COOLING SYSTEM, IN PARTICULAR FOR ELECTRONICS CABINETS, AND ELECTRONICS CABINET WITH A COOLING SYSTEM

Abstract

A cooling system, in particular for electronics cabinets, comprising a casing, wherein the cooling system comprises a first cooling circuit and a second cooling circuit, the first cooling circuit comprising a heat releasing section and the second cooling circuit comprising a heat releasing section, is provided, wherein the casing comprises at least three compartments including a cabinet side compartment, a first external side compartment and a second external side compartment, wherein the three compartments are fluidically separated from each other so that respective airflows in the cabinet side compartment, the first external side compartment and the second external side compartment do not mix, wherein the heat releasing section of the first cooling circuit is arranged in the first external side compartment and wherein the heat releasing section of the second cooling circuit is arranged in the second external side compartment.

Claims

1. Cooling system, in particular for electronics cabinets, comprising a casing, wherein the cooling system comprises a first cooling circuit and a second cooling circuit, the first cooling circuit comprising a heat releasing section and the second cooling circuit comprising a heat releasing section, wherein the casing comprises at least three compartments including a cabinet side compartment, a first external side compartment and a second external side compartment, wherein the three compartments are fluidically separated from each other so that respective airflows in the cabinet side compartment, the first external side compartment and the second external side compartment do not mix, wherein the heat releasing section of the first cooling circuit is arranged in the first external side compartment and wherein the heat releasing section of the second cooling circuit is arranged in the second external side compartment.

2. Cooling system according to claim 1, wherein the cabinet side compartment is fluidically connectable or connected to an interior of an electronics cabinet, and/or that the first external side compartment is fluidically connectable or connected to an exterior of an electronics cabinet, and/or that the second external side compartment is fluidically connectable or connected to an exterior of an electronics cabinet.

3. Cooling system according to claim 1, wherein the first cooling circuit is a passive cooling circuit, in particular a heat pipe, a thermosiphon or a pulsating heat pipe, wherein the heat releasing section of the first cooling circuit preferably is a condensing side of the passive cooling circuit.

4. Cooling system according to claim 1, wherein the second cooling circuit is an active cooling circuit, in particular a vapor compression cycle circuit, wherein the heat releasing section of the second cooling circuit is preferably a condenser of the active cooling circuit.

5. Cooling system according to claim 1, wherein the first cooling circuit comprises a heat absorbing section and/or that the second cooling circuit comprises a heat absorbing section.

6. Cooling system according to claim 5, wherein the heat absorbing section of the first cooling circuit and the heat absorbing section of the second cooling circuit are arranged in the cabinet side compartment, wherein preferably the heat absorbing section of the first cooling circuit is disposed in the direction of an airflow in the cabinet side compartment in front of the heat absorbing section of the second cooling circuit.

7. Cooling system according to claim 5, wherein the heat absorbing section of the first cooling circuit is arranged in the cabinet side compartment and that the heat absorbing section of the second cooling circuit is arranged in the first external side compartment and thermally coupled to the heat releasing section of the first cooling circuit.

8. Cooling system according to claim 1, wherein the cabinet side compartment comprises a fan configured to generate the airflow in the cabinet side compartment and/or that the first external side compartment comprises a fan configured to generate an airflow in the first external side compartment and/or that the second external side compartment comprises a fan configured to generate an airflow in the second external side compartment.

9. Cooling system according to claim 8, wherein the fan of the cabinet side compartment is disposed in the direction of the airflow in the cabinet side compartment in front of or behind the heat absorbing section of the first cooling circuit and/or in front of or behind the heat absorbing section of the second cooling circuit, and/or that the fan of the first external side compartment is disposed in the direction of the airflow in the first external side compartment in front of or behind the heat releasing section of the first cooling circuit and/or in front of or behind the heat absorbing section of the second cooling circuit, and/or that the fan of the second external side compartment is disposed in the direction of the airflow in the second external side compartment in front of or behind the heat releasing section of the second cooling circuit.

10. Electronics cabinet comprising a cooling system, in particular for electronics cabinets, comprising a casing, wherein the cooling system comprises a first cooling circuit and a second cooling circuit, the first cooling circuit comprising a heat releasing section and the second cooling circuit comprising a heat releasing section, wherein the casing comprises at least three compartments including a cabinet side compartment, a first external side compartment and a second external side compartment, wherein the three compartments are fluidically separated from each other so that respective airflows in the cabinet side compartment, the first external side compartment and the second external side compartment do not mix, wherein the heat releasing section of the first cooling circuit is arranged in the first external side compartment and wherein the heat releasing section of the second cooling circuit is arranged in the second external side compartment.

