Common fan plenum with partition between fan and impedance element at inlet to reduce recirculation upon fan failure

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a common fan plenum having a partition between a fan and an impedance element at an inlet to reduce recirculation upon fan failure. Specifically disclosed is an information processing apparatus including a heat-generating component, an air chamber, and fans arranged to flow air through the air chamber and cool the heat-generating component. The apparatus also includes a recirculation suppression mechanism to reduce an amount of air recirculation in the event of a failure of the fan. The recirculation suppression mechanism includes: a plenum impedance element extending across the plenum such that air passing through the plenum passes through the plenum impedance element before reaching the fan; and partitions disposed in the air chamber and defining a sub-compartment in the air chamber. Each of the sub-compartments corresponds to one of the fans and is configured to supply air to or receive air from the corresponding fan. In the event of a failure of one of the fans, air recirculated through the failed fan passes through the air chamber impedance element twice before reaching the adjacent fan.

Description

Background Art

[0001] Information processing devices such as computers (e.g., tower servers, rack servers, blade servers, etc.) and networking devices (e.g., switches, routers, access points, etc.) generate heat when powered on and in use. Therefore, such devices may be provided with a cooling system to remove heat therefrom. Typically, a cooling system includes a set of fans that are configured to flow air through the device to cool its heat-generating components. The air absorbs the heat generated by the various components of the device, and the heated air is exhausted, thereby cooling the components and removing the absorbed heat from the device. The more heat the device generates, the more airflow may be required to keep the components within the desired operating temperature. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0002] Alone or with Figure 1 The present disclosure can be understood from the following detailed description. These drawings are included to provide a further understanding of the present disclosure, and are incorporated into and constitute a part of this specification. The drawings illustrate one or more examples of the present teachings and together with the description explain certain principles and operations. In the drawings:

[0003] Figure 1 is a block diagram schematically illustrating an information processing device without a partition and in a fan failure state.

[0004] Figure 2 is a block diagram schematically illustrating an example information processing device having a partition.

[0005] Figure 3 It is a schematic diagram Figure 1 A block diagram of an example information handling device in which airflow is depicted as being in a normal operating state.

[0006] Figure 4 It is a schematic diagram Figure 1 A block diagram of an example information processing device in which airflow is depicted as being in a blower fault state.

[0007] Figure 5 is a block diagram schematically illustrating another example information processing device having a partition.

[0008] Figure 6 is a block diagram schematically illustrating yet another example information processing device having a partition.

[0009] Figure 7 is a block diagram schematically illustrating yet another example information processing device having a partition.

[0010] Figure 8 is a block diagram schematically illustrating another example information processing device having a partition.

[0011] Fig. 9 is a cross-sectional view of another example information handling device, wherein the cross section is taken along the longitudinal dimension of the device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0012] Some information processing equipment has multiple fans that are located in a common plenum. During normal operation, the fans pull air through one side of the plenum and push it out the other side, thus causing air to flow through the equipment to cool its heat-generating components. If one of the fans fails, air may begin to flow backward through the failed fan and into the inlets of the other fans that are still operating. This phenomenon is called recirculation.

[0013] Referring to the information processing device 1, Figure 1 The reason for the recirculation is described below. The information processing device 1 includes a heat generating component 2, a fan plenum 3, and a plurality of fans 4 (e.g., fans 4-1, 4-2, and 4-3). The fans 4 are arranged to cause a cooling airflow 5 to flow through the device 1 and across the heat generating component 2 to cool the heat generating component 2. The fans 4 achieve this by pushing or pulling air through the fan plenum 3 (at Figure 1 In FIG. 4 , the fans 4 are blowing in direction 9, but they could also be blowing in the opposite direction, in which case the illustrated airflow would be reversed). Figure 1 In the example of FIG. 1 , fan 4-2 fails. However, fans 4-1 and 4-3 are still operating, and they create a low pressure area 6 on the inlet side of fans 4-1 and 4-2 in the air chamber, and a relatively high pressure area 7 on the outlet side of fans 4-1 and 4-2. The failed fan 4-2 forms a duct that communicatively connects the high pressure area 7 on the outlet side of fan 4 to the low pressure area 6 on the inlet side of fan 4, and thus some air 8 is sucked backward through the failed fan 4-2 (air tends to flow from high pressure to low pressure). This recirculated air 8 in the common air chamber 3 is then sucked into the inlets of the operating fans 4-1 and 4-3.

[0014] This recirculation is detrimental to the cooling of the information handling equipment. The cooling capacity of the information handling equipment has already been reduced by the loss of the failed fan, and the recirculation of air through the failed fan further reduces the cooling capacity of the system. The recirculated air that flows backward through the failed fan does not pass over the heat generating components and therefore does not help cool the heat generating components. In addition, the recirculated air reduces the amount of cooling air that is pulled through the rest of the equipment. Each fan may have a certain airflow capacity, and when the recirculated air is drawn through the fan, this takes up some of the airflow capacity of the remaining fans, leaving less airflow capacity for cooling airflow. For example, in Figure 1In the embodiment of FIG. 1 , the recirculation airflow 8 occupies some of the airflow capacity of fans 4-1 and 4-3, thereby reducing the proportion of the airflow capacity of fans 4-1 and 4-3 that can be used to cause the cooling airflow 5 to flow through the device 1. For example, if it is assumed that each fan 4 can hypothetically maintain 10m 3 / h flow rate, and the recirculation air 8 at 4m 3 The flow rate of / h is pulled through fans 4-1 and 4-3 (each fan 4-1 and 4-3 is 2m 3 / h), then since the recirculation air 8 consumes some of the capacity of the fans 4-1 and 4-2, the airflow capacity available to drive the cooling airflow 5 is reduced from 20m 3 / h reduced to 16m 3 / h (almost a 20% reduction). Therefore, if one fan fails, recirculation may result in reduced cooling airflow for the heat generating components and, in some cases, the temperature of the heat generating components may exceed their rated temperature, potentially causing damage, shortening component life and / or inhibiting performance.

