GB2295669A - Forced air cooling arrangement for electronic equipment - Google Patents
Forced air cooling arrangement for electronic equipment Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- GB2295669A GB2295669A GB9520609A GB9520609A GB2295669A GB 2295669 A GB2295669 A GB 2295669A GB 9520609 A GB9520609 A GB 9520609A GB 9520609 A GB9520609 A GB 9520609A GB 2295669 A GB2295669 A GB 2295669A
- Authority
- GB
- United Kingdom
- Prior art keywords
- air
- chamber
- fan
- electronic equipment
- fans
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Withdrawn
Links
Classifications
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H05—ELECTRIC TECHNIQUES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- H05K—PRINTED CIRCUITS; CASINGS OR CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF ELECTRIC APPARATUS; MANUFACTURE OF ASSEMBLAGES OF ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS
- H05K7/00—Constructional details common to different types of electric apparatus
- H05K7/20—Modifications to facilitate cooling, ventilating, or heating
- H05K7/20009—Modifications to facilitate cooling, ventilating, or heating using a gaseous coolant in electronic enclosures
- H05K7/20136—Forced ventilation, e.g. by fans
- H05K7/2019—Fan safe systems, e.g. mechanical devices for non stop cooling
-
- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F24—HEATING; RANGES; VENTILATING
- F24F—AIR-CONDITIONING; AIR-HUMIDIFICATION; VENTILATION; USE OF AIR CURRENTS FOR SCREENING
- F24F11/00—Control or safety arrangements
- F24F11/70—Control systems characterised by their outputs; Constructional details thereof
- F24F11/72—Control systems characterised by their outputs; Constructional details thereof for controlling the supply of treated air, e.g. its pressure
- F24F11/74—Control systems characterised by their outputs; Constructional details thereof for controlling the supply of treated air, e.g. its pressure for controlling air flow rate or air velocity
- F24F11/745—Control systems characterised by their outputs; Constructional details thereof for controlling the supply of treated air, e.g. its pressure for controlling air flow rate or air velocity the air flow rate increasing with an increase of air-current or wind pressure
Landscapes
- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
- Microelectronics & Electronic Packaging (AREA)
- Fluid Mechanics (AREA)
- Thermal Sciences (AREA)
- Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
- Combustion & Propulsion (AREA)
- Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
- General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Cooling Or The Like Of Electrical Apparatus (AREA)
Abstract
An electronic equipment cabinet (1) has a number of cooling fans (6) for blowing cooling air into a chamber (2) in which electronic equipment (5) is housed. Each of the fans has an air recirculation prevention device (7) for preventing reverse flow of air through the fan. If one of the fans fails, the air recirculation prevention device on the failed fan prevents air recirculation through that fan. The air circulation prevention device may comprise a plurality of pivoted flaps (9) which drop to a closed position when the respective fan is not operating. <IMAGE>
Description
FORCED AIR COOLING ARRANGEMENT FOR ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT
Background to the Invention
This invention relates to a forced air cooling arrangement for electronic equipment. The invention is also concerned with an electronic equipment cabinet incorporating a forced air cooling arrangement.
Electronic equipment, such as computer equipment, often requires some form of cooling mechanism to prevent heat generated by the operation of the equipment from building up and causing damage. The amount of heat generated may be large and a reduction of the cooling efficiency of the cooling means employed can have potentially serious consequences.
An equipment cabinet may be provided with a number of fans for cooling the equipment in the cabinet. For example, the fans may be located at the lower end of the cabinet and blow air vertically into the cabinet. A problem with multi-fan arrangements, however, is that if one of the fans fails, some of the air propelled by the adjacent operating fans may flow backwards through the failed fan, causing air to re-circulate. This results in hot spots forming which reduce the cooling efficiency.
The object of the present invention is to provide an improved forced-air cooling arrangement in which this problem is alleviated.
Summary of the Invention
According to the invention there is provided an electronic equipment cabinet comprising at least one chamber, and a plurality of cooling fans for blowing air into said chamber, wherein each of said fans has an air recirculation prevention device for preventing reverse flow of air through the fan in the event of failure of the fan.
Brief Description of the Drawings
Figure 1 is an elevational view of an equipment cabinet including a number of cooling fans, each having an air recirculation prevention device.
Figures 2 and 3 show parts of an air recirculation prevention device.
Figure 4 is a plan view of the air recirculation prevention device.
Figure 5 is an elevational view of the air recirculation prevention device.
Brief Description of an Embodiment of the Invention
One embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the ompanying drawings.
Figure 1 shows an electronic equipment cabinet 1. The cabinet is divided into two chambers 2 and 3 by means of a partition 4. The upper chamber 2 houses a number of electronic circuits 5, such as for example computer circuits.
The lower chamber 3 houses a number of axial cooling fans 6, mounted on the partition 4. In operation, the fans draw air from outside the cabinet through slots (not shown) into the chamber 3. The air is blown upwards through the fans into the chamber 2, where it passes over the circuits 5, cooling them. The air is then expelled from the cabinet by way of further slots (not shown).
