Acoustically absorptive apparatus for an electronics rack of a data center

• US 7,986,526 B1
• Filed: 02/25/2010
• Issued: 07/26/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Howard, Glendowlyn F., Nobile, Matthew A.
• Primary Examiner(s): DATSKOVSKIY, MICHAIL V
• Application Number:
  US12/712,270
• Time in Patent Office: 516 Days
• Field of Search: 36167946-67953, 361690-696, 361/698, 361/699, 361/700, 361717-728, 181200-202, 181/198, 181/224, 181/225, 181/229, 181/252, 181/255, 181/258, 181/268, 181/286, 181/288, 181/290, 454/184, 454/278, 312/213, 312/223.2, 312/223.3, 312/236, 165/80.3, 165121-126, 165/185, 621/37, 622/592
• US Class Current: 361/694
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/1488 Cabinets therefor, e.g. chassis or racks or mechanical interfaces between blades and support structures

Abstract

An acoustically absorptive apparatus is provided which includes an acoustically absorptive panel and an attachment mechanism. The acoustically absorptive panel is configured to reside along a side of an electronics rack, and includes a multilayer structure to attenuate noise. The attachment mechanism slidably mounts the acoustically absorptive panel to the electronics rack and facilitates sliding of the panel relative to the rack between retracted and extended positions. In the refracted position, the panel is disposed along the side of the rack, and in the extended position, the panel extends beyond a front or back edge of the electronics rack to facilitate attenuating noise emanating from the rack or an aisle alongside a row of multiple racks. In addition, the acoustically absorptive panel hingedly couples along a vertical edge to the attachment mechanism such that the panel is also rotatable outward away from the side of the electronics rack.

Claims

1. An acoustically absorptive apparatus comprising:

an acoustically absorptive panel configured to be disposed along a side of an electronics rack, the acoustically absorptive panel comprising a multilayer structure configured to attenuate noise; and

an attachment mechanism to slidably mount the acoustically absorptive panel to the electronics rack, the attachment mechanism facilitating sliding of the acoustically absorptive panel relative to the electronics rack between a retracted position and an extended position, wherein in the retracted position the acoustically absorptive panel is disposed along the side of the electronics rack and in the extended position the acoustically absorptive panel extends beyond a front edge or a back edge of the electronics rack to facilitate attenuating noise emanating therefrom.

2. The acoustically absorptive apparatus of claim 1, wherein the acoustically absorptive panel hingedly couples along a vertical edge thereof to the attachment mechanism such that the acoustically absorptive panel is also rotatable outward away from the side of the electronics rack to facilitate positioning of the acoustically absorptive panel to enhance noise attenuation.

3. The acoustically absorptive apparatus of claim 2, wherein slidable mounting of the acoustically absorptive panel to the electronics rack and hinged coupling of the acoustically absorptive panel to the attachment mechanism further allow extension and rotation, respectively, of the acoustically absorptive panel to inhibit recirculation of air around the side of the electronics rack, and thereby enhance air cooling of the electronics rack.

4. The acoustically absorptive apparatus of claim 2, wherein the attachment mechanism comprises at least one rail configured to mount to the electronics rack, an attachment plate, and at least one slidable guide slidably coupling the attachment plate to the at least one rail, and wherein the acoustically absorptive panel is hingedly mounted to the attachment plate along a vertical edge thereof such that the acoustically absorptive panel is slidable between the retracted and extended positions, and is rotatable outward away from the attachment plate in the retracted position, the extended position, or any position therebetween.

5. The acoustically absorptive apparatus of claim 4, wherein the acoustically absorptive panel has a height and a width substantially equal to a height and a width, respectively, of the side of the electronics rack.

6. The acoustically absorptive apparatus of claim 1, wherein the multilayer structure of the acoustically absorptive panel comprises a solid wall septum disposed between a first acoustically absorptive material layer and a second acoustically absorptive material layer.

7. The acoustically absorptive apparatus of claim 6, wherein the solid wall septum is integrated with at least a portion of a frame of the acoustically absorptive panel.

8. The acoustically absorptive apparatus of claim 7, wherein the frame further comprises a first set of upper and lower channels at a first side of the solid wall septum and a second set of upper and lower channels at a second side of the solid wall septum for receiving the first acoustically absorptive material layer and the second acoustically absorptive material layer, respectively, wherein the first acoustically absorptive material layer and the second acoustically absorptive material layer slide into the first set of upper and lower channels and the second set of upper and lower channels, respectively.

9. The acoustically absorptive apparatus of claim 6, wherein at least one of the first acoustically absorptive material layer or the second acoustically absorptive material layer includes printed or graphical material on at least one side thereof, the printed or graphical material relating to at least one of the electronics rack or a data center containing the electronics rack.

10. The acoustically absorptive apparatus of claim 1, wherein the acoustically absorptive panel is a first acoustically absorptive panel, and wherein the acoustically absorptive apparatus further comprises a second acoustically absorptive panel, and wherein the attachment mechanism is a dual track attachment mechanism which slidably couples the first acoustically absorptive panel and the second acoustically absorptive panel to the side of the electronics rack such that in the retracted position the first acoustically absorptive panel and the second acoustically absorptive panel are disposed along the side of the electronics rack, and in the extended position the first acoustically absorptive panel extends from the electronics rack in a first direction and the second acoustically absorptive panel extends from the electronics rack in a second direction, wherein the first direction and the second direction are opposite directions.

