System and method for improving fan life in an information handling system

• US 9,681,577 B2
• Filed: 07/08/2014
• Issued: 06/13/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/20/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Shabbir, Hasnain, Ragupathi, Dinesh K., Dang, Thanh Hung, Silveira, Alaric, Henry, Carlos G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Laughlin, Nathan L
• Application Number:
  US14/326,274
• Publication Number:
  US 20150373877A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,071 Days
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 25/0613 the electric motor being of the inside-out type, i.e. the rotor is arranged radially outside a central stator
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 27/001 Testing thereof; Determination or simulation of flow characteristics; Stall or surge detection, e.g. condition monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 27/005 by changing flow path between different stages or between a plurality of compressors; Load distribution between compressors
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2270/11 to prolong engine life
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/0289 Reconfiguration to prevent failure, e.g. usually as a reaction to incipient failure detection
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/206 comprising thermal management
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20136 Forced ventilation, e.g. by fans H05K7/202 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20209 Thermal management, e.g. fan control
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20718 Forced ventilation of a gaseous coolant in closed loop H05K7/20754
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20836 Thermal management, e.g. server temperature control

Abstract

An information handling system includes a first fan in a first location for cooling a first component of the information handling system, a second fan in a second location for cooling a second component of the information handling system, and a management controller. The management controller determines that the first fan has experienced greater stress than the second fan, and recommends that the first fan be placed in the second location and that the second fan be placed in the first location.

Claims

1. A fan for an information handling system, the fan comprising:

a speed sensor;

a temperature sensor at an outlet of the fan;

a power sensor; and

a processor configured to;

receive inlet temperature information from the information handling system;

determine a rise in temperature at the outlet of the fan based upon the inlet temperature information and outlet temperature information from the sensor;

determine a usage level as;

2. The fan of claim 1, wherein the processor is further operable to determine that the usage level of the fan is above a usage threshold level.

3. The fan of claim 2, wherein the processor is further operable to provide an indication to a management controller that the usage level is above the usage threshold level.

4. The fan of claim 1, wherein the processor is further operable to determine that the efficiency level of the fan is below an efficiency threshold level.

5. The fan of claim 4, wherein the processor is further operable to provide an indication to a management controller that the efficiency level is below the efficiency threshold level.

6. The fan of claim 1, further comprising:

a persistent read-writable memory;

wherein the processor is further operable to;

receive identification information from a management controller; and

store the identification information in the memory.

7. The fan of claim 6, wherein the identification information includes at least one of a unique identifier for the fan, an efficiency level of the fan, and a usage level of the fan.

8. The fan of claim 1, wherein the processor is further operable to provide an indication to swap the fan with another fan of the information handling system based upon the usage level of the fan.

9. The fan of claim 1, wherein the processor is further operable to provide an indication to swap the fan with another fan of the information handling system based upon the efficiency level of the fan.

10. A method comprising:

determining, by a speed sensor of a fan, speed information for the fan;

receiving, from an information handling system, inlet temperature information for a temperature at an inlet of the fan;

determining a rise in temperature at an outlet of the fan based upon the inlet temperature information and outlet temperature information from a temperature sensor of the fan; and

determining a usage level as;

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

determining, by the processor, that the usage level of the fan is above a usage threshold level.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

providing, by the processor, an indication to a management controller that the usage level is above the usage threshold level.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

determining, by the processor, that the efficiency level of the fan is below an efficiency threshold level.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

providing, by the processor, an indication to a management controller that the efficiency level is below the efficiency threshold level.

15. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

receiving, by the processor, identification information from a management controller; and

storing, by the processor, the identification information in a persistent read-writable memory of the fan.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the identification information includes at least one of a unique identifier for the fan, an efficiency level of the fan, and a usage level of the fan.

17. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

providing, by the processor, an indication to swap the fan with another fan of the information handling system based upon the efficiency level of the fan.

18. A non-transitory computer-readable medium including code for performing a method, the method comprising:

determining, by a speed sensor of a fan, speed information for the fan;

determining, by a processor of the fan, a usage level of the fan based upon speed information;

receiving, from an information handling system, inlet temperature information for a temperature at an inlet of the fan;

determining a rise in temperature at an outlet of the fan based upon the inlet temperature information and outlet temperature information from a temperature sensor of the fan; and

determining the usage level as;