Patent Application
20080239666
As additional service demands are placed on telecommunications systems, replacement of time-sensitive operations is occurring with electronically-configurable operations (that is, programmable electronic equipment). Increasingly, the additional service demands involve operating at optimal speeds to accommodate voice and data traffic on the system. Accommodating these traffic demands translates into additional energy created by one or more electronic components in the system. The one or more components are often contained in chassis at various locations throughout the system. Typically, these chassis include thermal conductors that are thermally coupled to each of the components within the chassis. The thermal conductors act as a heat sink, and excessive thermal energy (heat) is transferred away from each of the components, either to other areas in the chassis or from the chassis to an environment surrounding the chassis.
Alternative chassis cooling techniques include one or more fan assemblies directed to heat-sensitive (that is, critical) electronic components susceptible to high temperatures rather than an entire electronic circuit board assembly within the chassis. If a fan assembly fails, the chassis is inoperable without adequate cooling and requires immediate attention. A loss of any single chassis in the system due to inadequate cooling has significant economic and reliability implications.
The following specification discusses a fan module for cooling electronic components. Particularly, in one embodiment, a fan module is provided. The fan module includes a base, at least one first side coupled to the base, and a plurality of fans coupled to the base. The plurality of fans are configured to substantially disperse thermal energy away from one or more electronic components in an enclosure to maintain a current temperature of the one or more electronic components below a critical temperature. The fan module further includes a connector mounted on the at least one first side and coupled to provide power to the plurality of fans. When one of the plurality of fans ceases to operate, the remaining fans in the plurality of fans continue to substantially disperse thermal energy away from the one or more electronic components while maintaining the current temperature below the critical temperature.
These and other features, aspects, and advantages are better understood with regard to the following description, appended claims, and accompanying drawings where:
The following detailed description describes at least one embodiment of a redundant cooling assembly that provides continuous cooling of electronic components in a programmable high speed crossbar switch for telecommunications networks. Advantageously, at least a portion of the cooling assembly substantially disperses any thermal energy created by one or more of the electronic components away from the switch and into an external environment. In the event that a single cooling assembly portion ceases to operate (that is, fails), the switch continues to operatively function in a fail safe cooling mode until at least the single failed cooling assembly portion is exchanged with a corresponding replacement cooling assembly portion.
The fail safe (that is, redundant) cooling mode allows replacement of at least the failed portion of the cooling assembly to be deferred while maintaining the electronic components below a critical temperature. In one implementation, the cooling assembly comprises an active replacement fan module with a plurality of individual fan assemblies. Moreover, one or more of the individual fan assemblies are removable for active replacement (that is, while the programmable high speed crossbar switch continues to operate). Installation of the active replacement fan module occurs without disrupting service to the network (that is, the active replacement fan module is instantly functional at the time of insertion to prevent any service disruptions to the network).
The device 100 further comprises a fan controller 112, a fan module 108, and a temperature sensor 110, each of which is discussed in turn below. In one implementation, the device 100 further includes a diagnostic indicator 114. In the example embodiment of
The fan controller 112, in communication with the programmable controller 102, controls the fan module 108 and monitors the fan module 108 for potential failures. In one implementation, the fan controller 112 is at least one of a microcontroller, an ASIC, an FPGA, an FPOA, and a PLD. The fan controller 112 activates at least a portion of the fan module 108 based on a prescribed temperature threshold level. The controller memory block 106 is operative to store the prescribed temperature threshold level. In one implementation, the prescribed temperature threshold level is at least 35° C. In the same and alternate implementations, the prescribed temperature threshold level is adjustable (that is, programmable). The temperature sensor 110 is responsive to the programmable controller 102 and records a temperature substantially surrounding one or more electronic components in the device 100. In the example embodiment of
The fan module 108 is considered an active replacement fan module. The active replacement fan module comprises a plurality of modular fan assemblies within the fan module 108 (as described in further detail below with respect to
In operation, the temperature sensor 110 senses excessive thermal energy above the prescribed temperature threshold level. Based on the amount of thermal energy the temperature sensor 110 senses, the fan module 108 substantially disperses the thermal energy away from at least one component in the device 100 by directing one or more of the modular fan assemblies at the at least one component. The fan controller 112 and the fan module 108 provide continuous cooling for the device 100 without a disruption of service.
The coooling assembly 204 further comprises openings 2081 to 2083. Each of the openings 2081 to 2083 are associated with at least one fan of the plurality of modular fan assemblies of the fan module 108. It is understood that the cooling assembly 204 is capable of accommodating any appropriate number of openings 208 (for example, one or more openings 208) for each of the modular fan assemblies of the fan module 108 in a single cooling assembly 204.
In one implementation, the cooling assembly 204 is serviceable without any tools. The cooling assembly 204 is accessed by removing a cover panel (not shown) and extracting the cooling assembly 204 from the enclosure 202. In one implementation, the cooling assembly 204 enters the enclosure 202 on a guide 210 until a floating blind-mate connector (shown in further detail below with respect to
At block 604, if the cooling assembly 204 is operating in a fail safe mode, the substantial dispersion of thermal energy continues at block 606 while replacing at least the failed portion of the cooling assembly 204 while the device 100 continues to function. In one implementation, the at least one thermal conductor 206 of
In one implementation, the block 700 determines a current prescribed temperature threshold level at block 702. At block 704, if the prescribed temperature threshold level has not changed (alternatively, the prescribed temperature threshold level is configured at a constant value), the method 700 continues at block 708. If the prescribed temperature threshold level has changed (block 706), the controller memory block 106 is updated and control logic in the fan controller 112 is adjusted. At block 708, the temperature sensor 110 measures a current temperature substantially surrounding one or more of the electronic components in the device 100. If the current temperature is at or above the prescribed temperature threshold level (block 710), the fan controller 112 automatically activates the cooling assembly 204 (that is, the fan module 108) at block 712 to substantially disperse thermal energy away from the one or more components in the device 100. The fan controller 112 controls and monitors a series of fans in the fan module 108. In the example embodiment of
At block 714, the fan controller 112 senses if all of the fans in the fan module 108 are operating. If at least one fan in the fan module 108 is not operating, the fan controller 112 sends a signal to the programmable controller 102 that the fan module 108 is operating in a fail safe mode at block 716. In one implementation, the programmable controller 102 provides visual indication of the failure with the diagnostic indicator 114 that the fan module 108 requires replacing. The diagnostic indicator 114 provides a visual indication of the failure detected in the fan module 108. Continuously operating the device 100 in a fail safe cooling mode defers replacement of at least the failed portion of the fan module 108 while maintaining a current temperature in the device 100 below a critical temperature, as discussed above with respect to
This description has been presented for purposes of illustration, and is not intended to be exhaustive or limited to the form (or forms) disclosed. Variations and modifications may occur, which fall within the scope of the following claims.
This application is related to commonly assigned U.S. patent application Ser. No. ______, (Attorney Docket No. 100.813US01), filed on even date herewith and entitled “PROGRAMMABLE HIGH SPEED CROSSBAR SWITCH” (the '813 Application). The '813 Application is incorporated herein by reference. This application is also related to the following commonly assigned applications filed on even date herewith, each of which is incorporated herein by reference: U.S. patent application Ser. No. ______, (Attorney Docket No. 100.816US01), entitled “AN APPARATUS FOR COOLING ELECTRONICS” (the '816 Application). U.S. patent application Ser. No. ______, (Attorney Docket No. 100.818US01), entitled “FILTER ASSEMBLY” (the '818 Application).