[0015] One way to solve the recirculation problem is to replace the fan when the fan fails. However, in some information processing devices, this may not be a feasible solution. In particular, in some information processing devices, the fans are all set as an integral multi-fan package or module, in which all fans are permanently or semi-permanently attached to the multi-fan module. Therefore, removing a single fan may require removing the entire multi-fan module from the information processing device, and then disassembling the multi-fan module. The disassembly of the multi-fan module may be difficult because it is usually not designed for easy disassembly and may involve destructive disassembly. Therefore, although it is technically possible to remove a single fan in an information processing device that utilizes an integral multi-fan module, this is usually not a desired option and may not be practical in some cases. Instead, when a single fan in such a device fails, it is common practice to replace the entire multi-fan module as a whole. As another example, in some information processing devices, the fan is not designed to be replaceable, either individually or as a whole-for example, in some lower-cost information processing devices, the device is not designed to be opened or its parts are removed. In such an information handling device, if its fan fails, then it is possible to replace the entire device. However, it is wasteful and expensive to replace a multi-fan module or an entire information handling device in response to a single fan failure. Doing so requires removing (and in some cases discarding) fans or other components that are still intact, and paying for new replacements that are not strictly necessary (in the sense that the component they replaced was not faulty).

[0016] Furthermore, even in systems where fans are designed to be replaceable (either individually or as part of replacing an entire multi-fan module), the timing of replacement can be a challenge. The information handling device may need to continue operating during the period between when a fan fails and when the fan can ultimately be replaced. During this transition period, a reduction in the cooling capacity of the information handling device (due in part to recirculation) may cause components to exceed the desired operating temperature range, and thus they may experience damage, shortened life, suppressed performance, or other thermal issues. Furthermore, failures are often unplanned and may occur at inconvenient times, and thus users of the device may be forced to choose between two undesirable options: (1) wait until a convenient time to perform fan replacement (e.g., a scheduled maintenance period or a predicted time of low system usage), thereby increasing the risk of damage or other thermal issues by extending the period during which the device operates with reduced cooling capacity, or (2) replace the fan quickly to minimize the risk of thermal issues, and thus fail to schedule the replacement at a convenient time, thereby potentially causing operational disruption (e.g., the information handling device may have to be offline during a period of high system usage). Accordingly, even in systems where fan replacement is technically and economically feasible, there are some disadvantages to relying on fan replacement as the primary means of combating recirculation.

[0017] Another way to solve the recirculation problem is to use a mechanism that can automatically detect a faulty fan and block airflow through the fan in response to the fault. For example, some fan systems have deployable baffles that can block airflow through the fan if a fault is detected. However, such mechanisms for selectively blocking airflow through a faulty fan tend to be complex and expensive, and therefore may not be suitable for some systems. In particular, in some lower-cost information processing equipment, complex and expensive fan systems (such as those that can automatically block airflow in response to a fault) may not be practical or feasible. In addition, relying on an active system to detect faults and deploy baffles increases the complexity of the system and may introduce points of failure. Additionally, these baffles or similar structures may reduce the airflow performance of the equipment during normal operation, which may require more fans or increased fan speeds.

[0018] To address these and other problems, the example information processing device disclosed herein includes a recirculation suppression mechanism that reduces the amount of air recirculation that occurs when a blower fails. In addition, the recirculation suppression mechanism can be completely passive (e.g., recirculation suppression does not require fault detection or active actuation of the device) and relatively inexpensive. Because the amount of air recirculation is reduced, the degree to which the cooling capacity of the device is reduced due to air recirculation is also reduced. In other words, when a single blower fails, the example information processing device disclosed herein is able to better cope with the blower failure and continue to cool itself. Therefore, although the blower fails, the temperature of the components in the information processing device can be more likely to remain within the desired operating range. In some cases, the increase in cooling capacity may be sufficient to allow the example information processing device to remain in operation for a long time after a blower failure without thermal problems (e.g., the desired operating temperature range will not be exceeded and there will be no subsequent damage, loss of component life, and / or performance suppression).

[0019] Thus, while previously in some systems a user may have had to choose between replacing a failed fan relatively quickly after a failure, possibly at an inconvenient time, or risking thermal issues if the replacement is delayed until a convenient time, now in some examples disclosed herein, replacement can be delayed for a relatively long time without risking thermal issues. This can allow the replacement to be scheduled at a time that is more convenient and less disruptive to operations, such as during a scheduled maintenance window or a time of low system usage.

[0020] Furthermore, in some cases, the increase in cooling capacity may be sufficient to allow some example information handling devices disclosed herein to continue operating indefinitely after a fan failure without encountering thermal issues. In other words, in some examples, replacement of a single failed fan may now be optional, rather than required as previously in some systems. In situations where fans are not easily replaced individually (e.g., when provided as part of a multi-fan module), the freedom to choose not to replace a failed fan may be particularly beneficial. In some cases, a user may prefer to have the system operate indefinitely in the event of a fan failure, rather than incurring the cost and waste associated with replacing an entire multi-fan module or the entire information handling device.

