Self-cooled electronic equipment enclosure with failure tolerant cooling system and method of operation
AssigneeSun Microsystems, Inc.
InventorShlomo D. Novotny
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A sealed electronic equipment enclosure with a dedicated cooling system is fitted with movable louvers in the enclosure walls. During normal operation, air pressure developed by the dedicated cooling system keeps the louvers closed and maintains the enclosure sealed to the computer room environment. If the dedicated cooling system fails, the internal air pressure developed by the cooling system is reduced and air movers in the electronic equipment force the louvers open, thereby allowing the air movers to draw cooled air from the computer room into the enclosure. This cooled air prevents the equipment from overheating at least for a time period long enough to allow the dedicated cooling system to be replaced or repaired.
Claims25
An equipment enclosure that establishes an enclosed environment separated from an ambient environment and has a cooling system that draws air from an intake space in the enclosed environment and discharges air into a discharge space in the enclosed environment, the enclosure comprising:
- a first louver that responds to a pressure differential between the intake space and the ambient environment to connect the intake space to the ambient environment when the cooling systems fails;
- and
- a second louver that responds to a pressure differential between the discharge space and the ambient environment to connect the discharge space to the ambient environment when the cooling system fails.
An equipment enclosure that establishes an enclosed cooled environment separated from an ambient environment and has a cooling system that generates an air flow from an intake space in the enclosed environment to a discharge space in the enclosed environment, the enclosure housing electronic equipment with air movers that generate an air flow from the discharge space to the intake space, the enclosure comprising:
- a plurality of first louvers that respond to a pressure differential between the intake space and the ambient environment generated by a reduction in the air flow generated by the cooling system when the cooling systems fails to connect the intake space to the ambient environment;
- and
- a plurality of second louvers that respond to a pressure differential between the discharge space and the ambient environment generated by a reduction in the air flow generated by the cooling system when the cooling systems fails to connect the discharge space to the ambient environment.
A method of operating an equipment enclosure that establishes an enclosed environment separated from an ambient environment and has a cooling system that draws air from an intake space in the enclosed environment and discharges air into a discharge space in the enclosed environment, the method comprising:
- (a) providing a first louver that responds to a pressure differential between the intake space and the ambient environment to connect the intake space to the ambient environment when the cooling systems fails;
- and
- (b) providing a second louver that responds to a pressure differential between the discharge space and the ambient environment to connect the discharge space to the ambient environment when the cooling system fails.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.