High performance outdoor edge server

#The present disclosure relates generally to outdoor servers, and specifically, to removing heat generated by an outdoor server while protecting the it from the environment.

#High performance servers are often placed in racks within data centers in stable, highly regulated environmental conditions. Because the servers are inside, the servers are protected from rain, wind, dirt, dust, and other environmental conditions that may negatively impact the performance of the servers. Servers in these data centers generally have open housings with vents that allow air to flow through the housing and cool the electronic components inside.

#Due to advances such as high speed telecommunications and artificial intelligence, reliable, efficient, and fast communication between data centers and signal sources is vital. To ensure this reliable and fast communication, servers (e.g., edge servers) can be placed between the data center and the signal source. Edge servers can act as an intermediate transmission point along a communication path between a data center and a signal source. However, edge servers often need to be physically located in an outdoor environment (i.e., not contained within a building), and thus cannot be placed in a highly-regulated environment such as a data center. Thus, such located edge servers need to be protected from the outdoor environment, but also need to be cooled so that the electronic components of the edge server do not overheat. The present disclosure is directed to solving these and other problems.

#The disclosure will be better understood from the following description of exemplary embodiments together with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

#FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a server, according to some aspects of the present disclosure;

#FIG. 2 is a top plan view of an interior of an inner housing of the server of FIG. 1, according to some aspects of the presents disclosure;

#The present disclosure is susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms. Some representative embodiments have been shown by way of example in the drawings and will be described in detail herein. It should be understood, however, that the invention is not intended to be limited to the particular forms disclosed. Rather, the disclosure is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

#The present inventions can be embodied in many different forms. Representative embodiments are shown in the drawings, and will herein be described in detail. The present disclosure is an example or illustration of the principles of the present disclosure, and is not intended to limit the broad aspects of the disclosure to the embodiments illustrated. To that extent, elements, and limitations that are disclosed, for example, in the Abstract, Summary, and Detailed Description sections, but not explicitly set forth in the claims, should not be incorporated into the claims, singly or collectively, by implication, inference, or otherwise. For purposes of the present detailed description, unless specifically disclaimed, the singular includes the plural and vice versa; and the word “including” means “including without limitation.” Moreover, words of approximation, such as “about,” “almost,” “substantially,” “approximately,” and the like, can be used herein to mean “at,” “near,” or “nearly at,” or “within 3-5% of,” or “within acceptable manufacturing tolerances,” or any logical combination thereof, for example.

#FIG. 1 shows a block diagram of an edge server 10 that can be located in an outdoor environment and be subject to rain, wind, dust, dirt, etc. The edge server 10 includes an inner housing 12 that is disposed substantially within an outer housing 14. Any electronic components necessary for the edge server 10 to function are located within the inner housing 12. For example, the edge server can include a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), a memory device such as a dual in-line memory module (DIMM), a single in-line memory module (SIMM), a communication module, etc. In the implementation shown in FIG. 1, the inner housing 12 generally includes at least electronic components 22 and 23.