Abstract: A system for cooling an electronic device having a heat-generating component includes a passive cooling device having a cooling ability designed to expire after a predetermined amount of heat is absorbed from the heat-generating component and an active cooling device configured to at least one of dissipate heat generated by the heat-generating component and cool the passive cooling device, when the active cooling device is activated. The system also includes a controller configured to activate the active cooling device after a determination that a predetermined threshold condition has occurred, wherein the predetermined threshold condition is selected to occur after the passive cooling device cooling ability has substantially expired, to thereby substantially minimize power consumption of the active cooling device in cooling the heat-generating component.

Abstract: A method of workload placement among servers includes receipt of a workload request. The method also includes selection of a group of servers from a set of servers capable of performing the requested workload. In addition, server workload indexes, which are ratios of temperature rises due to re-circulation load for the servers in the group of servers to temperature rises due to re-circulation load for the set of servers, of the servers in the group of servers are calculated. Moreover, the workload is placed on one or more of the servers in the group of servers based upon the server workload indexes of the servers in the group of servers.

Abstract: In a method of workload placement based upon capacity utilizations of a plurality of CRAC units, the provisioning of the plurality of CRAC units is determined and the zone of influence for each of the plurality of CRAC units is also determined based upon the provisioning of the plurality of CRAC units. It is determined whether a CRAC unit of the plurality of CRAC units is at least one of near failure or has failed. In addition, the workload is shifted from a zone of influence of at least one CRAC unit to a zone of influence of another of the plurality of CRAC units in response to a determination that a CRAC unit is at least one of near failure or has failed.

Abstract: A modular sensor assembly for sensing conditions at a computer rack, such as environmental conditions. The sensor assembly includes an elongate flexible body, configured to attach to a computer rack, with a plurality of addressable sensors, disposed along the body and interconnected to a common connector wire. A connector wire lead is provided to interconnect the connector wire to a central system configured to receive and interpret data from the plurality of sensors relating to conditions associated with the computer rack.

Abstract: In a method for correlating vent tiles with racks, the vent tiles are opened to a first setting and the mass flow rates of air received by the racks and supplied through the vent tiles are determined. In addition, one of the vent tiles is closed to obtain a second setting and the mass flow rates of air received by the racks and supplied through the vent tiles are determined at the second setting. The vent tiles and the racks are correlated based upon the determined mass flow rates of air received by the racks and the mass flow rates of air supplied through the vent tiles at the first and second settings.

Abstract: A system for controlling airflow around an air-cooled heat generating device includes a cooling fluid line and heat exchangers positioned along the cooling fluid line to cool airflow around components in the heat generating device. The heat exchangers are positioned adjacent to the heat generating device such that the heat exchangers are directly in the path of at least one of airflow supplied into the components and airflow exhausted from the components. The system also includes valves positioned along the cooling fluid line to control cooling fluid flow through respective heat exchangers. The system further includes a secondary heat exchanger configured to absorb heat from the cooling fluid and a controller configured to control the valves to thereby control the cooling fluid flow through the heat exchangers.

Abstract: A method for data connectivity in a room with a robotic device. In the method, at least one condition is detected with a plurality of sensors and the detected at least one condition is communicated from the sensors to associated access points. One or more of the access points are selected and the robotic device is maneuvered to a location in a vicinity of one or more of the selected access points. The detected at least one condition is communicated from one or more of the selected access points to the robotic device. In addition, the robotic device is maneuvered to a location in a vicinity of a base station and the detected at least one condition is communicated from the robotic device to the base station.

Abstract: In a method for correlating vent tiles with racks based upon vent tile settings and rack inlet temperatures, the vent tiles are set to a first setting, the first vent tile settings are recorded and the temperatures at the inlets of the racks are detected at the first vent tile settings. One of the vent tiles is closed to obtain a second setting, the second vent tile settings are recorded and the temperatures at the inlets of the racks are detected at the second vent tile settings. In addition, the vent tiles and the racks are correlated based upon the settings of the vent tiles and the temperatures detected at the first vent tile settings and the second vent tile settings.

Abstract: An adaptable semiconductor chip cooling system having a readily openable enclosure defining a chamber configured to hold a printed circuit board carrying components to be cooled. Within the enclosure is a sprayer delivery system with a height-controllable sprayer for spraying hot components. The sprayer delivery system has an actuator configured to move the sprayer among positions for spraying different components. The actuator can be of the types used for ink-jet printers or X-Y plotters. Alternatively, the actuator can be a continuous ribbon loop, or a series of radially extending rails. The actuator and sprayer are controlled by a controller, which also controls a configuration system that configures the sprayer delivery system for use with different boards. The controller uses sensors that sense the temperature of the hot components.

