Abstract: A memory module cooling system includes a liquid cooled manifold assembly and a heat spreader assembly rotateably attached to the liquid cooled manifold assembly about an axis perpendicular to the memory module. The liquid cooled manifold assembly includes a manifold, an liquid inlet, and a liquid outlet. The heat spreader assembly includes a base in thermal contact with a heat pipe, and a heat spreader in thermal contact with the heat pipe, the heat spreader configured to thermally engage the memory module. In certain embodiments, thermal bonds are maintained between a plurality of neighboring memory modules when a particular heat spreader assembly is rotated away from an associated memory module.

Abstract: An apparatus and method is provided for conveying heat away from an electronic component. In one embodiment, a method positions a conformable thermal interface element in heat conducting contact with an electronic component. A heat conducting member is disposed within the conformable thermal interface element. The heat conducting member is coupled with a manifold so that the heat conducting member is in heat conducting contact with the manifold. The electronic component may be installed or removed without disassembly of the apparatus.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for conveying heat away from an electronic component. The apparatus may include, a conformable thermal interface sleeve adapted to embrace the electronic component. The apparatus may further include, a heat conducting wedge adapted to contact the conformable thermal interface sleeve and a thermal channel adapted to contact the heat conducting wedge. The apparatus may also include a manifold adapted to contact the thermal channel.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for conveying heat away from an electronic component. The apparatus may include, a conformable thermal interface sleeve adapted to embrace the electronic component. The apparatus may further include, a heat conducting wedge adapted to contact the conformable thermal interface sleeve and a thermal channel adapted to contact the heat conducting wedge. The apparatus may also include a manifold adapted to contact the thermal channel.

Abstract: A printer has a heat source disposed adjacent a temperature sensor to transfer heat upon activation across a portion of an introduced print media to the temperature sensor and a controller to receive a signal from the temperature sensor and to obtain a temperature signature generally identifying attributes of the introduced print media and to adjust print head settings in response to the identified attributes. The printer may further comprise a sensor to detect access to a print media storage compartment and to initiate examination of the heat transfer properties of the introduced print media upon detecting that the print storage compartment has been accessed.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for conveying heat away from an electronic component. The apparatus may include, a conformable thermal interface sleeve adapted to embrace the electronic component. The apparatus may further include, a heat conducting wedge adapted to contact the conformable thermal interface sleeve and a thermal channel adapted to contact the heat conducting wedge. The apparatus may also include a manifold adapted to contact the thermal channel.

Abstract: Methods, apparatus, and products are disclosed for improving the airflow exiting a blower that has one or more adjustable guide vanes that are affixed to the blower at one or more pivot points located in an outlet of the blower that include: determining a rotational speed of an impeller in the blower and adjusting a position of at least one of the adjustable guide vanes in dependence upon the rotational speed of the impeller.

Abstract: Methods, apparatus, and products are disclosed for improving the airflow exiting a blower that has one or more adjustable guide vanes that are affixed to the blower at one or more pivot points located in an outlet of the blower that include: determining a rotational speed of an impeller in the blower and adjusting a position of at least one of the adjustable guide vanes in dependence upon the rotational speed of the impeller.

Abstract: An apparatus and method is provided for conveying heat away from an electronic component. In one embodiment, a method positions a conformable thermal interface element in heat conducting contact with an electronic component. A heat conducting member is disposed within the conformable thermal interface element. The heat conducting member is coupled with a manifold so that the heat conducting member is in heat conducting contact with the manifold. The electronic component may be installed or removed without disassembly of the apparatus.

Abstract: Methods, apparatus, and products are disclosed for improving the airflow exiting a blower that has one or more adjustable guide vanes that are affixed to the blower at one or more pivot points located in an outlet of the blower that include: determining a rotational speed of an impeller in the blower and adjusting a position of at least one of the adjustable guide vanes in dependence upon the rotational speed of the impeller.

Abstract: One embodiment provides a heatsink having a flexible base and height-adjusted cooling fins. The flexible base includes a single base plate, with cooling fins and heat pipes secured directly to an upper surface of the single base plate. The use of the single base plate allows the length of the cooling fins to be increased. The use of a single base plate also allows the base to flex when mounted at the outer region of the base plate to a circuit board using fasteners. The flexure of the base biases the heatsink against the heat-generating component. The flexure also displaces the outer cooling fins, and the length of the outer cooling fins is further increased to compensate for the anticipate displacement.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention include an adaptive system and method for cooling a computer system. A plurality of interchangeable fans may be provided for cooling the computer system. Each fan may have different operational limits, but with a minimum fan speed selected so that all of the fans produce substantially the same airflow rate at the respective minimum fan speed. In one embodiment, the operational limits are stored in a computer-readable storage medium on a computer system cooling fan. The stored fan speeds are electronically retrieved from the fan, and a fan speed table is automatically generated from the retrieved maximum and minimum fan speeds. The fan speed table includes cooling state values indexed to specific fan speed values. The fan is operated at a fan speed associated with a dynamically selected cooling state.

