U.S. patent application number 13/355996 was filed with the patent office on 2013-07-25 for cooling and noise-reduction apparatus.
This patent application is currently assigned to INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION. The applicant listed for this patent is Andreas Martens, Martin R. Naish, Sam Rogers, Brian Stewart, Paul Thorpe. Invention is credited to Andreas Martens, Martin R. Naish, Sam Rogers, Brian Stewart, Paul Thorpe.
Application Number | 20130188311 13/355996 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 48797027 |
Filed Date | 2013-07-25 |
United States Patent
Application |
20130188311 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Martens; Andreas ; et
al. |
July 25, 2013 |
COOLING AND NOISE-REDUCTION APPARATUS
Abstract
A cooling and noise-reduction apparatus for a computing device
disposable within a structure having a central air conditioning
system is provided. The computing device includes a heat generating
component, an enclosure having first and second inlets, a fan
configured to drive coolant from the first inlet to the heat
generating component, a vent operably interposed between the second
inlet and the heat generating component and a controller coupled to
the fan and the vent to respectively control operations thereof.
The cooling and noise-reduction apparatus includes a ducting
element configured to flexibly and fluidly couple the second inlet
with the central air conditioning system.
Inventors: |
Martens; Andreas; (Fair Oak,
GB) ; Naish; Martin R.; (Bershire, GB) ;
Rogers; Sam; (Winchester, GB) ; Stewart; Brian;
(Winchester, GB) ; Thorpe; Paul; (Winchester,
GB) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Martens; Andreas
Naish; Martin R.
Rogers; Sam
Stewart; Brian
Thorpe; Paul |
Fair Oak
Bershire
Winchester
Winchester
Winchester |
|
GB
GB
GB
GB
GB |
|
|
Assignee: |
INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES
CORPORATION
Armonk
NY
|
Family ID: |
48797027 |
Appl. No.: |
13/355996 |
Filed: |
January 23, 2012 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
361/679.49 ;
165/121; 165/200 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H05K 7/20745 20130101;
G06F 1/20 20130101; H05K 7/20209 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
361/679.49 ;
165/121; 165/200 |
International
Class: |
G06F 1/20 20060101
G06F001/20; F28F 27/00 20060101 F28F027/00; F28F 13/00 20060101
F28F013/00 |
Claims
1. A cooling and noise-reduction apparatus for a computing device
disposable within a structure having a central air conditioning
system, the computing device comprising: a heat generating
component; an enclosure having first and second inlets; a fan
configured to drive coolant from the first inlet to the heat
generating component; a vent operably interposed between the second
inlet and the heat generating component; and a controller coupled
to the fan and the vent to respectively control operations thereof,
wherein: the cooling and noise-reduction apparatus comprises a
ducting element configured to flexibly and fluidly couple the
second inlet with the central air conditioning system.
2. The cooling and noise-reduction apparatus according to claim 1,
wherein the computing device comprises at least one of a server, a
desktop computing device and a portable computing device.
3. The cooling and noise-reduction apparatus according to claim 2,
further comprising a docking station for the portable computing
device.
4. The cooling and noise-reduction apparatus according to claim 1,
wherein the heat generating component comprises at least one of a
mother board and a central processing unit.
5. The cooling and noise-reduction apparatus according to claim 1,
wherein the controller comprises: a fan control unit operably
coupled to the fan to control an on/off state and a rotational
speed of the fan; and a vent control logic unit operably coupled to
the vent to control an opening, a closing and a vent angle of the
vent.
6. The cooling and noise-reduction apparatus according to claim 1,
wherein the controller is configured to: maintain the fan and the
vent in on and open conditions, respectively, during a startup
state, maintain the fan and the vent in off and open conditions,
respectively, during an active condition, and maintain the fan in
the on condition during a vent fail condition.
7. The cooling and noise-reduction apparatus according to claim 6,
wherein the controller is further configured to close the vent
during the vent fail condition.
8. The cooling and noise-reduction apparatus according to claim 1,
wherein the ducting element comprises a corrugated duct.