Each fan has an air recirculation prevention device 7 mounted on the partition 4, for preventing reverse flow of air from chamber 2 to chamber 3. Thus, if one of the fans should fail, the device 7 associated with the failed fan prevents air from recirculating through the fan, from the chamber 2 to the chamber 3, and hence prevents the occurrence of hot spots.
One of the air recirculation prevention devices 7 is shown in
Figures 2-5. The device 7 comprises a frame 8 which carries a number of pivoted flaps 9. Figure 2 shows the frame 8,
Figure 3 shows one of the flaps 9, and Figure 4 shows the assembled air recirculation prevention device with the flaps mounted on the frame. The position of the fan 6 is indicated in Figure 4 by a dashed line. It can be seen that the flaps substantially cover the entire face of the fan.
Referring to Figure 5 when the fan is not operating, the flaps 9 drop to a closed position, in which they rest on the frame 8. When the fan is operating, the air blown through the fan forces the flaps upwards, to an open position as indicated by the dashed lines. Thus, it can be seen that the flaps allow normal (upward) flow of air through the fan, but prevent reverse (downward) flow.
Claims (7)
1. An electronic equipment cabinet comprising at least one
chamber, and a plurality of cooling fans for blowing air
into said chamber, wherein each of said fans has an air
recirculation prevention device for preventing reverse
flow of air through the fan in the event of failure of
the fan.
2. A cabinet according to Claim 1, having electronic
equipment housed in said chamber.
3. A cabinet according to Claim 1 or 2 wherein said air
circulation prevention device comprises a plurality of
pivoted flaps.
4. An electronic equipment cabinet comprising a first
chamber and a second chamber, and a plurality of cooling
fans for blowing air from said first chamber into said
second chamber, wherein each of said fans has an air
recirculation prevention device for preventing reverse
flow of air through the fan in the event of failure of
the fan.
5. A cabinet according to Claim 4 wherein said fans are
housed in said first chamber, and wherein said second
chamber houses electronic equipment.
6. A cabinet according to Claim 4 or 5 wherein said air
circulation prevention device comprises a plurality of
pivoted flaps.
7. An electronic equipment cabinet substantially as
hereinbefore described with reference to the
accompanying drawings.
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| GB9424030A GB9424030D0 (en) | 1994-11-29 | 1994-11-29 | Forced air cooling arrangement for electronic equipment |
Publications (2)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| GB9520609D0 GB9520609D0 (en) | 1995-12-13 |
| GB2295669A true GB2295669A (en) | 1996-06-05 |
Family
ID=10765122
Family Applications (2)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| GB9424030A Pending GB9424030D0 (en) | 1994-11-29 | 1994-11-29 | Forced air cooling arrangement for electronic equipment |
| GB9520609A Withdrawn GB2295669A (en) | 1994-11-29 | 1995-10-09 | Forced air cooling arrangement for electronic equipment |
Family Applications Before (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| GB9424030A Pending GB9424030D0 (en) | 1994-11-29 | 1994-11-29 | Forced air cooling arrangement for electronic equipment |
Country Status (1)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| GB (2) | GB9424030D0 (en) |
Cited By (11)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EP0817554A1 (en) * | 1996-06-27 | 1998-01-07 | Digital Equipment Corporation | Blower check-flap for a cooling system |
| GB2354316A (en) * | 1999-09-14 | 2001-03-21 | Lucent Technologies Inc | Cabinet for units which dissipate heat |
| GB2354819A (en) * | 1999-09-28 | 2001-04-04 | Lucent Technologies Inc | Cabinet for units which dissipate heat |
| FR2876835A1 (en) * | 2004-10-15 | 2006-04-21 | Thales Sa | Electronic module e.g. computer, ventilation device for small-size aircraft e.g. helicopter, has ventilators placed above computer, and units placed between computer and ventilators to distribute air in homogenous manner |
| US7042722B2 (en) | 2003-05-29 | 2006-05-09 | Hitachi, Ltd. | Electronic equipment |
| EP1727021A1 (en) * | 2005-05-23 | 2006-11-29 | Siemens S.p.A. | Redundancy ventilation system for Advanced Telecommunication Computing Architecture (ATCA) |
| US20120170208A1 (en) * | 2010-12-31 | 2012-07-05 | Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd. | Rackable server system |
| RU2465751C1 (en) * | 2011-06-17 | 2012-10-27 | Открытое акционерное общество "Авангард" | Cabinet for radioelectronic equipment |
