International Business Machines Corporation

Gerard Vincent Weber, Jr

Madhusudan K Iyengar

Roger R Schmidt

David P Graybill

Wayne A Barringer

James J Steffes

Cary Huettner

Kenneth Robert Schneebeli

Alan Claassen

Allan R Hoeft

Dennis John Hansen

Prabjit Singh

Donald W Porter

Patrick Anthony Coico

Steven John Ahladas

Enrico A Romano

Andrew Rybak

William M Lorenz

Tuan D Ngo

Kwok M Soohoo

King M Chu

Joseph W Bogdanski

William T Winkler

A method is presented for adjusting coolant flow resistance through one or more liquid-cooled electronics racks. Flow restrictors are employed in association with multiple heat exchange tube sections of a heat exchange assembly, or in association with a plurality of coolant supply lines or coolant return lines feeding multiple heat exchange assemblies. Flow restrictors associated with respective heat exchange tube sections (or respective heat exchange assemblies) are disposed at the coolant channel inlet or coolant channel outlet of the tube sections (or of the heat exchange assemblies). These flow restrictors tailor coolant flow resistance through the heat exchange tube sections or through the heat exchange assemblies to enhance overall heat transfer within the tube sections or across heat exchange assemblies by tailoring coolant flow. In one embodiment, the flow restrictors tailor a coolant flow distribution differential across multiple heat exchange tube sections or across multiple heat exchange assemblies.

Apparatus and method for adjusting coolant flow resistance through liquid-cooled electronics rack(s)

Apparatus and method are provided for facilitating air cooling of an electronics rack. The apparatus includes a tile assembly, temperature sensor and controller. The tile assembly is disposed adjacent to the electronics rack, and includes a perforated tile and one or more controllable air-moving devices associated with the perforated tile for moving air through the perforated tile. The temperature sensor is positioned for sensing air temperature adjacent and external to, or within, the electronics rack, and the controller is coupled to the tile assembly and the temperature sensor for controlling operation of the air-moving device. Airflow through the tile assembly is adjusted based on air temperature sensed, thereby facilitating air cooling of the electronics rack. In one embodiment, the tile assembly is a floor tile assembly with an air-to-liquid heat exchanger disposed between the perforated tile and the air-moving device for cooling air passing through the floor tile assembly.

Apparatus and method for facilitating air cooling of an electronics rack

An air flow control assembly, system, and method for controlling air flow to a server rack. An example air flow control assembly includes a retractable barrier configured to block the air flow, at least partially, from passing through a perforated floor tile to the server rack. The air flow control assembly also includes a barrier mount configured to secure the retractable barrier proximate the perforated floor tile.

Method for controlling airflow of directional flow perforated tile

Flow restrictors are employed in association with multiple heat exchange tube sections of a heat exchange assembly, or in association with multiple coolant supply lines or coolant return lines feeding multiple heat exchange assemblies. Flow restrictors associated with respective heat exchange tube sections (or respective heat exchange assemblies) are disposed at the coolant channel inlet or coolant channel outlet of the tube sections (or of the heat exchange assemblies). These flow restrictors tailor coolant flow resistance through the heat exchange tube sections or through the heat exchange assemblies to control overall heat transfer within the tube sections or across heat exchange assemblies. In one embodiment, the flow restrictors tailor a coolant flow distribution differential across multiple heat exchange tube sections or across multiple heat exchange assemblies.

Apparatus for adjusting coolant flow resistance through liquid-cooled electronics racks

An electronics rack with a cooling apparatus and a liquid-coolant-driven, electricity-generating system. The generating system includes a housing coupled in fluid communication with a fluid transport pipe of the cooling apparatus, an impeller disposed within the housing and positioned to turn with flow of fluid across the impeller, one or more magnetic structures disposed to turn with turning of the impeller, and an electrical circuit. Electricity is generated for the electrical circuit with turning of the one or more magnetic structures, and is supplied to an electrical load disposed within or associated with the electronics rack.

