Mapped fan zone cooling system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9360904-B2
Application number	US-201213344454-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 5, 2012
Priority date	Jan 5, 2012
Publication date	Jun 7, 2016
Grant date	Jun 7, 2016

Abstract

A cooling system includes a chassis. A thermal sensor is located in the chassis. A plurality of fan zones are located in the chassis. Each of the plurality of fan zones includes at least one fan. A first mapping is provided between the thermal sensor and a first fan zone of the plurality of fans zone, and a second mapping is provided between the first fan zone and a second fan zone in the plurality of fan zones. A controller is coupled to the thermal sensor and the at least one fan in each of the plurality of fan zones. In response to receiving a signal from the thermal sensor, the controller is operable to activate the at least one fan in the first fan zone according to the first mapping and activate the at least one fan in the second fan zone according to the second mapping.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A cooling system, comprising:
a chassis;
a controller;
a thermal sensor located in the chassis and coupled to the controller; and a plurality of fan zones located in the chassis and coupled to the controller,
wherein each of the plurality of fan zones includes at least one fan, and wherein the controller includes a first mapping between the thermal sensor and a first fan zone of the plurality of fan zones that provides for operation of the at least one fan in the first fan zone at a first operation characteristic in direct response to thermal data received from the thermal sensor, and
a second mapping between the first fan zone and a second fan zone in the plurality of fan zones that provides for operation of the at least one fan in the second fan zone at a second operation characteristic in direct response to the operation of the at least one fan in the first fan zone at the first operation characteristic, and
wherein the first operation characteristic is different than the second operation characteristic, and a linked operation of the at least one fan in the first fan zone at the first operation characteristic and the at least one fan in the second fan zone at the second operation characteristic provide for the cooling requirements of at least one component associated with the thermal sensor, minimize power consumption of the at least one fan in the first fan zone and the at least one fan in the second fan zone, and minimize airflow conflicts in the chassis; and
wherein in response to receiving a signal from the thermal sensor, the controller is configured to activate the at least one fan in the first fan zone according to the first mapping and activate the at least one fan in the second fan zone according to the second mapping such that the at least one fan in the first fan zone operates according to the first operation characteristic while the at least one fan in the second fan zone operates according to the second operation characteristic to provide for the cooling requirements of at least one component associated with the thermal sensor minimize power consumption of the at least one fan in the first fan zone and the at least one fan in the second fan zone, and minimize airflow conflicts in the chassis.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the thermal sensor is coupled to the at least one component and the signal from the thermal sensor is related to the cooling requirements of the at least one component.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the second operation characteristic of the at least one fan in the second fan zone provides for a reduced operating level of the at least one fan in the second fan zone relative to the operating level of the at least one fan in the first fan zone when operating at the first operation characteristic.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the reduced operating level of the at least one fan in the second fan zone includes a reduced fan speed of the at least one fan in the second fan zone relative to the fan speed of the at least one fan in the first fan zone when operating at the first operation characteristic.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the second operation characteristic is a function of the first operation characteristic.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the function includes at least one of a percentage, an offset, and combinations thereof.

7. The system of claim 1 ,
wherein the controller includes a third mapping that provides for operation of at least one fan in a third fan zone at a third operation characteristic in direct response to at least one of the operation of the at least one fan in the first fan zone at the first operation characteristic and the operation of the at least one fan in the second fan zone at the second operation characteristic, and
wherein the first operation characteristic is different than the third operation characteristic, and a linked operation of the at least one fan in the first fan zone at first operation characteristic, the at least one fan in the second fan zone at the second operation characteristic, and the at least one fan in the third fan zone at the third operation characteristic provide for the cooling requirements of at least one component associated with the thermal sensor, minimize power consumption of the at least one fan in the first fan zone, the at least one fan in the second fan zone, and the at least one fan in the third fan zone, and minimize airflow conflicts in the chassis: and wherein in response to receiving the signal from the thermal sensor, the controller is configured to activate the at least one fan in the third fan zone according to the third mapping such that the at least one fan in the third fan zone operates according to the third operation characteristic while the at least one fan in the first fan zone operates according to the first operation characteristic and the at least one fan in the second fan zone operates according to the second operation characteristic.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the third operation characteristic is a function of at least one of the first operation characteristic and the second operation characteristic.

9. An information handling system (IHS), comprising:
a controller;
a plurality of IHS components coupled to the controller, wherein the plurality of IHS components include at least one processor and at least one memory coupled to the at least one processor;
a plurality of fan zones located adjacent the plurality of IHS components and coupled to the controller, wherein each of the plurality of fan zones includes at least one fan, and wherein the controller includes a first mapping between a first IHS component of the plurality of IHS components and a first fan zone of the plurality of fan zones that provides for operation of the at least one fan in the first fan zone at a first operation characteristic in direct response to cooling requirements of the first IHS component, and a second mapping between the first fan zone and a second fan zone in the plurality of fan zones that provides for operation of the at least one fan in the second fan zone at a second operation characteristic in direct response to the operation of the at least one fan in the first fan zone at the first operation characteristic, and wherein the first operation characteristic is different than the second operation characteristic, and a linked operation of the at least one fan in the first fan zone at the first operation characteristic and the at least one fan in the second fan zone at the second operation characteristics provide for the cooling requirements of the first IHS component, minimize power consumption of the at least one fan in the first fan zone and the at least one fan in the fan zone; and
wherein in response to receiving a signal from the first IHS component, the controller is configured to activate the at least one fan in the first fan zone according to the first mapping and activate the at least one fan in the second fan zone according to the second mapping such that the at least one fan in the first fan zone operates according to the first operation characteristic while the at least one fan in the second fan zone operates according to the second operation characteristic to provide for the cooling requirements of at least one component associated with the thermal sensor, minimize power consumption of the at least one fan in the first fan zone and the at least one fan in the second fan zone, and minimize conflicting airflow from the first fan zone and the second fan zone.

10. The IHS of claim 9 , further comprising:
an IHS chassis that houses the plurality of IHS components and the plurality of fan zones.

11. The IHS of claim 9 , wherein the first IH

Assignees

• Lovicott Dominick Adam
• Artman Paul T
• Dell Products Lp

Inventors

• Lovicott Dominick Adam
• Artman Paul T

Classifications

• G06F1/206 Primary

  comprising thermal management · CPC title

• G06F1/20 Primary

  Cooling means · CPC title

• G05B15/02

  electric · CPC title

• Y02B60/1275

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• Y02D10/00

  Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management · CPC title