Systems and methods to dissipate heat in an information handling system

• US 8,190,303 B2
• Filed: 12/18/2008
• Issued: 05/29/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Lin, Chung-Hsiung, Lin, Chien-Ting
• Primary Examiner(s): Decady, Albert
• Assistant Examiner(s): LOPEZ ALVAREZ, OLVIN
• Application Number:
  US12/338,006
• Publication Number:
  US 20100155047A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,258 Days
• Field of Search: 700276-277, 700/281, 700299-300, 165/200, 165/288, 251/129.06, 310/326, 310/330, 310/349, 310/363
• US Class Current: 700/300
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1932 to control the temperature of a plurality of spaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/206 comprising thermal management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/201 Cooling arrangements using cooling fluid
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/34 Arrangements for cooling, heating, ventilating or temperature compensation ; Temperature sensing arrangements thermal treatment apparatus H01L21/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/467 by flowing gases, e.g. air H01L23/473 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00 Indexing scheme for arrangements or methods for connecting or disconnecting semiconductor or solid-state bodies as covered by H01L24/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/0002 Not covered by any one of groups H01L24/00, H01L24/00 and H01L2224/00
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/207 Thermal management, e.g. cabinet temperature control

Abstract

In a particular embodiment, a system to dissipate heat in an information handling system includes a first heat-generating component adapted to process first data and a second heat-generating component adapted to process second data. The system also includes a cooling fluid guide including an electroactive material. The cooling fluid guide is adapted to change from a first shape to a second shape, in response to receiving a trigger voltage or in response to no longer receiving the trigger voltage. The system also includes a controller adapted to detect a data load processed at the second heat-generating component and, in response to detecting the data load, to cause the trigger voltage to be received at, or no longer received at, the cooling fluid guide. The cooling fluid guide is adapted to direct an increased portion of cooling fluid toward the first heat-generating component when the cooling fluid guide is in a form of the second shape, as compared to the first shape.

Claims

1. A system to dissipate heat in an information handling system, the system comprising:

a first heat-generating component adapted to process first data;

a second heat-generating component adapted to process second data;

a cooling fluid guide comprising an electroactive material, wherein the cooling fluid guide is adapted to change from a first shape to a second shape in response to receiving a trigger voltage, and to change from the second shape to the first shape in response to no longer receiving the trigger voltage; and

a controller adapted to detect a data load processed at the second heat-generating component and, in response to detecting the data load, to change the trigger voltage the cooling fluid guide, wherein the controller decreases the trigger voltage in proportion to increasing data load at the heat-generating component;

wherein the cooling fluid guide is adapted to direct an increased portion of cooling fluid away from the first heat-generating component and toward the second heat-generating component when the cooling fluid guide is in a form of the second shape, as compared to the first shape;

wherein the controller signals a power source to supply the trigger voltage after determining that a second data load processed at the second heat-generating component exceeds a first data load processed at the first heat-generating component.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the cooling fluid guide is adapted to direct a larger portion of the cooling fluid toward the first heat-generating component, than toward the second heat-generating component, when in a form of the first shape, and to direct a larger portion of the cooling fluid toward the second heat-generating component, than toward the first heat-generating component, when in the form of the second shape.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the cooling fluid comprises at least one of a gas, a liquid, and a gel.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is adapted to signal a power source to supply the trigger voltage after determining that the data load processed at the second heat-generating component exceeds a threshold.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising a first electrode coupled to an end of the cooling fluid guide and a second electrode coupled to another end of the cooling fluid guide, wherein the power source supplies the particular voltage to the cooling fluid guide by creating a voltage difference between the first electrode and the second electrode.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of channels separated by the cooling fluid guide, wherein a first channel is adapted to conduct a portion of the cooling fluid toward the first heat-generating component, and wherein a second channel is adapted to conduct another portion of the cooling fluid toward the second heat-generating component.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein a cooling fluid source is adapted to drive a substantially constant amount of cooling fluid, and wherein the cooling fluid guide divides the substantially constant amount of cooling fluid between the plurality of channels based on the shape of the cooling fluid guide.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the electroactive material comprises an electroactive polymer.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the electroactive polymer comprises at least one of an electronic electroactive polymer and an ionic electroactive polymer.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the electroactive polymer comprises at least one of an electrorestrictive polymer, a dielectric elastomer, an electrostatic polymer, a ferroelectric polymer, a piezoelectric polymer, a conductive polymer, an ionic polymer-metal composite, a carbon nanotube, and a responsive gel.

11. A system to dissipate heat in an information handling system, the system comprising:

a first heat-generating component coupled to a first temperature sensor;

a second heat-generating component coupled to a second temperature sensor;

a cooling fluid guide comprising an electroactive material, wherein the cooling fluid guide is adapted to change from a first shape to a second shape in response to receiving a trigger voltage, and to change from the second shape to the first shape in response to no longer receiving the trigger voltage; and

a controller adapted to cause the trigger voltage to be received at the cooling fluid guide when a first temperature is detected at the first temperature sensor is less than a second temperature detected at the second temperature sensor, and to cause the trigger voltage to be no longer received at the cooling fluid guide when the first temperature is greater than the second temperature;

wherein the cooling fluid guide is adapted to direct a first increased portion of cooling fluid away from the first heat-generating component and toward the second heat-generating component when the cooling fluid guide is in a form of the second shape, as compared to the first shape; and

wherein the controller signals a power source to supply the trigger voltage after determining that a second data load processed at the second heat-generating component exceeds a first data load processed at the first heat-generating component.

12. The system of claim 11, further comprising another cooling fluid guide adapted to change from a third shape to a fourth shape in response to receiving the trigger voltage, and to change from the fourth shape to the third shape in response to no longer receiving the trigger, wherein the other cooling fluid guide is adapted to direct a second increased portion of the cooling fluid away from the first heat-generating component and toward the second heat-generating component when in a form of the fourth shape, as compared to the third shape.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the first heat-generating component comprises a data processing component, a disk drive or a power supply.

14. A method of dissipating heat in an information handling system, the method comprising:

detecting a change in a data load at a heat-generating component of the information handling system; and

in response to detecting the change in the data load, causing a voltage received at a cooling fluid guide to change in proportion to the change in the data load or temperature;

wherein the cooling fluid guide comprises an electroactive material adapted to change shape in proportion to a change in the voltage received, and wherein the cooling fluid guide changes a proportion of cooling fluid flowing toward the heat-generating component when the cooling fluid guide changes shape;

wherein the controller decreases the voltage received at the cooling fluid guide in proportion to increasing data load at the heat-generating component.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the cooling fluid guide is adapted to change shape substantially continuously when the voltage received is changed within a range of voltages.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising determining that the data load exceeds another data load processed at another heat-generating component before causing the voltage received by the cooling fluid guide to change.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising determining that the data load exceeds a threshold before causing the voltage received by the cooling fluid guide to change.