Electronics rack with liquid-coolant-driven, electricity-generating system

A rack mount assembly measurement tool, for determining physical values including air flow and heat loads, includes a front assembly and a rear duct assembly that are non-intrusively and releasably mounted on the front and rear of such rack mount enclosure. Physical values are sensed at multiple vertical locations to enable a determination of overall and localized heat loads within the enclosure. Front sensor values are collected and wirelessly transmitted from the front assembly to a receiver/processor supported on the rear duct, which generates computed values that are displayed in addition to the sensed values.

Heat flow measurement tool for a rack mounted assembly of electronic equipment

A cooling apparatus and method are provided which include an air-to-liquid heat exchanger and system coolant inlet and outlet plenums mounted to an electronics rack door along an edge of the door remote from the edge hingedly mounted to the rack. The plenums are in fluid communication with the heat exchanger and respectively include an inlet and outlet. Coolant supply and return hoses are disposed above the electronics rack and couple the inlet plenum to a coolant supply header and the outlet plenum to a coolant return header. The hoses are sufficiently long and flexible to open or close the door. A stress relief structure is attached to the top of the door and clamps the supply and return hoses in fixed relation to relieve stress on connect couplings at the ends of the hoses to the plenum inlet and outlet during opening or closing of the door.

Stress relieved hose routing to liquid-cooled electronics rack door

A tool is disclosed, for measuring the important thermal characteristics of a unit of electronic equipment, which obtains air flow and temperature readings at both air inlet and air outlet openings of the unit without disturbing cable or wiring connections or otherwise interrupting device operation. The tool pressure sensing element is rotatable between detented positions to permit the tool to be used at both air inlet and air outlet openings. The tool air duct portion may be formed of separate duct portions to enable a single duct portion including the sensing instrumentation to be used with multiple duct portions that conform to electronic device air inlet and outlet openings to impart added flexibility to the tool.

Bidirectional and expandable heat flow measurement tool for units of air cooled electrical equipment

A system for injecting noise signals onto power generated by a power source comprising: a voltage source; a device under test having a power input in operable communication with the noise introduction apparatus; and a noise introduction apparatus interposed between the power source and device under test in operable communication with the voltage source, the noise introduction apparatus comprising, a switching device configured to provide a low impedance conductive path when commanded, and a current limiting device in series with the switching device, the current limiting device configured to provide a low impedance conductivity for a selected current and a selected duration. The switching device and current limiting device cooperate to shunt the voltage source to the power input.

Method and apparatus for evaluating susceptibility to common mode noise in a computer system

A direct access storage device comprises a frame, a rotating magnetic storage structure positioned within the frame generating air flow within the frame, at least one head writing and reading to and from the rotating storage structure, thermally insulating spacers connected to the frame, a condensation plate connected to the thermally insulating spacers and positioned within the frame, a thermal core connected to the condensation plate and extending through the frame, a heat sink connected to the thermal core and positioned outside the frame and an air ram for directing the air flow toward the condensation plate, wherein the condensation plate, the thermal core and the heat sink are thermally insulated from the frame.

Latent thermal vaporization reduction

An accelerometer having a pair of spaced apart planar electrodes in a housing wherein one of the planar electrodes is made of a thin film and has a mass attached to one side such that acceleration causes the thin film to flex. A solid state amplifier is located in the housing attached to one of the planar electrodes to measure the change in capacitance caused by the flexing of the thin film. The solid state amplifier may be an NPN transistor. The mass may be a 4.5 mm steel airgun shot, and the thin film may be 1 mil polyester aluminized metallic film. The output of the accelerometer is connected to one input of a operational amplifier, and the other input of the operational amplifier is connected to a transducer measuring ambient noise such that the ambient noise is removed from the signal from the accelerometer.

Growing community of inventors

Saugerties, NY, United States of America

Gerard Vincent Weber, Jr