Cooling device for electrical subassemblies

• US 6,885,554 B1
• Filed: 12/09/1998
• Issued: 04/26/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Siemens AG, W L GORE & Associates GmbH (W.L. Gore & Associates)
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG, W L GORE & Associates GmbH (W.L. Gore & Associates)
• Inventors: Hoefer, Bruno, Reeck, Guido, Gahse, Alfred
• Primary Examiner(s): Thompson, Gregory D
• Application Number:
  US09/581,712
• Time in Patent Office: 2,330 Days
• Field of Search: 174/52.1, 174/16.1, 553/852, 55486-488, 55527-528, 553/854, 165/80.3, 165121-126, 361/687, 361/690, 361694-695, 454/184
• US Class Current: 361/695
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20572 within cabinets for removing heat from sub-racks, e.g. plenum

Abstract

The invention relates to an arrangement for cooling electrical subassemblies arranged in a housing, in particular for use in base stations of a mobile radio system or access network system. The arrangement has at least one water-repellent membrane filter, in each case arranged in an air inlet of the housing, for the surface filtration of dirt particles from cooling air flowing in for cooling electrical subassemblies, as well as at least one cooling device to build up an airflow and to lead the filtered cooling air, heated because of flowing through the subassemblies, out of the housing through at least one air outlet.

Claims

1. A cooling arrangement for an apparatus having a housing containing electrical subassemblies, comprising:

at least one water-repellent membrane filter having a surface arranged in an air inlet of the housing for surface filtration of dirt particles and water from cooling air flowing into the housing for cooling the electrical subassemblies, said surface filtration of dirt particles and water occurring at the surface of said at least one water repellent membrane filter; and

at least one cooling device to build up an airflow in the housing and to lead the filtered cooling air, which is heated up because of flowing through the electrical subassemblies, out of the housing through at least one air outlet.

2. The cooling arrangement as claimed in claim 1, further comprising an air guide device arranged respectively underneath and/or above the electrical subassemblies, to guide the filtered cooling air through one electrical subassembly in each case.

3. The cooling arrangement as claimed in claim 1, further comprising an air guide device arranged respectively underneath and/or above the electrical subassemblies, to shield the electrical subassemblies.

4. The cooling arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein said at least one cooling device comprises a motor-driven fan wheel.

5. The cooling arrangement as claimed in claim 4, further comprising a control device to control the motor speed of said at least one cooling device as a function of the temperature in the interior of the housing and/or of the temperature of the cooling air flowing in.

6. The cooling arrangement as claimed in claim 5, wherein said control device controls said at least one cooling device in such a way that the direction of the air flow in the housing is reversed, so that cooling air flows in through the at least one air outlet and is led out through the membrane filter, the membrane filter being freed of deposited dirt particles by the cooling air flowing out.

7. The cooling arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the air inlet is arranged in a side and/or bottom area of the housing in such a way that the cooling air flowing in acts on the undersides of the electrical subassemblies.

8. The cooling arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one air outlet for leading the filtered and heated cooling air out is arranged in an upper and/or side area of the housing.

9. A base station for a system selected from a mobile telephone system and an access network system, said base station having a housing containing electrical subassemblies, said housing having at least one air inlet and at least one air outlet, and an arrangement for cooling the electrical subassemblies, said arrangement comprising:

at least one water-repellent membrane filter having a surface arranged in said at least one air inlet of the housing for the surface filtration of dirt particles and water from the cooling air flowing in said at least one air inlet, said surface filtration of dirt particles and water occurring at the surface of said at least one water repellent membrane filter; and

at least one cooling device to create an airflow in the housing to lead the filtered cool air, after being heated up because of flowing through the electrical subassemblies, out of said at least one air outlet.

10. A base station according to claim 9, further comprises an air guide device being arranged respectively adjacent each electrical subassembly to guide the filtered cooling air through one electrical subassembly in each case.

11. A base station according to claim 9, further comprising an air guide device arranged adjacent each electrical subassembly to shield the electrical subassembly.

12. A base station according to claim 9, wherein said at least one cooling device comprises a motor-driven fan wheel.

13. A base station according to claim 12, further comprising a control device to control a motor speed of the motor-driven fan wheel as a function of the temperature in the interior of the housing and the temperature of the cooling air flowing into the at least one air inlet.

14. A base station according to claim 13, wherein said control device controls said at least one cooling device in such a way that the direction of the airflow in the housing can be reversed, so that cooling air flowing in through the at least one air outlet is directed through said at least one water-repellent membrane filter to free said at least one water-repellent membrane filter of deposited dirt particles.

15. A base station according to claim 9, wherein the at least one air inlet is arranged in an area adjacent a bottom area of the housing so that the cooling air flowing in through the at least one air inlet acts on the underside of the electrical subassemblies.

16. A base station according to claim 9, wherein the at least one air outlet is arranged in an upper region of the housing.

17. An apparatus comprising:

a housing containing at least one electrical subassembly, said housing having at least one air inlet and at least one air outlet;

at least one combination water repellent and dirt particle filter arranged in the at least one air inlet to filter cooling air flowing into the housing to cool the at least one electrical subassembly;

at least one cooling device to cause the cooling air to flow through the at least one electrical subassembly and through the at least one air outlet; and

a control device controlling said at least one cooling device to reverse the direction of the air flow in the housing, so that the cooling air flows in through the at least one air outlet, through said at least one combination water repellent and dirt particle filter and through the at least one air inlet to free said at least one combination water repellent and dirt particle filter of deposited dirt particles.

18. A base station for a system selected from a mobile telephone system and an access network system, comprising:

a housing containing electrical subassemblies, said housing having at least one air inlet and at least one air outlet;

at least one combination water repellent and dirt particle filter arranged in the at least one air inlet of said housing to filter cooling air flowing in the at least one air inlet;

at least one cooling device to cause the filtered cooled air to flow through the electrical subassemblies and out of the at least one air outlet; and

a control device controlling said at least one cooling device to reverse the direction of the air flow in said housing so that the cooling air flows in through the at least one air outlet and is directed to said at least one combination water repellent and dirt particle filter to free said at least one combination water repellent and dirt particle filter of deposited dirt particles.

19. A cooling arrangement for an apparatus having a single housing containing electrical subassemblies, comprising:

at least one water-repellant membrane filter having a surface arranged in an air inlet of the single housing for surface filtration of dirt particles and water from cooling air flowing into the single housing for cooling the electrical subassemblies, said surface filtration of dirt particles and water occurring at the surface of said at least one water repellent membrane filter; and

at least one cooling device to build up an air flow in the single housing and to lead the filtered cooling air, which is heated up because of flowing through the electrical subassemblies, out of the single housing through at least one air outlet.