Abstract: One embodiment involves detecting the fouling of an air filter used to filter airflow entering a computer system. An expected airflow rate is obtained from a current fan speed. An expected temperature rise between two positions is computed as a function of the expected airflow rate and the power consumption of heat-generating components, such as servers. An actual temperature rise is obtained from temperature sensors. An electronic alert is automatically generated in response to the actual temperature rise exceeding the expected temperature rise by a setpoint. Different setpoints may be used to trigger distinct electronic alerts.

Abstract: A method is provided for detecting the type of print media provided to a thermal printer. A printer has a heat source disposed adjacent a temperature sensor to transfer heat upon activation across a portion of an introduced print media to the temperature sensor and a controller to receive a signal from the temperature sensor and to obtain a temperature signature generally identifying attributes of the introduced print media and to adjust print head settings in response to the identified attributes. The printer may further comprise a sensor to detect access to a print media storage compartment and to initiate examination of the heat transfer properties of the introduced print media upon detecting that the print storage compartment has been accessed.

Abstract: A computer system has a plurality of heat-generating computer devices arranged in a data center, a cooling system in the data center, and a real-time cooling controller. The cooling system is configured for directing a cooling fluid to a plurality of different zones of the computer system, where each zone is occupied by a different subset of the heat-generating devices. The real-time cooling controller is configured for monitoring a power consumption of the heat-generating devices at each zone, independently controlling a cooling fluid flow rate to each zone, targeting one of the zones for increased cooling in response to a detected increase in the power consumption at the targeted zone, and increasing the cooling fluid flow rate to the targeted zone in immediate response to the power consumption increase.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method comprises accessing historical operating data for a unit of information technology equipment, wherein the historical operating data includes power consumption, fan speed, inlet air temperature, workload, and any processor throttling events at various points in time. The method further comprises receiving user input selecting a fan speed, and using the historical operating data to determine a performance impact that is expected from operating the unit at the selected fan speed, where the power consumption is a proxy for performance. The estimated performance impact of the selected fan speed and one or more alternative fan speeds is then displayed.

Abstract: A fluid-cooled computer system includes a plurality of heat-generating components and a cooling system configured for supplying a cooling fluid at a controlled cooling fluid flow rate to cool the heat-generating components. A temperature-based cooling control circuit includes a temperature sensor configured for sensing a temperature of the heat-generating components and control logic for increasing a cooling fluid flow rate in response to the temperature exceeding a temperature threshold. A power-based cooling control circuit is configured for identifying and quantifying an increasing power consumption trend over a target time interval and, during a period that the temperature of the electronic device does not exceed the temperature threshold, increasing a cooling fluid flow rate to the electronic device in response to the magnitude of the increasing power consumption trend exceeding a power threshold.

Abstract: An apparatus is provided to remove heat from a heat-generating component of a computer, such as a processor. The apparatus comprises a first heat sink having a plurality of leader fins, wherein the first heat sink is thermo-conductively coupled to a heat-generating component that is coupled to a first portion of a chassis; and a second heat sink having a plurality of follower fins, wherein the second heat sink is thermo-conductively coupled to a second portion of the chassis, and wherein the plurality of follower fins are disposed in an interlaced configuration with the plurality of follower fins to promote radiative heat transfer from the leader fins to the follower fins. Optionally, one or more alignment structures may be used to facilitate the relative movement of the first and second chassis portions into an operative position in which the leader and follower fins are in the interlaced configuration.

Abstract: An assembly used to scrape clean a vent pattern with a blade and catch or the scrapings.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention include computer-implemented methods for selectively applying remedial actions, according to a predefined order, for reducing the error rate in a computer memory system. In one embodiment, an ordered set of remedial actions are sequentially invoked in response to a single-bit error (SBE) in a DIMM reaching successive error thresholds. For example, in an air-cooled system, the remedial actions may include dynamically increasing a DIMM refresh rate, dynamically increasing a rate of airflow used to cool the DIMMs, and dynamically throttling the DIMMs. The remedial actions may be layered as they are successively invoked, to provide a cumulative remedial effect. At least two of the remedial actions may be simultaneously invoked in response to a multi-bit error rate reaching an associated threshold.