Localized computer system humidity control

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9886042-B2
Application number	US-201514697292-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 27, 2015
Priority date	Apr 27, 2015
Publication date	Feb 6, 2018
Grant date	Feb 6, 2018

Abstract

An air moisture control system for a computer system includes a housing with an air passage and an air moisture control element with an adsorption material, which is exposed in the air passage so as to enable fluid communication towards and from the air moisture control element. The element is designed such that the adsorption material is adapted, in operation, to adsorb moisture from a first air flow flowing into the air passage, having a first temperature and a first relative humidity, and desorb moisture to a second air flow, said air flow having a second temperature at least 5° C. higher than the first temperature and a second humidity at least 3% lower than the first relative humidity.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An air moisture control system comprising:
a housing defining an air passage that extends between a first opening and a second opening;
a fan configured for enabling a first air flow through the air passage from the first opening toward the second opening in a first direction of rotation of the fan, and a second air flow through the air passage from the second opening toward the first opening in a second direction of rotation of the fan; and
a stationary air moisture control element with an adsorption material, the air moisture control element exposed in the air passage so as to enable fluid communication toward the entirety of the air moisture control element from the first air flow and from the entirety of the air moisture control element toward the second air flow,
wherein the air moisture control system is designed such that the adsorption material is adapted to:
adsorb moisture from the first air flow flowing in the air passage, the first air flow having a first temperature and a first relative humidity; and
desorb moisture to the second air flow flowing in the air passage, the second air flow having a second temperature and a second relative humidity, the second temperature being at least 5° C. higher than the first temperature and the second relative humidity being at least 3% lower than the first relative humidity.

2. The air moisture control system of claim 1 , the air moisture control element comprising a heating element thermally coupled to the adsorption material.

3. The air moisture control system of claim 2 , the heating element being a heat exchanging element.

4. The air moisture control system of claim 1 , wherein a first air flow path and a second air flow path are defined in the air passage, respectively for the first air flow and the second air flow, the first air flow path and the second air flow path extending from a first inlet and a second inlet, respectively, up to a first outlet and a second outlet, respectively.

5. The air moisture control system of claim 4 , wherein the first air flow path and the second air flow path are configured such that the first air flow has a direction opposite to that of the second air flow, at the adsorption material.

6. The air moisture control system of claim 4 , wherein the first outlet and the second inlet are the second opening.

7. The air moisture control system according to claim 4 , further comprising an air flow control device, configured for defining the first air flow path and the second air flow path, the second air flow path distinct from the first air flow path.

8. The air moisture control system according to claim 1 , wherein the housing comprises two or more of the air moisture control elements.

9. The air moisture control system according to claim 1 , the adsorption material comprising at least one of:
a porous silica;
a zeolite;
an aluminophosphate;
a metal-organic framework; and
a porous carbon.

10. An air moisture control system comprising:
a housing defining an air passage that extends between a first opening and a second opening;
a first fan configured for enabling a first air flow through the air passage from the first opening toward the second opening;
a second fan configured for enabling a second air flow through the air passage from the second opening toward the first opening; and
a stationary air moisture control element with an adsorption material, the air moisture control element exposed in the air passage so as to enable fluid communication toward the entirety of the air moisture control element from the first air flow and from the entirety of the air moisture control element toward the second air flow,
wherein the air moisture control system is designed such that the adsorption material is adapted to:
adsorb moisture from the first air flow flowing in the air passage, the first air flow having a first temperature and a first relative humidity; and
desorb moisture to the second air flow flowing in the air passage, the second air flow having a second temperature and a second relative humidity, the second temperature being at least 5° C. higher than the first temperature and the second relative humidity being at least 3% lower than the first relative humidity.

11. A computer system comprising a case and at least one air moisture control system, the air moisture control system comprising:
a housing defining an air passage that extends between a first opening and a second opening;
at least one fan configured to enable a first air flow through the air passage from the first opening toward the second opening and a second air flow through the air passage from the second opening toward the first opening; and
a stationary air moisture control element with an adsorption material, the air moisture control element exposed in the air passage so as to enable fluid communication toward the entirety of the air moisture control element from the first air flow and from the entirety of the air moisture control element toward the second air flow;
wherein the air moisture control system is designed such that the adsorption material is adapted, in operation, to:
adsorb moisture from the first air flow flowing in the air passage, the first air flow having a first temperature and a first relative humidity; and
desorb moisture to the second air flow flowing in the air passage, the second air flow having a second temperature and a second relative humidity, the second temperature being at least 5° C. higher than the first temperature and the second relative humidity being at least 3% lower than the first relative humidity.

12. The computer system of claim 11 , wherein a first air flow path and a second air flow path are defined in the air passage, such that the first air flow path and the second air flow path extend from a first inlet and a second inlet, respectively, up to a first outlet and a second outlet, respectively, the air moisture control element exposed in the air passage so as to enable fluid communication with each of: the first air flow in the first air flow path and the second air flow in the second air flow path.

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Meijer Ingmar G
• Ruch Patrick

Classifications

• B01D2253/204

  Metal organic frameworks (MOF's) · CPC title

• B01D2259/40088

  by heating · CPC title

• B01D53/0454

  Controlling adsorption (controlling temperature swing adsorption B01D53/0462, controlling pressure swing adsorption B01D53/047) · CPC title

• H05K7/20836

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

• B01D2253/1122

  Metals · CPC title