IP Library › Granted Patent US 8,370,000
Granted Patent B2
US 8,370,000 · App. 11/871,267 · Granted Feb 5, 2013

System and method for increasing the power efficiency of cooling fans

Inventor: Robert Riegler (Austin, TX)
Assignee: Dell Products L.P.
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,370,000
App. No.
11/871,267
Filed
Oct 12, 2007
Granted
Feb 5, 2013
Kind
B2
Art Unit
2121
USPC
700/300
Abstract

Systems and methods for increasing the power efficiency of cooling fans are disclosed. A method for providing power-efficient operation of a plurality of cooling fans may include testing a plurality of cooling fans over an operating range of delivered airflow to determine, in each of one or more regions of the operating range, a number of cooling fans to be enabled to provide the lowest power amount required to deliver the delivered airflow for such region.

Claims (40)

1. A method for providing power-efficient operation of a plurality of cooling fans, comprising:

testing a plurality of cooling fans at a plurality of speeds, over an operating range of delivered airflow to determine, in each of one or more regions of the operating range, a first number of cooling fans to be enabled, and, for each cooling fan enabled, a speed at which the cooling fan shall be operated, to deliver the delivered airflow for such region, the determination based on the first number of cooling fans operating with a lower power requirement than another power requirement of a second number of cooling fans to deliver the same delivered airflow for such region as the first number of cooling fans, wherein testing the plurality of cooling fans comprises;

testing the first number of cooling fans at the plurality of speeds to determine a first operating characteristic, the first operating characteristic indicative of power drawn versus delivered airflow over the operating range for the first number of cooling fans;

testing the second number of cooling fans at the plurality of speeds to determine a second operating characteristic, the second operating characteristic indicative of power drawn versus delivered airflow over the operating range for the second number of cooling fans;

determining one or more first regions of the operating range in which the first number of cooling fans draw less power than the second number of cooling fans; and

determining one or more second regions of the operating range in which the second number of cooling fans draw less power than the first number of cooling fans.

2. A method according to claim 1 , comprising determining one or more third regions of the operating range in which the first number of cooling fans is insufficient to deliver the delivered airflow and the second number of cooling fans is sufficient to deliver the delivered airflow.

3. A method according to claim 1 , comprising storing information on a computer-readable medium, the information:

indicating the one or more first regions and the one or more second regions;

indicating that the first number of cooling fans are to be enabled for delivered airflows in the one or more first regions to provide power-efficient operation; and

indicating that the second number of cooling fans are to be enabled for delivered airflows in the one or more second regions to provide power-efficient operation.

4. A method according to claim 1 , comprising, in a system comprising one or more cooling fans:

determining an airflow requirement;

enabling the first number of cooling fans if the airflow requirement is within the one or more first ranges; and

enabling the second number of cooling fans if the airflow requirement is within the one or more second ranges.

5. A method according to claim 1 , comprising, in a system comprising one or more cooling fans:

determining an airflow requirement; and

enabling the first number of cooling fans based upon a region of the operating range that includes the airflow requirement.

6. A cooling system comprising:

a plurality of cooling fans; and

a control system communicatively coupled to the plurality of cooling fans and configured to:

determine an airflow requirement;

test a first number of cooling fans at a plurality of speeds to determine a first operating characteristic, the first operating characteristic indicative of power drawn versus delivered airflow over an operating range for the first number of cooling fans;

test the second number of cooling fans at the plurality of speeds to determine a second operating characteristic, the second operating characteristic indicative of power drawn versus delivered airflow over the operating range for the second number of cooling fans;

determine one or more first regions of the operating range in which the first number of cooling fans draw less power than the second number of cooling fans;

determine one or more second regions of the operating range in which the second number of cooling fans draw less power than the first number of cooling fans; and

enable each the first number of cooling fans at a speed based on a determination that the first number of enabled cooling fans is operable to deliver the airflow requirement with a lower power requirement than the second number of cooling fans also operable to deliver the same airflow requirement as the first number of cooling fans.

7. A cooling system according to claim 6 , the control system further operable to determine the first number of cooling fans to be enabled by comparing the determined airflow requirement to information embodied in computer-readable media, the information indicating for each of one or more regions of an operating range of delivered airflow, a number of cooling fans that should be enabled to provide the lowest power amount required to deliver the delivered airflow for such region.