9. A cooling and noise-reduction apparatus, comprising: a central
air conditioning system; a plurality of computing devices each
including a heat generating component, an enclosure having first
and second inlets, a fan configured to drive coolant from the first
inlet to the heat generating component, a vent operably interposed
between the second inlet and the heat generating component and a
controller coupled to the fan and the vent to respectively control
operations thereof; and a plurality of ducting elements each being
configured to flexibly and fluidly couple the respective second
inlets of each of the plurality of computing devices with the
central air conditioning system.
10. The cooling and noise-reduction apparatus according to claim 9,
wherein the plurality of computing devices comprises: one or more
servers; one or more desktop computing devices; and one or more
portable computing devices.
11. The cooling and noise-reduction apparatus according to claim
10, further comprising one or more docking stations for the one or
more portable computing devices.
12. The cooling and noise-reduction apparatus according to claim 9,
wherein the heat generating component comprises at least one of a
mother board and a central processing unit.
13. The cooling and noise-reduction apparatus according to claim 9,
wherein each controller of the plurality of computing devices
comprises: a fan control unit operably coupled to the corresponding
fan to control an on/off state and a rotational speed of the
corresponding fan; and a vent control logic unit operably coupled
to the corresponding vent to control an opening, a closing and a
vent angle of the corresponding vent.
14. The cooling and noise-reduction apparatus according to claim 9,
wherein each controller of the plurality of computing devices is
configured to: maintain the corresponding fan and the corresponding
vent in on and open conditions, respectively, during a startup
state, maintain the corresponding fan and the corresponding vent in
off and open conditions, respectively, during an active condition,
and maintain the corresponding fan in the on condition during a
vent fail condition.
15. The cooling and noise-reduction apparatus according to claim
14, wherein each controller of the plurality of computing devices
is further configured to close the vent during the vent fail
condition.
16. The cooling and noise-reduction apparatus according to claim 9,
wherein each of the plurality of ducting elements comprises a
corrugated duct.
17. A cooling and noise-reduction method for use with a computing
device disposable within a structure having a central air
conditioning system, the computing device comprising: a heat
generating component; an enclosure having first and second inlets;
a fan configured to drive coolant from the first inlet to the heat
generating component; a vent operably interposed between the second
inlet and the heat generating component; and a controller coupled
to the fan and the vent to respectively control operations thereof,
the method comprising: maintaining the fan and the vent in on and
open conditions, respectively, during a startup state; maintaining
the fan and the vent in off and open conditions, respectively,
during an active condition; and maintaining the fan in the on
condition during a vent fail condition.
18. The method according to claim 17, further comprising booting
the computing device to initiate the startup state.
19. The method according to claim 17, further comprising docking
the computing device with a dock to initiate the startup state.
20. The method according to claim 17, further comprising closing
the vent during the vent fail condition.
Description
BACKGROUND
[0001] The present invention relates to a cooling and
noise-reduction apparatus and, more particularly, to a cooling and
noise-reduction apparatus for a computing device disposable within
a structure having a central air conditioning system.
[0002] In office environments, for example, desktop and laptop
personal computers (PCs) generally include heat generating
components, such as central processing units (CPUs). These heat
generating components generate heat as they operate and tend to
operate less efficiently as they become hotter and hotter. Thus,
they need to be cooled by one of more fans installed in the local
device. A desktop PC typically has two fans: one for the power
supply and one for the processor. Many moderns desktop PCs have a
third fan on the graphics card. Laptop PCs can be configured
similarly.
[0003] These numerous fans all require power and all generate noise
and this noise tends to increase with time as dust and/or dirt
builds up on the fans and the associated ductwork. In addition,
since the fans are constantly blowing air over oftentimes sensitive
components and this air often contains numerous particles that can
stick to component surfaces, a buildup of material can occur on the
component surfaces. Over time, this can lead to computational
errors and failures.
[0004] One solution to the noise problem has been to install
larger, quieter fans. These larger, quieter fans often suffer from
increased power demands and dust buildup, however. A solution to
the dust buildup problem is to install filters on the fan, but this
generally causes the fans to have to speed up to compensate and the
filters eventually clog anyway. To reduce the power needs without
larger fan installation, variable speed fans can be used. These
fans can reduce noise output but can unfortunately become
disadvantageous when the associated computer is in a high power
mode and the fans need to operate at full output.
