Patents by Inventor Madhusudan K. Iyengar

Madhusudan K. Iyengar has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 8953320
    Abstract: Cooling apparatus and methods are provided for partial immersion-cooling of multiple electronic components. The cooling apparatus includes a housing at least partially surrounding and forming a compartment about the components, and a fluid disposed within the compartment. First and second electronic components are at least partially non-immersed within the fluid, with the first component being a different type of electronic component with different configuration than the second component. A vapor condenser is provided with a vapor-condensing surface disposed within the compartment for condensing fluid vapor, and a condensate redirect structure is disposed within the compartment between the vapor condenser and the first and second components. The redirect structure is differently configured over the first electronic component compared with over the second electronic component, and provides a different pattern of condensate drip over the first component compared with over the second component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 10, 2015
    Inventors: Levi A. Campbell, Richard C. Chu, Milnes P. David, Michael J. Ellsworth, Jr., Madhusudan K. Iyengar, Roger R. Schmidt, Robert E. Simons
  • Patent number: 8953317
    Abstract: Cooling apparatuses and methods are provided for immersion-cooling one or more electronic components. The cooling apparatus includes a housing at least partially surrounding and forming a fluid-tight compartment about the electronic component(s) and a dielectric fluid disposed within the fluid-tight compartment, with the electronic component(s) immersed within the dielectric fluid. A vapor-condenser and one or more wicking components are also provided. The vapor-condenser includes a plurality of thermally conductive condenser fins extending within the fluid-tight compartment, and the wicking component(s) is disposed within the fluid-tight compartment in physical contact with at least a portion of one or more thermally conductive condenser fins of the thermally conductive condenser fins extending within the compartment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 10, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Levi A. Campbell, Richard C. Chu, Milnes P. David, Michael J. Ellsworth, Jr., Madhusudan K. Iyengar, Robert E. Simons
  • Publication number: 20150036288
    Abstract: Methods of facilitating cooling an electronic system are provided, which include: providing a heat sink(s) configured to cool an electronic component(s), the heat sink(s) including a coolant-carrying channel for a first coolant, the first coolant providing two-phase cooling to the electronic component(s) and being discharged from the heat sink(s) as coolant exhaust with coolant vapor; providing a node-level condensation module coupled in fluid communication with the heat sink(s), the condensation module receiving first coolant exhaust from the heat sink(s) and being liquid-cooled via a second coolant to condense coolant vapor before return to a rack-level return manifold; automatically controlling at least one of liquid-cooling of the heat sink(s), or liquid-cooling of the condensation module(s); and providing a control valve for adjusting flow rate of the second coolant to the condensation module(s), the control valve being automatically controlled based on a characterization of the coolant vapor in the cool
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 21, 2014
    Publication date: February 5, 2015
    Inventors: Levi A. CAMPBELL, Richard C. CHU, Milnes P. DAVID, Michael J. ELLSWORTH, JR., Madhusudan K. IYENGAR, Robert E. SIMONS
  • Patent number: 8947873
    Abstract: A cooled electronic system and cooling method are provided, where an electronics board having a plurality of electronic components mounted to the board is cooled by an apparatus which includes an immersion-cooled electronic component section and a conduction-cooled electronic component section. The immersion-cooled section includes an enclosure at least partially surrounding and forming a compartment about multiple electronic components of the electronic components mounted to the electronics board, and a fluid disposed within the compartment. The multiple electronic components are, at least in part, immersed within the fluid to facilitate immersion-cooling of those components. The conduction-cooled electronic component section includes at least one electronic component of the electronic components mounted to the electronics board, and the at least one electronic component is indirectly liquid-cooled, at least in part, via conduction of heat from the at least one electronic component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Levi A. Campbell, Richard C. Chu, Milnes P. David, Michael J. Ellsworth, Jr., Madhusudan K. Iyengar, Roger R. Schmidt, Robert E. Simons
  • Patent number: 8941994
    Abstract: A vapor condenser is provided which includes a three-dimensional folded structure which defines, at least in part, a set of coolant-carrying channels and a set of vapor condensing channels, with the coolant-carrying channels being interleaved with and extending parallel to the vapor condensing channels. The folded structure includes a thermally conductive sheet with multiple folds in the sheet. One side of the sheet is a vapor condensing surface, and the opposite side of the sheet is a coolant-cooled surface, with at least a portion of the coolant-cooled surface defining the coolant-carrying channels, and being in contact with coolant within the coolant-carrying channels. The vapor condenser further includes, in one embodiment, a top plate, and first and second end manifolds which are coupled to opposite ends of the folded structure and in fluid communication with the coolant-carrying channels to facilitate flow of coolant through the coolant-carrying channels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 27, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Levi A. Campbell, Richard C. Chu, Milnes P. David, Michael J. Ellsworth, Jr., Madhusudan K. Iyengar, Roger R. Schmidt, Robert E. Simons
