Patents by Inventor Austin M. Shelnutt

Austin M. Shelnutt 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: 11099545
    Abstract: An information handling system may include a main chassis and a motherboard-less expansion chassis. The main chassis may include a host system motherboard and a first host interconnect card. The motherboard-less expansion chassis may include a second host interconnect card communicatively coupled to the first interconnect card via an external cable having one or more in-band signal channels and one or more sideband signal channels, a first information handling resource configured to communicate data with the host system motherboard via the one or more in-band signal channels, and a second information handling resource configured to communicate control signals with the host system motherboard via the one or more sideband signal channels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2021
    Assignee: Dell Products L.P.
    Inventors: Austin M. Shelnutt, Shih-Tien Cheng
  • Patent number: 11039555
    Abstract: A method for cooling IT equipment of a velocity cooled (VC) mobile data center (MDC) includes: determining if a velocity of the VC MDC is above a minimum threshold velocity that enables ram air cooling of IT equipment within the VC MDC; and in response to the velocity not being above the minimum threshold velocity, activating a secondary cooling source to provide a flow of cooling air across the IT equipment within the VC MDC, the flow of cooling air supplementing the ram air cooling.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2021
    Assignee: Dell Products, L.P.
    Inventors: Austin M. Shelnutt, Edmond I. Bailey
  • Patent number: 11036265
    Abstract: A method for implementing power capping in a velocity cooled (VC) mobile data center (MDC). A management information handling system (IHS) applies a power cap for all power consuming components of the VC MDC based, in part, on the detected velocity of the VC MDC. The detected velocity is compared to an outside air cooling threshold velocity. In response to the detected velocity being below the outside air cooling threshold velocity, a first power cap is selected, based on the detected velocity being below the outside air cooling threshold velocity. In response to the detected velocity being at or above the outside air cooling threshold velocity, a second, higher, power cap is selected, based in part on the detected velocity being at or above the outside air cooling threshold velocity. Power capping is implemented to conserve available onboard power for IT equipment processing, based on availability of ram air cooling.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2021
    Assignee: Dell Products, L.P.
    Inventors: Austin M. Shelnutt, Edmond I. Bailey
  • Patent number: 10990144
    Abstract: A system may include a tank configured to hold a dielectric liquid, a rack located within the tank and having a plurality of bays, each bay configured to receive a corresponding device, an air pump configured to drive an air flow, at least one variable-buoyancy chamber mechanically coupled to at least one of the tank and the rack, each of the at least one variable-buoyancy chamber comprising a fluidically-sealed plenum and wherein the at least one variable-buoyancy chamber is configured to mechanically couple to a device-in-service, and a control subsystem configured to control a buoyancy of the at least one variable-buoyancy chamber in order to cause movement of the device-in-service relative to the rack.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2021
    Assignee: Dell Products L.P.
    Inventors: Nan Wang, Austin M. Shelnutt
  • Patent number: 10969841
    Abstract: A portable information handling system transfers thermal energy associated with operation of processing components in a main housing portion to a vapor chamber integrated in a lid housing portion that distributes the thermal energy across the lid housing portion. A hinge protrusion formed in the lid housing portion defines a cylindrical opening that accepts a hinge pin to rotationally couple the housing portions to each other. The cylindrical wall defines a barrier with the vapor chamber so that a thermal conduit passing from the main housing portion to the hinge pin transfers thermal energy from the hinge pin through the cylindrical wall to the vapor chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2021
    Assignee: Dell Products L.P.
    Inventors: Travis C. North, Mark A. Schwager, Austin M. Shelnutt, John T. Morrison
  • Patent number: 10936031
    Abstract: A portable information handling system transfers thermal energy associated with operation of a CPU to a location distal the CPU with a vapor chamber thermally interfaced with the CPU. A pressure adapter interfaced with the vapor chamber selectively changes the pressure within the vapor chamber to adjust the saturation point of a liquid in the vapor chamber that manages thermal transfer efficiency. For example, a controller interfaced with the pressure adapter modifies thermal transfer characteristics of the vapor chamber to control thermal conditions at the information handling system, such as in response to a temperature sensed at a housing surface, a battery, a display or at other locations of the information handling system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2021
    Assignee: Dell Products L.P.
    Inventors: Travis C. North, Mark A. Schwager, Austin M. Shelnutt, John T. Morrison
  • Patent number: 10939587
    Abstract: A cooling system for a server rack may cool one or more servers and one or more components thereof. The cooling system may comprise an air mover, an air delivery manifold, and one or more injection ducts for the one or more servers. The air mover may be located in an air mover module positioned in the server rack and may generate a pressurized airflow. The air delivery manifold receives the pressurized airflow generated by the air mover, and may have delivery ports and provide a fluid path for airflow out of the delivery ports to the injection ducts. The injection ducts may be used to inject the airflow of cooling air into the servers to cool the servers and one or more components thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2021
    Assignee: Dell Products, L.P.
