Patent Abstract:
An electronic hardware cabinet includes a forced-air component positioned to force a stream of air to move through the cabinet and at least two electronic assemblies mounted within the cabinet, each of which includes a heat-generating component. The electronic assemblies are positioned so that a portion of the stream of air is heated by a first one of the heat-generating components and, thereafter, that portion of the stream of air moves toward a second one of the heat-generating components. An airflow diverter is positioned between the electronic assemblies to deflect that portion of the stream of air heated by the first heat-generating component to prevent it from reaching the second heat-generating component.

Full Description:
BACKGROUND 
   The never-ending explosion in computing processing power has led to an even greater explosion in demands on that power, forcing the designers of computer systems to package vast amounts of electronic equipment into relatively small areas. In addition to the cost of acquiring and maintaining the electronic equipment itself, large and complex computer systems, such as server farms and large data centers, carry additional infrastructure costs, including the costs of real-estate and cooling systems. Because these infrastructure costs are often very high, the owners of these large systems are moving towards ever higher packaging densities, placing as much computing power as possible in each square foot of space. 
   The owners of complex systems such as server farms and data centers achieve high packaging density by packing more computer equipment in both horizontal and vertical directions. By way of example, the 5380 Server system produced by NCR Corporation is delivered with up to 512 computing nodes, each with as many as four CPUs, stacked in a cabinet that is only 77 inches tall by 24.5 inches wide by 40 inches deep. 
   While packing computer components this densely solves many of the problems facing the owners of such systems, it also creates another set of challenges, in particular the proper cooling of heat-generating components, especially the CPUs, within such systems. In attempting to alleviate these cooling problems, designers of this type of equipment use forced-air cooling techniques that are aimed at moving cold air from a cold-air source to the hot components inside the cabinet. Forced-air cooling comes in two basic forms—front-to-back cooling and bottom-to-top cooling. The form that is most appropriate in any particular hardware environment and configuration is governed by how the pieces of equipment are physically packaged and electrically connected together. 
     FIG. 1  is a side view of a server rack  100  that uses bottom-to-top cooling to accommodate the particular packaging needs of the components in the rack. As shown here, the rack  100  includes four vertically mounted rows of printed circuit assemblies, or electronic assemblies  110   1 . . . N , each having one or more heat-generating components, such as the central processing units (CPUs)  115   1 . . . M . Thermal energy dissipated by the CPUs  115   1 . . . M  and other active and heat-dissipating integrated circuit devices on the electronic assemblies  110   1 . . . N  is removed from the electronic assemblies  110   1 . . . N  by a flow  160  of cooling air that moves from the bottom of the rack  100  to the top. As the air flows past these devices, the temperature of the air rises, so that the air at the top of the cabinet is considerably warmer than the air at the bottom. The cooling effect of the air is bolstered by fan trays  140   1 . . . K  that serve to pull greater volumes of cool air through the rack, thereby increasing air-flow velocity over the CPUs  115   1 . . . M  and other components on the electronic assemblies  110   1 . . . N . Nevertheless, the air passing over the components at the top of the rack  100  is considerably warmer, and thus has less cooling capacity, than the air passing over components at the bottom of the rack  100 . With electronic components, particularly CPUs, growing increasingly hotter with normal operation, cooling is quickly becoming the deciding factor in determining the vertical density of a server rack. 
   SUMMARY 
   An electronic hardware cabinet includes a forced-air component positioned to force a stream of air to move through the cabinet, and at least two electronic assemblies, mounted within the cabinet, each of which includes a heat-generating component. The electronic assemblies are positioned so that a portion of the stream of air is heated by a first one of the heat-generating components and, thereafter, that portion of the stream of air moves toward a second one of the heat-generating components. An airflow diverter is positioned between the electronic assemblies to deflect that portion of the stream of air heated by the first heat-generating component to prevent it from reaching the second heat-generating component. 
   In some systems, the airflow diverter is positioned to direct the portion of the stream of air heated by the heat-generating component into a hot-air path in the cabinet, and it often includes one or more walls or surfaces that taper toward the hot-air path. This hot-air path often includes a channel that is formed between at least one of the electronic assemblies and a wall of the cabinet. The cabinet often includes a hot-air exhaust port through which air in the hot-air path exits the cabinet. 