Description

SHORT DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0039] The present invention is illustrated with reference to the accompanying figures:

[0040] FIG. 1 shows a first configuration of a cooling system connected to an electronics cabinet,

[0041] FIG. 2 shows a second configuration of a cooling system connected to an electronics cabinet,

[0042] FIG. 3 shows a third configuration of a cooling system connected to an electronics cabinet, and

[0043] FIG. 4 shows a fourth configuration of a cooling system connected to an electronics cabinet.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0044] The cooling systems 100 shown in FIGS. 1 to 4 are exemplary configurations and do not in any way limit the scope of the invention. The person of ordinary skill in the art will understand that other configurations as those shown in FIGS. 1 to 4 are within the scope of the invention.

[0045] FIG. 1 shows a cooling system 100. The cooling system is connected to an electronics cabinet 10. The cooling system comprises a casing 11, a first cooling circuit 12 and a second cooling circuit 13. The first cooling circuit 12 comprises a heat releasing section 14. The second cooling circuit 13 also comprises a heat releasing section 15. In addition, the first cooling circuit 12 comprises a heat absorbing section 16 and the second cooling circuit 13 comprises a heat absorbing section 17. The first cooling circuit is configured as a passive cooling circuit 18 and, more particularly, as a pulsating heat pipe 19. The second cooling circuit 13 is configured as an active cooling circuit 20 and, more particularly, as a vapor compression cycle circuit 21. The vapor compression cycle circuit 21 comprises an evaporator 22, a condenser 23, a compressor 24, an expansion valve 25 and fluid lines 26 to interconnect these components. The condenser 23 is the heat releasing section 15 of the second cooling circuit 13 and the evaporator 22 is the heat absorbing section 17 of the second cooling circuit 13. Similarly, the pulsating heat pipe 19 comprises a condensing side 27 as the heat releasing section 14 of the first cooling circuit 12 and an evaporating side 28 as the heat absorbing section 16 of the first cooling circuit 12.

[0046] The casing 11 of the cooling system 100 is subdivided into a cabinet side compartment 29, a first external side compartment 30 and a second external side compartment 31. The cabinet side compartment 29, the first external side compartment 30 and the second external side compartment 31 are separated from each other by essentially gastight separation walls 32. The heat releasing section 14 of the first cooling circuit 12 is arranged in the first external side compartment 30 and the heat absorbing section 16 of the first cooling circuit 12 is arranged in the cabinet side compartment 29. Since the first cooling circuit 12 is configured as a pulsating heat pipe 19, the pulsating heat pipe 19 sticks through the separation wall 32 between the cabinet side compartment 29 and the first external side compartment 30. To prevent air from the cabinet side compartment 29 to enter the first external side compartment 30 a seal 33 is provided in the separation wall 32 separating the cabinet side compartment 29 and the first external side compartment 30 and surrounding the pulsating heat pipe 19. Furthermore, the heat absorbing section 17 of the second cooling circuit 13 is disposed in the cabinet side compartment 29 and the heat releasing section 15 of the second cooling circuit 13 is disposed in the second external side compartment 31. Each of the cabinet side compartment 29, the first external side compartment 30 and the second external side compartment 31 comprises respective inlet openings 34a, 34b, 34c and outlet openings 35a, 35b, 35c. A first fan 36 is disposed in the cabinet side compartment 29. A second fan 37 is disposed in the first external side compartment 30 and a third fan 38 is disposed in the second external side compartment 31. As indicated with arrows, fan 36 generates an airflow 39 in the cabinet side compartment 29 by driving air from an interior 40 of the electronics cabinet 10 through the inlet opening 34a of the cabinet side compartment 29. Airflow 39 passes over the heat absorbing section 16 of the first cooling circuit 12 and the heat absorbing section 17 of the second cooling circuit 13 and leaves the cabinet side compartment 29 via outlet opening 35a. Fan 36 is disposed in the direction of the airflow 39 in front of the heat absorbing section 16 of the first cooling circuit 12 and the heat absorbing section 17 of the second cooling circuit 13. Furthermore, with regard to the direction of airflow 39, the heat absorbing section 16 of the first cooling circuit 12 is disposed in front of the heat absorbing section 17 of the second cooling circuit 13. Similarly, fan 37 generates an airflow 41 in the first external side compartment 30. Ambient or external air enters the first external side compartment 30 through inlet opening 34b and exits the first external side compartment 30 through outlet opening 35b. The airflow 41 in the first external side compartment 30 passes over the heat releasing section 14 of the first cooling circuit 12. Thus, heat absorbed from the airflow 39 in the cabinet side compartment 29 by the heat absorbing section 16 is transferred to the heat releasing section 14 of the first cooling circuit 12 in the first external side compartment 30 and released to the ambient air via airflow 41. Fan 38 in the second external side compartment 31 generates airflow 42 in the second external side compartment 31. Ambient or external air enters the second external side compartment 31 via inlet opening 34c and exits the second external side compartment 31 via outlet opening 35c. Airflow 42 passes over the heat releasing section 15 of the second cooling circuit 13 so that heat absorbed by the heat absorbing section 17 from the airflow 39 in the cabinet side compartment 29 is released to the exterior via the heat releasing section 15 of the second cooling circuit 13. Both fans 37 and 38 are disposed with regard to the directions of the airflows 41 and 42 in front of the heat releasing section 14 of the first cooling circuit 12 and the heat releasing section 15 of the second cooling circuit 13, respectively.