    Inventors: Robert Boyd Curtis, Austin M. Shelnutt
  • Publication number: 20200401090
    Abstract: An information handling system may include an information handling resource, a heat-rejecting media thermally coupled to the information handling resource, the heat rejecting media comprising and a heatpipe structure comprising a plurality of heatpipes. The plurality of heatpipes may include a generally-cylindrical first pipe mechanically coupled at a location proximate the information handling resource and having a first cross-sectional area, a generally-cylindrical second pipe mechanically coupled to the first pipe having a second cross-sectional area less than the first cross-sectional area, and a generally-cylindrical third pipe mechanically coupled to the second pipe having a third cross-sectional area less than the second cross-sectional area, such that the second pipe is coupled between the first pipe and the third pipe and the first pipe, second pipe, and third pipe form a closed plenum, and a finstack structure comprising a plurality of fins mechanically and thermally coupled to the third pipe.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 20, 2019
    Publication date: December 24, 2020
    Applicant: Dell Products L.P.
    Inventors: Travis C. NORTH, Christopher M. HELBERG, Austin M. SHELNUTT
  • Patent number: 10823439
    Abstract: In accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure, a controller may include one or more environmental sensor inputs configured to receive data from one or more environmental sensors integral to an information handling system and a microcontroller unit communicatively coupled to the one or more environmental sensor inputs. The microcontroller unit may be configured to monitor the one or more environmental sensor inputs for one or more reliability-impacting events affecting or likely to affect operability of the information handling system and in response to an occurrence of a reliability-impacting event, apply an event-based policy affecting operation of one or more components of the information handling system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2020
    Assignee: Dell Products L.P.
    Inventors: Austin M. Shelnutt, Edmond I. Bailey, John R. Stuewe, Steven Embleton
  • Patent number: 10802555
    Abstract: A portable information handling system transfers thermal energy associated with operation of a CPU from a main housing portion to a lid housing portion with thermal conduction through a hinge assembly that rotationally couples the main and lid housing portions to each other. For example, thermal conduits insert into a hinge body and transfer thermal energy across the hinge body through a thermally conductive interface, such as the hinge body itself, thermal grease disposed in the hinge body, a liquid that fills a cavity of the hinge body shared by the thermal conduits, and a vapor chamber integrated in the hinge body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2020
    Assignee: Dell Products L.P.
    Inventors: Travis C. North, Mark A. Schwager, Austin M. Shelnutt, John T. Morrison
  • Patent number: 10802556
    Abstract: A portable information handling system transfers thermal energy associated with operation of processing components in a first housing portion to a thermal exchanger in a second housing portion through a hinge that rotationally couples the first and second housing portions. The hinge has first and second axles that each define a channel. Fluid heated at the first housing portion passes through the channel to the thermal exchanger where thermal energy is rejected from the system. In one embodiment, a second hinge having first and second axles that each define a channel provides a return path for the fluid from the second housing portion to the first housing portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2020
    Assignee: Dell Products L.P.
    Inventors: Travis C. North, Mark A. Schwager, Austin M. Shelnutt, John T. Morrison
  • Publication number: 20200319624
    Abstract: An information handling system may include a main chassis and a motherboard-less expansion chassis. The main chassis may include a host system motherboard and a first host interconnect card. The motherboard-less expansion chassis may include a second host interconnect card communicatively coupled to the first interconnect card via an external cable having one or more in-band signal channels and one or more sideband signal channels, a first information handling resource configured to communicate data with the host system motherboard via the one or more in-band signal channels, and a second information handling resource configured to communicate control signals with the host system motherboard via the one or more sideband signal channels.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 2, 2019
    Publication date: October 8, 2020
    Applicant: Dell Products L.P.
    Inventors: Austin M. SHELNUTT, Shih-Tien CHENG
  • Patent number: 10776526
    Abstract: A mobile data storage system includes a volumetric container of a mobile data center having IT equipment operating therein and an on-board high capacity storage (HCS). A storage compartment is configured within the container and is accessible from an exterior of the container. The storage compartment includes a plurality of individual storage slots each providing a docking port for connecting a removable data storage device (RDSD). At least one RDSD is inserted into a first storage slot of the plurality of storage slots. The RDSD facilitates rapid transfer of data to the MDC from edge data acquisition systems and to a data center facility. A management information handling system (IHS) is communicatively coupled to the HCS and to each docking port. The management IHS is configured to detect insertion of an RDSD into a docking port and coordinate a transfer of data from the RDSD to the HCS.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2020
    Assignee: Dell Products, L.P.
