Thermal control system for rack mounting

• US 7,804,686 B2
• Filed: 07/18/2008
• Issued: 09/28/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/12/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Thermotek Incorporated
• Original Assignee: The Thermotek Incorporated
• Inventors: Leggett, William F., Balachandran, Niran, Quisenberry, Tony, Parish, Overton L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gandhi; Jayprakash N
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hoffberg; Robert J
• Application Number:
  US12/176,084
• Publication Number:
  US 20090109622A1
• Time in Patent Office: 802 Days
• Field of Search: 361699-703, 361/695, 361/696, 361/698, 165 804- 805, 165/104.33
• US Class Current: 361/696
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20772 within server blades for removing heat from heat source

Abstract

A thermal control system of a 3U height includes various modules for providing temperature control in a rack environment. The modules may be, for example, a power module, user interface module, various different pump assemblies, various different models of fan assemblies, HTAs, and/or a serial communication interfaces.

Claims

1. A precision thermal control system comprising:

a chassis having an available internal space and a height of no more than 3U, the chassis comprising;

a front face;

a rear face;

a continuous heat transfer chassis region occupying over half of the available internal space of the chassis, the continuous heat transfer chassis region not being coextensive with the available internal space of the chassis, the continuous heat transfer chassis region extending from an interior aspect of the front face to an interior aspect of the rear face; and

a continuous pump region comprising a pump, the continuous pump region occupying less than half of the available internal space of the chassis, the continuous pump region extending from the interior aspect of the front face to the interior aspect of the rear face, the continuous pump region and the continuous heat transfer region positioned adjacent to each other along a boundary oriented parallel to a depth of the chassis;

a first plurality of fan assemblies disposed adjacent to the front face, the first plurality of fan assemblies connecting the continuous heat transfer chassis region with an exterior environment;

a second plurality of fan assemblies disposed adjacent to the rear face, the second plurality of fan assemblies connecting the continuous heat transfer chassis region with the exterior environment, the first and second plurality of fan assemblies operable to allow an airflow through the continuous heat transfer chassis region;

a user interface disposed on a portion of the front face corresponding to the continuous pump region;

a first plurality of fluid connections disposed on a portion of the front face corresponding to the boundary;

a second plurality of fluid connections disposed on a portion of the rear face corresponding to the boundary;

wherein the continuous heat transfer chassis region comprises;

a plurality of heat transfer assembly modules secured to the chassis within the heat transfer chassis region, the plurality of heat transfer assembly modules oriented parallel to each other and perpendicular to the depth of the chassis; and

a plurality of spaces disposed between each of the heat transfer assembly modules disposed within the heat transfer chassis region,

wherein, each of the plurality of heat transfer assembly modules disposed within the heat transfer chassis region comprises;

a low profile extrusion having micro channels formed therein;

a heat transfer fluid disposed within the low profile extrusion; and

a plurality of external fins disposed on the low profile extrusion, the plurality of fins having a plurality of gaps therebetween, the plurality of gaps oriented parallel to the depth of the chassis;

wherein the airflow through the continuous heat transfer chassis region is parallel to the depth of the chassis; and

wherein the flow of the heat transfer fluid through the low profile extrusion is perpendicular to the depth of the chassis.

2. The system as set forth in claim 1 comprising three heat transfer assembly modules utilized to effect cooling and/or heating in said precision thermal control system.

3. The system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said precision thermal control system is portable.

4. The system as set forth in claim 3 wherein said precision thermal control system further comprises a plurality of support feet adapted to be secured along at least one surface of said chassis for facilitating the placement of said precision thermal control system outside of a conventional equipment rack.

5. The system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said precision thermal control system is programmable.

6. The system as set forth in claim 5 wherein a user sets a range of satisfactory temperatures of said heat transfer fluid and said precision thermal control system automatically adjusts a fan speed and a flow rate of said heat transfer fluid in at least partial dependence on said range of satisfactory temperatures.

7. The system as set forth in claim 5 wherein said precision thermal control system records information the temperature of said heat transfer fluid.

8. The system as set forth in claim 7 wherein the information recorded by said precision thermal control system can be displayed or printed.

9. The system of claim 1 further comprises a variable-output power supply secured within the chassis, wherein an output of the variable-output power supply is varied by a controller via a pulse width modulation signal.

10. The system of claim 1 further comprises a variable-output power supply secured within the chassis, wherein the variable-output power supply allows the precision thermal control system to use a minimum required input power to provide thermal control.