Exhaust air removal system

• US 7,752,858 B2
• Filed: 11/25/2002
• Issued: 07/13/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/25/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Schneider Electric IT Corporation (Schneider Electric SE)
• Original Assignee: American Power Conversion Corporation (Schneider Electric SE)
• Inventors: Rassmussen, Neil, Johnson, Rollie R.
• Primary Examiner(s): JIANG, CHEN WEN
• Application Number:
  US10/303,641
• Publication Number:
  US 20040099747A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,787 Days
• Field of Search: 454/184, 622/592, 165/80.3, 361/696, 361/695, 236/49.3, 236/686, 236/752, 236/790, 236/701
• US Class Current: 62/186
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20736 within cabinets for removing heat from server blades
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20836 Thermal management, e.g. server temperature control

Abstract

An exhaust air removal system and method for use with a rack or enclosure containing equipment is provided. The system and method are configured for removal of exhaust air vented from equipment during operation to thereby remove heat from the equipment. In one respect, the system includes a fan unit preferably configured to serve as a back door of an equipment rack or enclosure and configured to provide access to an interior of the rack or enclosure. The fan unit provides multiple fans coupled to internal exhaust ducts that are arranged to draw and to remove exhaust air vented from rack-mounted equipment. The fan unit is further configured to vent exhaust air to an area external to a rack or enclosure, such as an external exhaust duct or plenum. Removal of hot and warm exhaust air vented from rack-mounted equipment enables the equipment to operate effectively, drawing sufficient amounts of cooling air to meet its cooling requirements. The fan unit is constructed for portability and for easy attachment to and removal from a rack or enclosure, providing flexibility in handling equipment exhaust needs.

Claims

1. A system for exhausting air from an equipment enclosure, the system comprising:

an exhaust unit including a housing configured to connect to the equipment enclosure, the housing defining a front panel, a back panel opposite to the front panel, a top portion and a bottom portion opposite to the top portion;

the front and the back panels and the top and the bottom portions defining an interior chamber within the housing, and enclosing at least one inner duct defined within the interior chamber, the at least one inner duct being disposed and configured to direct air to the top portion of the housing;

the back panel being a solid panel and being configured to connect in facing relation to the equipment enclosure, the back panel defining at least one port;

an outer exhaust duct that has a first end and a second end, the first end being constructed and arranged to couple to the at least one inner duct along the top portion of the housing; and

at least one fan configured to sit in the at least one port in facing relation to the equipment enclosure, and being disposed and configured to place the interior of the at least one inner duct in fluid communication with the interior of the equipment enclosure and to draw air from within the interior of the equipment enclosure and to vent drawn-in air into the interior of the at least one inner duct and out through the outer exhaust duct, wherein the at least one fan is configured to operate at a variable speed or at a constant speed;

a controller coupled to the at least one fan and constructed and arranged to control the speed of the fan, wherein the controller is constructed and arranged to sense opening of the equipment enclosure or the exhaust unit and to control the at least two fans to operate at maximum speed when the equipment enclosure or the exhaust unit is opened.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the exhaust unit forms a back door of the equipment enclosure, and is constructed and arranged to replace an existing back door of the equipment enclosure.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising the equipment enclosure, and wherein the equipment enclosure includes an internal frame to allow mounting of equipment in an equipment area formed by the internal frame, the equipment enclosure having a top panel, a bottom panel, a first side panel, a second side panel, and a front door having formed therein a number of openings to allow air drawn by the at least two fans to be drawn through the openings, wherein the internal frame is coupled to the top panel, the first side panel and the second side panel so that substantially all air drawn through the openings in the front door passes through the equipment area.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one fan includes at least two fans contained within the exhaust unit, and wherein the at least two fans are each configured to operate at a variable speed or at a constant speed.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the controller is coupled to the at least two fans and constructed and arranged to control the speed of each fan.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the controller controls the variable speed based on power drawn by equipment contained in the equipment enclosure.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein the controller controls the variable speed in response to a temperature of air in at least one of the equipment enclosure and the housing of the exhaust unit.

8. The system of claim 5, wherein the controller is constructed and arranged to detect a failure of the at least two fans and to control an indicator to indicate the failure.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the controller is constructed and arranged to communicate the failure to a device external to the equipment enclosure.

10. The system of claim 4, further comprising at least one user control to allow a user to control the variable speed of the at least two fans.

11. The system of claim 1, further comprising multiple power inputs and a circuitry module coupling the power inputs to the at least two fans.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the circuitry module is configured to disconnect a first of the power inputs from the at least two fans and connect a second of the power inputs to the at least two fans in response to a loss of power at the first of the power inputs.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the outer exhaust duct is flexible, and wherein the second end of the outer exhaust duct is constructed and arranged to mate with a ceiling tile to allow exhaust air to be directed to an air plenum located above a ceiling.