[0021] In some examples disclosed herein, the recirculation suppression mechanism includes a partition (partition wall) and an air chamber impedance element, both of which are connected to a common air chamber that supplies or receives airflows from a plurality of fans. The partition is arranged between each fan in the common air chamber to divide the air chamber into sub-compartments that define independent parallel airflow paths passing through the air chamber. Each fan is arranged in its own corresponding sub-compartment, or is arranged to supply or receive airflow to its own corresponding sub-compartment. The air chamber impedance element is arranged on or in the air chamber so that all air entering the air chamber from the air chamber inlet side passes through the air chamber impedance element before reaching the fan. For example, the air chamber impedance element can cover the inlet opening of the air chamber, or can be arranged in the air chamber, between the fan and the inlet opening of the air chamber. The partition can extend from the fan to the air chamber impedance element so that each sub-compartment is substantially separated from other sub-compartments in the region between the fan and the air chamber impedance element. Thus, in order for air to flow from one subcompartment to an adjacent subcompartment, the air must flow from the outlet side of one compartment to the outlet side of the other compartment, thereby passing through their corresponding fans, or from the inlet side of one compartment to the inlet side of the other compartment, thereby passing through the air chamber impedance element at the other end. In order for air to flow between two subcompartments via their inlet sides, the air passes through the air chamber impedance element twice: once when the air leaves the inlet side of the subcompartment with the faulty fan, and again when the air enters the inlet side of the adjacent subcompartment. (Typically, if one or both fans associated with two subcompartments are in operation, fluid communication between these subcompartments via their outlet sides is blocked).

[0022] The above exemplary arrangement reduces the degree of air recirculation in response to a blower failure. When a blower fails, the recirculated air that flows backward through the failed blower to the inlet of the adjacent blower cannot simply flow directly to the inlet of the adjacent blower as in other devices. Instead, the recirculated air must pass through the air chamber impedance element (twice) before it can enter the adjacent blower, once when it leaves the sub-compartment of the failed blower, and once again when it enters the sub-compartment of the adjacent blower. Because the air chamber impedance element has a positive air flow impedance, it suppresses these flows of recirculated air. Therefore, compared with the case without the air chamber impedance element and the partition, the recirculated air that eventually travels along these flow paths is less. In other words, there is a pressure drop across the air chamber impedance element, and therefore the low pressure exposed to the sub-compartment with the failed blower is higher than that without the partition and the air chamber impedance element, so that less air is drawn backward through the failed blower. Some air is still recirculated, but the amount of recirculated air is less than that without the baffle. Because less recirculating air is flowing from the failed blower, more cooling air can be pulled through the electronic equipment, allowing the equipment to remain within thermal limits despite the failed blower.

[0023] Now go to Figures 2 to 8 , various devices, systems, and methods according to aspects of the present disclosure will be described.

[0024] Figures 2 to 7 is a block diagram schematically illustrating information processing devices 100, 200, 300, and 400. It should be understood that Figures 2 to 7 The specific shapes, sizes, or other structural details are not intended to be illustrated accurately or to scale, and implementations of information handling devices 100 , 200 , 300 , and 400 may have a different number and arrangement of the illustrated components, and may also include other parts that are not illustrated.

[0025] like Figure 2 As shown, the information processing device 100 includes a heat generating component 110, a fan 135, a fan air chamber 120, and a recirculation suppression mechanism 140. The information processing device 100 may include a computing device, a networking device, or any other device that processes information (processing information broadly includes storing, retrieving, routing, applying logical or mathematical operations, analyzing, or otherwise manipulating digital information). The heat generating component 110 may include any electronic, optical, electro-optical, or other component of the information processing device 100 that generates heat, such as a processor, an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a network interface controller (NIC), a transceiver, etc.

[0026] The fan 135 includes a plurality of fans 135. Figure 1 , fans 135-1, 135-2, ..., 135-n are illustrated, where n is any integer equal to or greater than 2. The fans are arranged in an array within the chassis of the information processing device 100 and are configured to make air flow through the device 100. Figures 2 to 4 , the fan 135 is oriented to cause air to flow in the general direction 109. Thus, if Figure 3 As shown by the dashed arrows, the fan 135 pulls the cooling air 102 into the device 100, and then the cooling air 102 passes through the heat-generating component 110 and absorbs heat therefrom, and then the heated air 102 enters the air chamber 120, and then the air is exhausted from the device 100 by the fan 135. In other examples, the fan 135 can be oriented so that the air flows in the opposite direction, in which case, Figure 3 The airflow arrows in will be reversed (the recirculation inhibition mechanism 140 may also be oriented reversed, as described below).

[0027] The air chamber 120 comprises a tube, vent, duct, or other partially enclosed conduit having an inlet opening 122 at one end, an outlet opening 123 at an opposite end, and walls radially surrounding a central axis extending between the inlet opening 122 and the outlet opening 123. The air chamber 120 can have any cross-sectional shape, including circular, oval, square, rectangular, and the like. In one example, the air chamber 120 has a rectangular cross-section in which four side walls are parallel to the central axis and are coupled together to form a box-like shape. In some examples, the box-like shape can be similar to a 6-sided box, except that the end walls perpendicular to the central axis are omitted, and the inlet opening and outlet opening are disposed at locations where these end walls would otherwise be located. In other examples, the box-like shape can include one or both of these vertical end walls, wherein the inlet opening and / or outlet opening are formed as orifices in these walls. Figure 2 , side walls 121 and 124 are illustrated, while other walls of the air chamber 120 are omitted from view to reveal an interior portion of the air chamber 120.

[0028] As described above, the fan 135 causes air to flow through the air chamber 120. In some examples, this is achieved by placing the fan 135 within the air chamber 120, such as Figure 2 In other examples, this is achieved by arranging the fan 135 outside the air chamber 120 but communicatively coupling the fan 135 to the air chamber 120 so that the airflow path through the fan 135 must pass through the air chamber 120. For example, the fans 135 can be positioned so that their inlet ends are adjacent to the outlet opening 123 of the air chamber 120 so that air from inside the air chamber 120 is sucked into the inlet opening of the fan 135. Or in a system with reverse direction airflow, the fans 135 can be positioned so that their outlet ends are adjacent to the inlet opening 122 of the air chamber 120 so that air exhausted by the fan 135 is blown into the air chamber 120.