8. An information handling system comprising:

a processor;

a memory communicatively coupled to the processor;

a plurality of cooling fans; and

a control system communicatively coupled to the processor and the cooling fans and configured to:

determine an airflow requirement;

test a first number of cooling fans at a plurality of speeds to determine a first operating characteristic, the first operating characteristic indicative of power drawn versus delivered airflow over an operating range for the first number of cooling fans;

test the second number of cooling fans at the plurality of speeds to determine a second operating characteristic, the second operating characteristic indicative of power drawn versus delivered airflow over the operating range for the second number of cooling fans;

determine one or more first regions of the operating range in which the first number of cooling fans draw less power than the second number of cooling fans;

determine one or more second regions of the operating range in which the second number of cooling fans draw less power than the first number of cooling fans; and

enable each of the first number of cooling fans at a speed based on a determination that the first number of enabled cooling fans is operable to deliver the airflow requirement with a lower power requirement than the second number of cooling fans also operable to deliver the airflow requirement.

9. An information handling system according to claim 8 , the control system further operable to determine the first number of cooling fans to be enabled by comparing the determined airflow requirement to information embodied in computer-readable media, the information indicating for each of one or more regions of an operating range of delivered airflow, a number of cooling fans that should be enabled to provide the lowest power amount required to deliver the delivered airflow for such region.

