Cooling container

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11464133-B2
Application number	US-201916247350-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 14, 2019
Priority date	Jan 14, 2019
Publication date	Oct 4, 2022
Grant date	Oct 4, 2022

Abstract

Example containers are provided to retain and cool electronic devices in environments where power and/or coolant (e.g., airflow) is limited or finite. In examples, a container can include a housing and a conduit system. The housing can include a plurality of sides including a front side and a back side, and can be structured to retain at least a first computing device. In addition, the housing can provide for a first and second inlet opening and a first and second outlet opening on the back side of the container. The conduit system can be provided within the housing to guide the airflow received from each of the first and second outlet openings through an interior volume of the container to cause the airflow to exit from each of the first and second outlet openings. Further, the conduit system can include a plurality of structures that combine to guide at least a portion of the airflow received through the first and second inlet openings through a top region of the interior volume as the airflow is moved from the back side of the container to the front side of the container. Further still, the conduit system can guide at least a portion of the warmed airflow to a bottom region of the interior volume as the warmed airflow is moved from the front side to the back side of the container.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A container comprising:
a housing which retains at least a first computing device, the housing including a plurality of sides, including a front side corresponding to a front side of the container, and a back side corresponding to a back side of the container;
wherein the housing provides for a first inlet opening, a second inlet opening, a first outlet opening and a second outlet opening on the back side;
a conduit system provided within the housing to guide an airflow received from each of the first inlet opening and the second inlet opening through an interior volume of the container, to cause the airflow to exit from each of the first outlet opening and the second outlet opening; and
wherein the conduit system includes a plurality of structures that combine to guide at least a portion of the airflow received through the first inlet opening and the second inlet opening through a top region of the interior volume as the airflow is moved from the back side of the container to the front side of the container, and to guide at least a portion of a warmed airflow to a bottom region of the interior volume as the warmed airflow is moved from the front side of the container to the back side of the container,
wherein the second inlet opening includes an inlet barrier in a lower portion of the second inlet opening, wherein the inlet barrier pushes cool airflow received from the second inlet opening upwards and prevents the warmed airflow from mixing with the cool airflow, and
wherein the second outlet opening includes an outlet barrier in an upper portion of the second outlet opening, wherein the outlet barrier prevents the cool airflow from being expelled through the second outlet opening and further precludes the warmed airflow from rising or mixing with the cool airflow.

2. The container of claim 1 , wherein the conduit system is structured to manipulate the airflow, to uniformly cool an area of the first computing device.

3. The container of claim 1 , wherein the housing further retains a second computing device, wherein the first computing device and the second computing device are vertically spaced apart within the housing, and wherein the conduit system is structured to manipulate the airflow, to uniformly cool an area of each of the first computing device and the second computing device.

4. The container of claim 3 , wherein the conduit system is structured to manipulate the airflow, to cool each of the first and second computing devices by a substantially equal amount.

5. The container of claim 1 , wherein the conduit system is structured to layer at least a mid-region of the container into a top region and a bottom region, wherein the top region of the mid-region carries one of cooler or warmer airflow, and the bottom region of the mid-region carries the other of the cooler or warmer airflow.

6. The container of claim 5 , wherein the conduit system is structured to carry at least a second outtake flow in the bottom region of the mid-region, the second outtake flow being carried to the second outlet opening.

7. The container of claim 5 , wherein the conduit system is structured to carry at least a second intake flow in the top region of the mid-region, the second intake flow being carried inward from the second inlet opening.

8. The container of claim 1 , wherein the conduit system is structured to slow the airflows and lengthen an exposure time of air within the container as the airflow is warmed.

9. The container of claim 8 , wherein the conduit system includes an obstructive structure that causes the airflow to change direction.

10. The container of claim 9 , wherein the obstructive structure is a wedge.

11. The container of claim 1 , wherein the conduit system includes a heat exchanger.

12. The container of claim 1 , wherein the first inlet opening, the second inlet opening, the first outlet opening, and the second outlet opening are spaced apart on the back side of the container, with the first inlet opening being adjacent to the second outlet opening, and the first outlet opening being adjacent to the second inlet opening, and the first inlet opening being distal to the first outlet opening.

13. A cabinet assembly comprising:
a cabinet including:
a cabinet housing to provide a pair of bays on at least a first level, each bay of the pair including a first cabinet opening to receive a coolant conduit and a second cabinet opening to receive an exhaust conduit;

a container including:
a housing dimensioned to extend across each bay of the pair, the housing including a front side corresponding to a front side of the container and a back side corresponding to a back side of the container, the back side including a first inlet opening to receive the coolant conduit of a first bay of the pair, a second inlet opening to receive the coolant conduit of a second bay of the pair, a first outlet opening to receive the exhaust conduit of the second bay, and a second outlet opening to receive the exhaust conduit of the first bay;
a conduit system provided within the housing to guide the airflow received from each of the first inlet opening and the second inlet opening through an interior volume of the container, to cause the airflow to exit from each of the first outlet opening and the second outlet opening; and
wherein the conduit system includes a plurality of structures that combine to guide at least a portion of the airflow received through the first inlet opening and the second inlet opening through a top region of the interior volume as the airflow is moved from the back side of the container to the front side of the container, and to guide at least a portion of the warmed airflow to a bottom region of the interior volume as the warmed airflow is moved from the front side of the container to the back side of the container.

14. The cabinet assembly of claim 13 , wherein the housing is structured to retain at least a first computing device.

15. The cabinet assembly of claim 14 , wherein the conduit system is structured to manipulate the airflow, to uniformly cool an area of the first computing device.

16. The cabinet assembly of claim 13 , wherein a first computing device and a second computing device are vertically spaced apart within the housing, and wherein the conduit system is structured to manipulate the airflow, to uniformly cool an area of each of the first computing device and the second computing device.

17. The cabinet assembly of claim 16 , wherein the conduit system is structured to manipulate the airflow, to cool each of the first and second computing devices by a substantially equal amount.

18. The cabinet assembly of claim 13 , wherein the conduit system is structured to layer at least a mid-region of the container into a top region and a bottom region, wherein the top region of the mid-region carries one of cooler or warmer airflow, and the bottom region of the mid-region carries the other of the cooler or warmer airflow.

19. The cabinet assembly of claim 13 , wherein the conduit system includes a heat exchanger.

Assignees

• Hewlett Packard Entpr Dev Lp

Inventors

• Scott Michael
• Cuda Bret
• Petersen David
• Goh Eng Lim
• Fernandez Mark R
• Kichury John
• Behringer Robert
• Szulgit Calandra

Classifications

• H05K7/20736

  within cabinets for removing heat from server blades · CPC title

• H05K7/20727 Primary

  within server blades for removing heat from heat source · CPC title

• G06F1/20

  Cooling means · CPC title

• H05K7/20145 Primary

  Means for directing air flow, e.g. ducts, deflectors, plenum or guides · CPC title

• H05K7/20172

  Fan mounting or fan specifications · CPC title