[0029] like Figure 2 As shown, the recirculation suppression mechanism 140 includes an air chamber impedance element 142 and a partition (partition wall) 145, both of which are connected to the air chamber 120. The partition wall 145 is provided between each fan 135 in the air chamber 120 to divide the air chamber 120 into sub-compartments 125, which define independent parallel air flow paths through the air chamber 120. Figure 2, each fan 135 is disposed in its own corresponding subcompartment 125. In other examples, the fans 135 are not necessarily disposed in the subcompartments 125, but are arranged to supply air to or receive air from their corresponding subcompartments 125. If there are n fans 135-1 to 135-n, then there may be n subcompartments 125-1 to 125-n, wherein fan 135-1 corresponds to subcompartment 125-1, fan 135-2 corresponds to subcompartment 125-2, and so on. In order to form n subcompartments 125-1 to 125-n, p partition walls 145-1 to 145-p are provided, wherein p=n-1. The partition wall 145 may extend at least from the inlet of the fan 135 to the air chamber impedance element 142. In Figure 2 In the embodiment shown, the partition wall 145 extends the entire length of the plenum 120 , but in other examples, the partition wall 145 may extend only a portion of the length of the plenum 120 .

[0030] The air chamber impedance element 142 is disposed on or in the air chamber 120 so that all air entering the air chamber 120 via the inlet opening 122 passes through the air chamber impedance element 132. Figure 1 In the illustrated example, this is accomplished by placing the air chamber impedance element 132 on the air chamber 120 to cover the inlet opening 122. In other examples, the air chamber impedance element 132 is disposed within the air chamber 120 between the fan 135 and the inlet opening 122. The air chamber impedance element 142 includes a structure that allows air to flow through it but applies a non-zero positive impedance to the air flow, such as a wire mesh screen, a net or honeycomb, a grid, a perforated plate (e.g., a metal plate), etc. In some examples, the air chamber impedance element 142 can be a separate part from the air chamber 120 disposed on or in the air chamber. In other examples, the air chamber impedance element 142 can be a part of the air chamber 120—for example, the air chamber impedance element 142 can form an end wall of the air chamber 120.

[0031] In addition to the functions described herein related to reducing air recirculation, air chamber impedance element 142 can also provide electromagnetic interference (EMI) containment and can also prevent visibility and / or penetration of objects into the interior portion of the information handling device. For example, in some information handling devices, fan 135 can be provided as a removable part of a fan module, and air chamber impedance element 142 can therefore be used to separate the interior of device 100 from the exterior when the fan module is removed (e.g., to prevent the insertion of foreign objects).

[0032] The partition walls 145 are arranged so that in order for air to flow from one subcompartment 125 into an adjacent subcompartment 125 via their respective inlet sides (without passing through the blower 135), the air must first pass through the air chamber impedance element 142 when leaving the first subcompartment 125, and then the air must pass through the air chamber impedance element 142 again when entering the adjacent subcompartment 125. In other words, the air chamber impedance element 142 separates each subcompartment 125 from each other in the sense of a fluid connection between them, at least in the region between the blower 135 and the air chamber impedance element 142. Typically, fluid communication between two given subcompartments 125 via their outlet sides would require air to flow through the blower 135 associated with the subcompartment, and therefore such communication is prevented when one or both of their blowers 135 are operating. If one fan 135 of two given compartments 125 fails, fluid communication between the two given subcompartments 125 via their outlet sides is still blocked by the remaining operating fan 135 , but fluid communication between the two subcompartments 125 can occur via their inlet sides and the plenum impedance element 142 .

[0033] The exemplary arrangement described above reduces the extent of air recirculation in response to a blower failure. Figure 4 Information handling device 100 is illustrated in a state where fan 135-2 has failed. Fans 135-1 and 135-n are still operating, and therefore they continue to pull cooling airflow 102 through information handling device 100. In addition, because fan 135-2 has failed, fan 135-2 and compartment 125-2 now form an alternate path from the exterior of device 100 to the inlets of fans 135-1 and 135-n, which also pull some recirculated airflow 103 backward through fan 135-2.

[0034] However, with Figure 1 Different from the device 1, Figure 4In the device 100, the recirculation airflow 103 cannot simply flow from the faulty fan 135-2 directly to the inlet of the adjacent fans 135-1 and 135-n. Instead, the recirculation air 103 must pass through the air chamber impedance element 142 twice before it can enter the adjacent fans 135-1 and 135-n. That is, the recirculation air 103 passes through the impedance element 142 once when leaving the subcompartment 125-2 of the faulty fan 135-2, and passes through the impedance element again when entering the subcompartment 125-1 or 125-n of the adjacent fans 135-1 or 135-n. Because the air chamber impedance element 142 has a positive airflow impedance, the air chamber impedance element 142 inhibits the airflow from traveling along these paths. Accordingly, the amount of recirculation air 103 is greatly reduced. In other words, there is a pressure drop across the plenum impedance element 142, causing the effective pressure seen in the subcompartment 135-2 to be slightly higher than it would otherwise be, and therefore the recirculated air 103 is pulled less strongly into the subcompartment 135-2. Some air 103 is still recirculated, but the amount of recirculated air 103 is less than it would be without the divider 145 and plenum impedance element 142. Because less recirculated air 103 flows from the failed fan 135-2, more cooling air 102 can be pulled through the information processing device 100, allowing the device 100 to remain within thermal limits even with the failed fan 135-2.

[0035] Now turn to Figure 5 , another example information processing device 200 will be described. Some components of the information processing device 200 correspond to components of the above-mentioned information processing device 100 (i.e., are the same as, similar to, and / or are example configurations thereof). The components of the information processing device 200 and the information processing device 100 that correspond to each other are given reference numerals with the same last two digits, such as 135 and 235. The above description of the components of the information processing device 100 is applicable to the corresponding components of the information processing device 200 (unless otherwise indicated or logically contradictory), so the repeated description of some aspects already described above will be omitted below.

