Reversible fan direction control responsive to device enclosure orientation

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9820411-B2
Application number	US-201314050741-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 10, 2013
Priority date	Oct 10, 2013
Publication date	Nov 14, 2017
Grant date	Nov 14, 2017

Abstract

A method and computer program product are provided for controlling the airflow direction through a device enclosure. A first device enclosure is positioned adjacent a second device enclosure, wherein both enclosures have an airflow pathway extending from the front to the back, and a fan for moving air through the airflow pathway, wherein the fan of the first device enclosure is a reversible rotary fan. The method automatically determines whether the first device enclosure is in a first orientation with its front facing in the same direction as the front of the adjacent second device enclosure or in a second orientation with the front facing in the same direction as the back of the adjacent second device enclosure. The airflow direction imparted by a reversible rotary fan is then controlled according to the determined orientation of the first device enclosure relative to the second device enclosure.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method, comprising:
automatically determining whether a first device enclosure is oriented in a first orientation with a front of the first device enclosure facing in the same direction as a front of an adjacent second device enclosure or in a second orientation with the front of the first device enclosure facing in the same direction as a back of the adjacent second device enclosure;
operating a reversible rotary fan of the first device enclosure in a first rotational direction to move air through the first device enclosure in a first airflow direction from front to back through an airflow pathway extending through the first device enclosure in response to determining that the first device enclosure is in the first orientation; and
operating the reversible rotary fan of the first device enclosure in a second rotational direction to move air through the first device enclosure in a second airflow direction from the back to the front through the airflow pathway in response to determining that the first device enclosure is in the second orientation;
wherein automatically determining whether the first device enclosure is oriented in the first orientation or in the second orientation, includes: transmitting a first near-field communication signal from a first transceiver positioned on the first device enclosure to a second transceiver positioned on the adjacent second device enclosure at a first time, receiving a second near-field communication signal at the first transceiver from the second transceiver at a second time, determining that the first device enclosure is oriented in the first orientation in response to the time delay between the first time and the second time being less than a predetermined amount of time, and determining that the first device enclosure is oriented in the second orientation in response to the time delay between the first time and the second time being greater than a predetermined amount of time.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the reversible rotary fan of the first device enclosure maintains airflow through the first device enclosure from a cold aisle to a hot aisle flow regardless of whether the first device enclosure is in the first orientation or the second orientation.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first device enclosure houses a network switch.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first device enclosure houses a network switch and the adjacent device enclosure houses a server.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first device enclosure and the adjacent second device enclosure are positioned in a rack, the method further comprising:
identifying a first rack position of the first device enclosure.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein either the first transceiver is positioned at the front of the first device enclosure and the second transceiver is positioned at the front of the second device enclosure, or the first transceiver is positioned at the back of the first device enclosure and the second transceiver is positioned at the back of the second device enclosure.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein each near-field communication signal includes a characteristic that identifies the position of a near-field communication transceiver that generated the near-field communication signal.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein each near-field communication signal includes a characteristic that identifies a rack position of the device enclosure that includes the near-field communication transceiver that generated the near-field communication signal.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the first device enclosure includes one or more near-field communication transceiver along a top of the first device enclosure for transmitting and receiving near-field communication signals with a near-field transceiver on a device enclosure adjacent the top of the first device enclosure, and wherein the first device enclosure includes one or more near-field communication transceiver along a bottom of the first device enclosure for transmitting and receiving near-field communication signals with a near-field transceiver on a device enclosure adjacent the bottom of the first device enclosure.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein each device enclosure has a near-field communication transmitter located in four corners of the device enclosure.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein each device enclosure has a near-field communication transmitter located in front, rear, left side and right side of the device enclosure.

12. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
a management entity obtaining a system identification and the time delay from the first device enclosure, wherein the management entity is responsible for determining whether the first device enclosure is oriented in the first orientation or the second orientation.

13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
the management entity providing a fan direction instruction to a fan controller in the first device enclosure for controlling the rotational direction of the reversible rotary fan.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein a controller within the first device enclosure determines whether the first device enclosure is oriented in the first orientation or the second orientation, and controls the rotational direction of the reversible rotary fan.

15. A method, comprising:
automatically determining whether a first device enclosure is oriented in a first orientation with a front of the first device enclosure facing in the same direction as a front of an adjacent second device enclosure or in a second orientation with the front of the first device enclosure facing in the same direction as a back of the adjacent second device enclosure;
operating a reversible rotary fan of the first device enclosure in a first rotational direction to move air through the first device enclosure in a first airflow direction from front to back through an airflow pathway extending through the first device enclosure in response to determining that the first device enclosure is in the first orientation; and
operating the reversible rotary fan of the first device enclosure in a second rotational direction to move air through the first device enclosure in a second airflow direction from the back to the front through the airflow pathway in response to determining that the first device enclosure is in the second orientation;
wherein automatically determining whether the first device enclosure is oriented in the first orientation or the second orientation, includes: measuring the air temperature at the front and back of the airflow pathway through the first device enclosure, determining that the first device enclosure is oriented in the first orientation in response to the air temperature at the front of the first device enclosure being less than the air temperature at the back of the first device enclosure, and determining that the first device enclosure is oriented in the second orientation in response to the air temperature at the front of the first device enclosure being greater than the air temperature at the back of the first device enclosure.

16. A method, comprising:
automatically determining whether a first device enclosure is oriented in a first orientation with a front of the first device enclosure facing in the same direction as a front of an adjacent second device enclosure or in a second orientation with the front of the first device enclosure facing in the same direction as a back of the adjacent second device enclosure;
operating a reversible rotary fan of the first device enclosure in a first rotational direction to move air

Assignees

• Lenovo Entpr Solutions Singapore Pte Ltd

Inventors

• Alshinnawi Shareef F
• Cudak Gary D
• Suffern Edward S
• Weber J Mark

Classifications

• H05K7/2029

  using a liquid coolant with phase change in electronic enclosures (in cabinets of standardized dimensions H05K7/20536; in server cabinets H05K7/20709; in vehicle electronic casings H05K7/20845; in power control electronics H05K7/2089; in displays H05K7/20954) · CPC title

• G05D3/125

  using discrete position sensor · CPC title

• H05K7/20836 Primary

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

• H05K7/207

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

• H05K7/20736

  within cabinets for removing heat from server blades · CPC title