling needs of each respective heat producing component.

8. The IHS of claim 6, further comprising:

adjustment of a motor operatable to actuate adjustment of each valve system.

9. The IHS of claim 6 wherein each valve system is operable to optimize the airflow from the fan for optimally cooling the heat producing components.

10. The IHS of claim 6 wherein the independent adjustment includes providing increased airflow from the fan to the heat producing components producing increased heat relative to other heat producing components.

11. A method of cooling comprising:

providing a chassis including at least one fan for moving air through the chassis;

mounting a plurality of heat producing components in the chassis, each being in its component housing including airflow vents; and

mounting a plurality of adjustable valve systems in the chassis, each adjustable valve system being adjacent a respective one of the heat producing components and each adjustable valve system being independently adjustable and comprising;

a plurality of relatively movable plates each having alignable airflow apertures being independently movable to change the relative alignment of the airflow apertures and thereby adjusting the amount of airflow to each respective heat producing component, whereby airflow control to any component is independent of airflow control to any other component.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

a control system operable to dynamically adjust each valve system in response to changing cooling needs of each respective heat producing component.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

adjustment of a motor operatable to actuate adjustment of each valve system.

14. The method of claim 11 wherein each valve system is operable to optimize the airflow from the fan for optimally cooling the heat producing components.

15. The method of claim 11 wherein the independent adjustment includes providing increased airflow from the fan to the heat producing components producing increased heat relative to other heat producing components.