[0036] like Figure 5 As shown, the information processing device 200 includes a heat generating component 210, a fan 235, a fan air chamber 220, and a recirculation suppression mechanism 240 (including a partition 245 and an air chamber impedance element 242 forming a sub-compartment 225). These components of the device 200 are similar to the corresponding components of the device 100, except that in the device 200, the air chamber impedance element 242 is disposed inside the air chamber 220. That is, instead of the air chamber impedance element 242 covering the inlet opening 222 of the air chamber 220, the air chamber impedance element 242 is disposed between the inlet opening 222 and the fan 235. Apart from this, the structure, function, and operation of the device 200 are the same as those described above with respect to the device 100.

[0037] Now turn to Figure 6 , another example information processing device 300 will be described. Some components of the information processing device 300 correspond to components of the above-mentioned information processing device 100 (i.e., are the same as, similar to, and / or are example configurations thereof). The components of the information processing device 300 and the information processing device 100 that correspond to each other are given reference numerals with the same last two digits, such as 135 and 335. The above description of the components of the information processing device 100 is applicable to the corresponding components of the information processing device 300 (unless otherwise indicated or logically contradictory), so the repeated description of some aspects already described above will be omitted below.

[0038] like Figure 6 As shown, information processing device 300 includes heat generating component 310, fan 335, fan air chamber 320 and recirculation suppression mechanism 340 (including partition 345 and air chamber impedance element 342 forming sub-compartment 325). These components of device 300 are similar to corresponding components of device 100, except that in device 300, partition 345 does not extend the full length of air chamber 320. Instead, partition 345 extends at least from the inlet side of fan 335 to air chamber impedance element 342. Other than that, the structure, function and operation of device 300 are the same as described above with respect to device 100.

[0039] Now turn to Figure 7 , another example information processing device 400 will be described. Some components of the information processing device 400 correspond to components of the above-mentioned information processing device 100 (i.e., are the same as, similar to, and / or are example configurations thereof). The components of the information processing device 400 and the information processing device 100 that correspond to each other are given reference numerals with the same last two digits, such as 135 and 435. The above description of the components of the information processing device 100 is applicable to the corresponding components of the information processing device 400 (unless otherwise indicated or logically contradictory), so the repeated description of some aspects already described above will be omitted below.

[0040] like Figure 7As shown, the information processing device 400 includes a heat generating component 410, a fan 435, a fan air chamber 420, and a recirculation suppression mechanism 440 (including a partition 445 and an air chamber impedance element 442 forming a sub-compartment 425). These components of the device 400 are similar to the corresponding components of the device 100, except that in the device 400, the fan 435 is not arranged inside the air chamber 420. Instead, the fan 435 (i.e., the fan 435-1, 435-2...435-n) is arranged so that the inlet of the fan 435 is adjacent to the outlet opening 423 of the air chamber 420, so that the air drawn into the fan 435 is drawn through the air chamber 420 (it should be noted that the fan 435 blows air along the direction 109). Other than that, the structure, function, and operation of the device 400 are the same as those described above with respect to the device 100.

[0041] Now turn to Figure 8 , another example information processing device 500 will be described. Some components of the information processing device 500 correspond to components of the above-mentioned information processing device 100 (i.e., are the same as, similar to, and / or are example configurations thereof). The components of the information processing device 500 and the information processing device 100 that correspond to each other are given reference numerals with the same last two digits, such as 135 and 535. The above description of the components of the information processing device 100 is applicable to the corresponding components of the information processing device 500 (unless otherwise indicated or logically contradictory), so the repeated description of some aspects already described above will be omitted below.

[0042] like Figure 8 As shown, information processing device 500 includes heat generating component 510, fan 535, fan air chamber 520 and recirculation suppression mechanism 540 (including partition 545 forming sub-compartment 525 and air chamber impedance element 542). These components of device 500 are similar to corresponding components of device 100, except that, in device 500, fan 535 is configured to move in direction 509 (with respect to Figure 2 The air is blown upward in the direction opposite to the direction 109 in the figure, so the outlet 523 and the inlet 522 of the air chamber 520 are reversed relative to the outlet 123 and the inlet 122, and thus the air chamber impedance element 542 disposed on the inlet 522 is disposed at the opposite direction to the air chamber 520. Figure 2 The direction of airflow through the device 500 will also be the same as Figure 3 and 4 Otherwise, the structure, functionality, and operation of the device 500 are the same as described above with respect to the device 100 .

[0043] Figures 5 to 8Some variations or modifications of the information processing device 100 are illustrated. These variations / modifications are illustrated individually for ease of understanding, but it should be understood that these variations / modifications can be combined together in various examples. Figure 5 The air chamber impedance element disposed inside the air chamber can be connected with Figure 6 A shortened separator assembly is shown that does not extend the full length of the air chamber. As another example, Figure 5 The air chamber impedance element disposed inside the air chamber can be connected with Figure 7 As another example, any of the above variations or combinations of variations may be combined with Figure 8 The airflow direction and air chamber orientation shown are reversed for the combination.

[0044] Now turn to Fig. 9 , describing another example information processing device 600. Some components of the information processing device 600 correspond to components of the above-mentioned information processing device 100 (i.e., are the same as, similar to, and / or are example configurations thereof). The components of the information processing device 600 and the information processing device 100 that correspond to each other are given reference numerals with the same last two digits, such as 135 and 635. The above description of the components of the information processing device 100 is applicable to the corresponding components of the information processing device 600 (unless otherwise indicated or logically contradictory), so the repeated description of some aspects already described above will be omitted below.

[0045] like Fig. 9 As shown, the information processing device 600 includes a heat generating component 610, a fan 635, a fan air chamber 620, and a recirculation suppression mechanism 640 (including a partition 645 forming a sub-compartment 625 and an air chamber impedance element 642).

