Apparatus and method for cooling heat generating electronic components in a cabinet
First Claim
1. A method of cooling electronic components within a cabinet comprising the steps of:
- enclosing at least one predetermined heat generating electronic component inside a cabinet to isolate it from other electronic components in the cabinet;
providing an isolated air flow pathway to conduct air from the cabinet exterior, across the enclosed heat generating electronic component, and exhaust the air to the cabinet exterior, said isolated air flow pathway being isolated from ambient air inside the cabinet;
providing turbulence inducing means in said isolated air flow pathway at one end of the enclosed heat generating electronic component, andconducting air through said isolated air flow pathway and across said turbulence inducing means such that the turbulent air flows across the enclosed heat generating electronic component, wherebythe enclosed heat generating electronic component is cooled independently of the non-isolated components and the heat generated by the enclosed heat generating electronic component and the non-isolated components is not mixed within the cabinet to maximize cooling of all components within the cabinet, andthe turbulent air flow prevents the formation of a laminar boundary layer of air on the surface of the enclosed heat generating electronic component to maximize heat transfer.
0 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Electronic components in a cabinet are cooled by enclosing and isolating predetermined heat generating electronic components which may include those with heat sinks from other electronic components in the cabinet and providing a dedicated air flow pathway to conduct a stream of air from the cabinet exterior, across the isolated electronic components, and exhaust it to the cabinet exterior. The dedicated air flow is isolated from the ambient air in the cabinet such that the isolated heat generating components are cooled independently of the non-isolated components and the heat generated by the isolated components and non-isolated components is not mixed within the cabinet to maximize cooling of all components within the cabinet. Cooling efficiency is increased by creating turbulence in the dedicated stream of air which passes across the isolated heat generating component or the fins of the heat sink before being exhausted and by providing specially designed inlet and outlet conduits to improve the flow rate and to reduce the pressure drop across the heat generating electronic component.
-
Citations
31 Claims
-
1. A method of cooling electronic components within a cabinet comprising the steps of:
-
enclosing at least one predetermined heat generating electronic component inside a cabinet to isolate it from other electronic components in the cabinet; providing an isolated air flow pathway to conduct air from the cabinet exterior, across the enclosed heat generating electronic component, and exhaust the air to the cabinet exterior, said isolated air flow pathway being isolated from ambient air inside the cabinet; providing turbulence inducing means in said isolated air flow pathway at one end of the enclosed heat generating electronic component, and conducting air through said isolated air flow pathway and across said turbulence inducing means such that the turbulent air flows across the enclosed heat generating electronic component, whereby the enclosed heat generating electronic component is cooled independently of the non-isolated components and the heat generated by the enclosed heat generating electronic component and the non-isolated components is not mixed within the cabinet to maximize cooling of all components within the cabinet, and the turbulent air flow prevents the formation of a laminar boundary layer of air on the surface of the enclosed heat generating electronic component to maximize heat transfer. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
-
-
11. A method of cooling electronic components within a cabinet comprising the steps of:
-
enclosing at least one predetermined heat generating electronic component inside a cabinet to isolate it from other electronic components in the cabinet; providing an isolated air flow pathway to conduct air from the cabinet exterior, across the enclosed heat generating electronic component, and exhaust the air to the cabinet exterior, said isolated air flow pathway being isolated from ambient air inside the cabinet; providing inlet means upstream from said enclosed heat generating electronic component and outlet means downstream from said heat generating electronic component in said isolated air flow pathway, said inlet means having a cross sectional area gradually reduced in the direction of air flow and said outlet means having a cross sectional area gradually increased in the direction of air flow, said cross sectional areas being sized to reduce the pressure drop across said enclosed heat generating electronic component; and conducting air through said isolated air flow pathway through said inlet means, across said heat generating electronic component, and through said outlet means;
wherebythe enclosed heat generating electronic component is cooled independently of the non-isolated components and the heat generated by the enclosed heat generating electronic component and the non-isolated components is not mixed within the cabinet to maximize cooling of all components within the cabinet; and the cross sectional areas of said inlet means and said outlet means reduce the pressure drop across the enclosed heat generating electronic component. - View Dependent Claims (12)
-
-