| US8388423B2 (en) | 2004-10-14 | 2013-03-05 | International Business Machines Corporation | Method and apparatus for a low impedance anti-recirculation air moving inlet device |
| JP2013102102A (en) * | 2011-11-10 | 2013-05-23 | Mitsubishi Electric Corp | Cooling device in housing |
| US9482349B2 (en) | 2014-01-09 | 2016-11-01 | International Business Machines Corporation | Air valve for electronics enclosures |
Citations (7)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GB1041151A (en) * | 1965-01-01 | 1966-09-01 | Stal Refrigeration Ab | Draught valves for cold storage installations |
| GB1155959A (en) * | 1965-11-22 | 1969-06-25 | Kenneth Langshaw Whitaker | Shutters in Gas Ducts. |
| GB1157853A (en) * | 1967-04-28 | 1969-07-09 | Carrier Engineering Company | An Enclosure Cooling Unit |
| GB1174677A (en) * | 1967-11-13 | 1969-12-17 | Savage & Wright Ltd | Improvements in or relating to Air Extractors |
| GB2113379A (en) * | 1981-12-07 | 1983-08-03 | Gebhardt Gmbh Wilhelm | Blower apparatus |
| EP0320720A2 (en) * | 1987-12-14 | 1989-06-21 | Siemens Aktiengesellschaft | A non-stop cooling system for a computer |
| GB2265001A (en) * | 1992-03-12 | 1993-09-15 | Hunter International | A backdraught shutter for a ventilating fan |
-
1994
- 1994-11-29 GB GB9424030A patent/GB9424030D0/en active Pending
-
1995
- 1995-10-09 GB GB9520609A patent/GB2295669A/en not_active Withdrawn
Patent Citations (7)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GB1041151A (en) * | 1965-01-01 | 1966-09-01 | Stal Refrigeration Ab | Draught valves for cold storage installations |
| GB1155959A (en) * | 1965-11-22 | 1969-06-25 | Kenneth Langshaw Whitaker | Shutters in Gas Ducts. |
| GB1157853A (en) * | 1967-04-28 | 1969-07-09 | Carrier Engineering Company | An Enclosure Cooling Unit |
| GB1174677A (en) * | 1967-11-13 | 1969-12-17 | Savage & Wright Ltd | Improvements in or relating to Air Extractors |
| GB2113379A (en) * | 1981-12-07 | 1983-08-03 | Gebhardt Gmbh Wilhelm | Blower apparatus |
| EP0320720A2 (en) * | 1987-12-14 | 1989-06-21 | Siemens Aktiengesellschaft | A non-stop cooling system for a computer |
| GB2265001A (en) * | 1992-03-12 | 1993-09-15 | Hunter International | A backdraught shutter for a ventilating fan |
Cited By (15)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EP0817554A1 (en) * | 1996-06-27 | 1998-01-07 | Digital Equipment Corporation | Blower check-flap for a cooling system |
| GB2354316A (en) * | 1999-09-14 | 2001-03-21 | Lucent Technologies Inc | Cabinet for units which dissipate heat |
| GB2354316B (en) * | 1999-09-14 | 2001-09-12 | Lucent Technologies Inc | Cabinet for units which dissipate heat |
| GB2354819A (en) * | 1999-09-28 | 2001-04-04 | Lucent Technologies Inc | Cabinet for units which dissipate heat |
| GB2354819B (en) * | 1999-09-28 | 2001-10-10 | Lucent Technologies Inc | Cabinet for units which dissipate heat |
| US7042722B2 (en) | 2003-05-29 | 2006-05-09 | Hitachi, Ltd. | Electronic equipment |
| US8388423B2 (en) | 2004-10-14 | 2013-03-05 | International Business Machines Corporation | Method and apparatus for a low impedance anti-recirculation air moving inlet device |
| FR2876835A1 (en) * | 2004-10-15 | 2006-04-21 | Thales Sa | Electronic module e.g. computer, ventilation device for small-size aircraft e.g. helicopter, has ventilators placed above computer, and units placed between computer and ventilators to distribute air in homogenous manner |
| EP1727021A1 (en) * | 2005-05-23 | 2006-11-29 | Siemens S.p.A. | Redundancy ventilation system for Advanced Telecommunication Computing Architecture (ATCA) |
| US20120170208A1 (en) * | 2010-12-31 | 2012-07-05 | Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd. | Rackable server system |
| US8405983B2 (en) * | 2010-12-31 | 2013-03-26 | Hong Fu Jin Precision Industry (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd. | Rackable server system |
| RU2465751C1 (en) * | 2011-06-17 | 2012-10-27 | Открытое акционерное общество "Авангард" | Cabinet for radioelectronic equipment |
| JP2013102102A (en) * | 2011-11-10 | 2013-05-23 | Mitsubishi Electric Corp | Cooling device in housing |
| US9482349B2 (en) | 2014-01-09 | 2016-11-01 | International Business Machines Corporation | Air valve for electronics enclosures |
| US9523432B2 (en) | 2014-01-09 | 2016-12-20 | International Business Machines Corporation | Air valve for electronics enclosures |
Also Published As
| Publication number | Publication date |
|---|---|
| GB9424030D0 (en) | 1995-01-18 |
| GB9520609D0 (en) | 1995-12-13 |
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Legal Events
| Date | Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| WAP | Application withdrawn, taken to be withdrawn or refused ** after publication under section 16(1) |