   In other systems, the airflow diverter is positioned also to direct that portion of the stream of air toward the first one of the heat-generating components before the first one of the heat-generating components heats it. Often that portion of the stream of air is directed from a cool-air path. This cool-air path often includes a channel that is formed between at least one of the electronic assemblies and a wall of the cabinet. The cabinet often includes of a cool-air inlet port through which the portion of the stream of air in the cool-air path enters the cabinet. 
   In some systems the airflow diverter is positioned also to direct another portion of the stream of air toward the second heat-generating component. 
   In another aspect, an electronic hardware cabinet includes a forced-air component positioned to force a stream of air to move through the cabinet, and at least two vertically stacked electronic assemblies, mounted within the cabinet, each of which include a heat-generating component. The electronic assemblies are stacked so that a portion of the stream of air is heated by a first heat-generating component on a lower electronic assembly, and, thereafter, that portion of the stream of air moves towards a second heat-generating component on a higher electronic assembly. An airflow diverter is positioned to deflect that portion of the stream of air, heated by the first heat-generating component, to prevent it from reaching the second heat-generating component. 
   In some systems, the airflow diverter is positioned beside the lower electronic assembly, while in other systems it is positioned between the lower electronic assembly and the higher electronic assembly. In both of these systems, the airflow diverter is positioned to direct the portion of the stream of air heated by the first heat-generating component along a hot-air path in the cabinet. 
   In another aspect, an electronic hardware cabinet includes a forced-air component positioned to force a stream of air to move through the cabinet and at least two groups of electronic assemblies stacked vertically within the cabinet, one above the other. Each of the electronic assemblies in each group has at least one heat-generating component. Multiple airflow diverters are placed among the electronic assemblies to deflect a portion of the stream of air, heated by the heat-generating components in one group, to prevent it from reaching the heat-generating components in the other group. 
   In some systems the airflow diverters are positioned between the electronic assemblies in the group that is lower in the cabinet, while in other systems, the airflow diverters are positioned between the two groups of electronics assemblies. 
   In other aspects, an electronic hardware cabinet includes a forced-air component positioned to force a stream of air through the cabinet and a first and second electronic assembly, both having a heat-generating component. A first airflow diverter is positioned to direct at least a first portion of the stream of air over the heat-generating component on the first electronic assembly, thereby heating the first portion of the stream of air. The airflow diverter is positioned such that the air stream, after it is heated, is directed away from the second assembly. 
   In some systems, the first airflow diverter directs the heated first portion of the stream of air into a hot-air path in the cabinet. Often the cabinet also includes a third electronic assembly having a third heat-generating component and a second airflow diverter. This second airflow diverter is positioned to direct a second portion of the stream of air over the heat-generating component on the second electronic assembly, thereby heating the second portion of the stream of air. After the second portion of the stream of air is heated, the second airflow diverter directs it away from the third electronic assembly and into the hot air path. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is a schematic of a side view of a server rack that utilizes bottom to top cooling to accommodate the particular packaging needs of the rack. 
       FIG. 2  is a schematic side view diagram of a hardware cabinet according to one embodiment of the present invention. 
       FIG. 3  is a schematic side view diagram of a hardware cabinet according to one embodiment of the present invention. 
       FIG. 4  is a schematic side view diagram of a hardware cabinet according to one embodiment of the present invention. 
       FIG. 5  is a schematic side view diagram of a hardware cabinet according to one embodiment of the present invention. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     FIG. 2  shows a hardware cabinet  200  that includes a housing  205  and one or more electronic-component assemblies, or simply “electronic assemblies”  210   1 . . . N , mounted within the housing  205 . The cabinet  200  includes a mounting frame  220 , or “rack,” to which the electronic assemblies  210   1 . . . N  mount. In most systems, the electronic assemblies  210   1 . . . N  are mounted in groups  230   1 . . . R , side-by-side, at various heights within the cabinet  200 . For each of the groups  230   1 . . . R  of electronic assemblies, the cabinet  200  includes an airflow-assistance mechanism, such as an array of fans, or fan tray  240   1 . . . K , which forces cool air over the electronic assemblies  210   1 . . . N  in the group. In most systems, the fan trays  240   1 . . . K  sit below one of the groups  230   1 . . . R  of electronic assemblies. 
