초록 ▼

A noise-reducing attachment apparatus for a heat exchanger door is provided for facilitating attenuation of noise emanating from an electronics rack. The apparatus includes a frame structure configured to coupled to the heat exchanger door. The door includes in air opening and air-to-liquid heat exc

A noise-reducing attachment apparatus for a heat exchanger door is provided for facilitating attenuation of noise emanating from an electronics rack. The apparatus includes a frame structure configured to coupled to the heat exchanger door. The door includes in air opening and air-to-liquid heat exchanger, and air passing through the air opening also passes across the heat exchanger. The air opening facilitates passage of external air through the electronics rack. The frame structure defines in part an airflow channel through the apparatus, wherein air passing through the air opening also passes through the airflow channel when the apparatus is operatively coupled to the door. An acoustically absorptive material, which is coupled to the frame structure and at least partially defines the airflow opening through the apparatus, is selected and positioned to attenuate noise emanating from the electronics rack when the apparatus is coupled to the heat exchanger door.

대표청구항 ▼

What is claimed is: 1. A noise-reducing attachment apparatus comprising: a frame structure designed to physically attach, and comprising an attachment mechanism to physically attach, to an exterior of a heat exchanger door hingedly mounted to an electronics rack, the frame structure comprising a wi

What is claimed is: 1. A noise-reducing attachment apparatus comprising: a frame structure designed to physically attach, and comprising an attachment mechanism to physically attach, to an exterior of a heat exchanger door hingedly mounted to an electronics rack, the frame structure comprising a width that is less than a width of the heat exchanger door, and the heat exchanger door comprising an air opening and an air-to-liquid heat exchanger, wherein air passing through the air opening also passes across the air-to-liquid heat exchanger, the air opening in the heat exchanger door facilitating the ingress or egress of external air through the electronics rack, and wherein the frame structure defines in part at least one airflow channel through the noise-reducing attachment apparatus, and wherein the frame structure is sized to overlie the air opening in the heat exchanger door and air passing through the air opening passes through the at least one airflow channel when the noise-reducing attachment apparatus is operatively attached via the attachment mechanism to the heat exchanger door; and an acoustically absorptive material coupled to the frame structure and at least partially defining the at least one airflow channel through the noise-reducing attachment apparatus, the acoustically absorptive material being selected and positioned to attenuate noise emanating from the electronics rack through the air opening in the heat exchanger door when the noise-reducing attachment apparatus is operatively coupled to the heat exchanger door. 2. The noise-reducing attachment apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one airflow channel through the noise-reducing attachment apparatus redirects air passing through the air opening of the heat exchanger door when the noise-reducing attachment apparatus is operatively coupled to the heat exchanger door, and wherein the attachment mechanism comprises an upper tongue and lower tongue, the upper tongue being configured to reside within a first slot at a top of the heat exchanger door and the lower tongue being configured to reside within a second slot at a bottom of the heat exchanger door when the noise-reducing attachment apparatus is operatively attached to the heat exchanger door. 3. The noise-reducing attachment apparatus of claim 1, wherein the frame structure further comprises at least one interior surface facing the heat exchanger door when the noise-reducing attachment apparatus is operatively coupled thereto, and wherein the acoustically absorptive material is coupled to the at least one interior surface of the frame structure for facilitating attenuation of noise emanating from the electronics rack. 4. The noise-reducing attachment apparatus of claim 1, wherein the frame structure and the acoustically absorptive material are configured and selected, respectively, to balance noise attenuation of the noise-reducing attachment apparatus with pressure drop of air passing through the at least one airflow channel thereof, wherein the frame structure and the acoustically absorptive material are tailored, in part, based on air-flow impedance across the air-to-liquid heat exchanger of the heat exchanger door hingedly mounted to the electronics rack. 5. The noise-reducing attachment apparatus of claim 1, wherein the frame structure is configured to bifurcate air passing through the air opening in the heat exchanger door to pass through one of a first airflow channel or a second airflow channel, and wherein the frame structure further comprises a centrally disposed wedge-shaped structure which facilitates, in part, passage of air through the noise-reducing attachment apparatus via the first airflow channel or the second airflow channel, and wherein the acoustically absorptive material is coupled to interior surfaces of the frame structure in part defining the first airflow channel and the second airflow channel, the centrally disposed wedge-shaped structure being oriented to point towards the air opening in the heat exchanger door when the noise-reducing attachment apparatus is operatively coupled to the heat exchanger door. 6. The noise-reducing attachment apparatus of claim 5, wherein the centrally disposed wedge-shaped structure of the frame structure comprises a wedge-shaped fin structure comprising a wedge shape defined by the acoustically absorption material, wherein the multiple surfaces of the wedge-shaped fin structure and the acoustically absorptive material of the wedge-shaped fin structure face the air opening in the heat exchanger door when the noise-reducing attachment apparatus is operatively coupled to the heat exchanger door. 7. The noise-reducing attachment apparatus of claim 1, wherein the frame structure is an elongate structure which defines a plurality of airflow channels through the noise-reducing attachment apparatus, and wherein the acoustically absorptive material is coupled to interior surfaces of the frame structure facing the heat exchanger door when the noise-reducing attachment apparatus is operatively coupled thereto, and wherein the frame structure comprises at least one horizontal fin intermediate its upper and lower ends, the at least one horizontal fin dividing the plurality of airflow channels into a plurality of airflow subchannels. 