[0046] In this example, the information processing device 600 is a networking device including a plurality of switches 611 housed in a common chassis 601 and stacked in the z-axis direction, wherein each of the switches 611 includes one or more of the heat generating components 610. In addition, the device 600 may include a system control module 612 having processing resources for controlling the operation of the device 600, which constitutes another example of the heat generating component 610. The switch 611 and the system control module 612 may be inserted into or removable from the chassis 601 by sliding into or out of a slot in the front portion of the chassis 601 of the device 600 along the y-axis direction. When installed, the switch 611 and the system control module 612 are removably connected to a backplane 613, which may communicatively connect the switch 611 and the control module 612 and / or provide operating power thereto. The information processing device 600 further includes a power supply unit 614, which supplies power to other components of the device 600.

[0047] like Fig. 9 As shown, the information processing device 600 also includes an air chamber 620. The air chamber 620 includes horizontal walls 626 and 627 extending parallel to the xy plane. The air chamber 620 also includes two vertical walls (not visible) extending parallel to the yz plane. The air chamber 620 has an inlet opening 622 near the back plate 613 and an outlet opening 623 located at the rear of the chassis 601 of the device 600. Air flows through the air chamber 620 along a central axis parallel to the y axis and extending between the inlet opening 622 and the outlet opening 623.

[0048] like Fig. 9 As shown, the information processing device 600 also includes a removable multi-fan module 630 (also referred to as a fan tray). The multi-fan module 630 is removably inserted into the air chamber 620. Specifically, the multi-fan module 630 is inserted into the air chamber 620 by moving the multi-fan module 630 through the outlet opening 623 along the -y direction until the perforated rear panel 634 of the multi-fan module 630 is almost aligned with the rear panel of the chassis 601 of the device 600. When the multi-fan module 630 is so installed, the perforated rear panel 634 extends across and substantially covers (fills) the outlet opening 623 of the air chamber 620. The multi-fan module 630 is removably attached to the chassis of the device 600 via fasteners 632, and a handle 633 is provided to facilitate the insertion / removal of the multi-fan module 630. The multi-fan module 630 includes a structural frame including a support tray 631 and a perforated rear panel 624, and in some cases, additional walls (e.g., side walls and / or top walls). The multi-fan module 630 also includes a plurality of fans 635 attached to the structural frame. For example, in some embodiments, four fans 635 are provided. Only one of the fans 635 is located in a Fig. 9 , but other fans 635 are similar to the fan 635 shown, and these fans 635 are distributed along Fig. 9 The x-axis (into the page) extends on the line (similar to Figure 6 arrangement shown).

[0049] The recirculation suppression mechanism 640 includes an air chamber impedance element 642, which in this example is disposed within the interior of the air chamber 620. In this example, the air chamber impedance element 642 includes a metal plate having perforations 643 formed therein (e.g., stamped), wherein the air chamber impedance element 642 is connected to the air chamber wall by fasteners (e.g., rivets) or some other fastening technique. The air chamber impedance element 642 extends completely across the interior of the air chamber 620 so that all air flowing through the air chamber 620 from the inlet opening 622 passes through the air chamber impedance element 642 (i.e., through the perforations 643). The solid portion of the air chamber impedance element 642 blocks airflow, while the perforations 643 allow airflow to pass, and thus the air chamber impedance element 642 has a non-zero airflow impedance. The airflow impedance can depend on the ratio of the area of ​​the open perforations 643 to the area of ​​the solid portion.

[0050] The recirculation suppression mechanism 640 also includes a plurality of partitions 645 extending parallel to the yz plane. Fig. 9 , but the other dividers 645 are similar and are distributed along the x-axis (along a line extending into and out of the page) such that each divider 645 is aligned with the area between two adjacent fans 635 (similar to Figure 6 Each divider 645 extends along the y-axis dimension from the inlet side of the fan 635 (the side of the fan 635 facing the -y direction) to the air chamber impedance element 642. Further, each divider 645 extends along the z-axis dimension from the bottom horizontal wall 627 of the air chamber 620 to the top horizontal wall 626 of the air chamber 620. Thus, the dividers 645 define subcompartments 625 (only one subcompartment 625 is located in the air chamber 620) in the region between the air chamber impedance element 642 and the fan 635. Fig. 9 645). These subcompartments 625 allow air to flow from one subcompartment 625 to another subcompartment 625 without passing through the fan, the air must flow through the air chamber impedance element 642 twice, as described above with respect to subcompartment 125.

[0051] Fig. 9Some example airflows through the device 600 during normal operation are illustrated. In this example, air generally flows from front to back (+y direction), and initially enters the device 600 via perforations in the front of the switch 611 and the system control module 612 and / or other openings in the front of the chassis 601. The air then flows through the heat generating components 610 and absorbs heat from the heat generating components. Subsequently, the heated air flows through the backplane 613 backward (+y direction) through the openings in the backplane, and flows into the air chamber 620 via the inlet opening 622. In the illustrated embodiment, since the air chamber 620 is located near the bottom of the chassis 601, some of the heated air turns and flows downward (-z direction) toward the air chamber 620 after passing through the backplane 613. This air then passes through the air chamber impedance element 642, enters the sub-compartment 625, passes through the fan 635, and then is discharged from the device 600 via the perforated rear panel 634.

[0052] In the illustrated embodiment, the power supply unit 614 also has its own internal fan 615 to cool its components. The air drawn by the fan 615 to cool the power supply unit 614 can follow an airflow path that is separate from the airflow path that cools the components 610. For example, the power supply unit 614 can be disposed in a compartment within the chassis 601 that is separate from the rest of the interior of the chassis 601, and perforations in the side walls of the chassis 601 can supply air to the power supply unit 614.

