Patents by Inventor James J. Steffes

James J. Steffes 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: 9655282
    Abstract: A method is presented for adjusting coolant flow resistance through one or more liquid-cooled electronics racks. Flow restrictors are employed in association with multiple heat exchange tube sections of a heat exchange assembly, or in association with a plurality of coolant supply lines or coolant return lines feeding multiple heat exchange assemblies. Flow restrictors associated with respective heat exchange tube sections (or respective heat exchange assemblies) are disposed at the coolant channel inlet or coolant channel outlet of the tube sections (or of the heat exchange assemblies). These flow restrictors tailor coolant flow resistance through the heat exchange tube sections or through the heat exchange assemblies to enhance overall heat transfer within the tube sections or across heat exchange assemblies by tailoring coolant flow.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2017
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Wayne A. Barringer, David P. Graybill, Madhusudan K. Iyengar, Roger R. Schmidt, James J. Steffes, Gerard V. Weber, Jr.
  • Patent number: 9386727
    Abstract: Flow restrictors are employed in association with multiple heat exchange tube sections of a heat exchange assembly, or in association with multiple coolant supply lines or coolant return lines feeding multiple heat exchange assemblies. Flow restrictors associated with respective heat exchange tube sections (or respective heat exchange assemblies) are disposed at the coolant channel inlet or coolant channel outlet of the tube sections (or of the heat exchange assemblies). These flow restrictors tailor coolant flow resistance through the heat exchange tube sections or through the heat exchange assemblies to control overall heat transfer within the tube sections or across heat exchange assemblies. In one embodiment, the flow restrictors tailor a coolant flow distribution differential across multiple heat exchange tube sections or across multiple heat exchange assemblies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2016
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Wayne A. Barringer, David P. Graybill, Madhusudan K. Iyengar, Roger R. Schmidt, James J. Steffes, Gerard V. Weber, Jr.
  • Patent number: 8920567
    Abstract: A post metal chemical-mechanical planarization (CMP) cleaning process for advanced interconnect technology is provided. The process, which follows CMP, combines an acidic clean and a basic clean in sequence. The process can achieve a more than 60% reduction in CMP defects, such as polish residues, foreign materials, slurry abrasives, scratches, and hollow metal, relative to an all-basic clean process. The process also eliminates the circular ring defects that occur intermittently during roller brush cleans within a roller brush clean module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2014
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Vamsi Devarapalli, Colin J. Goyette, Michael R. Kennett, Mahmoud Khojasteh, Qinghuang Lin, James J. Steffes, Adam D. Ticknor, Wei-tsu Tseng
  • Publication number: 20140256133
    Abstract: A post metal chemical-mechanical planarization (CMP) cleaning process for advanced interconnect technology is provided. The process, which follows CMP, combines an acidic clean and a basic clean in sequence. The process can achieve a more than 60% reduction in CMP defects, such as polish residues, foreign materials, slurry abrasives, scratches, and hollow metal, relative to an all-basic clean process. The process also eliminates the circular ring defects that occur intermittently during roller brush cleans within a roller brush clean module.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 6, 2013
    Publication date: September 11, 2014
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Vamsi Devarapalli, Colin J. Goyette, Michael R. Kennett, Mahmoud Khojasteh, Qinghuang Lin, James J. Steffes, Adam D. Ticknor, Wei-tsu Tseng
  • Publication number: 20140231061
    Abstract: A method is presented for adjusting coolant flow resistance through one or more liquid-cooled electronics racks. Flow restrictors are employed in association with multiple heat exchange tube sections of a heat exchange assembly, or in association with a plurality of coolant supply lines or coolant return lines feeding multiple heat exchange assemblies. Flow restrictors associated with respective heat exchange tube sections (or respective heat exchange assemblies) are disposed at the coolant channel inlet or coolant channel outlet of the tube sections (or of the heat exchange assemblies). These flow restrictors tailor coolant flow resistance through the heat exchange tube sections or through the heat exchange assemblies to enhance overall heat transfer within the tube sections or across heat exchange assemblies by tailoring coolant flow.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 30, 2014
    Publication date: August 21, 2014
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Wayne A. BARRINGER, David P. GRAYBILL, Madhusudan K. IYENGAR, Roger R. SCHMIDT, James J. STEFFES, Gerard V. WEBER, JR.
