Air-moving assemblies with flywheels

• US 9,951,785 B2
• Filed: 08/19/2016
• Issued: 04/24/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: David, Milnes P., Domitrovits, Michael J., Murphy, Joshua, Palmer, John V., Rosato, Sal M.
• Primary Examiner(s): PATEL, MUKUNDBHAI G
• Application Number:
  US15/241,480
• Publication Number:
  US 20160360650A1
• Time in Patent Office: 613 Days
• Field of Search: 36167948
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 17/16 for displacing without appreciable compression
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 19/002 Axial flow fans
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 25/026 with a magnetic coupling
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 25/08 the working fluid being air, e.g. for ventilation
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 25/166 using fans
• 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: F05B 2260/302 by means of magnetic or electromagnetic forces
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2260/421 in the form of rotational kinetic energy, e.g. in flywheels
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 7/09 against over-voltage; against reduction of voltage; against phase interruption
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20136 Forced ventilation, e.g. by fans H05K7/202 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20745 within rooms for removing heat from cabinets, e.g. by air conditioning device

Abstract

Apparatuses and methods are provided for facilitating air-cooling of, for instance, one or more electronics racks within a data center. The apparatus includes an air-moving assembly and one or more flywheels. The air-moving assembly includes a shaft, one or more mechanical fans coupled to the shaft to rotate, at least in part, with the shaft, and a motor coupled to the shaft to rotatably drive the shaft. The flywheel(s) is sized and coupled to the shaft of the air-moving assembly to store rotational energy, and to facilitate, for a specified period of time, continued rotation of the shaft during interruption in power to the motor. In one implementation, the flywheel(s) is sized and coupled to the shaft to facilitate, for the specified time period, continued rotation of the shaft at a specified percentage, or greater, rotational speed of the shaft compared with shaft speed when rotatably driven by the motor.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

an air-moving assembly, the air-moving assembly comprising;

a shaft;

one or more mechanical fans coupled to the shaft to rotate, at least in part, with the shaft; and

a motor coupled to the shaft to rotatably drive the shaft;

at least one flywheel coupled to the shaft of the air-moving assembly, with the one or more mechanical fans coupled to the shaft between the motor and the at least one flywheel, the at least one flywheel storing rotational energy during motor operation, and facilitating, for a specified period of time, continued rotation of the shaft during interruption in power to the motor;

a motor decoupling mechanism coupled to the shaft between the motor and the one or more mechanical fans, the motor decoupling mechanism comprising a clutch coupling the shaft to a drive shaft of the motor, the drive shaft driving rotation of the shaft when the motor is operating and the clutch automatically decoupling the shaft from the drive shaft during interruption in power to the motor;

wherein the at least one flywheel is sized and coupled to the shaft to facilitate, for the specified period of time, the continued rotation of the shaft at a specified percentage, or greater, rotational speed of the shaft compared with a rotational speed of the shaft when rotatably driven by the motor; and

a flywheel extender housing attached to a side of the air-moving assembly, the flywheel extender housing comprising the at least one flywheel, and the apparatus further comprising a shaft extender coupled to the shaft to rotate therewith, the at least one flywheel being coupled to the shaft through the shaft extender.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a computer room, and wherein the air-moving assembly comprises a computer-room, air-moving assembly providing, at least in part, air movement within the computer room, the computer room comprising one or more electronics racks to be cooled, and the specified period of time is preselected to be a time interval from a utility power interruption to the motor within which power should be reestablished to the motor.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the air-moving assembly comprises multiple mechanical fans coupled to the shaft to rotate, at least in part, therewith, the one or more mechanical fans being one or more mechanical fans of the multiple mechanical fans, and wherein one flywheel of the at least one flywheel is coupled to the shaft between two adjacent mechanical fans of the multiple mechanical fans coupled to the shaft.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an electromotive force (emf) decoupling mechanism coupled to a circuit line facilitating powering of the motor, the electromotive force (emf) decoupling mechanism automatically opening or decoupling with the interruption in power to the motor, and preventing the continued rotation of the shaft during the interruption in power to the motor from providing a back electromotive force through the motor.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the electromotive force decoupling mechanism comprises an electromagnetic switch, the electromagnetic switch being coupled to the circuit line, and automatically switching to an open circuit state with loss of power to the motor through the circuit line.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a computer room, wherein the air-moving assembly comprises a computer-room air-conditioner (CRAC) unit, the computer-room air-conditioner unit comprising an air-to-coolant heat exchanger and providing cooled air to the computer room, the computer room comprising one or more electronics racks to be cooled, and wherein the at least one flywheel is sized and coupled to provide, for the specified period of time, the continued rotation of the shaft to facilitate the computer-room air-conditioner unit providing additional cooled air to the data center during the interruption in power to the motor, and wherein the at least one flywheel is sized and coupled to the shaft to facilitate, for the specified period of time, the continued rotation of the shaft at the specified percentage, or greater, rotational speed of the shaft compared with the rotational speed of the shaft when rotatably driven by the motor.