[0053] Although not shown, in the case of a failure of one of the fans 635, some air may be drawn backward (-y direction) by the still operating fan 635 through the perforated rear panel 634 and the failed fan 635 into the sub-compartment 625 aligned with the failed fan 635, and then the air continues to flow through the air chamber impedance element 642 in the -y direction and enters the front part of the air chamber 620, and then the air turns and flows along the + / -x direction, and then the air turns and flows backward through the air chamber impedance element 642 in the +y direction and enters the adjacent sub-compartment 625 of the still operating fan 635. Therefore, some recirculation does occur. However, because the recirculated air must pass through the air chamber impedance element 642 twice (and also through the perforated rear panel 634), and because they have non-zero impedance, the flow of the recirculated air is limited. Therefore, although the fan 635 fails, the heat generating component 610 can still remain cool.

[0054] Thermally coupled: As used herein, to "thermally couple" two objects means to provide a thermally conductive path between the objects that allows heat to be conducted between the objects. Two objects are considered to be thermally coupled if any of the following is true: (1) the two objects are in contact with each other (either directly or via a TIM), (2) both objects are thermally coupled to a thermally conductive intermediary (e.g., a heat pipe, a heat spreader, etc.) (or a chain of thermally conductive intermediaries that are thermally coupled together), or (3) the heat transfer coefficient between the two objects is 10 W·m -2 ·K -1 or larger.

[0055] Thermally conductive: An object, device, or assembly (which may include multiple different bodies thermally coupled and may include multiple different materials) is "thermally conductive" between two thermal interfaces if any of the following is true: (1) the heat transfer coefficient between the thermal interfaces is 10 W·m at any temperature between 0°C and 100°C; -2 ·K -1 or greater, (2) the object is a continuous piece of material that has a thermal conductivity (usually expressed as k, λ, or κ) of 1 W·m between two interfaces at any temperature between 0°C and 100°C -1 ·K -1 or greater, (3) the object is a heat pipe, a heat spreader, a continuous copper body, or a continuous aluminum body. The thermal conductivity is greater than 1 W·m between 0°C and 100°C. -1 ·K -1 Examples of materials include almost all metals and their alloys (e.g., copper, aluminum, gold, etc.), some plastics (e.g., TC compounds, D series thermally conductive plastics), and many other materials.

[0056] High thermal conductivity: An object, device, or assembly (which may include multiple different bodies thermally coupled and may include multiple different materials) is "highly thermally conductive" between two thermal interfaces if any of the following is true: (1) the heat transfer coefficient between the thermal interfaces is 1000 W·m at any temperature between 0°C and 100°C; -2 ·K -1 or greater, (2) the object is a continuous piece of material whose thermal conductivity (usually expressed as k, λ, or κ) between two interfaces at any temperature between 0°C and 100°C is 100 W·m -1 ·K -1 or greater, (3) the object is a heat pipe, a heat sink, a continuous copper body, or a continuous aluminum body. The thermal conductivity is 100 W·m between 0°C and 100°C. -1 ·K -1 Examples of materials that are 100 Å or larger include certain types of copper, aluminum, silver, and gold.

[0057] In the above description, various types of electronic circuits are described. As used herein, "electronic" is intended to be broadly understood to include all types of circuits that utilize electricity, including digital and analog circuits, direct current (DC) and alternating current (AC) circuits, and circuits for converting electricity into another form of energy, as well as circuits for performing other functions using electricity. In other words, as used herein, there is no distinction between "electronic" circuits and "electrical" circuits.

[0058] It should be understood that both the general description and the detailed description provide examples that are illustrative in nature and are intended to provide an understanding of the present disclosure without limiting the scope of the present disclosure. Various mechanical, compositional, structural, electronic and operational changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present specification and claims. In some instances, well-known circuits, structures and techniques are not shown or described in detail to avoid blurring these examples. In two or more drawings, the same number represents the same or similar element.

[0059] In addition, unless the context indicates otherwise, the singular forms "a", "an", and "the" are intended to include the plural forms as well. In addition, the terms "comprise", "include", "includes", etc. indicate the presence of the stated features, steps, operations, elements, and / or parts, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, steps, operations, elements, parts, and / or groups. Unless explicitly stated otherwise, the parts described as connected may be directly electrically or mechanically connected, or may be indirectly connected via one or more intermediate parts. Unless the context of the specification indicates otherwise, mathematical and geometric terms do not have to be used according to their strict definitions, as one of ordinary skill in the art will understand that, for example, substantially similar elements that function in a substantially similar manner can easily fall within the scope of a descriptive term, even if the term also has a strict definition.

[0060] And / or: Occasionally, the phrase "and / or" is used herein in conjunction with a list of enumerated items. This phrase is meant to include any combination of the items in the list - from a single item to all items, and any permutations in between. Thus, for example, "A, B, and / or C" means one of "{A}, {B}, {C}, {A, B}, {A, C}, {C, B}, and {A, C, B}".

[0061] Elements and related aspects described in detail with reference to one example may be included in other examples where they are not specifically shown or described when feasible. For example, if an element is described in detail with reference to one example and is not described with reference to a second example, the element may still be claimed to be included in the second example.

[0062] In addition, unless otherwise stated herein or the context implies otherwise, when approximate terms such as "substantially," "approximately," "about," "around," "roughly," and the like are used, this should be understood to mean that mathematical precision is not required, but rather refers to a range of variation that includes but is not strictly limited to the stated values, characteristics, or relationships. In particular, in addition to any ranges (if any) explicitly stated herein, the range of variation implied by the use of such approximate terms includes at least any insignificant variations and those variations that are typical for items of the type in question due to manufacturing tolerances or other tolerances in the relevant art. In any case, unless otherwise indicated, the range of variation may at least include values ​​within ±1% of the stated value, characteristic, or relationship.

