Systems and associated methods for controllably cooling computer components

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9420729-B2
Application number	US-201213438735-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 3, 2012
Priority date	Feb 11, 2008
Publication date	Aug 16, 2016
Grant date	Aug 16, 2016

Abstract

Computer systems and associated methods for cooling computer components are disclosed herein. One embodiment of a computer system includes a computer cabinet having an air inlet spaced apart from an air outlet. The computer system also includes heat exchangers positioned in the computer cabinet, and a heat removal system in fluid communication with the heat exchangers. The computer system additionally includes at least one sensor for monitoring heat transfer between the computer cabinet and the room. The computer system further includes a control system operatively coupled to the at least one sensor, the control system including a computer-readable medium holding instructions for determining whether heat transfer between the computer cabinet and the room is balanced based on information from the sensor, and if not, adjusting a parameter to balance the heat transfer.

First claim

We claim:

1. A computer system, comprising:
a computer cabinet having an air inlet spaced apart from an air outlet, and at least a first computer module compartment spaced apart from a second computer module compartment, wherein the air inlet, the air outlet, and the computer module compartments define an air flow path through the computer cabinet;
at least one sensor operatively coupled to the computer cabinet;
at least a first heat exchanger positioned upstream of the first computer module compartment in the air flow path, a second heat exchanger positioned between the first and second computer module compartments in the air flow path, and a third heat exchanger positioned downstream of the second computer module compartment in the air flow path;
a heat removal system in fluid communication with the heat exchangers for circulating working fluid between the heat removal system and the heat exchangers;
a control system operatively coupled to the at least one sensor, the control system having a computer-readable medium containing instructions for sequentially controlling the flow of working fluid to the third heat exchanger, the second heat exchanger, and then the first heat exchanger based on heat transfer between the computer cabinet and a room in which the computer cabinet is placed, as measured by the at least one sensor; and
an air mover that moves cooling air through the computer cabinet along the air flow path and past the first and second heat exchangers to cool the working fluid circulating therethrough.

2. The computer system of claim 1 wherein the at least one sensor includes:
an air inlet temperature sensor positioned proximate to the air inlet for measuring an inlet air temperature; and
an air outlet temperature sensor positioned proximate to the air outlet for measuring an outlet air temperature.

3. The computer system of claim 2 wherein the computer-readable medium includes instructions for comparing the air inlet temperature to the air outlet temperature.

4. The computer system of claim 2 wherein the computer-readable medium further includes instructions for calculating a temperature differential according to the following formula:
Δ T =T IN −T OUT

where ΔT is the temperature differential, T IN is the air inlet temperature, and T OUT is the air outlet temperature.

5. The computer system of claim 4 wherein the computer-readable medium further includes instructions for stopping a flow of the working fluid to one of the heat exchangers if the calculated temperature differential is greater than a threshold.

6. The computer system of claim 4 wherein the control system further includes a plurality of valves in a plurality of working fluid conduits corresponding to individual heat exchangers, and wherein the computer-readable medium further includes instructions for closing at least one of the valves if the calculated temperature differential is greater than a threshold.

7. The computer system of claim 4 wherein the computer-readable medium further includes instructions for starting a flow of the working fluid to one of the heat exchangers if the calculated temperature differential is less than a threshold.

8. The computer system of claim 4 wherein the control system further includes a plurality of valves in a plurality of working fluid conduits corresponding to individual heat exchangers, and wherein the computer-readable medium further includes instructions for opening at least one of the valves if the calculated temperature differential is less than a threshold.

9. The computer system of claim 4 wherein the computer cabinet further includes an air mover, and wherein the computer-readable medium further includes instructions for adjusting a speed of the air mover based on the calculated temperature differential.

10. The computer system of claim 4 wherein the control system further includes a plurality of modulating valves positioned in a plurality of working fluid conduits corresponding to individual heat exchangers, and the computer-readable medium further includes instructions for modulating a flow rate of the working fluid to at least one of the heat exchangers based on the calculated temperature differential.

11. A method for controlling heat transfer between a computer cabinet and a room in which the computer cabinet is placed, the method comprising:
moving a flow of cooling air through the computer cabinet along an air flow path from an air inlet to an air outlet, wherein the computer cabinet contains:
first and second computer module compartments positioned in the air flow path; and
first heat and second heat exchangers positioned in the air flow path, wherein the first heat exchanger is positioned between the first and second computer module compartments, and wherein the second computer module compartment is positioned between the first and second heat exchangers;

circulating working fluid through the first and second heat exchangers;
assessing heat transfer between the computer cabinet and the room, wherein assessing heat transfer between the computer cabinet and the room includes periodically calculating a temperature differential between the air flowing into the computer cabinet and the air flowing out of the computer cabinet; and
when the heat transfer between the computer cabinet and the room is not balanced within a desired range, adjusting a parameter of at least one of the air flow and the working fluid to reduce the imbalance of the heat transfer between, the computer cabinet and the room, wherein adjusting a parameter includes reducing the flow of working fluid to the second heat exchanger if the calculated temperature differential is greater than a threshold at a first time, and reducing the flow of working fluid to the first heat exchanger if the calculated temperature differential is greater than the threshold at a second time, after the first time.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the first and second computer module compartments are arranged vertically between the air inlet and the air outlet, and wherein the first and second computer module compartments individually hold a plurality of computer modules oriented edgewise with respect to the air flow path through the computer cabinet.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein the second heat exchanger is positioned downstream of the second computer module compartment.

14. The method of claim 11 wherein moving a flow of cooling air includes moving a flow of cooling air with an air mover positioned in the computer cabinet.

15. The method of claim 11 wherein adjusting a parameter further includes increasing the flow of working fluid to at least one of the first and second heat exchangers if the calculated temperature differential is less than the threshold at the first time or the second time.

16. The method of claim 11 wherein adjusting a parameter further includes increasing the flow of cooling air through the computer cabinet if the calculated temperature differential is less than the threshold at the first time or the second time.

17. The method of claim 11 wherein reducing the flow of working fluid to at least one of the first and second heat exchangers includes modulating the flow of working fluid.

18. A method for controlling heat transfer between a computer cabinet and a room in which the computer cabinet is placed, the method comprising:
moving a flow of cooling air through the computer cabinet along an air flow path, from an air inlet to an air outlet, wherein the computer cabinet contains:
first and second computer module compartm

Assignees

• Kelley Douglas P
• Doll Wade J
• Yatskov Alexander I
• Cray Inc

Inventors

• Kelley Douglas P
• Doll Wade J
• Yatskov Alexander I

Classifications

• H05K7/2079 Primary

  within rooms for removing heat from cabinets · CPC title

• H05K7/20836 Primary

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

• H05K7/20781

  within cabinets for removing heat from server blades · CPC title

• H05K7/20736

  within cabinets for removing heat from server blades · CPC title