  • Patent number: 8934250
    Abstract: Cooling apparatuses and methods are provided for pumped immersion-cooling of selected electronic components of an electronic system, such as a node or book of a multi-node rack. The cooling apparatus includes a housing assembly defining a compartment about the component(s) to be cooled, which is coupled to a first side of a printed circuit board. The assembly includes a first frame with an opening sized to accommodate the component(s), and a second frame. The first and second frames are sealed to opposite sides of the board via a first adhesive layer and a second adhesive layer, respectively. The printed circuit board is at least partially porous to a coolant to flow through the compartment, and the first frame, second frame, and first and second adhesive layers are non-porous with respect to the coolant, and provide a coolant-tight seal to the first and second sides of the printed circuit board.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 13, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Levi A. Campbell, Richard C. Chu, Milnes P. David, Michael J. Ellsworth, Jr., Madhusudan K. Iyengar, Roger R. Schmidt, Robert E. Simons
  • Patent number: 8929080
    Abstract: A method is provided for pumped immersion-cooling of selected electronic components of an electronic system, such as a node or book of a multi-node rack. The method includes providing a housing assembly defining a compartment about the component(s) to be cooled, which is coupled to a first side of a printed circuit board. The assembly includes a first frame with an opening sized to accommodate the component(s), and a second frame. The first and second frames are sealed to opposite sides of the board via a first adhesive layer and a second adhesive layer, respectively. The printed circuit board is at least partially porous to a coolant to flow through the compartment, and the first frame, second frame, and first and second adhesive layers are non-porous with respect to the coolant, and provide a coolant-tight seal to the first and second sides of the printed circuit board.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Levi A. Campbell, Richard C. Chu, Milnes P. David, Michael J. Ellsworth, Jr., Madhusudan K. Iyengar, Roger R. Schmidt, Robert E. Simons
  • Patent number: 8925333
    Abstract: Thermoelectric-enhanced air and liquid cooling of an electronic system is provided by a cooling apparatus which includes a liquid-cooled structure in thermal communication with an electronic component(s), and liquid-to-liquid and air-to-liquid heat exchangers coupled in series fluid communication via a coolant loop, which includes first and second loop portions coupled in parallel. The liquid-cooled structure is supplied coolant via the first loop portion, and a thermoelectric array is disposed with the first and second loop portions in thermal contact with first and second sides of the array. The thermoelectric array operates to transfer heat from coolant passing through the first loop portion to coolant passing through the second loop portion, and cools coolant passing through the first loop portion before the coolant passes through the liquid-cooled structure. Coolant passing through the first and second loop portions passes through the series-coupled heat exchangers, one of which functions as heat sink.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Levi A. Campbell, Richard C. Chu, Milnes P. David, Michael J. Ellsworth, Jr., Madhusudan K. Iyengar, Roger R. Schmidt, Robert E. Simons
  • Patent number: 8922998
    Abstract: A cooling apparatus is provided which includes one or more coolant-cooled structures attached to one or more electronic components, one or more coolant conduits, and one or more coolant manifolds. The coolant-cooled structure(s) includes one or more coolant-carrying channels, and the coolant manifolds includes one or more rotatable manifold sections. One coolant conduit couples in fluid communication a respective rotatable manifold section and the coolant-carrying channel(s) of a respective coolant-cooled structure. The respective rotatable manifold section is rotatable relative to another portion of the coolant manifold to facilitate detaching of the coolant-cooled structure from its associated electronic component while maintaining the coolant-cooled structure in fluid communication with the respective rotatable manifold section through the one coolant conduit, which in one embodiment, is a substantially rigid coolant conduit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2014
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Levi A. Campbell, Richard C. Chu, Milnes P. David, Michael J. Ellsworth, Jr., Madhusudan K. Iyengar, Eric J. McKeever, Robert E. Simons
  • Patent number: 8919143
    Abstract: An air-cooling apparatus is provided which includes an air-cooling wall cooling airflow passing through an electronics rack(s) of a data center. The air-cooling wall is disposed separate from and in spaced relation to the air inlet or air outlet side(s) of the electronics rack(s), and includes a wall panel support structure disposed separate from the electronics rack(s), which supports one or more slidable wall panels. The slidable wall panel(s) includes an air-to-liquid heat exchanger slidably supported and disposed in spaced relation to the air outlet or air inlet side of the electronics rack(s). The heat exchanger extracts heat from air passing across the heat exchanger and is slidable within the support structure in a direction transverse to the direction of airflow through the rack(s). Slidable support of the heat exchanger by the support structure facilitates access to the air outlet or air inlet sides of the electronics rack(s).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2014
    Assignee: Lenovo Enterprise Solutions (Singapore) Pte. Ltd.