8. The noise-reducing attachment apparatus of claim 1, wherein the frame structure comprises an outer shell facing and spaced from the heat exchanger door when the noise-reducing attachment apparatus is operatively coupled thereto, and the acoustically absorptive material is coupled to an interior surface of the outer shell, and wherein the at least one airflow channel of the noise-reducing attachment apparatus redirects air passing through the air opening of the heat exchanger door through at least one side opening only in the noise-reducing attachment apparatus. 9. The noise-reducing attachment apparatus of claim 8, wherein the frame structure further comprises a centrally disposed structure which facilitates bifurcating of air passing through the air opening of the heat exchanger door, and wherein the noise-reducing attachment apparatus comprises at least two side openings, including first and second side openings in opposing sides of the noise-reducing attachment apparatus, which allow for one of the ingress or egress of air through the noise-reducing attachment apparatus, and hence, through the air opening in the heat exchanger door when the noise-reducing attachment apparatus is operatively coupled thereto. 10. The noise-reducing attachment apparatus of claim 8, wherein the at least one opening is in one side only of the noise-reducing attachment apparatus, wherein air enters or exits through the noise-reducing attachment apparatus via the at least one airflow opening in the one side thereof, and wherein a direction of airflow through the at least one opening is orthogonal to a direction of airflow through the air opening in the heat exchanger door when the noise-reducing attachment apparatus is operatively coupled thereto. 11. A heat exchanger door assembly for an electronics rack comprising: a heat exchanger door, the heat exchanger door comprising: a door frame configured to hingedly mount to the electronics rack at one of an air inlet side or air outlet side thereof, the air inlet and air outlet sides respectively enabling ingress and egress of external air through the electronics rack, the door frame comprising an air opening facilitating the ingress or egress of external air through the electronics rack; an air-to-liquid heat exchanger supported by the door frame, wherein air passing through the electronics rack from the air inlet side to the air outlet side thereof passes across the air-to-liquid heat exchanger when the heat exchanger door is operatively hingedly mounted to the electronics rack and through the air opening in the door frame; and a noise-reducing attachment apparatus coupled to the heat exchanger door, the noise-reducing attachment apparatus comprising: a frame structure comprising an attachment mechanism coupling the frame structure to an exterior of the heat exchanger door, the frame structure defining in part at least one airflow channel through the noise-reducing attachment apparatus, and comprising a width that is less than a width of the heat exchanger, wherein the frame structure is sized to overlie the air opening in the heat exchanger door, and air passing through the air opening in the heat exchanger door passes through the at least one airflow channel of the frame structure; and an acoustically absorptive material coupled to the frame structure and at least partially defining the at least one airflow channel through the noise-reducing attachment apparatus, the acoustically absorptive material being selected and positioned to attenuate noise emanating from the electronics rack through the air opening in the heat exchanger door when the heat exchanger door assembly is operatively mounted thereto. 12. The heat exchanger door assembly of claim 11, wherein the at least one airflow channel through the noise-reducing attachment apparatus redirects air passing through the air opening of the door frame, and wherein the frame structure further comprises at least of one interior surface facing the heat exchanger door, the acoustically absorptive material being coupled to the at least one interior surface of the frame structure for facilitating attenuation of noise emanating from the electronics rack, and wherein the attachment mechanism comprises an upper tongue and a lower tongue, the upper tongue being coupled to a first slot at a top of the heat exchanger door and the lower tongue being coupled to a second slot at a bottom of the heat exchanger door. 13. The heat exchanger door assembly of claim 11, wherein multiple characteristics of the heat exchanger door and the noise-reducing attachment apparatus are configured to balance airflow impedance through the heat exchanger door assembly with noise attenuation of the noise-reducing attachment apparatus, and wherein the electronics rack comprising at least one existing air moving device for moving air from the air inlet side to the air outlet thereof, and wherein airflow impedance through the heat exchanger door assembly is controlled so that inlet-to-outlet air flows through the heat exchanger door assembly when mounted to the electronics rack without requiring an additional air moving device other than the at least one existing air moving device of the electronics rack, wherein the frame structure and the acoustically absorptive material are tailored, in part, based on air-flow impedance across the air-to-liquid heat exchanger of the heat exchanger door. 14. The heat exchanger door assembly of claim 13, wherein configuring the multiple characteristics to balance airflow impedance through the heat exchanger door assembly with noise attenuation of the noise-reducing attachment apparatus restricts the amount of noise attenuated by the noise-reducing attachment apparatus. 