  • Publication number: 20120201005
    Abstract: A method is presented for adjusting coolant flow resistance through one or more liquid-cooled electronics racks. Flow restrictors are employed in association with multiple heat exchange tube sections of a heat exchange assembly, or in association with a plurality of coolant supply lines or coolant return lines feeding multiple heat exchange assemblies. Flow restrictors associated with respective heat exchange tube sections (or respective heat exchange assemblies) are disposed at the coolant channel inlet or coolant channel outlet of the tube sections (or of the heat exchange assemblies). These flow restrictors tailor coolant flow resistance through the heat exchange tube sections or through the heat exchange assemblies to enhance overall heat transfer within the tube sections or across heat exchange assemblies by tailoring coolant flow.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 16, 2012
    Publication date: August 9, 2012
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Wayne A. BARRINGER, David P. GRAYBILL, Madhusudan K. IYENGAR, Roger R. SCHMIDT, James J. STEFFES, Gerard V. WEBER, JR.
  • Patent number: 8077462
    Abstract: A cooling apparatus and method are provided which include an air-to-liquid heat exchanger and system coolant inlet and outlet plenums mounted to an electronics rack door along an edge of the door remote from the edge hingedly mounted to the rack. The plenums are in fluid communication with the heat exchanger and respectively include an inlet and outlet. Coolant supply and return hoses are disposed above the electronics rack and couple the inlet plenum to a coolant supply header and the outlet plenum to a coolant return header. The hoses are sufficiently long and flexible to open or close the door. A stress relief structure is attached to the top of the door and clamps the supply and return hoses in fixed relation to relieve stress on connect couplings at the ends of the hoses to the plenum inlet and outlet during opening or closing of the door.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2011
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Wayne A. Barringer, David P. Graybill, Madhusudan K. Iyengar, Roger R. Schmidt, James J. Steffes, Gerard V. Weber, Jr.
  • Publication number: 20110056675
    Abstract: Apparatuses and methods are presented for adjusting coolant flow resistance through one or more liquid-cooled electronics racks. Flow restrictors are employed in association with multiple heat exchange tube sections of a heat exchange assembly, or in association with a plurality of coolant supply lines or coolant return lines feeding multiple heat exchange assemblies. Flow restrictors associated with respective heat exchange tube sections (or respective heat exchange assemblies) are disposed at the coolant channel inlet or coolant channel outlet of the tube sections (or of the heat exchange assemblies). These flow restrictors tailor coolant flow resistance through the heat exchange tube sections or through the heat exchange assemblies to enhance overall heat transfer within the tube sections or across heat exchange assemblies by tailoring coolant flow.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 9, 2009
    Publication date: March 10, 2011
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Wayne A. Barringer, David P. Graybill, Madhusudan K. Iyengar, Roger R. Schmidt, James J. Steffes, Gerard V. Weber, JR.
  • Publication number: 20110051372
    Abstract: A cooling apparatus and method are provided which include an air-to-liquid heat exchanger and system coolant inlet and outlet plenums mounted to an electronics rack door along an edge of the door remote from the edge hingedly mounted to the rack. The plenums are in fluid communication with the heat exchanger and respectively include an inlet and outlet. Coolant supply and return hoses are disposed above the electronics rack and couple the inlet plenum to a coolant supply header and the outlet plenum to a coolant return header. The hoses are sufficiently long and flexible to open or close the door. A stress relief structure is attached to the top of the door and clamps the supply and return hoses in fixed relation to relieve stress on connect couplings at the ends of the hoses to the plenum inlet and outlet during opening or closing of the door.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 2, 2009
    Publication date: March 3, 2011
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Wayne A. BARRINGER, David P. GRAYBILL, Madhusudan K. IYENGAR, Roger R. SCHMIDT, James J. STEFFES, Gerard V. WEBER, Jr.