    Inventors: Eric A. Eckberg, David P. Graybill, Madhusudan K. Iyengar, Howard V. Mahaney, Jr., Roger R. Schmidt, Kenneth R. Schneebeli
  • Patent number: 8913384
    Abstract: Cooling apparatuses and coolant-cooled electronic systems are provided which include thermal transfer structures configured to engage with a spring force one or more electronics cards with docking of the electronics card(s) within a respective socket(s) of the electronic system. A thermal transfer structure of the cooling apparatus includes a thermal spreader having a first thermal conduction surface, and a thermally conductive spring assembly coupled to the conduction surface of the thermal spreader and positioned and configured to reside between and physically couple a first surface of an electronics card to the first surface of the thermal spreader with docking of the electronics card within a socket of the electronic system. The thermal transfer structure is, in one embodiment, metallurgically bonded to a coolant-cooled structure and facilitates transfer of heat from the electronics card to coolant flowing through the coolant-cooled structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2014
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Milnes P. David, David P. Graybill, Madhusudan K. Iyengar, Vinod Kamath, Bejoy J. Kochuparambil, Pritish R. Parida, Roger R. Schmidt, Mark E. Steinke
  • Patent number: 8899052
    Abstract: Apparatus and method are provided for facilitating cooling of an electronic component of varying heat load. The apparatus includes a refrigerant evaporator coupled in thermal communication with the electronic component, a refrigerant loop coupled in fluid communication with the refrigerant evaporator for facilitating flow of refrigerant through the evaporator, and a thermoelectric array disposed in thermal communication with the evaporator. The thermoelectric array includes one or more thermoelectric elements, and is powered by a voltage and by a current of switchable polarity, which are controlled to maintain heat load on refrigerant flowing through the refrigerant evaporator within a steady state range, notwithstanding varying of the heat load applied to the refrigerant flowing through the refrigerant by the at least one electronic component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2014
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Levi A. Campbell, Richard C. Chu, Michael J. Ellsworth, Jr., Madhusudan K. Iyengar, Robert E. Simons
  • Patent number: 8879257
    Abstract: A method is provided for facilitating powering and cooling of one or more electronics racks. The method includes: providing a frame; associating at least one bulk power assembly with the frame, the at least one bulk power assembly being configured to provide power to the electronics rack(s), wherein the frame with the associated one or more bulk power assemblies is distinct from the electronics rack(s); and associating one or more heat exchange assemblies with the frame, the heat exchange assembly(ies) being configured to cool system coolant provided to the electronics rack(s). In operation, heat is transferred by the heat exchange assembly(ies) from the system coolant to a facility coolant, and the frame with the associated bulk power assembly(ies) and associated heat exchange assembly(ies) provides both power and cooling to the electronics rack(s).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2014
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Levi A. Campbell, Richard C. Chu, Milnes P. David, Michael J. Ellsworth, Jr., Madhusudan K. Iyengar, Robert E. Simons
  • Patent number: 8880225
    Abstract: A method, system, and computer program product for controlling data center cooling. In an example embodiment the method includes calculating, using a processor, an over-provisioning factor, where the over-provisioning factor is a function of a ratio of a rated cooling power to a calculated cooling power of a set of cooling units, the set of cooing units comprising at least one cooling unit. The method proceeds by adjusting the data-center cooling until the over-provisioning factor is substantially equal to a target over-provisioning factor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2014
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Madhusudan K. Iyengar, Roger R. Schmidt
  • Patent number: 8856321
    Abstract: A system to improve operation of a data center with heterogeneous computing clouds may include monitoring components to track data center climate controls and individual heterogeneous computing clouds' operating parameters within the data center. The system may also include a controller that regulates the individual heterogeneous computing clouds and data center climate controls based upon data generated by the monitoring components to improve the operating performance of the individual heterogeneous computing clouds as well as the operating performance of the data center. The system may further include spilling computing clouds to receive excess workload of an individual heterogeneous computing cloud without violating individual heterogeneous computing clouds contracts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2014
  • Patent number: 8833096