13. Apparatus for cooling electronic components within a cabinet comprising:
-
an enclosure formed of electrically non-conductive material having an interior cavity configured to enclose at least one predetermined heat generating electronic component and isolate it from other electronic components in the cabinet; air inlet means on said enclosure adapted to be connected with the cabinet exterior and air outlet means on said enclosure adapted to be connected with the cabinet exterior to define an isolated air flow pathway from the cabinet exterior, across the enclosed heat generating electronic component, and to the cabinet exterior, said isolated air flow pathway being isolated from ambient air inside the cabinet, and said inlet and outlet means adapted to be connected with a fan for conducting air through said isolated air flow pathway; turbulence inducing means in said isolated air flow pathway closely adjacent a surface of the enclosed heat generating electronic component, and the fan in operation conducting air through said isolated air flow pathway and across said turbulence inducing means such that the turbulent air flows across the enclosed heat generating electronic component, whereby the enclosed heat generating electronic component is cooled independently of the non-isolated components and the heat generated by the enclosed heat generating electronic component and the non-isolated components is not mixed within the cabinet to maximize cooling of all components within the cabinet, and the turbulent air flow substantially reduces the formation of a thick laminar boundary layer of air on the surface of the enclosed heat generating electronic component to maximize heat transfer. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
-
-
29. Apparatus for cooling electronic components within a cabinet comprising:
-
an enclosure formed of electrically non-conductive material having an interior cavity configured to enclose at least one predetermined heat generating electronic component and isolate it from other electronic components in the cabinet; air inlet means on said enclosure adapted to be connected with the cabinet exterior and air outlet means on said enclosure adapted to be connected with the cabinet exterior to define an isolated air flow pathway from the cabinet exterior, across the enclosed heat generating electronic component, and to the cabinet exterior, said isolated air flow pathway being isolated from ambient air inside the cabinet, and said inlet and outlet means adapted to be connected with a fan for conducting air through said isolated air flow pathway; said air inlet means having a gradually reduced cross sectional area upstream from said heat generating electronic component and said air outlet means having a gradually increased cross sectional area downstream from said heat generating electronic component, and said cross sectional areas being sized to reduce the pressure drop across said enclosed heat generating electronic component; the fan in operation conducting air through said isolated air flow pathway, through said inlet means reduced cross sectional area, across said heat generating electronic component, and through said outlet means increased cross sectional area, whereby said enclosed heat generating electronic component is cooled independently of the non-isolated components and the heat generated by said enclosed heat generating electronic component and the non-isolated components is not mixed within the cabinet to maximize cooling of all components within the cabinet, and the cross sectional areas of said inlet means and said outlet means substantially reduces the pressure drop across said enclosed heat generating electronic component.
-
-
30. A cabinet for containing and cooling heat generating electronic components comprising:
-
a cabinet housing having mounting means for mounting electronic components thereon; a plurality of electronic components including heat generating electronic components mounted on said mounting means; an enclosure formed of electrically non-conductive material having an interior cavity configured to enclose at least one predetermined heat generating electronic component and isolate it from other electronic components in said cabinet housing; air inlet means and air outlet means on said enclosure each connected with the exterior of said cabinet housing to define an isolated air flow pathway from said cabinet housing exterior, across said enclosed heat generating electronic component, and to said cabinet housing exterior, said isolated air flow pathway being isolated from ambient air inside said cabinet housing, and said inlet and outlet means adapted to be connected to a fan for conducting air through said isolated air flow pathway; turbulence inducing means in said isolated air flow pathway closely adjacent a surface of said enclosed heat generating electronic component; and the fan in operation conducting air through said isolated air flow pathway and across said turbulence inducing means such that the turbulent air flows across said enclosed heat generating electronic component;
wherebysaid enclosed heat generating electronic component is cooled independently of the non-isolated components and the heat generated by said enclosed heat generating electronic component and the non-isolated components is not mixed within said cabinet housing to maximize cooling of all components within said cabinet housing; and the turbulent air flow substantially reduces the formation of a thick laminar boundary layer of air on the surface of the enclosed heat generating electronic component to maximize heat transfer. - View Dependent Claims (31)
-
Specification