[0063] In view of the disclosure herein, further modifications and alternative examples will be clear to those of ordinary skill in the art. For example, the apparatus and method may include additional components or steps omitted from the diagram and description for operational clarity. Accordingly, this description is only interpreted as illustrative and is to teach those skilled in the art the general manner of performing this teaching. It should be understood that the various examples shown and described herein will be considered exemplary. Elements and materials, and the arrangement of these elements and materials may be used to replace those shown and described herein, components and processes may be reversed, and certain features of this teaching may be utilized independently, all of which will be clear to those skilled in the art after benefiting from the description herein. Without departing from the scope of this teaching and the appended claims, the elements described herein may be changed.

[0064] It is to be understood that the specific examples set forth herein are non-limiting and that modifications in structure, dimensions, materials, and methods may be made without departing from the scope of the present teachings.

[0065] Other examples from this disclosure will be apparent to those skilled in the art from consideration of the specification and practice of the invention disclosed herein. It is intended that the specification and examples be considered exemplary only, and that the following claims be given their fullest breadth, including equivalents under applicable law.

Claims

1. An information processing device, comprising: Heat generating components; Air chamber; a plurality of fans arranged to flow air through the air chamber and the information processing device to cool the heat generating components; an air chamber impedance element extending across the air chamber so that, in a state where all of the fans are in operation, air passing through the air chamber passes through the air chamber impedance element before reaching the plurality of fans; as well as one or more partitions disposed in the air chamber and defining a plurality of sub-compartments in the air chamber, each of the sub-compartments corresponding to one of the fans and configured to supply air to or receive air from the corresponding fan; The divider and the air chamber impedance element are configured such that, in the event of a failure of one of the fans, air recirculated through the failed fan passes through the air chamber impedance element twice before reaching an adjacent fan.

2. The information processing device according to claim 1, The plurality of fans are arranged in the air chamber.

3. The information processing device according to claim 2, The plurality of fans are configured to allow the air to flow from the heat generating component into an inlet opening of the air chamber, and the air chamber impedance element covers the inlet opening of the air chamber.

4. The information processing device according to claim 2, The plurality of fans are configured to allow the air to flow from an outlet opening of the air chamber to the heat generating component, and the air chamber impedance element covers an inlet opening of the air chamber.

5. The information processing device according to claim 2, The air chamber impedance element is arranged inside the air chamber.

6. The information processing device according to claim 2, The partitions extend between the fans so that the fans are located in separate ones of the sub-compartments.

7. The information processing device according to claim 2, The partition extends from the inlet side of the fan to the air chamber impedance element.

8. The information processing device according to claim 1, The plurality of fans are disposed outside the air chamber, wherein inlet openings of the fans are positioned adjacent to outlet openings of the air chamber such that air from the air chamber is drawn into the inlet openings of the fans via the outlet openings of the air chamber.

9. The information processing device according to claim 8, The partition extends from the inlet of the blower to the air chamber impedance element.

10. The information processing device according to claim 9, The air chamber impedance element covers the inlet opening of the air chamber.

11. The information processing device according to claim 9, The air chamber impedance element is arranged inside the air chamber.

12. The information processing device according to claim 1, The plurality of fans are disposed outside the air chamber, wherein outlet openings of the fans are positioned adjacent to inlet openings of the air chamber such that air exhausted from the fans is pushed into the inlet openings of the air chamber.

13. The information processing device according to claim 1, The air chamber impedance element comprises a wire mesh screen, a wire net, a wire honeycomb, a grid or a perforated plate.

14. An information processing device comprising: one or more network switches disposed in a front portion of the chassis; an air chamber, the air chamber comprising an inlet opening and an outlet opening, the air chamber being arranged such that the outlet opening is located at a rear portion of the chassis; a plurality of fans disposed in the plenum and configured to cause air to flow from a front of the chassis through the network switch to cool the network switch, from the network switch into the plenum through an inlet opening of the plenum, and out of the plenum through the outlet opening; an air chamber impedance element extending across the air chamber, wherein when all of the fans are in operation, air passing through the air chamber passes through the air chamber impedance element before reaching the plurality of fans; as well as a plurality of partitions disposed in the air chamber and defining a plurality of sub-compartments in the air chamber, each of the sub-compartments corresponding to one of the fans and configured to supply air to the corresponding fan; The divider and the air chamber impedance element are configured such that, in the event of a failure of one of the fans, air recirculated through the failed fan passes through the air chamber impedance element twice before reaching an adjacent fan.

15. The information processing device according to claim 14, comprising: A multi-blower module includes a support frame and a plurality of blowers attached to the support frame, wherein the multi-blower module is removably mounted in the information processing device by being inserted into the plenum through an outlet opening of the plenum.

16. The information processing device according to claim 14, The air chamber impedance element is arranged inside the air chamber.

17. The information processing device according to claim 16, The partition extends from the inlets of the plurality of fans to the air chamber impedance element.

18. The information processing device according to claim 14, The air chamber impedance element comprises a wire mesh screen, a wire net, a wire honeycomb, a grid or a perforated plate.

19. A method comprising: causing a plurality of fans to flow air through heat-generating components of the information processing device to absorb heat from the heat-generating components; Allowing the air to flow into an air chamber of the information processing device and through an air chamber impedance element extending across the air chamber; causing the air to flow from the air chamber impedance element through a plurality of sub-compartments in the air chamber to the plurality of fans, wherein the sub-compartments are defined by partitions extending from the fans to the air chamber impedance element, and each of the sub-compartments supplies a portion of the air to a corresponding one of the fans; as well as In response to failure of one of the fans, recirculation air directed to recirculate backward through the failed fan passes through the plenum impedance element twice before passing to another fan of the plurality of fans that remains in operation.

20. The method according to claim 19, comprising: The plurality of fans are arranged inside the air chamber.

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