IP Library Granted Patent US 8,591,167
Granted Patent B2
US 8,591,167 · App. 12/756,429 · Granted Nov 26, 2013

Airflow from a blower with one or more adjustable guide vanes that are affixed to the blower at one or more pivot points located in an outlet of the blower

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,591,167
App. No.
12/756,429
Granted
Nov 26, 2013
Kind
B2
Abstract

Methods, apparatus, and products are disclosed for improving the airflow exiting a blower that has one or more adjustable guide vanes that are affixed to the blower at one or more pivot points located in an outlet of the blower that include: determining a rotational speed of an impeller in the blower and adjusting a position of at least one of the adjustable guide vanes in dependence upon the rotational speed of the impeller.

Claims (39)

1. A method of improving airflow from a blower with one or more adjustable guide vanes that are affixed to the blower at one or more pivot points located in an outlet of the blower, the method comprising:

determining a rotational speed of an impeller in the blower; and

adjusting a position of at least one of the adjustable guide vanes in dependence upon the rotational speed of the impeller,

wherein the position of at least one of the adjustable guide vanes is specified in a positional table that associates rotational speeds of the impeller with predetermined optimal positions for the adjustable guide vanes.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein determining the rotational speed of the impeller in the blower further comprises reading output from a tachometer included in the blower.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising receiving, by the management system, from a scanning sensor, geometric layout information indicating a physical geometry of the area underneath the floor of the data center.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising:

predetermining positions for the actuator at predetermined rotational speed ranges; and

wherein adjusting the position of at least one of the adjustable guide vanes further comprises:

identifying a predetermined position of the actuator in dependence upon the rotational speed of the impeller; and

moving the actuator to the predetermined position.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein adjusting the position of at least one of the adjustable guide vanes further comprises applying a torque to the one or more pivot points.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the one or more pivot points are adjustable and wherein adjusting the position of at least one of the adjustable guide vanes further comprises moving the location of one or more pivot points.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

predetermining positions for the adjustable guide vanes at predetermined rotational speed ranges; and

wherein adjusting the position of at least one of the adjustable guide vanes further comprises:

identifying a predetermined position for the adjustable guide vanes in dependence upon the rotational speed of the impeller; and

moving the adjustable guide vanes to the predetermined position.

8. A blower with one or more adjustable guide vanes that are affixed to the blower at one or more pivot points located in an outlet of the blower, the blower comprising:

an impeller configured to rotate around a rotational center; and

a driving mechanism configured to adjust a position of the one or more adjustable guide vanes in dependence upon a rotational speed of the impeller,

wherein the position of at least one of the adjustable guide vanes is specified in a positional table that associates rotational speeds of the impeller with predetermined optimal positions for the adjustable guide vanes.

9. The blower of claim 8 further comprising a tachometer configured to measure the rotational speed of the impeller.

10. The blower of claim 8 , wherein the driving mechanism is an actuator that is connected to the one or more adjustable guide vanes.

11. The blower of claim 10 , further comprising an actuator control module, the actuator control module including computer program instructions that, when executed:

receive a measure of the rotational speed of the impeller; and

adjust the position of the actuator in dependence upon the rotational speed of the impeller.

12. The blower of claim 11 , wherein the actuator control module accesses an actuator positioning table that associates rotational speeds with predetermined optimal positions for the actuator.

13. The blower of claim 8 , wherein the pivot point for each of the one or more guide vanes is adjustable.

14. A computer program product for improving airflow from a blower with one or more adjustable guide vanes that are affixed to the blower at one or more pivot points located in an outlet of the blower, the computer program product disposed upon a non-transitory computer readable storage medium, the computer program product comprising computer program instructions for:

determining a rotational speed of an impeller in the blower;

adjusting a position of at least one of the adjustable guide vanes in dependence upon the rotational speed of the impeller,

wherein the position of at least one of the adjustable guide vanes is specified in a positional table that associates rotational speeds of the impeller with redetermined optimal positions for the adjustable wide vanes.

15. The computer program product of claim 14 wherein the rotational speed of the impeller is determined by reading output from a tachometer included in the blower.

16. The computer program product of claim 14 wherein the adjustable guide vanes are physically connected to an actuator and wherein the computer program instructions for adjusting the position of at least one of the adjustable guide vanes further comprise computer program instructions for moving the actuator.

17. The computer program product of claim 14 further comprising computer program instructions for adjusting the one or more pivot points.

18. The computer program product of claim 14 wherein the one or more pivot points are adjustable, the computer program product further comprising computer program instructions for adjusting the one or more pivot points.

19. The computer program product of claim 14 further comprising computer program instructions for predetermining positions for the adjustable guide vanes at predetermined rotational speed ranges.

20. The computer program product of claim 14 further comprising an actuator positioning table that associates rotational speeds with predetermined optimal positions for the actuator.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 10, 2014
From: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
To: LENOVO INTERNATIONAL LIMITED
Reel/Frame 034194/0291 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 9, 2010
From: JUNE, MICHAEL S.; MATTESON, JASON A.; STEINKE, MARK E.
To: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 024209/0631 →