Granted Patent B2

US 11,586,262 · App. 16/938,453 · Granted Feb 21, 2023

Inventors: Steven Embleton (Austin, TX); Jon Taylor Fitch (Austin, TX); Sandor T. Farkas (Round Rock, TX); Joseph Danny King (Georgetown, TX)

Assignee: Dell Products L.P.

G06F1/206G05B19/0428H05K7/20309H05K7/20318H05K7/20381G01N17/04G05B2219/24015

Abstract

Claims (77)

1. A computing device of an information handling system, comprising:

a component that is sensitive to corrosion; and

a corrosion management component, directly disposed on a surface of the component, adapted to evaporate condensation associated with the component.

2. The computing device of claim 1 , wherein the corrosion management component comprises:

a portion that transfers condensation from the surface of the component to an evaporative surface of the corrosion management component that evaporates the condensation.

3. The computing device of claim 2 , wherein the portion comprises a plurality of capillaries through a support material.

4. The computing device of claim 3 , wherein the capillaries are adapted to transfer the condensation through capillary action.

5. The computing device of claim 1 , wherein the corrosion management component comprises an open cell foam.

6. The computing device of claim 5 , wherein the open cell foam is a metal foam.

7. The computing device of claim 5 , wherein a structure of the open cell foam is adapted to absorb condensed water from the surface of the component.

8. The computing device of claim 1 , further comprises:

a chassis adapted to direct an airflow proximate to the component to manage a thermal state of the component.

9. The computing device of claim 8 , wherein the airflow comprises water vapor that condenses to form the condensation.

10. The computing device of claim 1 , further comprising:

an environmental manager programmed to:

monitor an environmental corrosion risk associated with the component;

make a determination that the component is associated with the corrosion management component;

in response to the determination:

estimate a corrosion risk of the component based on:

the environmental corrosion risk, and

a risk reduction factor associated with the corrosion management component;

make a second determination that the corrosion risk of the component indicates a premature failure of the component; and

remediate, in response to the second determination, the corrosion risk of the component.

11. The computing device of claim 10 , wherein remediating the corrosion risk of the component comprises:

performing an action set comprising at least one selected from the group consisting of:

increasing a temperature of the component;

decreasing a humidity level of an atmosphere proximate to the component; and

reducing a rate of flow of the atmosphere proximate to the component.

12. The computing device of claim 10 , wherein the environmental manager is further programmed to:

monitor a second environmental corrosion risk associated with a second component;

make a third determination that the second component is not associated with any corrosion management components;

in response to the third determination:

estimate a second corrosion risk of the second component based on:

the second environmental corrosion risk, and

no risk reduction factors associated with any corrosion management components;

make a fourth determination that the second corrosion risk of the second component indicates a second premature failure of the second component; and

remediate, in response to the fourth determination, the second corrosion risk of the second component.

13. The computing device of claim 10 , wherein the environmental corrosion risk is estimated based on a temperature of the component and a relative humidity level of an atmosphere proximate to the component.

14. The computing device of claim 10 , wherein the environmental corrosion risk is estimated based on a corrosion rate measured by a corrosion detector.

15. The computing device of claim 10 , wherein the risk reduction factor specifies a reduction in the rate of corrosion of the component based on a rate of condensation removal provided by the corrosion management component.

16. A method for environmentally managing a computing device of an information handling system, comprising:

monitoring an environmental corrosion risk associated with a component of the computing device, wherein a corrosion management component adapted to reduce a rate of corrosion of the component due to an ambient environment in which the component resides by removing condensation from the component is associated with the component;

making a determination that the component is associated with the corrosion management component;

in response to the determination:

estimating a corrosion risk of the component based on:

the environmental corrosion risk, and

a risk reduction factor associated with the corrosion management component;

making a second determination that the corrosion risk of the component indicates a premature failure of the component; and

remediating, in response to the second determination, the corrosion risk of the component.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein remediating the corrosion risk of the component comprises:

performing an action set comprising at least one selected from the group consisting of:

increasing a temperature of the component;

decreasing a humidity level of an atmosphere proximate to the component; and

reducing a rate of flow of the atmosphere proximate to the component.

18. The method of claim 16 , further comprising:

monitoring a second environmental corrosion risk associated with a second component, wherein the second component is associated with any corrosion management components;

making a third determination that the second component is not associated with any corrosion management components;

in response to the third determination:

estimating a second corrosion risk of the second component based on:

the second environmental corrosion risk, and

no risk reduction factors associated with any corrosion management components;

making a fourth determination that the second corrosion risk of the second component indicates a second premature failure of the second component; and

remediating, based on the fourth determination, the second corrosion risk of the second component.

19. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising computer readable program code, which when executed by a computer processor enables the computer processor to perform a method for environmentally managing a computing device of an information handling system, the method comprising:

monitoring an environmental corrosion risk associated with a component of the computing device, wherein a corrosion management component adapted to reduce a rate of corrosion of the component due to an ambient environment in which the component resides by removing condensation from the component is associated with the component;

making a determination that the component is associated with the corrosion management component;

in response to the determination:

estimating a corrosion risk of the component based on:

the environmental corrosion risk, and

a risk reduction factor associated with the corrosion management component;

making a second determination that the corrosion risk of the component indicates a premature failure of the component; and

remediating, in response to the second determination, the corrosion risk of the component.

20. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 19 , wherein remediating the corrosion risk of the component comprises:

performing an action set comprising at least one selected from the group consisting of:

increasing a temperature of the component;

decreasing a humidity level of an atmosphere proximate to the component; and

reducing a rate of flow of the atmosphere proximate to the component.

Assignments (9)

Continuity (1)