Equipment enclosure with heat exchanger

• US 6,704,198 B2
• Filed: 06/12/2002
• Issued: 03/09/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/12/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Commscope Inc of North Carolina (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Inventors: Duong, Quang, Replogle, Kris K.
• Primary Examiner(s): CHERVINSKY, BORIS LEO
• Application Number:
  US10/170,659
• Publication Number:
  US 20030231467A1
• Time in Patent Office: 636 Days
• Field of Search: 361/678, 361/689, 361/690-696, 174/16.1, 165/80.3, 165/104.33, 165/122, 454/184
• US Class Current: 361/690
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/186 for supporting telecommunication equipment selecting apparatus H04Q1/02
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/206 Air circulating in closed loop within cabinets wherein heat is removed through air-to-air heat-exchanger

Abstract

An equipment enclosure (12) includes an interior cavity (16) housing a plurality of equipment compartments (22) configured to form vertical stacks, and a lower compartment (24) for housing batteries and/or other equipment. Airflow through the lower compartment (24) is isolated from airflow within the interior cavity (16). Heat exchangers (52, 54) are included for cooling internal air circulating air within the equipment enclosure (12) with external ambient air. Each heat exchanger (52, 54) draws external ambient air indirectly through the lower compartment (24) and directly from the external environment, and exhausts the air back to the external environment. The external ambient airflow through each heat exchangers (52, 54) is used to cool internal air circulating within the enclosure (12). The cooled internal air is provided through an opening (38) positioned proximate the bottom of the interior cavity (16). Air baffles (28) are positioned between each pair of vertically adjacent equipment compartments (22) to prevent internal air from flowing vertically through vertically adjacent equipment compartments (22).

Claims

1. An equipment enclosure comprising:

a plurality of equipment compartments configured to form at least one vertical stack of equipment compartments, each of said plurality of equipment compartments adapted to receive equipment, said plurality of equipment compartments positioned within an interior cavity of said enclosure;

at least one heat exchanger for cooling internal air circulating within said equipment enclosure, said at least one heat exchanger located outside of said internal cavity; and

at least one air baffle, wherein;

one baffle is positioned between each pair of vertically adjacent equipment compartments; and

said at least one baffle prevents said internal air from flowing vertically through adjacent equipment compartments.

2. An equipment enclosure in accordance with claim 1, wherein said internal air is provided by said at least one heat exchanger proximate a bottom of said interior cavity.

3. An equipment enclosure in accordance with claim 1, further comprising at least one fan for drawing air from said interior cavity and providing said internal air to said at least one heat exchanger.

4. An equipment enclosure in accordance with claim 1, wherein said equipment comprises at least one of telecommunications equipment, electronic equipment, and optical fiber equipment.

5. An equipment enclosure in accordance with claim 1, further comprising a lower compartment pneumatically isolated from said interior cavity.

6. An equipment enclosure in accordance with claim 5, wherein said lower compartment is adapted to receive at least one of equipment and battery.

7. An equipment enclosure in accordance with claim 4, wherein external ambient air is drawn from an environment external to said interior cavity, through said lower compartment, through said at least one heat exchanger, and back to said external environment.

8. An equipment enclosure comprising:

an interior cavity formed within said enclosure;

a plurality of equipment compartments positioned within said interior cavity, said plurality of equipment compartments configured to form at least one vertical stack of equipment compartments, each of said plurality of equipment compartments adapted to receive equipment, wherein said equipment comprises heat generating equipment;

a lower compartment isolated from said interior cavity, said lower compartment adapted to receive at least one of a battery and equipment;

at least one heat exchanger for cooling internal air circulating within said equipment enclosure with external air provided by an external environment, said at least one heat exchanger located outside of said internal cavity, wherein airflow of said external air is isolated from airflow of internal air, each heat exchanger comprising;

a first external opening for receiving external ambient air directly from said external environment and indirectly from said external environment through said lower compartment;

a second external opening for providing external ambient air to said external environment;

a first internal opening for providing internal air to said interior cavity, wherein said internal opening is positioned proximate a bottom of said interior cavity; and

at least one air baffle, each one of said at least one air baffle being positioned between a respective pair of vertically adjacent equipment compartments, wherein said at least one baffle prevents said internal air from flowing vertically through adjacent equipment compartments.