Salt-based method to monitor and log the times a data center air goes above a predefined limit

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9470645-B2
Application number	US-201514821261-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 7, 2015
Priority date	Apr 9, 2014
Publication date	Oct 18, 2016
Grant date	Oct 18, 2016

Abstract

A salt-based method to monitor and log the time periods a data center air's relative humidity goes above a predefined limit. The choice of the salt is such that its deliquescent relative humidity is equal to the desired limit, so that above the desired limit, the salt gets wet and therefore electrically conductive. An alarm can then give notice that relative humidity levels are above acceptable levels so that remedial action may be taken before problems such as electronic malfunction develop.

First claim

We claim:

1. A method to monitor the relative humidity of the air exceeding a predefined value, the method comprising:
providing metallic inter-digitated comb patterns printed on a medium having spacing in between the patterns;
coating the patterns and medium with a liquid solution containing salt, the salt having a deliquescent relative humidity;
allowing the solution to dry;
connecting a power supply, a resistor and a microprocessor to the comb pattern thereby creating an electrical circuit;
connecting at least one of a data logger and an alarm circuit to the microprocessor;
monitoring, by the microprocessor, the resistance of the circuit as voltage passes through the circuit;
writing data to the data logger at regular time intervals and when the relative humidity of the air exceeds the predefined value, wherein the digitally logged data is available for downloading to a computer for display as a plot of high relative humidity, wherein the digitally logged data comprises date, time, and the duration of the predefined value being exceeded; and
triggering the alarm circuit in response to the voltage exceeding a threshold value.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the medium is a printed quartz frit disk.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising activating an air mixer controlled by the microprocessor to combine indoor and outdoor air to regulate relative humidity levels of the indoor air based on received relative humidity forecasting from national weather models, wherein the microprocessor is designed to predict future humidity levels based on the received relative humidity forecasting.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising activating an air control unit controlled by the microprocessor to regulate relative humidity levels of the indoor air, wherein the microprocessor is designed to instruct the air control unit to close air dampers and adjust temperature based on the relative humidity of the air exceeding the predefined value.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the comb patterns are made of corrosion resistant metal.

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Klein Levente
• Singh Prabjit
• Zhang Jing

Classifications

• G01N27/121 Primary

  for determining moisture content, e.g. humidity, of the fluid (moisture content of the tested material G01N27/048) · CPC title

• B01D2257/80

  Water · CPC title

• B01D53/30

  Controlling by gas-analysis apparatus (regulating non electrical variables in general G05D) · CPC title

• G01N27/048 Primary

  for determining moisture content of the material · CPC title

• B01D53/02

  by adsorption, e.g. preparative gas chromatography {(solid sorbent compositions B01J20/00, preparation of inorganic compounds or elements C01)} · CPC title