   Between each of the groups  230   1 . . . R  of electronic assemblies is an airflow diverter, such as one of the airflow baffles  250   1 . . . P , that directs air flowing through the electronic assemblies  210   1 . . . N  along desired paths. In general, a stream  260  of cold air enters the cabinet through an opening, or intake port  270 , in the housing  205  and passes through a cold-air chimney  275 . The fan trays  240   1 . . . K  siphon cold air from the cold-air stream  260  and force the cold air over the electronic assemblies  210   1 . . . N  in each of the corresponding groups  230   1 . . . R . As the cold air moves over the electronic assemblies  210   1 . . . N  in the each of the groups  230   1 . . . R , the air removes heat that is generated by active components within the electronic assemblies. In doing so, the air itself heats up, typically to the point that it retains little or no cooling potential. However, instead of allowing this heated air to pass over electronic assemblies elsewhere in the cabinet  200 , the airflow baffles  250   1 . . . P  direct the heated air away from the other assemblies and into a hot-air stream  280  that forms within a hot-air chimney  285 . The hot-air stream  280  exits the cabinet  200  through another opening, an exhaust port  290 , formed in the housing  205 . 
   The airflow baffles  250   1 . . . P  are mounted within the cabinet  200  in any one of a variety of ways. For instance, in some systems the airflow baffles  250   1 . . . P  comprise an integral part of the mounting frame  220 . In other systems, an existing mounting frame  220  is retrofitted with airflow baffles  250   1 . . . P . Alternatively, in many systems, one end of the airflow baffle  250   1 . . . P  fastens to one or more of the electronic assemblies  210   1 . . . N  within one of the groups  230   1 . . . R  and the opposing end of the airflow baffle  250   1 . . . P  fastens to the adjacent fan tray  240   1 . . . K . Mounting the airflow baffles  250   1 . . . P  within the cabinet  200  in a manner such as these provides an effective mechanism for ensuring that each of the groups  230   1 . . . R  of electronic assemblies, regardless of its location within the cabinet, has access to cold air from the cold-air stream  260  without interference from the hot exhaust air generated elsewhere in the cabinet. 
     FIG. 3  also shows a hardware cabinet  300  that includes a housing  305  and one or more electronic assemblies  310   1 . . . N  mounted within the housing  305 . This cabinet also includes a mounting frame, or “rack”  320 , to which the electronic assemblies  310   1 . . . N  mount. The electronic assemblies  310   1 . . . N  are mounted in groups  330   1 . . . R  side-by-side, at various levels within the cabinet  300 , and for each of the groups  330   1 . . . R  an airflow assistance mechanism, such as one of the fan trays  340   1 . . . K , forces cool air over the electronic assemblies  310   1 . . . N  of that group. The fan trays  340   1 . . . K  typically sit below the electronic assemblies  310   1 . . . N  of each of the groups  330   1 . . . R . 
   Mounted on each of the electronic assemblies  310   1 . . . N  is at least one heat-dissipating component, such as one of the CPUs  315   1 . . . M . In terms of CPU placement, all the electronic assemblies  310   1 . . . N  are typically (though not always) identical or nearly identical. An airflow diverter, such as one of the airflow baffles  350   1 . . . P  is positioned adjacent to each electronic assembly to form a duct around the corresponding CPU  315   1 . . . M . The duct formed by each of the airflow baffles  350   1 . . . P  directs cool air over one of the CPUs  315   1 . . . M  and then away from that CPU and the corresponding electronic assembly. At least some portion of each of each of the airflow baffles  350   1 . . . P  is angled to direct the air that is heated by the CPU  315   1 . . . M  away form other CPUs sitting higher in the cabinet  300 . While the system described here shows airflow baffles  350   1 . . . P  around all CPUs  315   1 . . . M  at all levels in the cabinet, some systems do not include airflow baffles for all the CPUs. 