14. A method for exhausting air from an equipment enclosure and returning air to an air conditioner, the equipment enclosure having a door, the method comprising:

receiving air along an air intake portion of the equipment enclosure disposed opposite to an air exhaust portion of the equipment enclosure to which the door is connected;

drawing the air across equipment in the equipment enclosure toward the door;

drawing the air using at least one fan seated in a port defined along a solid panel of the door connected in facing relation to the equipment enclosure, the at least one fan being disposed to provide fluid communication between the interior of the equipment enclosure and the interior of at least one inner duct configured within an interior chamber of the door and extending from the port to a top portion of the door;

directing the air using the at least one fan through the interior of the inner duct such that the air flows through an opening in the top portion of the door and through an outer exhaust duct connected to the opening to a ceiling plenum;

returning the air to the air conditioner through the ceiling plenum; and

controlling the at least one fan to operate at maximum speed when the door is opened.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the at least one fan is configured to operate at a variable speed, and wherein the method further includes controlling the variable speed of the at least one fan based on power drawn by equipment contained in the equipment enclosure.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the at least one fan is configured to operate at a variable speed, and wherein the method further includes controlling the variable speed of the at least one fan based on a temperature of air in at least one of the equipment enclosure and the outer exhaust duct.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the at least one fan is configured to operate from one of two power sources, and wherein the method further includes disconnecting the at least one fan from a first power source and connecting the at least one fan to a second power source upon detection of a failure of the first power source.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising providing an indication, detectable by a user from outside the equipment enclosure, of the failure of the first power source.

19. The method of claim 14, further comprising coupling a second end of the outer exhaust duct to a ceiling tile.

20. A system for exhausting air from an equipment enclosure, the equipment enclosure having a front door and a back door, the system comprising:

the back door connected to the equipment enclosure along an exhaust side of the equipment enclosure, the back door having a front panel and a back panel opposite to the front panel, the front and back panels defining an interior chamber within the back door, the back panel being configured as a solid panel and defining at least one port in facing relation to the exhaust side of the equipment enclosure;

at least one inner exhaust duct disposed within the interior chamber and connected to the at least one port such that an interior of the at least one inner exhaust duct is disposed in fluid communication with an interior of the equipment enclosure;

means, contained within one or more ducts of the at least one inner exhaust duct and coupled with one or more ports of the at least one port in facing relation to the equipment enclosure, to draw air out from the interior of the equipment enclosure, through the one or more ports and the one or more inner exhaust ducts, wherein the means to draw air includes a plurality of variable speed fans, each fan being seated in one of the at least one port and being contained in one of the at least one inner exhaust duct, and wherein the system further includes means for controlling the variable speed of each of the plurality of fans based on a temperature of air in at least one of the equipment enclosure and the at least one inner exhaust duct, and wherein each of the plurality of fans is configured to operate from one of two power sources, and wherein the system further includes means for disconnecting each of the plurality of fans from a first power source and connecting each of the plurality of fans to a second power source upon detection of a failure of the first power source; and

means for controlling each of the two fans to operate at maximum speed when the back door is opened.

21. The system of claim 20, further comprising means for providing an indication, detectable by a user from outside the equipment enclosure, of the failure of the first power source.

22. The system of claim 20, further comprising means for coupling the second end of the outer exhaust duct to a ceiling tile to allow exhaust air to return to the air conditioner through a ceiling plenum.

23. The system of claim 20, wherein means to draw air includes at least two fans, a first fan of the at least two fans being associated with a first port and a second fan of the at least two fans being associated with a second port, and wherein each of the at least two fans is configured to operate from one of two power sources, and wherein the system further includes means for disconnecting each of the at least two fans from a first power source and connecting each of the at least two fans to a second power source upon detection of a failure of the first power source.

24. A system for exhausting air from an equipment enclosure, the equipment enclosure having a front door and a back door, the system comprising:

the back door connected to the equipment enclosure along an exhaust side of the equipment enclosure, the back door having a front panel and a back panel opposite to the front panel, the front and back panels defining an interior chamber within the back door, the back panel being configured as a solid panel and defining at least one port in facing relation to the exhaust side of the equipment enclosure;

at least one inner exhaust duct disposed within the interior chamber and connected to the at least one port such that an interior of the at least one inner exhaust duct is disposed in fluid communication with an interior of the equipment enclosure; and

means, contained within one or more ducts of the at least one inner exhaust duct and coupled with one or more ports of the at least one port in facing relation to the equipment enclosure, to draw air out from the interior of the equipment enclosure, through the one or more ports and the one or more inner exhaust ducts, wherein means to draw air includes a plurality of fans, and wherein the system further includes means for controlling each of the fans to operate at maximum speed when the back door is opened.