International Business Machines Corporation

Louisiana Tech Research Corporation

Arden Lot Moore

Arvind Kumar Sinha

Phillip V Mann

Bret Peter Elison

Katie L Pizzolato

William James Anderl

Ethan E Cruz

Michael Wayne Harper

Benjamin W Mashak

Ryan Michael Kruse

Brian G Veraa

Carrie Sitten Westmark

Joseph Paul Kuczynski

Amanda Elisa Mikhail

A thermopile sensor including a uniform substrate having a first surface with a first section and a second section at an elevation varying relative to the first section by between about 5 micrometers and about 500 micrometers. The sensor further includes a plurality of thermopile junctions, with each junction having (i) a first strip of a first conductive material, extending from the first section to the second section, (ii) a second strip of a second conductive material, forming an electrical junction with the first strip on the second section and extending to the first section, and (iii) with the thermopile junctions being connected in series. A first contact pad on the substrate is connected to an initial thermopile junction and a second contact pad on the substrate is connected to a last thermopile junction, with conductors connecting to the first and second contact pads and extending off of the substrate.

High temperature thermal sensors

A porous hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) material with thermally conductive properties, includes a network of interconnected struts and nodes. The porous h-BN material is formed by depositing h-BN onto a catalyst foam using chemical vapor deposition at atmospheric pressure. The catalyst foam with the h-BN layer deposited thereon is then encapsulated with an insulating material. After the insulating material layer is cured, the h-BN structure is cut on an edge and then wet-etched to at least partially remove the catalyst foam.

Hexagonal boron nitride thermal conductivity enhancing materials and method of making

A computer program product for redundant thermal sensing is configured to determine, based on component temperature information of a thermal sensor associated with a component, that a temperature of the component has surpassed a temperature threshold. The program code can be configured to identify a thermal sensor that is downstream from the component as defined by airflow. The program code can determine downstream temperature information as measured by the downstream sensor. The program code can be configured to compare the downstream temperature information and the component temperature information.

Electronics enclosure with redundant thermal sensing architecture

An apparatus includes a component bay having an operational height and an expanded height. The component bay is moveable between the operational height and the expanded height. A thermal element divides the component bay into one or more compartments, each compartment configured to receive a system component. The component bay at the operational height provides thermal contact between the received system component and the thermal element.

Method for containing computer system components

A method includes rotating a first elongated, inlet-side member of an air valve toward an open configuration when a fan blade is rotating and rotating the first inlet-side member to toward a closed configuration when the fan blade is not rotating. The air valve includes a frame and a sheet of thin material. The frame may have an outlet-side member configured to be mounted on a fan housing and the inlet-side member rotatably coupled to the outlet-side member. The material may have top and bottom edges, and a plurality of folds perpendicular to the top and bottom side edges that divide the sheet into a plurality of sections. The material may be attached to the outlet-side member and the inlet-side member, and configurable between folded and expanded positions.

Air valve for electronics enclosures

Described herein is a system and method for downstream redundant thermal sensing in a computer system. The system may determine that a component temperature of a component of the computer system has surpassed a first temperature threshold. The system may determine a downstream thermal sensor that is downstream from the component, wherein downstream is based on airflow through the computer system. The system may determine a downstream temperature at the downstream thermal sensor. The system may determine whether the downstream temperature exceeds a second temperature threshold. In response to determining the downstream temperature exceeds the second temperature threshold, the system may determine whether other thermal sensors detect elevated operating temperatures. In response to determining the other thermal sensors do not detect elevated operating temperatures, the system may initiate cooling.

An air valve includes a frame and a sheet of thin material. The frame may have an outlet-side member configured mounted on a fan housing and an inlet-side member rotatably coupled to the outlet-side member. The material may have top and bottom edges, and a plurality of folds perpendicular to the top and bottom side edges that divide the sheet into a plurality of sections. The material may be attached to the outlet-side member and the inlet-side member, and configurable between folded and expanded positions. An attraction between a magnetic component on the inlet-side member and a magnetic component on a rotating fan blade may cause the inlet-side member to rotate, moving the material into the folded configuration. When the fan blade is not rotating, a spring attached at a pivot point may cause the inlet-side member to rotate in an opposite direction, moving the material into the expanded position.

A technique for calibrating a fluid flow sensor includes generating fluid flow at a first speed. A first temperature of the fluid flow is determined using a first temperature sensor that is positioned upstream of the fluid flow sensor. A first power is supplied to a main heater of the fluid flow sensor to adjust a second temperature of a first plate of the fluid flow sensor to be substantially equal to the first temperature, A second power is supplied to a guard heater of the fluid flow sensor to adjust a third temperature of a second plate of the fluid flow sensor to be substantially equal to a fourth temperature of the first plate. The first and second plates are separated by a spacer and the first speed and the third temperature provide a calibration point on a calibration curve for the fluid flow sensor.

Techniques for calibrating an air-flow sensor for adapter slots in a data processing system

Computer system component bay

An anti-counterfeiting technique presents, to a test thermoreflective mark at a first temperature, a first electromagnetic wave. A first test reflective profile for the test thermoreflective mark associated with the first temperature is recorded. A second electromagnetic wave is presented to the test thermoreflective mark at a second temperature. A second test reflective profile for the test thermoreflective mark associated with the second temperature is recorded. The first test reflective profile is compared with a first control reflective profile that is associated with a genuine thermoreflective mark. The second test reflective profile is compared with a second control reflective profile that is associated with the genuine thermoreflective mark.

Anti-counterfeiting opto-thermal watermark for electronics

A continuous loop of thermally conductive material is provided with a first portion in frictional contact with a casing of an electronic device and a second portion located within a cooling region. The loop is advanced such that the first portion is located within the cooling region and the second portion is in frictional contact with the casing.

Cooling an electronic device using a thermally conductive loop

Continuous loop cooling for an electronic device

Embodiments include determining, based on component temperature information of a thermal sensor associated with a component, that a temperature of the component of a computer system has surpassed a temperature threshold. A thermal sensor that is downstream from the component is identified, wherein the downstream thermal sensor is downstream from the component as defined by airflow through the computer system. Downstream temperature information as measured by the downstream sensor is determined. The downstream temperature information and the component temperature information are compared.

An air-flow sensor is configured to be positioned in an air-flow and attached to a surface in a manner that allows air to flow over an extremity of the sensor. The air-flow sensor includes a base plate, a first heater, a first temperature sensor, a spacer, a second heater, a second temperature sensor, and a cap. The base plate is configured to be the coupled to the surface. The first heater is positioned on the base plate and is configured to heat the base plate. The first temperature sensor is positioned to measure a first temperature of the first heater. The spacer is positioned on the first heater and the second heater is positioned on the spacer. The second temperature sensor is positioned to measure a second temperature of the second heater. The cap is positioned on the second heater, which is configured to heat the cap.

Air-flow sensor for adapter slots in a data processing system

Some embodiments of the inventive subject matter include a computer program product for validating a test thermoreflective mark. The computer program product can include computer usable program code configured to control a temperature regulation unit configured to govern a temperature of a thermoreflective mark. The computer usable program code can be further configured to control an electromagnetic waver emitter to present at a first temperature, a first electromagnetic wave. The computer usable program code can be further configured to record a first reflective profile. The computer usable program code can be further configured to control the electromagnetic wave emitter to present at a second temperature, a second electromagnetic wave. The computer usable program code can be further configured to record a second reflective profile. The computer usable code can be further configured to validate the thermoreflective mark based on the first reflective profile and the second reflective profile.

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Cedar Park, TX, United States of America

Arden Lot Moore