Model jet plane tech will help cool HP servers
By Evan Blass 
posted Jun 16th 2006 12:45PM
posted Jun 16th 2006 12:45PM
Not content with just making its servers bulletproof, HP also wanted to pack more of them into a given space than anyone else on the market, but to do that, the company had to find a way to dissipate the massive amounts of heat generated by super-dense server clusters. With traditional fan cooling not up to the task, HP found a rather unusual solution to the problem courtesy of one of its executive's pursuits outside of work: VP Rob Noblett's model jet airplane hobby. With the help of engineer Wade Vinson, Noblett realized that the electric-ducted fans he and fellow hobbyists had been using to achieve high speeds more safely could probably be modified to provide the air movement HP was seeking to cool the high-powered servers on its drawing board. After re-engineering the fans to optimize them for cooling instead of thrust, engineers were able build a model called the Active Cool Fan that is both smaller and more energy efficient than traditional fans, even though it's said to force out air as fast as a leaf blower. These powerful new fans are scheduled for inclusion in HP's next generation of BladeSystem servers, which will be sure to attract more than a few large companies sick of the maintenance required on servers that frequently overheat and shutdown.
Heh. Looks like somebody's getting a nice end-of-the-year bonus.
This is really cool. What about noise though?
What's next? "In order to meet the demand of the On-The-Road professional, we will start making servers that cna be installed on vehicles and contain built in firewalls and wifi."
Wait....that sounds like a good idea. A mobile server? Then you make the streaming MP3 player.
ooooo....
> This is really cool. What about noise though?
Well who cares? These babies will go in racks in a data center, noise isn't really an issue there as long as it doesn't blow your mind of if you have to do some maintenance.
This sounds like a high powered fan. No big deal.
....noise isn't really an issue....
That's totally wrong, because the datacenter if FULL of these things. Think of several dozen of these things going at once.
Not to say this isn't cool (no pun intended), but noise is definitely an issue.
Like a leaf blower? Still, will be useful in the summer months, everyone trying to cool down by sitting on the server...
> "This is really cool. What about noise though?"
"Well who cares? These babies will go in racks in a data center, noise isn't really an issue there as long as it doesn't blow your mind of if you have to do some maintenance."
Pableu. lol I Care.. you've obviously never had to spend prolonged hours in a datacenter repairing servers.
Servers that might sound like leaf blowers? Will large sound-insulating ear-muffs become standard issue data center maintenance gear?
I don't understand the innovation here? Does HP lack engineers capable of thermal analysis? This sounds like some executive following some stupid idea he came up with for an application which he has no experience in.
Now my computer really will sound like a jet taking off when it turns on!
You been in a data-center? With air-conditioning coming out of the floor with enough power to cool a sky-scraper (just for one room!), and link 300 racks filled with upto 45 servers each, (and if they're all like ours) all with ~8 10-15k RPM 45mm fans, anything to reduse the noise level would be a god-send! :)
They may be locked away in a cupboard, but when your there working with them, you know about it!
Most server rooms I've been to, the nicer ones that is, provide ear protection, like the big cans or at least a big jar of disposable ear plugs.
Quote:Wait....that sounds like a good idea. A mobile server? Then you make the streaming MP3 player.
Cisco has a couple of vehicles, they're these emergency comm/data centers. In case of emergency (or you need a temprorary solution) you park one of these guys outside your office and you have a phone system, wifi internet access, massive backup servers, email, etc, the works. It's awesome.
Greetings... all joking aside, these fans run quieter than legacy fans or blowers, also require less energy. In a nutshell; greater air velocity, less power / heat, & better acoustics. Seeing is believing, check them out. I cool live demo was provided at launch.
Named Active Cool Fan eh?
Might get them into a little bit of trouble with the folks over at Active Cool that specialize in peltier cpu coolers. Not such a big deal but with all the lawsuits flying around it wouldn't suprise me...