Convertible Air Mover Board for Datacenter Cooling

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing datacenter cooling solutions for cold and hot aisles require unique motherboards and chassis assemblies, leading to higher material and logistics costs, as well as increased service complexity.

Innovation Solution

A convertible air mover board with dual-edge connectors for cold-aisle and hot-aisle configurations, along with a tray system that includes mechanical features for secure alignment and positioning, allowing the same board to be used in both configurations by rotating 180 degrees, thus eliminating the need for separate boards and assemblies.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If unique motherboards and chassis assemblies are used for cold-aisle and hot-aisle configurations, then the systems can be optimized for their specific cooling requirements, but material costs, logistics management costs, and service complexity increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecooling performance optimizationVSAvoidservice complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The air mover board is designed with connectors on multiple edges (first edge with cold-aisle connectors, second edge with hot-aisle connectors) enabling a single board to function in both cold-aisle and hot-aisle configurations. This universal design eliminates the need for separate unique boards for each configuration, reducing service complexity while maintaining configuration-specific optimization through proper connector selection and orientation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of designing separate boards for cold-aisle and hot-aisle configurations, the invention inverts the approach by making one board adaptable to both configurations through rotational placement (180 degrees). The board's connectors are positioned on different edges, allowing the same physical board to interface correctly with the chassis in either configuration depending on its orientation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

2Reliability

If unique motherboards and chassis assemblies are used for cold-aisle and hot-aisle configurations, then each configuration can have optimized components, but material costs and logistics management costs increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveconfiguration optimizationVSAvoidmaterial costs

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

A single air mover board design with connectors on multiple edges serves both cold-aisle and hot-aisle configurations, eliminating the need to manufacture and stock separate unique boards. This reduces material costs by consolidating component designs and reduces logistics management costs by simplifying inventory requirements.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The invention merges the functionality of separate cold-aisle and hot-aisle boards into a single unified board design. By integrating connectors for both configurations on one board and allowing rotational placement, the system combines what were previously separate components, reducing overall material requirements and simplifying supply chain management.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

3Reliability

If separate boards are used for cold-aisle and hot-aisle configurations, then each board can be specialized, but the same board cannot be reused in both configurations

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveconfiguration specializationVSAvoidboard reusability

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The air mover board is designed with connectors on multiple edges (cold-aisle connectors on first edge, hot-aisle connectors on second edge) enabling a single board to be adapted to both configurations through rotational placement. This maintains configuration specialization through proper connector orientation while achieving full board reusability across both cold-aisle and hot-aisle applications.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The board's adaptability is achieved through dynamic repositioning (rotation by 180 degrees) rather than requiring separate static designs. The same physical board can dynamically adapt to different configurations by changing its orientation, allowing connectors on different edges to interface correctly with the chassis depending on whether it's installed in cold-aisle or hot-aisle mode.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentUS11334127B2Convertible cold aisle and hot aisle cooling solutions with a common chassis design

Publication Date: 2022.05.17 DELL PROD LP

AI summary

An air mover board may include a cold-aisle power and cold-aisle signal connector located on a first edge of the air mover board and configured to couple to a corresponding connector of an information handling system when the air mover board is in a cold-aisle configuration, a hot-aisle power and hot-aisle signal connector located on a second edge of the air mover board opposite that of the first edge and configured to couple to the corresponding connector of an information handling system when the air mover board is in a hot-aisle configuration, and a plurality of mechanical features configured to align and maintain the air mover board in a fixed position relative to an air mover tray, including a feature permanently coupled to the air mover board and configured to mechanically couple to features of the air mover tray in the cold-aisle and hot-aisle configuration.