    Abstract: A heat exchange assembly and apparatus and method employing the heat exchange assembly are provided. The heat exchange assembly includes a coolant-to-refrigerant heat exchanger and a heater. The heat exchanger includes a coolant inlet and a coolant outlet for passing a coolant through the heat exchanger, and a refrigerant inlet and a refrigerant outlet for separately passing a refrigerant through the heat exchanger. The heat exchanger cools coolant passing through the heat exchanger by dissipating heat from coolant passing through the heat exchanger to refrigerant passing through the heat exchanger. The heater is integrated with the heat exchanger and applies an auxiliary heat load to refrigerant passing through the heat exchanger to facilitate ensuring that refrigerant passing through the heat exchanger absorbs at least a specified minimum heat load, for example, to ensure that refrigerant egressing from the refrigerant outlet of the heat exchanger is superheated vapor refrigerant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 16, 2014
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Levi A. Campbell, Richard C. Chu, Michael J. Ellsworth, Jr., Madhusudan K. Iyengar, Robert E. Simons
  • Patent number: 8827547
    Abstract: Apparatus and method are provided for facilitating simulation of heated airflow exhaust of an electronics subsystem, electronics rack or row of electronics racks. The apparatus includes a thermal simulator, which includes an air-moving device and a fluid-to-air heat exchanger. The air-moving device establishes airflow from an air inlet to air outlet side of the thermal simulator tailored to correlate to heated airflow exhaust of the electronics subsystem, rack or row of racks being simulated. The fluid-to-air heat exchanger heats airflow through the thermal simulator, with temperature of airflow exhausting from the simulator being tailored to correlate to temperature of the heated airflow exhaust of the electronics subsystem, rack or row of racks being simulated. The apparatus further includes a fluid distribution apparatus, which includes a fluid distribution unit disposed separate from the fluid simulator and providing hot fluid to the fluid-to-air heat exchanger of the thermal simulator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2014
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Matthew R. Archibald, Richard C. Chu, Hendrik Hamann, Madhusudan K. Iyengar, Roger R. Schmidt
  • Patent number: 8824143
    Abstract: A combined power and cooling apparatus is provided facilitating powering and cooling one or more electronics racks, which are distinct from the power and cooling apparatus. The power and cooling apparatus includes a frame, one or more bulk power assemblies associated with the frame, and one or more heat exchange assemblies associated with the frame. The one or more bulk power assemblies are configured to provide power to the one or more electronics racks, and the one or more heat exchange assemblies are configured to cool system coolant provided to the one or more electronics racks. Heat is transferred by the one or more heat exchange assemblies from the system coolant to a facility coolant. In operation, the power and cooling apparatus is coupled to provide both power and cooling to the one or more electronics racks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2014
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Levi A. Campbell, Richard C. Chu, Milnes P. David, Michael J. Ellsworth, Jr., Madhusudan K. Iyengar, Robert E. Simons
  • Patent number: 8813515
    Abstract: Apparatus and method are provided for facilitating cooling of an electronic component. The apparatus includes a refrigerant loop, a compressor coupled to the refrigerant loop, and a controllable thermoelectric array disposed in thermal communication with the refrigerant loop. Refrigerant flowing through the refrigerant loop facilitates dissipation of heat from the electronic component, and the thermoelectric array is disposed with a first portion of the refrigerant loop, residing upstream of the compressor, in thermal contact with a first side of the array, and a second portion of the refrigerant loop, residing downstream of the compressor, in thermal contact with a second side of the array. The thermoelectric array ensures that refrigerant in the refrigerant loop entering the compressor is in a superheated thermodynamic state by transferring heat from refrigerant passing through the second portion to refrigerant passing through the first portion of the refrigerant loop.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2014
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Levi A. Campbell, Richard C. Chu, Michael J. Ellsworth, Jr., Madhusudan K. Iyengar, Robert E. Simons
  • Patent number: 8817474
    Abstract: A multi-rack assembly is provided which includes first and second electronics racks. The first electronics rack includes one or more cooling units disposed within the first electronics rack, which are coupled in fluid communication with a primary coolant loop of the first electronics rack to, at least in part, provide cooled coolant to the primary coolant loop and facilitate cooling one or more first rack electronic components. The second electronics rack includes a secondary coolant loop coupled in fluid communication with the cooling unit(s) disposed within the first electronics rack. The multi-rack assembly further includes a controller to automatically provide cooled coolant to the secondary coolant loop, and wherein the controller controls flow of cooled coolant from the cooling unit(s) to the secondary coolant loop depending, at least in part, on cooling requirements of the first electronics rack.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2014
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Levi A. Campbell, Richard C. Chu, Milnes P. David, Michael J. Ellsworth, Jr., Madhusudan K. Iyengar, Robert E. Simons