SUMMARY
[0005] According to an aspect of the invention, a cooling and
noise-reduction apparatus for a computing device disposable within
a structure having a central air conditioning system is provided.
The computing device includes a heat generating component, an
enclosure having first and second inlets, a fan configured to drive
coolant from the first inlet to the heat generating component, a
vent operably interposed between the second inlet and the heat
generating component and a controller coupled to the fan and the
vent to respectively control operations thereof. The cooling and
noise-reduction apparatus includes a ducting element configured to
flexibly and fluidly couple the second inlet with the central air
conditioning system.
[0006] According to another aspect of the invention, a cooling and
noise-reduction apparatus is provided and includes a central air
conditioning system, a plurality of computing devices each
including a heat generating component, an enclosure having first
and second inlets, a fan configured to drive coolant from the first
inlet to the heat generating component, a vent operably interposed
between the second inlet and the heat generating component and a
controller coupled to the fan and the vent to respectively control
operations thereof and a plurality of ducting elements each being
configured to flexibly and fluidly couple the respective second
inlets of each of the plurality of computing devices with the
central air conditioning system.
[0007] According to yet another aspect of the invention, a cooling
and noise-reduction method for use with a computing device
disposable within a structure having a central air conditioning
system is provided. The computing device includes a heat generating
component, an enclosure having first and second inlets, a fan
configured to drive coolant from the first inlet to the heat
generating component, a vent operably interposed between the second
inlet and the heat generating component and a controller coupled to
the fan and the vent to respectively control operations thereof.
The method includes maintaining the fan and the vent in on and open
conditions, respectively, during a startup state, maintaining the
fan and the vent in off and open conditions, respectively, during
an active condition and maintaining the fan in the on condition
during a vent fail condition.
[0008] Additional features and advantages are realized through the
techniques of the present invention. Other embodiments and aspects
of the invention are described in detail herein and are considered
a part of the claimed invention. For a better understanding of the
invention with the advantages and the features, refer to the
description and to the drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS
[0009] The subject matter which is regarded as the invention is
particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed in the claims at
the conclusion of the specification. The forgoing and other
features, and advantages of the invention are apparent from the
following detailed description taken in conjunction with the
accompanying drawings in which:
[0010] FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of a structure having a
central air conditioning system;
[0011] FIG. 2 is a schematic illustration of a computing device
disposable within the structure of FIG. 1;
[0012] FIG. 3 is a side view of a corrugated duct in accordance
with embodiments;
[0013] FIG. 4 is a schematic side view of an enlarged portion of
the computing device of FIG. 2 in accordance with alternative
embodiments; and
[0014] FIG. 5 is a flow diagram illustrating an operation of a
cooling and noise-reduction system for use with the computing
device of FIG. 1.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0015] By ducting central air along with power and networking data
to desktop and/or laptop personal computers (PCs), the air provided
to the PCs may be filtered centrally so that dust buildup at the
PCs can be substantially reduced. Meanwhile, with the central air
being provided by way of central fans, power consumption can be
reduced as central fans tend to operate more efficiently than the
sum of the local PC fans. Also, since the central fans are
geographically remote from users, noise may be substantially
decreased.
[0016] The above-noted improvements can be achieved by ducting
existing air-conditioning systems to desktop PCs and deactivating
the local fans at certain predefined times. If a separate system is
needed, existing ducts used for both power and networking, which
are present in most cases, could be used. For applications to
laptop computers, a docking station with an air-duct attachment may
be provided to cool the laptop while docked and letting the laptop
rely on the local fans when in transit. For applications in a
server environment, ducting to individual servers may remove the
need to condition an entire server room.
[0017] With reference now to FIG. 1, a structure 10 is provided.