15. The heat exchanger door assembly of claim 11, wherein the frame structure is configured to bifurcate air passing through the air opening in the heat exchanger door to pass through one of a first airflow channel or a second airflow channel, and wherein the frame structure further comprises a centrally disposed wedge-shaped structure which facilitates, in part, passage of air through the noise-reducing attachment apparatus via the first air flow channel or the second air flow channel, and wherein the acoustically absorptive material is coupled to interior surfaces of the frame structure in part defining the first airflow channel and the second airflow channel, the centrally disposed wedge-shaped structure being oriented to point towards the air opening in the heat exchanger door. 16. The heat exchanger door assembly of claim 11, wherein the frame structure comprises an outer shell facing and spaced from the heat exchanger door, and the acoustically absorptive material is coupled to an interior surface of the outer shell, and wherein the at least one airflow channel of the noise-reducing attachment apparatus redirects air passing through the air opening in the door frame through at least one side opening only in the noise-reducing attachment apparatus. 17. The heat exchanger door assembly of claim 16, wherein the frame structure further comprises a centrally disposed structure which facilitates bifurcating of air passing through the air opening of the door frame, and wherein the noise-reducing attachment apparatus comprising at least two side openings, including first and second side openings in opposing sides of the noise-reducing attachment apparatus, which allow for one of the ingress or egress of air through the noise-reducing attachment apparatus, and hence, through the air opening in the door frame. 18. A cooled electronics system comprising: an electronics rack, the electronics rack including: an air inlet side and an air outlet side, the air inlet and outlet sides respectively enabling ingress and egress of external air; at least one air moving device, the at least one air moving device being capable of causing external air to flow from the air inlet side of the electronics rack to the air outlet side of the electronics rack; a heat exchanger door, the heat exchanger door comprising: a door frame configured to hingedly mount to the electronics rack at one of the air inlet side or air outlet side thereof, the door frame comprising air opening facilitating the ingress or egress of external air through the electronics rack; an air-to-liquid heat exchanger supported by the door frame, wherein air passing through the electronics rack from the air inlet side to the air outlet side thereof passes across the air-to-liquid heat exchanger; a noise-reducing attachment apparatus coupled to the heat exchanger door, the noise-reducing attachment apparatus comprising: a frame structure comprising an attachment mechanism coupling the frame structure to an exterior of the heat exchanger door, the frame structure defining in part at least one airflow channel through the noise-reducing attachment apparatus, and comprising a width that is less than a width of the heat exchanger, wherein the frame structure is sized to overlie the air opening in the heat exchanger door, and air passing through the air opening in the heat exchanger door passes through the at least one airflow channel of the frame structure; an acoustically absorptive material coupled to the frame structure and at least partially defining the at least one airflow channel through the noise-reducing attachment apparatus, the acoustically absorptive material being selected and positioned to attenuate noise emanating from the electronics rack through the air opening in the heat exchanger door. 19. The cooled electronics system of claim 18, wherein the at least one airflow channel through the noise-reducing attachment apparatus redirects at least a portion of air passing through the air opening of the door frame, and wherein the frame structure of the noise-reducing attachment apparatus further comprises at least one interior surface facing the heat exchanger door, the acoustically absorptive material being coupled to the at least one interior surface of the frame structure for facilitating attenuation of noise emanating from the electronics rack, wherein the frame structure and the acoustically absorptive material are configured and selected, respectively, to balance noise attenuation of the noise-reducing attachment apparatus with pressure drop of air passing through the at least one air flow channel defined by the frame structure, and wherein the frame structure and the acoustically absorptive material are also tailored, in part, based on air flow impedance across the air-to-liquid heat exchanger of the heat exchanger door. 20. The cooled electronics system of claim 18, wherein the frame structure is configured to bifurcate air passing through the air opening of the heat exchanger door for passing through one of a first airflow channel or a second airflow channel, and the frame structure further comprises a centrally disposed wedge-shaped structure which facilitates, in part, passage of air through the noise-reducing attachment apparatus via the first airflow channel or the second airflow channel, and wherein the acoustically absorptive material is coupled to interior surfaces of the frame structure defining the first airflow channel and the second airflow channel, the centrally disposed wedge-shaped structure being oriented to point towards the air opening in the heat exchanger door.