11. The acoustically absorptive apparatus of claim 10, wherein the first acoustically absorptive panel hingedly couples to the dual track attachment mechanism along a vertical edge thereof and the second acoustically absorptive panel hingedly couples to the dual track attachment mechanism along a vertical edge thereof, wherein both the first acoustically absorptive panel and the second acoustically absorptive panel are rotatable outward away from the side of the electronics rack to facilitate noise attenuation.

12. A data center comprising:

multiple electronics racks, each electronics rack comprising;

an air inlet side and an air outlet side, the air inlet side and the air outlet side respectively enabling ingress and egress of external air;

at least one electronics subsystem requiring cooling;

at least one air moving device, the at least one air moving device being capable of causing external air to flow from the air inlet side of the electronics rack, across the at least one electronics subsystem, to the air outlet side of the electronics rack; and

at least one acoustically absorptive apparatus, each acoustically absorptive apparatus being coupled to a respective electronics rack of the multiple electronics racks, and comprising;

an acoustically absorptive panel configured to reside along a side of the electronics rack interconnecting the air inlet side and the air outlet side thereof, the acoustically absorptive panel comprising a multilayer structure configured to attenuate noise; and

an attachment mechanism slidably mounting the acoustically absorptive panel to the electronics rack, the attachment mechanism facilitating sliding of the acoustically absorptive panel relative to the electronics rack between a retracted position and an extended position, wherein in the retracted position the acoustically absorptive panel is disposed along the side of the electronics rack and in the extended position the acoustically absorptive panel extends beyond one of the air inlet side or the air outlet side of the electronics rack to facilitate attenuating noise emanating therefrom.

13. The data center of claim 12, wherein the multiple electronics racks comprise at least two electronics racks in spaced, opposing relation and defining an aisle therebetween, and wherein the acoustically absorptive panel in the extended position at least partially blocks the aisle, and thereby facilitates attenuating noise emanating into the aisle from the at least two electronics racks in spaced, opposing relation.

14. The data center of claim 13, further comprising at least two acoustically absorptive apparatuses, each acoustically absorptive apparatus being coupled to a respective electronics rack of the at least two electronics racks in spaced, opposing relation defining the aisle therebetween, and wherein the acoustically absorptive panel of each acoustically absorptive apparatus facilitates in the extended position closing off the aisle defined between the at least two electronics racks, thereby facilitating attenuation of noise emanating from the electronics racks.

15. The data center of claim 12, wherein the acoustically absorptive panel hingedly couples along a vertical edge thereof to the attachment mechanism such that the acoustically absorptive panel is also rotatable outward away from the side of the electronics rack to facilitate positioning of the acoustically absorptive panel to enhance noise attenuation.

16. The data center of claim 12, wherein the multilayer structure of the acoustically absorptive panel comprises a solid wall septum disposed between a first acoustically absorptive material layer and a second acoustically absorptive material layer, and wherein the solid wall septum is integrated with at least a portion of a frame of the acoustically absorptive panel, the frame comprising a first set of upper and lower channels at a first side of the solid wall septum and a second set of upper and lower channels at a second side of the solid wall septum for receiving the first acoustically absorptive material layer and the second acoustically absorptive material layer, respectively.

17. The data center of claim 12, wherein the acoustically absorptive panel is a first acoustically absorptive panel, and wherein the acoustically absorptive apparatus further comprises a second acoustically absorptive panel, and wherein the attachment mechanism is a dual track attachment mechanism which slidably couples the first acoustically absorptive panel and the second acoustically absorptive panel to the side of the electronics rack such that in the retracted position, the first acoustically absorptive panel and the second acoustically absorptive panel reside along the side of the electronics rack, and in the extended position the first acoustically absorptive panel extends from the electronics rack in a first direction and the second acoustically absorptive panel extends from the electronics rack in a second direction, wherein the first direction and the second direction are opposite directions.

18. The data center of claim 17, wherein the first acoustically absorptive panel hingedly couples to the dual track attachment mechanism along a vertical edge thereof and the second acoustically absorptive panel hingedly couples to the dual track attachment mechanism along a vertical edge thereof, wherein both the first acoustically absorptive panel and the second acoustically absorptive panel are rotatable outward away from the side of the electronics rack to facilitate positioning thereof to enhance noise attenuation.

19. A method of facilitating attenuation of noise emanating from an electronics rack, the method comprising:

providing an acoustically absorptive panel configured to be disposed along a side of the electronics rack, the acoustically absorptive panel comprising a multilayer structure to attenuate noise; and

slidably mounting the acoustically absorptive panel to the electronics rack, wherein the acoustically absorptive panel is slidable relative to the electronics rack between a retracted position and an extended position, wherein in the retracted position the acoustically absorptive panel is disposed along the side of the electronics rack and in the extended position the acoustically absorptive panel extends beyond a front edge or a back edge of the electronics rack to facilitate attenuating noise emanating therefrom.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising hingedly mounting the acoustically absorptive panel along a vertical edge thereof to the attachment mechanism such that the acoustically absorptive panel is rotatable outward away from the side of the electronics rack in the retracted position, the extended position or any position therebetween to facilitate positioning of the acoustically absorptive panel to enhance noise attenuation.