Vertical Backflow Damper Vanes for Low-Impedance Blower Exhaust
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Solution Overview
Problem
Blower exhaust backflow in blade servers negatively impacts cooling performance when a blower fails, as air recirculates, and existing solutions increase impedance, either through gravitational or spring-loaded vanes, which are inefficient.
Innovation Solution
An invertible blower system with a backflow damper featuring vertically oriented, freely rotating vanes that close due to pressure differential upon blower failure, reducing impedance and preventing backflow without needing to overcome gravitational or spring forces.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If gravity-based pivoting vanes are used to prevent backflow, then backflow prevention is achieved, but air impedance increases due to gravitational forces on the vanes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the traditional horizontal vane orientation to vertical orientation. This inversion changes the force mechanism from gravity-based to pressure differential-based, allowing the vanes to close without overcoming gravitational forces during normal operation, thus reducing air impedance while maintaining backflow prevention capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the orientation parameter of the damper vanes from horizontal to vertical. This parameter change fundamentally alters the operating mechanism from gravity-dependent to pressure-dependent, enabling the vanes to remain open with minimal resistance during normal airflow and close automatically when pressure differential reverses during blower failure.
2Reliability
If spring-loaded vertical vanes are used to prevent backflow, then backflow prevention is achieved, but air impedance increases due to spring forces
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the spring loading mechanism from the damper vane system. By extracting the spring force element, the system eliminates the need to overcome spring forces during normal operation, thereby reducing air impedance while maintaining the ability to close during backflow conditions through pressure differential alone.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent enables the damper vanes to function autonomously without external spring forces. The vanes self-regulate their position based on pressure differential: remaining open during normal operation and closing automatically during blower failure, eliminating the need for spring-based mechanical assistance.
3Adaptability or versatility
If additional vanes are added to satisfy inversion requirements, then invertibility is achieved, but cross-sectional blockage and impedance increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent designs the vertical vane configuration to serve multiple functions: it prevents backflow during normal operation, maintains low impedance during airflow, and satisfies inversion requirements without needing additional vanes. The same vertical vanes function effectively in both standard and inverted blower orientations, eliminating the need for extra blocking vanes.
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 solution effectively prevents exhaust backflow while maintaining low impedance, ensuring efficient airflow and performance even when a blower fails, without the need for additional vanes or increased resistance during operation or shipping.
Implementation Method 1
the damper vanes rotate to a closed position via a pressure force applied to the damper vanes resulting from a lower pressure inside the blower than the ambient pressure outside the blower
Data Source
AI summary
A system, method, and apparatus for preventing exhaust backflow into a blower are disclosed. Embodiments may include a blower system with an invertible blower chassis having a blower exhaust to direct airflow from the blower chassis at an airflow angle. The system may also include a backflow damper frame attached to the blower chassis and positioned to receive airflow from the blower chassis and one or more vertical damper vanes rotatably attached to the backflow damper frame. Each damper vane may freely rotate between a first, closed position and a second, open position. The damper vanes may block airflow into the blower exhaust when in the closed position and may freely rotate to a position where the damper vanes are substantially parallel to the airflow from the blower exhaust. The damper vanes may each include a vane pin to rotatably attach to frame holes of the backflow damper frame.