Single-Blade Air Damper for Rack-Mounted Chassis Slots
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Solution Overview
Problem
In data center environments, the removal of a server from a rack-mounted chassis leads to reverse airflow pathways, resulting in minimal airflow cooling for components in front-facing bays, as the existing multi-blade air dampers suffer from gaps that allow reverse airflow due to the need for independent blade movement, complicating efforts to eliminate these gaps without damaging components.
Innovation Solution
A single-blade air damper system with left and right spring assemblies, each having an unstable and two stable states, is used to block airflow through empty slots by positioning a single blade between IHSs when one is removed, ensuring effective airflow redirection and prevention of reverse airflow.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If multi-blade air dampers are used to block airflow through empty slots, then airflow blocking capability is improved, but gaps between blades are created that allow reverse airflow
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple independent blades into a single continuous blade structure that spans across the empty slot. This single blade eliminates the gaps that exist between multiple blades while maintaining the airflow blocking function. The blade is positioned horizontally between the upper and lower IHSs to block reverse airflow pathways.
Solution Approach 2:
The single blade is supported by separate spring assemblies at its ends, allowing independent movement and positioning. This segmentation of the support mechanism enables the blade to be positioned optimally to block airflow while being easily deployable and storable.
2Productivity
If gaps are reduced between blades to eliminate reverse airflow pathways, then cooling efficiency is improved, but components may be damaged due to lack of clearance
Solution Approach 1:
The blade is made dynamically movable through spring assemblies that allow it to shift position based on operational conditions. When IHSs are installed, the blade can be pushed back to provide clearance. When slots are empty, the spring force positions the blade to maximize airflow blocking, thus adapting to different states without causing damage.
Solution Approach 2:
The spring assemblies pre-position the blade to block airflow pathways before reverse airflow can occur. The blade is automatically deployed to the blocking position when an IHS is removed, preventing the harmful reverse airflow effect before it can impact cooling efficiency.
3Ease of operation
If independent blade movement is allowed for each blade, then ease of operation is improved, but gaps between blades are created that reduce cooling efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple blades are merged into a single continuous blade structure that moves as one unit. This eliminates the gaps between blades that would otherwise be present in a multi-blade system, while the spring-supported ends still allow easy deployment and operation of the entire blade assembly.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The single-blade air damper effectively blocks airflow through empty slots, improving cooling efficiency by eliminating reverse airflow pathways and reducing the need for gaps between blades, thus enhancing airflow redirection and component cooling within data center environments.
Implementation Method 1
a single-blade air damper that blocks airflow through the upper slot when the first IHS is removed from the upper slot and that blocks airflow through the lower slot when the second IHS is removed from the lower slot
Implementation Method 2
The single blade of the air damper is maintained between the first IHS and the second IHS when the left spring assembly and the right sprint assembly are maintained in the unstable state
Data Source
AI summary
The front of a rack-mounted 2 RU (Rack Unit) chassis includes bays that receive replaceable components, such as storage drives. Two rear slots of such chassis each receive hot-swappable 1 RU servers that couple to a midplane of the chassis. When a server is removed from its slot while the server in the other slot remains operational, the airflow output of the operational server escapes via the empty slot rather than cooling the components in the front-facing bays. Embodiments provide a single-blade air damper that blocks airflow via an empty chassis slot. The single-blade air damper is connected to spring assemblies on both chassis sidewalls. The spring assemblies are maintained in unstable states when servers are installed in both slots of the chassis. Upon a server being removed from a slot, the spring assemblies transition to stable states that position the single-blade air damper to block airflow via the empty slot.