7. A data center comprising:

at least one electronics rack to be cooled; and

an air-moving assembly facilitating, at least in part, air-cooling of the at least one electronics rack, the air-moving assembly comprising;

a shaft;

one or more mechanical fans coupled to the shaft to rotate, at least in part, with the shaft; and

a motor coupled to the shaft to rotatably drive the shaft;

at least one flywheel coupled to the shaft of the air-moving assembly, with the one or more mechanical fans coupled to the shaft between the motor and the at least one flywheel, the at least one flywheel storing rotational energy during motor operation, and facilitating for a specified period of time, continued rotation of the shaft during interruption in power to the motor;

a motor decoupling mechanism coupled to the shaft between the motor and the one or more mechanical fans, the motor decoupling mechanism comprising a clutch coupling the shaft to a drive shaft of the motor, the drive shaft driving rotation of the shaft when the motor is operating and the clutch automatically decoupling the shaft from the drive shaft during interruption in power to the motor;

wherein the at least one flywheel is sized and coupled to the shaft to facilitate, for the specified period of time, the continued rotation of the shaft at a specified percentage, or greater, rotational speed of the shaft compared with a rotational speed of the shaft when rotatably driven by the motor; and

a flywheel extender housing attached to a side of the air-moving assembly, the flywheel extender housing comprising the at least one flywheel, and the apparatus further comprising a shaft extender coupled to the shaft to rotate therewith, the at least one flywheel being coupled to the shaft through the shaft extender.

8. The data center of claim 7, wherein the specified period of time is preselected to be a time interval from a utility power interruption to the motor within which motor power should be reestablished.

9. The data center of claim 8, further comprising an electromotive force (emf) decoupling mechanism coupled to a circuit line facilitating powering of the motor, the electromotive force (emf) decoupling mechanism automatically opening or decoupling with the interruption in power to the motor, and preventing the continued rotation of the shaft during the interruption in power to the motor from providing a back electromotive force through the motor.

10. The data center of claim 9, wherein the electromotive force decoupling mechanism comprises an electromagnetic switch, the electromagnetic switch being coupled to the circuit line, and automatically switching to an open circuit state with loss of power to the motor through the circuit line.

11. The data center of claim 8, wherein the air-moving assembly is a computer-room air-conditioner (CRAC) unit, the computer-room air-conditioner unit comprising an air-to-coolant heat exchanger and providing cooled air to the data center, and the at least one flywheel is sized and coupled to provide, for the specified period of time, the continued rotation of the shaft to facilitate the computer-room air-conditioner unit providing additional cooled air to the data center during the interruption in power to the motor, and wherein the at least one flywheel is sized and coupled to the shaft to facilitate, for the specified period of time, the continued rotation of the shaft at the specified percentage, or greater, rotational speed of the shaft compared with the rotational speed of the shaft when rotatably driven by the motor.

12. A method comprising:

providing at least one flywheel sized for an air-moving assembly, the air-moving assembly comprising;

a shaft;

one or more mechanical fans coupled to the shaft to rotate, at least in part, with the shaft; and

a motor coupled to the shaft to rotatably drive the shaft;

rotatably coupling the at least one flywheel to the shaft of the air-moving assembly, wherein the at least one flywheel is sized and coupled to the shaft with the one or more mechanical fans coupled to the shaft between the motor and the at least one flywheel, to store rotational energy therein during motor operation, and to facilitate, for a specified period of time, continued rotation of the shaft during interruption in power to the motor, and wherein the at least one flywheel is sized and coupled to the shaft to facilitate, for the specified period of time, the continued rotation of the shaft at a specified percentage, or greater, rotational speed of the shaft compared with a rotational speed of the shaft when rotatably driven by the motor;

providing a motor decoupling mechanism coupled to the shaft between the motor and the one or more mechanical fans, the motor decoupling mechanism comprising a clutch coupling the shaft to a drive shaft of the motor, the drive shaft driving rotation of the shaft when the motor is operating and the clutch automatically decoupling the shaft from the drive shaft during interruption in power to the motor; and

providing a flywheel extender housing attached to a side of the air-moving assembly, the flywheel extender housing comprising the at least one flywheel, and the assembly further comprising a shaft extender coupled to the shaft to rotate therewith, the at least one flywheel being coupled to the shaft through the shaft extender.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the air-moving assembly comprises a computer-room, air-moving assembly providing, at least in part, air movement within the computer room, the computer room comprising one or more electronics racks to be cooled, and the specified period of time is preselected to be a time interval from a utility power interruption to the motor within which power should be reestablished to the motor.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the air-moving assembly comprises multiple mechanical fans coupled to the shaft to rotate, at least in part, therewith, the one or more mechanical fans being one or more mechanical fans of the multiple mechanical fans, and wherein one flywheel of the at least one flywheel is coupled to the shaft between two adjacent mechanical fans of the multiple mechanical fans coupled to the shaft.

15. The method of claim 12, further comprising providing an electromotive force (emf) decoupling mechanism coupled to a circuit line facilitating powering of the motor, the electromotive force (emf) decoupling mechanism automatically opening or decoupling with the interruption in power to the motor, and preventing the continued rotation of the shaft during the interruption in power to the motor from providing a back electromotive force through the motor.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the electromotive force decoupling mechanism comprises an electromagnetic switch, the electromagnetic switch being coupled to the circuit line, and automatically switching to an open circuit state with loss of power to the motor through the circuit line.