The structure 10 may be any structural element including, but not
limited to, a building, an office building, a residence, etc. Among
other features, the structure 10 includes one or more interior
spaces 11 and a central air conditioning system 20. The central air
conditioning system 20 includes an air conditioning unit 21, which
may be disposed within or outside of the one or more interior
spaces 11, a blower 22 and a main conduit 23. The air conditioning
unit 21 is configured to generate cooling or heating air and the
blower 22 is configured to drive this air as an air flow through
the main conduit 23 toward the one or more interior spaces 11.
[0018] As shown in FIG. 1, a plurality of computing devices 30 may
be disposed within the one or more interior spaces 11. The
plurality of computing devices 30 may include various types of
computing devices such as, but not limited to, one or more servers
31, one or more personal desktop computing devices 32 and one or
more portable/laptop computing devices 33. The one or more
portable/laptop computing devices 33 may be dockable in one or more
corresponding docking stations 330.
[0019] While each of the plurality of computing devices 30 may have
a different set of features and functionalities, each may have
certain features in common. For example, with reference to FIG. 2,
each of the plurality of computing devices 30 may include a heat
generating component 40 that requires cooling during operations
thereof, an enclosure 41 having a first inlet 410 and a second
inlet 411, a fan 42, a vent 43 and a controller 44. The heat
generating component 40 may include any type of operational
electrical component such as, but not limited to, a mother board, a
central processing unit (CPU), etc. The fan 42 may be configured to
drive, for example, coolant from the first inlet 410 toward the
heat generating component 40. The vent 43 may be operably
interposed between the second inlet 411 and the heat generating
component 40. With the central air conditioning system 20
operational, the vent 43 may be opened such that the coolant is
permitted to flow from the central air conditioning system 20
toward the heat generating component 40. The controller 44 may be
operably coupled to the fan 42 and the vent 43 to thereby
respectively control operations of the fan 42 and the vent 43. The
enclosure 41 houses each of the above-mentioned components in a
manner that substantially reduces atmospheric communication between
an exterior and an interior of the enclosure 41.
[0020] With reference to FIGS. 1-4, a plurality of ducting elements
50 are also provided. Each of the plurality of ducting elements 50
may include a flexible tubular element 51 having a first end 510
and a second end 511 opposite the first end 510. The flexible
tubular element 51 may be coupled to the main conduit 23 at the
first end 510 and may be coupled to a corresponding one of the
plurality of computing devices 30 at the second end 511. In
particular, the flexible tubular element 51 may be coupled to the
second inlet 411 of the corresponding one of the plurality of
computing devices 30 at the second end 511. In this way, each of
the plurality of ducting elements 50 fluidly couples the
corresponding second inlets 411 with the central air conditioning
system 20. As such, air flow driven through the main conduit 23,
such as cooling air flow, can be delivered to the corresponding
second inlets 411 for cooling of the corresponding heat generating
component 40.
[0021] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 and, in accordance with
embodiments, the flexible tubular element 51 may include a
corrugated duct 510 that permits the flexible tubular element 51 to
bend in one or more places and to stretch over extended distances,
if necessary. In this way, the corresponding one of the computing
devices 30 may be positioned and repositioned to suit a user. Also,
the flexible tubular element 51 may include a neck portion 52 at
the second end 511. The neck portion 52 can be configured to
tightly fit with a complementary connector 520 of the enclosure 41.
Of course, it is to be understood that this is merely exemplary and
that the flexible tubular element 51 can be connected to the
enclosure 41 is various manners.
[0022] In accordance with further embodiments, it is to be
understood that the first inlet 410 and the second inlet 411 may be
provided as a single inlet or as multiple co-axial inlets. In
either case, the flexible tubular element 51 and the fan 42 may be
provided along a common center-line such that air flow provided
through the ducting element 50 passes through the fan 42 and/or the
fan housing. In this case, the flexible tubular element 51 may be
configured to be connectable with the fan and/or the fan
housing.
[0023] Each controller 44 of each of the plurality of computing
devices 30 may include a fan control unit 440 and a vent control
logic unit 441. The fan control unit 440 is operably coupled to the
corresponding fan 42 and is configured to control at least one or
both of an on/off state of the corresponding fan 42 and a
rotational speed of the corresponding fan 42. The vent control
logic unit 441 is operably coupled to the corresponding vent 43 and
is configured to control an opening, a closing and/or a vent angle
of the corresponding vent 43.
