IP Library Granted Patent US 11,039,555
Granted Patent B2
US 11,039,555 · App. 16/404,121 · Granted Jun 15, 2021

Modulating AHU vs RAM air cooling, based on vehicular velocity

Inventors: Austin M. Shelnutt (Leander, TX); Edmond I. Bailey (Cedar Park, TX)
Assignee: Dell Products, L.P.
H05K7/20836H05K7/1497H05K7/20181H05K7/20745H05K7/20827B60P3/00
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,039,555
App. No.
16/404,121
Granted
Jun 15, 2021
Kind
B2
Abstract

A method for cooling IT equipment of a velocity cooled (VC) mobile data center (MDC) includes: determining if a velocity of the VC MDC is above a minimum threshold velocity that enables ram air cooling of IT equipment within the VC MDC; and in response to the velocity not being above the minimum threshold velocity, activating a secondary cooling source to provide a flow of cooling air across the IT equipment within the VC MDC, the flow of cooling air supplementing the ram air cooling.

Claims (17)

1. A method for cooling IT equipment of a velocity cooled (VC) mobile data center (MDC), the method comprising:

determining if a velocity of one of an outside air and ram air entering a chamber of the VC MDC is above a minimum threshold velocity that enables sufficient ram air cooling of IT equipment within the VC MDC, the determining comprising measuring the velocity via a corresponding velocity transducer; and

in response to the velocity not being above the minimum threshold velocity, activating a secondary cooling source to provide a flow of cooling air across the IT equipment within the VC MDC, the flow of cooling air supplementing the ram air cooling.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising modulating an amount of cooling being provided by the secondary cooling source, based on a velocity of at least one of movement of the VC MDC and a resulting amount of ram air flow induced by the VC MDC movement.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, in response to the velocity not being above the minimum threshold velocity, throttling operation of the IT equipment to conserve an amount of power consumed by the secondary cooling source.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

monitoring the velocity of the at least one of the outside air and the ram air entering the chamber of the VC MDC relative to the threshold minimum velocity; and

in response to the velocity of being at or above the threshold minimum velocity, de-activating the secondary cooling source.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the secondary cooling source is an air handling unit (AHU) powered by an on-board power supply.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

detecting that an externally powered secondary cooling source is being utilized to provide required cooling to the at least one IT equipment; and

triggering the at least one IT equipment to resume full processing operation while the externally powered secondary cooling source is being utilized to provide the cooling.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the VC MDC comprises:

an air intake opening placed in the aft-facing wall and which provides an air intake path for exterior air to ingress into the container at a high velocity to provide a flow of cooling air that cools the at least one heat generating IT equipment while the trailer is moving;

an air intake damper positioned within the air intake opening and capable of being selectively positioned in one of a plurality of air intake positions, ranging from a fully open position to a fully closed position;

at least one air handling unit (AHU) located within a second compartment of the container and operating as the secondary cooling source, the at least one AHU being configurable to selectively operate in one of a standby mode and an active mode, the active mode ranging from a first active mode providing minimal airflow to a second active mode providing a maximum airflow, the AHU selected to operate in the active mode based on an amount of cooling air being ingested at the air intake opening; and

a management IHS that controls the operation of the IT equipment and the at least one AHU based in part on a velocity of the VC MDC.

Assignments (9)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL/FRAME (053546/0001) Recorded Jun 23, 2022
From: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
To: DELL MARKETING L.P. (ON BEHALF OF ITSELF AND AS SUCCESSOR-IN-INTEREST TO CREDANT TECHNOLOGIES, INC.); DELL INTERNATIONAL L.L.C.; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; DELL USA L.P.; EMC CORPORATION; DELL MARKETING CORPORATION (SUCCESSOR-IN-INTEREST TO FORCE10 NETWORKS, INC. AND WYSE TECHNOLOGY L.L.C.); EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
Reel/Frame 071642/0001 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL/FRAME (053311/0169) Recorded Jun 23, 2022
From: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
To: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; EMC CORPORATION; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
Reel/Frame 060438/0742 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL/FRAME (050724/0571) Recorded Jun 23, 2022
From: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
To: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; EMC CORPORATION; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
Reel/Frame 060436/0088 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST AT REEL 050406 FRAME 421 Recorded Nov 2, 2021
From: CREDIT SUISSE AG, CAYMAN ISLANDS BRANCH
To: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; EMC CORPORATION; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
Reel/Frame 058213/0825 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jun 5, 2020
From: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; EMC CORPORATION; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
To: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 053311/0169 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Apr 22, 2020
From: CREDANT TECHNOLOGIES INC.; DELL INTERNATIONAL L.L.C.; DELL MARKETING L.P.; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; DELL USA L.P.; EMC CORPORATION; FORCE10 NETWORKS, INC.; WYSE TECHNOLOGY L.L.C.; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
To: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A.
Reel/Frame 053546/0001 →
PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT (NOTES) Recorded Oct 15, 2019
From: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; EMC CORPORATION; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
To: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 050724/0571 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Sep 17, 2019
From: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; EMC CORPORATION; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
To: CREDIT SUISSE AG, CAYMAN ISLANDS BRANCH
Reel/Frame 050406/0421 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 6, 2019
From: SHELNUTT, AUSTIN M.; BAILEY, EDMOND I.
To: DELL PRODUCTS, L.P.
Reel/Frame 049092/0393 →