Abstract: An enclosure forms a plurality of tiers vertically stacked in a longitudinal dimension. Each tier is a 1U modular computer system having a computer chassis configured for mounting in the multi-tiered support, and computer components that need cooling within the computer chassis. A cold plate is in thermal communication with at least one of the computer components, and convectively removes heat from that component using a liquid coolant. A heat exchanger dissipates heat from the liquid coolant, and provides liquid coolant back to the cold plate. An air mover within the chassis cools the heat exchanger, blows air across other components needing cooling, and removes heated air from the chassis. The air mover may extend substantially across the chassis, or it may blow crosswise from an outlet-ventilating direction.

Abstract: A system for workload placement among data centers includes a plurality of grid resource allocation managers (GRAMs), wherein the GRAMs are configured to obtain information from the data centers. The system also includes an information service configured to receive information from the plurality of GRAMs and a broker configured to receive an application request and to determine resource requirements from the application request, wherein the broker is configured to determine which of the data centers contains adequate resources to perform the requested application. The system further includes a co-allocator configured to receive information pertaining to the data centers having the adequate resources, wherein the co-allocator is further configured to select one of the data centers to perform the requested application based upon energy efficiency characteristics of the data centers.

Abstract: A method for agent-based operation of a robotic device. In the method, at least one condition is detected in various locations of a room with a plurality of sensors. In a plurality of agents associated with respective areas of the room, the plurality of agents being configured to control at least one condition in the respective associated areas, sensed data is received from at least one of the plurality of sensors. In addition, it is determined whether the received sensed data are outside of respective predetermined ranges, and information related to the sensed data in response to the sensed data being outside of the predetermined ranges is transmitted to the robotic device. In the robotic device, the information received from one or more of the plurality of agents is processed to determine whether components of a cooling system are to be manipulated to vary a characteristic of cooling fluid supplied to the various locations of the room.

Abstract: A rack has a frame for supporting one or more electronic components. The frame includes a front side and a rear side. An angled panel is positioned on at least one of the front side and the rear side. The angled panel extends for a substantial portion of the frame and is configured to vary airflow through the rack.

Abstract: In a method of operating an air conditioning unit to reduce moisture varying operations, psychrometric chart data is accessed. In addition, a constraint is set on the relationship between the temperature of air supplied by the air conditioning unit and the relative humidity of the air supplied based upon information contained in the psychrometric chart data. The air conditioning unit is controlled based upon the constraint to thereby reduce moisture varying operations of the air conditioning unit.

Abstract: A method for commissioning sensors includes determining correlation data between the sensors and a plurality of actuators. The correlation data is based upon conditions detected by the sensors at a plurality of actuator settings. Correlation indexes are calculated from the correlation data, where a correlation index for a sensor is a function of the plurality of actuator settings and a particular actuator. In addition, each of the sensors is assigned to at least one of a plurality of actuator families based upon the calculated correlation indexes of the sensors to thereby commission the sensors.

Abstract: A device for sensing at least one environmental condition in a data center. The device includes a chassis, a propelling mechanism, a power supply, a steering mechanism, and a controller supported on the chassis. The chassis also supports at least one environmental condition sensor and is operable to travel through the data center and sense at least one environmental condition at various locations throughout the data center.

Abstract: An index of air re-circulation in a data center having one or more racks is determined to identify the level of heated air re-circulation into cooling fluid delivered to the one or more racks. The one or more racks comprise inlets and outlets and are positioned along a cool aisle and a hot aisle. The index is calculated by dividing the enthalpy rise due to infiltration of heated air into the cool aisle and the total enthalpy rise of the heated air from the outlets of the one or more racks.

Abstract: A rack has a frame for supporting one or more electronic components. A front panel and a rear panel are attached to the frame. At least one of the front panel and the rear panel comprises a vent having at least one movable louver configured to vary airflow through the vent.

Abstract: In a method for evaluating one or more components in a data center, inlet and outlet temperatures of one or more heat dissipating devices are detected. In addition, the temperatures of air supplied by one or more computer room air conditioning (CRAC) units are also detected. Indices of air re-circulation for the one or more heat dissipating devices are calculated based upon the detected inlet temperatures, outlet temperatures and supplied air temperatures. The indices of air re-circulation are determined at various flow field settings of air delivered to the one or more heat dissipating devices and the one or more components are evaluated based upon changes in the indices of air re-circulation for the one or more heat dissipating devices at the various flow field settings.

Abstract: A method for semi-autonomous operation of a robotic device in a room. In the method, one or more goal points are set and the distances between the robotic device and the one or more goal points are determined. A first one of the one or more goal points is selected and the robotic device is maneuvered to travel to the first one of the one or more goal points.