[0024] Although illustrated in FIG. 2 as being two separate units,
it is to be understood that in some embodiments the fan control
unit 440 and the vent control logic unit 441 reside as a single
controller 44 that is operated and/or controlled by the heat
generating component 40. In these cases, one or both of the fan
control unit 440 and the vent control logic unit 441 may be
embodied as a computer readable medium having executable
instructions stored thereon for executing at least the control
methods described herein.
[0025] With reference to FIG. 5 and, in accordance with
embodiments, each controller 44 of the plurality of computing
devices 30 is configured to operate in at least three distinct
modes. In a first mode, which may be associated with a startup
state of the corresponding computing device 30, the controller 44
may be configured to maintain the corresponding fan 42 in an on
condition and to maintain the corresponding vent 43 in an open
condition. For the personal desktop computing devices 32, the
startup state may be preceded by a standard boot up procedure
during which the personal desktop computing devices 32 are disposed
at least initially in an off condition, the corresponding fans 42
are disposed in an off condition and the corresponding vents 43 are
closed. For the laptop computing devices 33, the startup state may
be preceded by a docking procedure during which the laptop
computing devices 33 are disposed at least initially in an on
condition, the corresponding fans 42 are disposed in an on
condition and the corresponding vents 43 are closed.
[0026] In a second mode, which may be associated with an active
state of the corresponding computing device 30 whereby the boot up
procedures are completed and computational operations can be fully
executed, the controller 44 may be configured to maintain the
corresponding fan 42 in an off condition and to maintain the
corresponding vent 43 in an open condition. In this way, the heat
generating component 40 may be cooled, for example, by the central
air conditioning system 20 as necessary with the fan 42 turned off.
This should allow for less noise generation and lowered power
requirements as the central air conditioning system 20 is remote
and may operate more efficiently than the fan 42.
[0027] In a third mode, which may be associated with a vent failure
whereby cooling air fails to flow through the vent 43, the
controller 44 may be configured to maintain the corresponding fan
42 in the on condition such that the heat generating component 40
can be continually operated and cooled. A vent failure condition
can be characterized as any condition in which air flow does not or
cannot flow through the vent 43. Thus, exemplary vent failures may
be due to the vent 43 being broken or otherwise non-operative or
due to the central air conditioning system 20 being non-operative.
In the latter case, this can occur if the structure 10 is an office
building and the user attempts to during a holiday during which the
central air conditioning system 20 is turned off. In this case, the
controller 44 can close the vent 43 to prevent outflow of coolant
from an interior of the enclosure 41 and operate the fan 42
normally to cool the heat generating component 40.
[0028] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing
particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of
the invention. As used herein, the singular forms "a", "an" and
"the" are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the
context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood
that the terms "comprises" and/or "comprising," when used in this
specification, specify the presence of stated features, integers,
steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude
the presence or addition of one more other features, integers,
steps, operations, element components, and/or groups thereof.
[0029] The corresponding structures, materials, acts, and
equivalents of all means or step plus function elements in the
claims below are intended to include any structure, material, or
act for performing the function in combination with other claimed
elements as specifically claimed. The description of the present
invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and
description, but is not intended to be exhaustive or limited to the
invention in the form disclosed. Many modifications and variations
will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art without
departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. The
embodiment was chosen and described in order to best explain the
principles of the invention and the practical application, and to
enable others of ordinary skill in the art to understand the
invention for various embodiments with various modifications as are
suited to the particular use contemplated.
[0030] The flow diagrams depicted herein are just one example.
There may be many variations to this diagram or the steps (or
operations) described therein without departing from the spirit of
the invention. For instance, the steps may be performed in a
differing order or steps may be added, deleted or modified. All of
these variations are considered a part of the claimed
invention.
[0031] While the preferred embodiment to the invention had been
described, it will be understood that those skilled in the art,
both now and in the future, may make various improvements and
enhancements which fall within the scope of the claims which
follow. These claims should be construed to maintain the proper
protection for the invention first described.
* * * * *