   As with the system in  FIG. 2 , a stream of cold air  360  enters the cabinet  300  of  FIG. 3  through one or more openings in the bottom of the housing  305 , and the fan trays  340   1 . . . K  drive cold air from the cold air stream  360  over the electronic assemblies  310   1 . . . N . As the cold air moves over the electronic assemblies  310   1 . . . N  in each of the groups  330   1 . . . R , the airflow baffles  350   1 . . . P  direct cool air over each of the CPUs  315   1 . . . M  to remove heat generated by those components. The design of the airflow baffles  350   1 . . . P  in  FIG. 3  allows each airflow baffle to direct the newly heated air away from other CPUs and heat-generating components at higher levels in the cabinet  300  and into a hot-air stream  380  that bypasses those components. Ultimately, the heated air from the hot-air stream  380  exits the cabinet  300  through one or more openings formed in the housing  305 , usually at the top of the housing. 
   The airflow baffles  350   1 . . . P  mount to the electronic assemblies  310   1 . . . N , forming an angled duct around each of the CPUs  315   1 . . . M . The airflow baffles  350   1 . . . P  are mounted in any one of a variety of ways. For instance, in some systems each of the airflow baffles  350   1 . . . P  may consist of two individual wall portions mounted to one of the electronic assemblies  310   1 . . . N , one on either side of the CPU. The individual wall portions extend from each of the electronic assemblies  310   1 . . . N  to the backside of an adjacent electronic assembly, defining an air duct around each of the CPUs  315   1 . . . M . In other systems, each of the airflow baffles  350   1 . . . P  consists of a housing mounted to each of the electronic assemblies  310   1 . . . N  over the corresponding CPU  315   1 . . . M  to form a duct around that CPU. Alternatively, in some systems the airflow baffles  350   1 . . . P  mount directly to the component rack  320  and not to the electronic assemblies  310   1 . . . N  themselves. Mounting the airflow baffles  350   1 . . . P  in these or equivalent manners provides an effective mechanism for ensuring that each of the CPUs  315   1 . . . M  on each of the electronic assemblies  310   1 . . . N , regardless of its location within the cabinet  300 , has access to cold air without interference from the hot exhaust air generated by CPUs  315   1 . . . M  lower in the cabinet. 
     FIG. 4  shows a hardware cabinet  400  that includes a housing  405 , a rack  420 , electronic assemblies  410   1 . . . N  mounted in groups  430   1 . . . R , CPUs  415   1 . . . M  and fan trays  440   1 . . . K , all of which are arranged identically to the corresponding components of  FIG. 3 .  FIG. 4  also depicts airflow diverters, or airflow baffles  450   1 . . . P , associated with each of the electronic assemblies  410   1 . . . N . 
   At each level in the cabinet, the airflow baffles  450   1 . . . P  force a cool air stream  460  to flow over the CPUs  415   1 . . . M  at that level, which in turn heat the air flowing in the stream. Instead of allowing this heated air to pass over other CPUs higher in the cabinet  400 , however, the airflow baffles  450   1 . . . P  direct the heated air into a hot-air stream  480  that forms with in a hot-air chimney  485 . The hot-air chimney  485  isolates the hot-air stream  480  from other CPUs and heat-generating components, directing the heated air from the hot-air stream  480  to exit the cabinet  400  through one or more exit ports formed in the housing  405 , usually at the top of the housing. 
   The airflow baffles  450   1 . . . P  in this embodiment form both an angled air duct  465   1 . . . J  around each of the CPUs  415   1 . . . M  and a hot-air chimney portion. The hot-air chimney portions formed by the airflow baffles  450   1 . . . P  are interconnected with each other to form a hot-air chimney  485  that extends upward through the rack. 
   The airflow baffles  450   1 . . . P  are mounted within the cabinet  400  in any one of a variety of ways. For instance, in some systems, each of the airflow baffles  450   1 . . . P  may consist of three individual wall portions mounted to each of the electronic assemblies  410   1 . . . N . Two outer portions, or the tapered portion  452  and the chimney portion  454 , define the outer boundary of each of the airflow baffles  450   1 . . . P . The tapered portion  452  tapers toward the chimney portion  454  for directing air into the hot-air chimney  485 . The third individual wall portion, or inner wall  456 , resides between the other two, defining a barrier between the angled air duct  465   1 . . . J  on one side and the hot-air chimney  485  on the other side. These three individual wall portions typically extend from each of the electronic assemblies  410   1 . . . N  to the backside of an adjacent electronic assembly, defining an air duct around each of the CPUs  415   1 . . . M  and a hot-air chimney portion extending away from the electronic assembly. 
