Nvidia patents cooling system that adjusts fans based on workload
Nvidia describes a cooling setup for large computing systems that uses separate fan systems for processing units and network switches. The system can turn on or off specific fans depending on how hard different parts of the machine are working.
In the filing’s own words
A high-efficiency cooling system for a compute system comprises a compute tray cooling system and a switch tray cooling system. The compute tray cooling system comprises a plurality of fans and a T-shaped heat sink bank secured to a substrate of the compute tray. The switch tray cooling system comprises an external fan bank to direct air flow through a plurality of switch trays. The compute tray cooling system and the switch tray cooling system operate in tandem to provide optimal cooling for the compute system, which may selectively active the switch tray cooling system depending on whether compute resources within the switch tray are active.
What exactly they claim (claim 1)
1. A cooling system comprising: at least one compute tray comprising one or more computing resources on a substrate and a compute tray cooling system comprising one or more internal fans and at least one heat sink attached to the substrate; a plurality of switch trays; and at least one fan bank comprising one or more fans at a backside of a plurality of switch trays; wherein the compute tray cooling system and the at least one fan bank collectively provide cooling based at least in part on a workload performed by the at least one compute tray and the plurality of switch trays.
Facts
- Company
- Nvidia (NVIDIA CORPORATION)
- Official title
- HIGH EFFICIENCY COOLING FOR COMPUTE SYSTEMS
- Publication number
- US20260282271A1
- Application number
- 19080349
- Filed
- Mar 14, 2025
- Published
- Sep 17, 2026
- Inventors
- 5
- Claims
- 20
Classified under
H05K 7/20154 Electricity & electronicsG06F 1/20 Physics & computingH05K 7/20172 Electricity & electronicsH05K 7/20209 Electricity & electronicsH05K 7/20727 Electricity & electronicsG06F 2200/201 Physics & computingMore from Nvidia in Chips & hardware
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Summaries are simplified from the filing’s own abstract and first claim. A patent filing is not a product announcement.
Patent data and drawings: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Nebula is not affiliated with or endorsed by the USPTO.