Multi-device chassis air filter characterization system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12336136-B2
Application number	US-202217720488-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 14, 2022
Priority date	Apr 14, 2022
Publication date	Jun 17, 2025
Grant date	Jun 17, 2025

Abstract

A multi-device chassis air filter characterization system includes a multi-device chassis, an air filter that is included on the multi-device chassis, and a plurality of computing devices that are housed in the multi-device chassis. Each of the computing devices determines that a current time corresponds to a predetermined air filter characterization time period and, in response, operates a cooling system in that computing device at a predetermined cooling system operating level for the predetermined air filter characterization time period. A first computing device that is included in the plurality of computing devices measures an air filtering characteristic provided by the air filter during the predetermined air filter characterization time period and, based on the air filtering characteristic, determines whether to generate an air filter replacement alert.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A multi-device chassis air filter characterization system, comprising:
a multi-device chassis;
an air filter that is included on the multi-device chassis;
a plurality of computing devices that are housed in the multi-device chassis, wherein each of the plurality of computing devices is configured to:
determine that a current time corresponds to a predetermined air filter characterization time period; and
operate, in response to determining that the current time corresponds to the predetermined air filter characterization time period, a cooling system in that computing device at a predetermined cooling system operating level for the predetermined air filter characterization time period,
wherein a first computing device that is included in the plurality of computing devices is configured to:
measure an air filtering characteristic provided by the air filter during the predetermined air filter characterization time period; and
determine, based on the air filtering characteristic, whether to generate an air filter replacement alert.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first computing device is configured to:
measure a first air filtering characteristic provided by the air filter during a first predetermined air filter characterization time period;
determine that the air filter was provided in the multi-device chassis subsequent to a most recent predetermined air filter characterization time period that was the most recent predetermined air filter characterization time period prior to the first predetermined air filter characterization time period; and
store, in response to determining that the air filter was provided in the multi-device chassis subsequent to the most recent predetermined air filter characterization time period, the first air filtering characteristic in a database.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the first computing device is configured to:
measure a second air filtering characteristic of the air filter during a second predetermined air filter characterization time period that is the predetermined air filter characterization time period immediately subsequent to the first predetermined air filter characterization time period; and
determine whether a difference between the second air filtering characteristic and the first air filtering characteristic exceeds a threshold to determine whether to generate the air filter replacement alert.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the first computing device is configured to:
generate, in response to determining that the difference between the second air filtering characteristic and the first air filtering characteristic exceeds the threshold, the air filter replacement alert.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the air filtering characteristic includes a pressure difference provided by the air filter.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the respective cooling system in each computing device includes a fan system.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the predetermined cooling system operating level is a predetermined fan system operating level of greater than 90% fan system capability.

8. An Information Handling System (IHS), comprising:
a processing system; and
a memory system that is coupled to the processing system and that includes instructions that, when executed by the processing system, cause the processing system to:
determine that a current time corresponds to a predetermined air filter characterization time period;
operate, in response to determining that the current time corresponds to the predetermined air filter characterization time period and at a predetermined cooling system operating level for the predetermined air filter characterization time period, a first cooling system that is included in a first Information Handling System (IHS) chassis with the processing system;
measure, during the predetermined air filter characterization time period, an air filtering characteristic that is provided by an air filter on a multi-device chassis that houses the first IHS chassis in response to 1) the operation of the first cooling system at the predetermined cooling system operating level during the predetermined air filter characterization time period, and 2) operation of a respective second cooling system included in each of at least one second IHS chassis that is housed in the multi-device chassis at the predetermined cooling system operating level for the predetermined air filter characterization time period; and
determine, based on the air filtering characteristic, whether to generate an air filter replacement alert.

9. The IHS of claim 8 , wherein the instructions on the memory system, when executed by the processing system, cause the processing system to:
measure a first air filtering characteristic provided by the air filter during a first predetermined air filter characterization time period;
determine that the air filter was provided in the multi-device chassis subsequent to a most recent predetermined air filter characterization time period that was the most recent predetermined air filter characterization time period prior to the first predetermined air filter characterization time period; and
store, in response to determining that the air filter was provided in the multi-device chassis subsequent to the most recent predetermined air filter characterization time period, the first air filtering characteristic in a database.

10. The IHS of claim 9 , wherein the instructions on the memory system, when executed by the processing system, cause the processing system to:
measure a second air filtering characteristic of the air filter during a second predetermined air filter characterization time period that is the predetermined air filter characterization time period immediately subsequent to the first predetermined air filter characterization time period; and
determine whether a difference between the second air filtering characteristic and the first air filtering characteristic exceeds a threshold to determine whether to generate the air filter replacement alert.

11. The IHS of claim 10 , wherein the instructions on the memory system, when executed by the processing system, cause the processing system to:
generate, in response to determining that the difference between the second air filtering characteristic and the first air filtering characteristic exceeds the threshold, the air filter replacement alert.

12. The IHS of claim 8 , wherein the air filtering characteristic includes a pressure difference provided by the air filter.

13. The IHS of claim 8 , wherein the respective cooling system in each computing device includes a fan system, and wherein the predetermined cooling system operating level is a predetermined fan system operating level of greater than 90% fan system capability.

14. A method for multi-device chassis air filter characterization, comprising:
determining, by each of a plurality of computing devices that are housed in a multi-device chassis, that a current time corresponds to a predetermined air filter characterization time period; and
operating, by each of the plurality of computing devices that are housed in the multi-device chassis in response to determining that the current time corresponds to the predetermined air filter characterization time period, a cooling system in that computing device at a predetermined cooling system operating level for the predetermined air filter characterization time period;
measuring, by a first computing device that is included in the plurality of computing devices, an air filtering characteristic provided by the air filter during the predetermined air filter char

Assignees

• Dell Products Lp

Inventors

• Tunks Eric Michael
• Perks Michael Albert
• Gerhart Donald W
• Stuewe John R

Classifications

• G06F1/181

  Enclosures (for portable computers G06F1/1613) · CPC title

• H05K7/1485

  Servers; Data center rooms, e.g. 19-inch computer racks · CPC title

• G06F1/20

  Cooling means · CPC title

• H05K7/20181 Primary

  Filters; Louvers · CPC title

• H05K7/20718 Primary

  Forced ventilation of a gaseous coolant (in closed loop H05K7/20754) · CPC title