IP Library Granted Patent US 8,845,403
Granted Patent B2
US 8,845,403 · App. 12/781,915 · Granted Sep 30, 2014

Individually cooling one or more computers in a rack of computers in a data center

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,845,403
App. No.
12/781,915
Granted
Sep 30, 2014
Kind
B2
Abstract

Individually cooling one or more computers in a rack of computers in a data center including an air intake chamber, the air intake chamber having a first opening at a bottom end for receiving air from beneath the data center through perforated tiles in the floor of the data center and a plurality of openings at a top end for providing air into a plurality of flexible air channels; and a plurality of flexible air channels, each air channel having a first end opening into the air intake chamber and having an opening at a second end and having a connector to connect the second end of the flexible air chamber to a particular position in the rack corresponding to the location of a particular computer in the rack.

Claims (13)

1. A system for individually cooling one or more computers in a rack of computers in a data center, the system comprising:

an air intake chamber, the air intake chamber having a first opening at a bottom end for receiving air from beneath the data center through perforated tiles in the floor of the data center and a plurality of openings at a top end for providing air into a plurality of flexible air channels; and

the plurality of flexible air channels, each air channel having:

a first end opening into the air intake chamber,

an opening at a second end, and

a connector connecting the second end of the flexible air channel to a particular position in the rack corresponding to the location of a particular computer in the rack so as to direct airflow to the particular computer;

wherein the plurality of flexible air channels comprise flexible accordion tubes;

wherein the opening of the second end of each of the plurality of flexible air channels is shaped to conform to the profile of a computer in the rack.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the second end of each of the plurality of flexible air channels is connected to the front of the rack.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the air intake chamber has a size and shape conforming in size and shape to one or more perforated tiles of the floor of the data center.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the plurality of flexible air channels reside within an exterior chassis.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the air intake chamber and the plurality of flexible air channels reside within the chassis of the rack of computers.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the rack of computers comprises a blade environment including a chassis and a plurality of blade servers.

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 May 18, 2010
From: ARCHIBALD, MATTHEW R.; BUTERBAUGH, JERROD K.
To: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 024399/0955 →