International Business Machines Corporation

Lenovo (Singapore) Pte. Ltd.

Chunjian Ni

Mark Edward Steinke

Michael Sean June

Vinod Kamath

Richard M Barina

Derek Ian Schmidt

James Scott Womble

Paul Theodore Artman

Jeffrey Scott Holland

Bejoy J Kochuparambil

Troy Williams Glover

Andrew Thomas Junkins

Whitcomb Randloph Scott, Iii

Pradeep Ramineni

Diane S Busch

Dana S Royer

Method, system, and computer program product embodiments of heating a flow of liquid by transfer of heat with computing devices. Embodiments also include determining a dynamic cooling capacity index for each of the computing devices, and allocating processing workload among the first computing device and the second computing device based on the dynamic cooling capacity indexes of the computing devices. Embodiments further include allocating workload and/or regulating flow rate of the flow of liquid to maintain a predetermined value or range of values of temperature of the liquid.

Optimizing waste heat recovery and return water temperature using dynamic flow control based on server power profiles and cooling capacity of servers

A heat sink comprises a first thermally conductive base having a first face to thermally engage a heat-generating electronic component and a second thermally conductive base with a plurality of fins on a first face and a second face to engage the first base. The fins on the second base are positionable in either of two orientations relative to the heat-generating electronic component to which the heat sink is coupled. The fins are selectively placed in the orientation that best utilizes the direction of air flow available to the heat sink. The orientable fins of the heat sink afford flexibility in arranging the heat-generating electronic component on a circuit board or in arranging a circuit board within a computer chassis.

Heat sink with orientable fins

A heat sink comprises a plurality of fins that may be positioned in a plurality of orientations relative to a heat-generating electronic component to which the heat sink is thermally coupled. A controller may be used to detect an elevated processor temperature and to activate a drive member to automatically adjust the orientation of fins on the heat sink. The fins may be moved and aligned with an air flow made over the heat sink. The adjustable-fin heat sink affords added flexibility in arranging a processor or other heat-generating electronic component on a circuit board. The orientation or position of the heat sink fins may also be automatically changed in response to a change in the air flow direction as manifested by a rise in the temperature of the heat sink or the heat-generating member.

A system for cooling a heat generating device comprises a heat sink and a plurality of ion emitter elements that form an electrohydrodynamic (EHD) air flow device. The heat sink has a base disposed in thermal communication with a heat generating device, such as a processor. A plurality of heat sink fins is coupled to electrical ground to form ion collectors. Ion emitter elements are disposed in a non-planar pattern along first ends of the plurality of fins so that each ion emitter element is equidistant from the first end of a nearest fin. A power supply applies an electrical potential between the plurality of ion emitter elements and the plurality of fins to induce a flow of ions that cause airflow across the heat sink. It is preferable to have at least three ion emitter elements that are equidistant from each fin of the heat sink.

Electrohydrodynamic airflow across a heat sink using a non-planar ion emitter array

A cooling system for a memory module comprises a heat conduction assembly for conducting heat from the memory module to liquid-cooled mounting blocks. In one embodiment, each heat conduction assembly includes a frame having opposing first and second supports, first and second heat spreader plates each extending from the first support to the second support, and a pair of flattened heat pipes each extending along a respective one of the heat spreader plates from the first support to the second support. The liquid-cooled mounting blocks releasably support the heat conduction assembly over a memory module socket with the memory module between the heat spreader plates.

User-serviceable liquid DIMM cooling system

A method of modifying the airflow to the inlet of an axial fan. The method includes operating an axial fan to move air longitudinally through an air inlet opening of the axial fan, and, during operation of the axial fan, applying an electrical potential between an emitter and a collector to cause ionic air movement radially outwardly away from a central axis of the axial fan, wherein the radially outward air movement is caused upstream of the axial fan before the air reaches the air inlet opening.

Electrostatic control of air flow to the inlet opening of an axial fan

A liquid-cooled computer memory system includes first and second blocks in fluid communication with a chilled liquid source. A plurality of spaced-apart heat transfer pipes extend along a system board between memory module sockets from the first manifold block to the second manifold block. The heat transfer pipes may be liquid flow pipes circulating the chilled liquid between the memory module sockets. Alternatively, the heat transfer pipes may be closed heat pipes that conduct heat from the memory modules to the liquid-cooled blocks. A separate heat spreader is provided to thermally bridge each memory module to the adjacent heat transfer pipes.

Liquid-cooling memory modules with liquid flow pipes between memory module sockets

An air moving apparatus includes an axial fan and an electrostatic device. The axial fan has a rotatable shaft defining a central axis of the axial fan, a plurality of blades secured to the shaft, and an air inlet opening. The electrostatic device is disposed immediately upstream of the air inlet opening of the axial fan, and includes a collector and an emitter. In one embodiment, the electrostatic device includes a cylindrical collector coupled to ground and has a central axis aligned with the central axis of the axial fan. The electrostatic device further includes a plurality of emitter wires coupled to a terminal of a direct current source and extending lengthwise within the cylindrical collector. During operation of the axial fan, the application of an electrical potential between an emitter and a collector causes ionic air movement radially outwardly away from a central axis of the axial fan.

Airflow in a computer chassis may be enhanced or reduced to affect cooling of heat generating devices using an ionic air moving device. A plurality of ionic air moving devices enhance or reduce airflow through a plurality of fluidically parallel airflow zones of the computer chassis in an airflow direction established by a nonionic air moving device. Each ionic air moving device comprises an ion emitter electrode disposed a spaced distance from a collector electrode, wherein a controller independently controls an electrical potential between the emitter and collector electrodes of each ionic air moving device for affecting the rate of airflow through one or more of the plurality of airflow zones.

Growing community of inventors

Cary, NC, United States of America

Chunjian Ni