Localized computer system humidity control

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10095249-B2
Application number	US-201514984420-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 30, 2015
Priority date	Apr 27, 2015
Publication date	Oct 9, 2018
Grant date	Oct 9, 2018

Abstract

An air moisture control system for a computer system includes a housing with an air passage and an air moisture control element with an adsorption material, which is exposed in the air passage so as to enable fluid communication towards and from the air moisture control element. The element is designed such that the adsorption material is adapted, in operation, to adsorb moisture from a first air flow flowing into the air passage, having a first temperature and a first relative humidity, and desorb moisture to a second air flow, said air flow having a second temperature at least 5° C. higher than the first temperature and a second humidity at least 3% lower than the first relative humidity.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of moisture control for a computer system comprising an air moisture control system, the air moisture control system in turn comprising a housing that defines an air passage; at least one fan for causing an air flow through the air passage; and an air moisture control element with an adsorption material, the air moisture control element exposed in the air passage so as to enable fluid communication toward and from the air moisture control element, the method comprising:
flowing a first air flow in the air passage by operation of the at least one fan, said first air flow having a first temperature and a first relative humidity, for the adsorption material to adsorb moisture from the first air flow;
changing operation of the at least one fan to switch over from flowing the first air flow in the air passage to flowing a second air flow in the air passage; and
flowing the second air flow in the air passage by operation of the at least one fan, said air flow having a second temperature and a second relative humidity, the second temperature being at least 5° C. higher than the first temperature and the second relative humidity being at least 3% lower than the first relative humidity, for the adsorption material to desorb moisture to the second air flow.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein, at flowing the second air flow, the adsorption material is heated by the second air flow.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the first relative humidity is between 30% and 60%, and the first temperature is between 15° C. and 35° C.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein, at flowing the second air flow, the adsorption material is heated by a heating element.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising: estimating a temperature difference between the temperature of the adsorption material and the first temperature, and wherein switching over from the step of flowing the first air flow to the step of flowing the second air flow is performed based on the estimated temperature difference.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising measuring the moisture content of the adsorption material, and wherein switching over from the step of flowing the first air flow to the step of flowing the second air flow is performed based on the measured moisture content.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising: estimating a relative humidity difference between a relative humidity of the adsorption material and the first relative humidity, and wherein switching over from the step of flowing the first air flow to the step of flowing the second air flow is performed based on the estimated relative humidity difference.

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Meijer Ingmar G
• Ruch Patrick

Classifications

• B01D53/0446

  Means for feeding or distributing gases · CPC title

• H05K5/0213

  Venting apertures; Constructional details thereof · CPC title

• B01D2253/1122

  Metals · CPC title

• B01D2259/40088

  by heating · CPC title

• F24F3/1411

  by absorbing or adsorbing water, e.g. using an hygroscopic desiccant · CPC title