Thermochromic equipment rack

• US 8,672,149 B2
• Filed: 02/07/2011
• Issued: 03/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/07/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Telect Incorporated (Amphenol Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Telect Incorporated (Amphenol Corporation)
• Inventors: Knight, Paul A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chen, Jose V
• Application Number:
  US13/022,549
• Publication Number:
  US 20120199542A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,135 Days
• Field of Search: 211/183, 211/1, 361/679.6, 116/216, 374/162, 374/E11.018, 312/223.1, 312/213, 312/287
• US Class Current: 211/183
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 11/12 using changes in colour, translucency or reflectance
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20836 Thermal management, e.g. server temperature control

Abstract

A thermochromic indicator is vertically disposed on a rack. Such that the thermochromic indicator is visible from a distance. In some examples, the thermochromic indicator indicates a bulk air temperature and a gradient air temperature. The thermochromic indicator provides a real-time visual of air temperatures of computing equipment and devices housed within a computing facility. The thermochromic indicator may be vertically disposed on a front-face and/or a back-face or a rack. A plurality of thermochromic indicators may be disposed on a plurality of front-faces and/or back-faces of racks of an array of racks.

Claims

1. A thermal indicating system comprising:

an array of a plurality of racks configured to house telecommunication equipment, each of the plurality of racks having a front-face defining a cold air inlet side of the array; and

a thermochromic indicator disposed vertically along a height of the front-face of each of the plurality of racks and at least partially obstructing an airflow opening in the front face, wherein each of the thermochromic indicators indicates;

an air temperature gradation of cold air entering vertically along the height of the front-face of the respective rack on which the thermochromic indicator is disposed.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of racks has a back-face opposite the front-face, the back-face defining a hot air exit side of the array, and the system further comprising:

another thermochromic indicator disposed vertically along the back-face of each of the plurality of racks, wherein each of the other thermochromic indicators indicates;

an air temperature of hot air exiting vertically along the back-face of the respective rack on which the thermochromic indicator is disposed.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the front-face thermochromic indicators and the back-face thermochromic indicators of each rack comprise a thermochromic ink applied to the respective front-face and back-face subsequent to a painting of the front-face and the back-face of each rack.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the front-face thermochromic indicators and the back-face thermochromic indicators of each rack comprise:

a thermochromic paint applied to a base metal of the respective front-face and the back-face of each rack;

a thermochromic plastic fastened to the respective front-face and the back-face of each rack;

or

a thermochromic label applied to the respective front-face and the back-face of each rack.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the array of the plurality of racks comprises a substantially linear array of a plurality of racks or a substantially curvilinear array of a plurality of racks.

6. The thermochromic indicator of claim 1, wherein the airflow opening is located on a perforated door.

7. A telecommunication equipment rack comprising:

computing equipment housed in an interior of the rack;

a front-face having a vertical height; and

a thermochromic indicator disposed on and extending substantially the vertical height of the front-face and at least partially obstructing an airflow path of the front-face, wherein the front-face thermochromic indicator indicates;

an air temperature gradation of air entering the airflow path along the vertical height of the front-face of the rack on which the thermochromic indicator is disposed.

8. The rack of claim 7, further comprising a back-face, opposite the front-face, having a vertical height;

and

another thermochromic indicator disposed along the vertical height of the back-face, wherein the back-face thermochromic indicator indicates;

an air temperature of air exiting along the vertical height of the back-face of the rack on which the thermochromic indicator is disposed.

9. The rack of claim 8, wherein the front-face thermochromic indicator and the back-face thermochromic indicator each comprise a strip of thermochromic ink applied along the vertical height of the front-face and the back-face of the rack, respectively.

10. The rack of claim 9, wherein the front-face and the back-face each comprise a perforated door, and the strip of thermochromic ink is applied substantially proximate to a middle portion of each the perforated doors.

11. The rack of claim 8, wherein the front-face thermochromic indicator and the back-face thermochromic indicator each comprise an array of individual marks of thermochromic ink applied along the vertical height of the front-face and the back-face, respectively.

12. The rack of claim 11, wherein the front-face and the back-face each comprise a perforated door, and the array of individual marks of thermochromic ink are applied substantially proximate to a middle portion of each the perforated doors.

13. The rack of claim 8, wherein the front-face thermochromic indicator and the back-face thermochromic indicator each comprise a thermochromic paint applied to the front-face and the back-face.

14. The rack of claim 13, wherein the front-face and the back-face each comprise a rack post, and the thermochromic paint is applied to a base metal of each of the rack posts.

15. The rack of claim 13, wherein the front-face and the back-face each comprise a perforated door, and the thermochromic paint is applied to a base metal of each the perforated doors.

16. The rack of claim 8, wherein the front-face thermochromic indicator and back-face thermochromic indicator each comprise a thermochromic label applied to the front-face and the back-face.

17. The rack of claim 16, wherein the front-face and the back-face each comprise a perforated door, and each of the thermochromic labels are applied proximate to a middle portion of each the perforated doors.

18. The rack of claim 8, wherein the front-face thermochromic indicator and back-face thermochromic indicator each comprise a thermochromic plastic fastened to the front-face and the back-face.

19. A thermochromic indicator configured to be vertically disposed on a data center rack, the thermochromic indicator comprising:

a substrate material configured to be removably disposed on an airflow opening of the rack, the substrate material comprising;

a vertical height the same as a vertical height of the rack; and

a curvilinear surface arranged along the vertical height; and

a thermochromic material disposed on the curvilinear surface arranged along the vertical height to indicate multiple temperatures of air flowing into the rack along the vertical height at a same time.

20. The thermochromic indicator of claim 19, wherein the substrate material further comprises a material thickness having a minimum depth of at least about 0.3 inches and a maximum depth of at least about 0.8 inches.

21. The thermochromic indicator of claim 19, wherein the thermochromic material comprises a thermochromic ink, a thermochromic paint, a thermochromic paper, a thermochromic film, and/or a thermochromic label.

22. The thermochromic indicator of claim 19, wherein the thermochromic material is configured to be responsive to changes in air temperature.

23. The thermochromic indicator of claim 22, wherein the thermochromic material has a thickness to provide a color change responsive within 10 seconds.