[0047] FIG. 2 shows a second configuration of a cooling system 100. The cooling system 100 is attached to an electronics cabinet 10. The cooling system 100 of FIG. 2 is essentially identical to the cooling system 100 of FIG. 1 and like reference numerals refer to corresponding components. The only difference between the cooling system 100 of FIG. 2 and the cooling system 100 of FIG. 1 is that second fan 38 in the second external side compartment 31 is disposed in the direction of the airflow 42 behind the heat releasing section 15 of the second cooling circuit 13.

[0048] FIG. 3 shows a third configuration of the cooling system 100, which is similar to the cooling systems 100 of FIG. 1. Like reference numerals refer to corresponding components. In contrast to the cooling system 100 of FIG. 1 in the cooling system 100 of FIG. 3 the heat absorbing section 17 of the second cooling circuit 13 is not disposed in the cabinet side compartment 29, but is arranged in the first external side compartment 30 and thermally coupled to the heat releasing section 14 of the first cooling circuit 12. Thus, the heat absorbing section 17 of the second cooling circuit 13 cools the heat releasing section 14 of the first cooling circuit 12. In the configuration of FIG. 3 the first cooling circuit 12 is configured as a pulsating heat pipe 19 and the second cooling circuit 13 is configured as a vapor compression cycle circuit 21. The cooling system 100 of FIG. 3 can be particularly advantageously operated in the so-called hybrid mode when the interior temperature of the electronics cabinet 10 is higher than the exterior or ambient temperature only by a temperature delta not sufficient for the pulsating heat pipe 19 to work effectively. In this case, the evaporator 22 of the vapor compression cycle circuit 21 is used to cool the condensing side 27 of the pulsating heat pipe 19 and thereby lowers the temperature of a coolant or refrigerant in the pulsating heat pipe 19. Since the temperature of the refrigerant or coolant in the pulsating heat pipe 19 is essentially homogeneous over the full length of the pulsating heat pipe 19, the evaporating side 28 of the pulsating heat pipe 19 is cooled as well and thereby the efficiency of the pulsating heat pipe 19 is increased.

[0049] FIG. 4 shows a fourth configuration of the cooling system 100, which is similar to the cooling systems 100 of FIG. 1. Like reference numerals refer to corresponding components. In contrast to the cooling system of FIG. 1, in the cooling system 100 of FIG. 4 the first external side compartment 30 and the second side external compartment 31 are swapped, i.e. in the cooling system 100 of FIG. 4 the first external side compartment 30 is located below the second side external compartment 31, while in FIG. 1 the first external side compartment 30 is located above the second side external compartment 31. In the configuration of FIG. 1 warm air from airflow 42 can exit second external side compartment 31 through outlet opening 35c and enter first external side compartment 30 through inlet opening 34b. This short circuiting of warm airflows 42 and 41 can result in a warming of the condensing side 27 of pulsating heat pipe 19. Since the pulsating heat pipe 19 is a passive cooling circuit 18, warming of the condensing side 27 of pulsating heat pipe 19 reduces the cooling power of the pulsating heat pipe 19. Returning to the configuration of FIG. 4, the condensing side 27 of pulsating heat pipe 19 is disposed in first external side compartment 30, which is arranged below second external side compartment 31. Thus, because warm air rises, warm air from airflow 42 from second external side compartment 31 exiting through outlet opening 35c cannot enter first external side compartment 30 through inlet opening 34b. This arrangement of first external side compartment 30 and second external side compartment 31 prevents the warming of the condensing side 27 of pulsating heat pipe 19 and therefore ensures a high cooling power of the passive cooling circuit 18 of the pulsating heat pipe 19. Although short circuiting of airflows 41, 42 is still possible, i.e. warm air from airflow 41 can exit first external side compartment 30 through outlet opening 35b and enter second external side compartment 31 through inlet opening 34c, the resulting warming of condenser 23 of vapor compression cycle circuit 21 does not considerably impact the total cooling power of cooling system 100 because the cooling power of vapor compression cycle circuit 21 can be increased by adjusting its operating parameters.