   In other systems, each of the airflow baffles  450   1 . . . P  is a housing mounted to one of the electronic assemblies  410   1 . . . N  over one of the CPUs  415   1 . . . M  to form a duct around that CPU which leads to a hot-air chimney portion. In other systems, the airflow baffles  450   1 . . . P  mount directly to the component rack  420 . Mounting the baffles in a manner such as these provides an effective mechanism for ensuring that each of the CPUs  415   1 . . . M  on each of the electronic assemblies  410   1 . . . N , regardless of its location within the cabinet  400 , has access to cold air without interference from the hot exhaust air generated by CPUs lower in the cabinet. 
     FIG. 5  shows a hardware cabinet  500  that includes a housing  505 , a rack  520 , electronic assemblies  510   1 . . . N  mounted in groups  530   1 . . . R , CPUs  515   1 . . . M  and fan trays  540   1 . . . K , all of which are arranged identically to the corresponding components of  FIG. 3  and  FIG. 4 . In most systems, associated with each of the electronic assemblies  510   1 . . . N  is an airflow diverter, such as one of the airflow baffles  550   1 . . . P  that forces air to flow over each of the corresponding CPUs  515   1 . . . M  and then diverts the air into a hot-air stream  580  that forms within a hot-air chimney  585 . The hot-air chimney  585  is formed between the cabinet wall  507  and the outer perimeter of the groups  530   1 . . . R  of electronic assemblies, so that the hot-air stream  580  passes through a gap between the electronic assemblies  510   1 . . . N  and the cabinet wall  507  and not over the electronic assemblies themselves. The hot-air stream  580  exits the cabinet  500  through one or more openings, such as an exhaust port  590 , formed in the housing  505 . 
   The airflow baffles  550   1 . . . P  are mounted within the cabinet  500  in any one of a variety of ways. For instance, in some systems, the airflow baffles  550   1 . . . P  comprise an integral part of the mounting frame  520 , or an existing mounting frame  520  can be retrofitted with airflow baffles  550   1 . . . P . Alternatively, in other systems, the airflow baffles  550   1 . . . P  include an individual angled wall portion mounted to each of the electronic assemblies  510   1 . . . N  on the side of the CPU opposite the hot-air chimney  585 . The individual wall portion extends from the each of the electronic assemblies  510   1 . . . N  to the backside of an adjacent electronic assembly, defining a barrier between the CPU  515   1 . . . M  on that electronic assembly and CPUs at higher levels within the hardware cabinet  500 . In other systems, the each of the airflow baffles  550   1 . . . P  consists of a housing mounted to each of the electronic assemblies  510   1 . . . N  over each of the corresponding CPUs  515   1 . . . M  to form a duct around the CPU. Mounting the airflow baffles  550   1 . . . P  within the cabinet  500  in a manner such as these provides an effective mechanism for directing hot-air into the hot-air chimney  585  and for ensuring that each of the groups  530   1 . . . R  of electronic assemblies, regardless of its location within the cabinet, has access to cold air from the cold-air stream  560  without interference from the hot exhaust air generated elsewhere in the cabinet. 
   The text above describes one or more specific embodiments of a broader invention. The invention also is carried out in a variety of alternative embodiments and thus is not limited to those described here. 
   For example, while the systems shown here are described in terms of cooling CPUs, the cooling techniques described are useful in cooling any type of heat-dissipating component in a hardware cabinet. 
   Also, while the systems shown here each include a fan tray for each group of electronic assemblies, the described techniques work just as well for systems having a single fan tray of single fan for the entire cabinet. In such an embodiment, the single fan or single fan tray can be located at any suitable location, either inside or outside of the cabinet. 
   Likewise, while the systems shown here all involve a flow of air from the bottom to the top of the cabinet, the described techniques are equally useful for systems in which air flows in other directions, such as front to back. Also, while the embodiments of  FIG. 3 ,  FIG. 4  and  FIG. 5  are all described separately, the structures they show are equally useful when used in any combination within a single hardware cabinet. 
   Moreover, while several of the specific embodiments indicate using cool air or cold air, a person skilled in the art will understand that these terms include not only air that has been mechanically and/or chemically cooled, but also air that is taken from the surrounding ambient environment. 
   Many other embodiments are also within the scope of the following claims.

Technology Classification (CPC): 7