    Inventors: Austin M. Shelnutt, Edmond I. Bailey
  • Patent number: 10724599
    Abstract: An equipment rack withstands seismic events using a tuned mass damper. The tuned mass damper is adapted for rack mounting to a shelf, thus allowing the tuned mass damper to be retrofitted into existing rack installations. The tuned mass damper also has variable and/or swappable features to suit the weight, stiffness, and other properties of the equipment rack.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2020
    Assignee: Dell Products, L.P.
    Inventors: Steven Embleton, Austin M. Shelnutt, Ben J. Sy
  • Publication number: 20200150731
    Abstract: A system may include a tank configured to hold a dielectric liquid, a rack located within the tank and having a plurality of bays, each bay configured to receive a corresponding device, an air pump configured to drive an air flow, at least one variable-buoyancy chamber mechanically coupled to at least one of the tank and the rack, each of the at least one variable-buoyancy chamber comprising a fluidically-sealed plenum and wherein the at least one variable-buoyancy chamber is configured to mechanically couple to a device-in-service, and a control subsystem configured to control a buoyancy of the at least one variable-buoyancy chamber in order to cause movement of the device-in-service relative to the rack.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 9, 2018
    Publication date: May 14, 2020
    Applicant: Dell Products L.P.
    Inventors: Nan WANG, Austin M. SHELNUTT
  • Patent number: 10579112
    Abstract: A portable information handling system transfers thermal energy associated with operation of processing components between rotationally coupled housing portions through a thermal spreader disposed between the housing portions, such as a sheet having one or more layers of graphite. A tensioning assembly engages the thermal sheet to manage excess material associated with varying rotational orientations of the housing portions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2020
    Assignee: Dell Products L.P.
    Inventors: Travis C. North, Mark A. Schwager, Austin M. Shelnutt, John T. Morrison
  • Patent number: 10579113
    Abstract: A portable information handling system transfers thermal energy associated with operation of processing components in a main housing portion through a graphite torsion spring formed from a graphite sheet by cutting arms to extend out of opposing corners of a central portion and rolling the central portion about a central axis. The graphite torsion spring passes thermal energy between the housing portions with the spring releasing tension as the housing portions rotate from a closed to an open position and the central axis disposed about a hinge pin that couples the housing portions to each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2020
    Assignee: Dell Products L.P.
    Inventors: Travis C. North, Mark A. Schwager, Austin M. Shelnutt, John T. Morrison
  • Publication number: 20190332822
    Abstract: A mobile data storage system includes a volumetric container of a mobile data center having IT equipment operating therein and an on-board high capacity storage (HCS). A storage compartment is configured within the container and is accessible from an exterior of the container. The storage compartment includes a plurality of individual storage slots each providing a docking port for connecting a removable data storage device (RDSD). At least one RDSD is inserted into a first storage slot of the plurality of storage slots. The RDSD facilitates rapid transfer of data to the MDC from edge data acquisition systems and to a data center facility. A management information handling system (IHS) is communicatively coupled to the HCS and to each docking port. The management IHS is configured to detect insertion of an RDSD into a docking port and coordinate a transfer of data from the RDSD to the HCS.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 25, 2018
    Publication date: October 31, 2019
    Inventors: AUSTIN M. SHELNUTT, EDMOND I. BAILEY
  • Publication number: 20190335626
    Abstract: A method for cooling IT equipment of a velocity cooled (VC) mobile data center (MDC) includes: determining if a velocity of the VC MDC is above a minimum threshold velocity that enables ram air cooling of IT equipment within the VC MDC; and in response to the velocity not being above the minimum threshold velocity, activating a secondary cooling source to provide a flow of cooling air across the IT equipment within the VC MDC, the flow of cooling air supplementing the ram air cooling.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 6, 2019
    Publication date: October 31, 2019
    Inventors: AUSTIN M. SHELNUTT, EDMOND I. BAILEY
  • Publication number: 20190335625
    Abstract: A system includes a volumetric container having a first aft-facing wall and configured with an information technology (IT) compartment. The container is designed for placement on a trailer capable of being moved in at least an aft-facing direction at different velocities. The container includes at least one heat generating information technology (IT) equipment that operates to provide large scale data computation when provided with a flow of cooling air sufficient to maintain the IT equipment below a maximum operating temperature value. An air intake opening placed in the aft-facing wall provides an air intake path at which exterior air ingresses into the container at a high velocity to provide a flow of cooling air through the IT compartment, maintaining the ambient condition required by the heat generating IT equipment to continue large scale data processing whenever the container is moving in the aft-facing direction at a minimum threshold velocity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 25, 2018
    Publication date: October 31, 2019
    Inventors: AUSTIN M. SHELNUTT, EDMOND I. BAILEY, TY R. SCHMITT, MARK M. BAILEY