Assignments (15)
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 (045455/0001) Recorded May 20, 2022
From: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
To: DELL USA L.P.; DELL INTERNATIONAL L.L.C.; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; DELL MARKETING CORPORATION (SUCCESSOR-IN-INTEREST TO FORCE10 NETWORKS, INC. AND WYSE TECHNOLOGY L.L.C.); DELL MARKETING CORPORATION (SUCCESSOR-IN-INTEREST TO ASAP SOFTWARE EXPRESS, INC.); DELL MARKETING L.P. (ON BEHALF OF ITSELF AND AS SUCCESSOR-IN-INTEREST TO CREDANT TECHNOLOGIES, INC.); EMC CORPORATION (ON BEHALF OF ITSELF AND AS SUCCESSOR-IN-INTEREST TO MAGINATICS LLC); EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC (ON BEHALF OF ITSELF AND AS SUCCESSOR-IN-INTEREST TO MOZY, INC.); SCALEIO LLC
Reel/Frame 061753/0001 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL/FRAME (040136/0001) Recorded Apr 26, 2022
From: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
To: DELL MARKETING CORPORATION (SUCCESSOR-IN-INTEREST TO ASAP SOFTWARE EXPRESS, INC.); DELL MARKETING L.P. (ON BEHALF OF ITSELF AND AS SUCCESSOR-IN-INTEREST TO CREDANT TECHNOLOGIES, INC.); DELL USA L.P.; DELL INTERNATIONAL L.L.C.; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; DELL MARKETING CORPORATION (SUCCESSOR-IN-INTEREST TO FORCE10 NETWORKS, INC. AND WYSE TECHNOLOGY L.L.C.); EMC CORPORATION (ON BEHALF OF ITSELF AND AS SUCCESSOR-IN-INTEREST TO MAGINATICS LLC); EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC (ON BEHALF OF ITSELF AND AS SUCCESSOR-IN-INTEREST TO MOZY, INC.); SCALEIO LLC
Reel/Frame 061324/0001 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Nov 3, 2021
From: CREDIT SUISSE AG, CAYMAN ISLANDS BRANCH
To: ASAP SOFTWARE EXPRESS, INC.; AVENTAIL LLC; CREDANT TECHNOLOGIES, INC.; DELL USA L.P.; DELL INTERNATIONAL, L.L.C.; DELL MARKETING L.P.; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; DELL SOFTWARE INC.; DELL SYSTEMS CORPORATION; EMC CORPORATION; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC; FORCE10 NETWORKS, INC.; MAGINATICS LLC; MOZY, INC.; SCALEIO LLC; WYSE TECHNOLOGY L.L.C.
Reel/Frame 058216/0001 →
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 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Mar 21, 2019
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 049452/0223 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Sep 21, 2016
From: ASAP SOFTWARE EXPRESS, INC.; AVENTAIL LLC; CREDANT TECHNOLOGIES, INC.; DELL USA L.P.; DELL INTERNATIONAL L.L.C.; DELL MARKETING L.P.; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; DELL SOFTWARE INC.; DELL SYSTEMS CORPORATION; EMC CORPORATION; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC; FORCE10 NETWORKS, INC.; MAGINATICS LLC; MOZY, INC.; SCALEIO LLC; SPANNING CLOUD APPS LLC; WYSE TECHNOLOGY L.L.C.
To: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 040136/0001 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Sep 21, 2016
From: ASAP SOFTWARE EXPRESS, INC.; AVENTAIL LLC; CREDANT TECHNOLOGIES, INC.; DELL USA L.P.; DELL INTERNATIONAL L.L.C.; DELL MARKETING L.P.; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; DELL SOFTWARE INC.; DELL SYSTEMS CORPORATION; EMC CORPORATION; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC; FORCE10 NETWORKS, INC.; MAGINATICS LLC; MOZY, INC.; SCALEIO LLC; SPANNING CLOUD APPS LLC; WYSE TECHNOLOGY L.L.C.
To: CREDIT SUISSE AG, CAYMAN ISLANDS BRANCH, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 040134/0001 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Sep 14, 2016
From: BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: DELL MARKETING L.P.; ASAP SOFTWARE EXPRESS, INC.; APPASSURE SOFTWARE, INC.; COMPELLENT TECHNOLOGIES, INC.; CREDANT TECHNOLOGIES, INC.; DELL INC.; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; DELL USA L.P.; DELL SOFTWARE INC.; FORCE10 NETWORKS, INC.; PEROT SYSTEMS CORPORATION; SECUREWORKS, INC.; WYSE TECHNOLOGY L.L.C.
Reel/Frame 040065/0618 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Sep 14, 2016
From: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: DELL MARKETING L.P.; ASAP SOFTWARE EXPRESS, INC.; APPASSURE SOFTWARE, INC.; COMPELLENT TECHNOLOGIES, INC.; CREDANT TECHNOLOGIES, INC.; DELL INC.; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; DELL USA L.P.; DELL SOFTWARE INC.; FORCE10 NETWORKS, INC.; PEROT SYSTEMS CORPORATION; SECUREWORKS, INC.; WYSE TECHNOLOGY L.L.C.
Reel/Frame 040040/0001 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Sep 13, 2016
From: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
To: DELL SOFTWARE INC.; DELL MARKETING L.P.; ASAP SOFTWARE EXPRESS, INC.; APPASSURE SOFTWARE, INC.; COMPELLANT TECHNOLOGIES, INC.; CREDANT TECHNOLOGIES, INC.; DELL INC.; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; DELL USA L.P.; FORCE10 NETWORKS, INC.; PEROT SYSTEMS CORPORATION; SECUREWORKS, INC.; WYSE TECHNOLOGY L.L.C.
Reel/Frame 040065/0216 →
PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT (ABL) Recorded Jan 2, 2014
From: DELL INC.; APPASSURE SOFTWARE, INC.; ASAP SOFTWARE EXPRESS, INC.; BOOMI, INC.; COMPELLENT TECHNOLOGIES, INC.; CREDANT TECHNOLOGIES, INC.; DELL MARKETING L.P.; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; DELL SOFTWARE INC.; DELL USA L.P.; FORCE10 NETWORKS, INC.; GALE TECHNOLOGIES, INC.; PEROT SYSTEMS CORPORATION; SECUREWORKS, INC.; WYSE TECHNOLOGY L.L.C.
To: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
Reel/Frame 031898/0001 →
PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT (TERM LOAN) Recorded Jan 2, 2014
From: DELL INC.; APPASSURE SOFTWARE, INC.; ASAP SOFTWARE EXPRESS, INC.; BOOMI, INC.; COMPELLENT TECHNOLOGIES, INC.; CREDANT TECHNOLOGIES, INC.; DELL MARKETING L.P.; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; DELL SOFTWARE INC.; DELL USA L.P.; FORCE10 NETWORKS, INC.; GALE TECHNOLOGIES, INC.; PEROT SYSTEMS CORPORATION; SECUREWORKS, INC.; WYSE TECHNOLOGY L.L.C.
To: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 031899/0261 →
PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT (NOTES) Recorded Jan 2, 2014
From: APPASSURE SOFTWARE, INC.; ASAP SOFTWARE EXPRESS, INC.; BOOMI, INC.; COMPELLENT TECHNOLOGIES, INC.; CREDANT TECHNOLOGIES, INC.; DELL INC.; DELL MARKETING L.P.; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; DELL SOFTWARE INC.; DELL USA L.P.; FORCE10 NETWORKS, INC.; GALE TECHNOLOGIES, INC.; PEROT SYSTEMS CORPORATION; SECUREWORKS, INC.; WYSE TECHNOLOGY L.L.C.
To: BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS FIRST LIEN COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 031897/0348 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 7, 2007
From: RIEGLER, ROBERT
To: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.
Reel/Frame 020213/0702 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20090099792A1 · Apr 16, 2009