Rack-mountable heat-exchanger for modular electronic systems

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12507382-B2
Application number	US-202318448778-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 11, 2023
Priority date	Dec 22, 2020
Publication date	Dec 23, 2025
Grant date	Dec 23, 2025

Abstract

A rack-mountable heat-exchanger for modular electronic systems is provided that include a heat exchanger including ambient air inlets and outlets forming an ambient airflow path in a first direction, and recirculating air inlets and outlets forming a recirculating airflow path in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction separated from the ambient airflow path; housing for an electronic device, the housing including internal air inlets and outlets forming an internal airflow path; a first duct configured to link the recirculating air outlet to the internal air inlet; a second duct configured to link the recirculating air inlet to the internal air outlet; and fan assemblies located one of the airflow path, configured to propel air through the heat exchanger in the respective airflow path.

First claim

We claim:

1 . A system, comprising:
a heat exchanger including an ambient airflow path in a first direction, and a recirculating airflow path in a second direction, wherein the ambient airflow path is separated from the recirculating airflow path; housing for an electronic device, the housing including an internal airflow path linked to the recirculating airflow path; an ambient air fan assembly configured to propel ambient air through the heat exchanger in the ambient airflow path; and a recirculating air fan assembly configured to propel air through the heat exchanger in the recirculating airflow path.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the recirculating air fan assembly is configured to propel air through the housing in the internal airflow path.

3 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
an internal fan assembly located in the housing, configured to propel air through the electronic device in the internal airflow path.

4 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
an exchanger controller in communication with the electronic device, configured to provide control of the ambient air fan assembly and the recirculating air fan assembly based on heat dissipation and temperature in the electronic device.

5 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the housing is located in a first plane and the heat exchanger is located in a second plane parallel to the first plane.

6 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the system further comprises:
a first duct configured to link a plurality of recirculating air outlets to an internal air inlet in the housing; and a second duct configured to link a plurality of recirculating air inlets to the internal air outlet in the housing.

7 . The system of claim 6 , wherein the first duct is configured to link a recirculating air outlet to a plurality of internal air inlets, and the second duct is configured to link the recirculating air inlet to a plurality of internal air outlets.

8 . The system of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the recirculating air fan assembly, the ambient air fan assembly, fan controller unit, heat exchanger, or air filter are configured for in-place replacement, wherein the electronic device remains installed and powered when the recirculating air fan assembly or the ambient air fan assembly are removed from the system.

9 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the electronic device is selectively removable while the heat exchanger remains mounted in a modular cabinet.

10 . A system, comprising:
a first rack-mountable chassis, comprising:
an ambient airflow path in a first direction;
a recirculating airflow path in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction;
a heat exchanger disposed in the ambient airflow path and the recirculating airflow path, configured to isolate the ambient airflow path from the recirculating airflow path; and
a second rack-mountable chassis, comprising:
an internal airflow path in a third direction, wherein the internal airflow path is linked to the recirculating airflow path, and wherein the third direction is in a different plane from the second direction.

11 . The system of claim 10 , wherein the recirculating airflow path, the internal airflow path, a first duct configured to link a recirculating air outlet in the first rack-mountable chassis to an internal air inlet in the second rack-mountable chassis, and a second duct configured to link a recirculating air inlet in the first rack-mountable chassis to an internal air outlet in the second rack-mountable chassis form a closed-loop, isolated from ambient air, wherein the closed-loop enables recirculation of air carried along the recirculating airflow path and the internal airflow path, and wherein the closed-loop enables heat transfer, via the heat exchanger, between air carried via the ambient airflow path and air carried via the closed-loop.

12 . The system of claim 11 , further comprising a recirculating air fan assembly configured to propel air through the closed-loop.

13 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the first duct is configured to link a plurality of recirculating air outlets to an internal air inlet in the second rack-mountable chassis, and the second duct is configured to link a plurality of recirculating air inlets to an internal air outlet in the second rack-mountable chassis.

14 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the first duct is configured to link the recirculating air outlet to a plurality of internal air inlets, and the second duct is configured to link the recirculating air inlet to a plurality of internal air outlets.

15 . The system of claim 10 , wherein the first rack-mountable chassis further comprises an ambient air fan assembly configured to propel air through the ambient airflow path.

16 . The system of claim 10 , further comprising a fan assembly and a fan controller configured to provide control of the fan assembly based on a temperature reading in the second rack-mountable chassis.

17 . The system of claim 10 , wherein the first rack-mountable chassis further comprises an air filter located at an ambient air inlet of the ambient airflow path.

18 . A heatsink connected to an electronic device, comprising:
an ambient air inlet; an ambient air outlet; a recirculating air inlet connected to the electronic device; a recirculating air outlet connected to the electronic device; and ducting, configured to isolate recirculating air carried via the recirculating air inlet, and the recirculating air outlet from air carried via the ambient air inlet and the ambient air outlet.

19 . The heatsink of claim 18 , wherein the ducting is configured to link a plurality of recirculating air outlets to an internal air inlet in a rack-mountable chassis, and to link a plurality of recirculating air inlets to an internal air outlet in the rack-mountable chassis.

20 . The heatsink of claim 18 , wherein the ducting is configured to link the recirculating air outlet to a plurality of internal air inlets, and to link the recirculating air inlet to a plurality of internal air outlets.

Assignees

• Cisco Tech Inc

Inventors

• Gupta Rohit Dev
• Boopalan Manigandan
• Jayaprakash Arjun G
• Ghate Parag

Classifications

• H05K7/20836

  Thermal management, e.g. server temperature control · CPC title

• H05K7/20145

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

• H05K7/207

  Thermal management, e.g. cabinet temperature control · CPC title

• H05K7/20754

  Air circulating in closed loop within cabinets · CPC title

• H05K7/20736 Primary

  within cabinets for removing heat from server blades · CPC title