GB2045537A

GB2045537A - Apparatus for gaseous cooling of equipment

Info

Publication number: GB2045537A
Application number: GB7911286A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1979-03-30
Filing date: 1979-03-30
Publication date: 1980-10-29
Also published as: GB2045537B

Abstract

In order to cool equipment, such as circuit boards (14) in a rack (13), air (or other gaseous medium) is supplied from a cooling unit (24) along an air course (1) and passes upwardly (flow path (20)), through an elongated diverting slot. The flow (20) is directed by an air collecting plate (15) on the side of the rack partly into the rack (13) concerned along a first flow path (21) and partly upwardly as a second flow (23) along the outside of the rack (13). <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Apparatus for use in cooling The present invention relates to apparatus for use in cooling, and more particularly though not exclusively to the cooling of teletechnical equipment arranged in racks preferably in telephone exchanges.

For the cooling of racks containing teletechnical electonic equipment where a relatively high density of components is involved, hitherto the required cooling has usually been obtained by means of self convention techniques which in principle means that the surrounding air has been heated by the components and thereby been caused to flow upwards, the up-flowing air being replaced by air of a lower temperature from the lower part of the room where the racks are arranged.

This arrangement does not always result in optimised cooling.

According to the invention there is provided apparatus for use in cooling, comprising an arrangement of at least one compartment for accommodating equipment to be cooled, the said arrangement extending along a horizontal axis, a passage located at a lower level than the said arrangement for conveying gaseous cooling medium, and means for distributing the pressure of the gaseous cooling medium along the passage, the walls bounding the passage having formed therein an elongated diverting slot extending substantially parallel to the said arrangement to divert gaseous cooling medium in an upward direction from the passage towards lower regions of the said arrangement, and the said arrangement being provided in lower regions thereof with at least one collecting plate arranged to divert gaseous cooling medium from said slot into the cooling compartment or compartments as a first flow and in an upward direction along outer surface regions of the cooling compartment or compartments as a second flow.

For a better understanding of the invention and to show the same may be carried into effect, reference will now be made, by way of example, to the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a schematic perspective view of parts of a passage or course for the flow of cooling air; Figures 2a-2b show a cross sectional view and a side view respectively of a base structure to be used as an air course; Figure 3 is a perspective view of one form of cooling apparatus in accordance with the invention; Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view of part of the cooling apparatus; and Figure 5 is a top view showing the cooling principle in using double rows of racks.

In Fig. 1, reference 1 denotes an air (or other gaseous cooling medium) course or passage through which an air flow indicated by an arrow 2 is forced. The air course is provided with vertical baffle plates 3, arranged transversely to the air flow and at spaced location along the air course, by means of which an even pressure reduction distribution of the air flow is provided along the air course. The plates are dimensioned and shaped in a suitable way and can be made as known per se. The air passage runs under an arrangement of one or several compartments or racks which are to be cooled by cooling air, whereby in principle one vertical plate is arranged under a respective rack so that an air pressure is established under each rack, that air from the air course being forced upwards by the pressure and along the rack so that optimism cooling is produced.

A base structure, on which the rack or the racks are mounted, is used as an air course.

The design of such a base structure is shown in principle in Figs. 2a and 2b. In this embodiment, the base structure has a substantially rectangular cross-sectional area, the shorter side walls of the rectangle being denoted 4 and 5, respectively, and the longer upper and lower walls 6 and 7, respectively. One of the side walls 5, is, in the region of the upper corner edge, provided with a protruding part 5a. The associated longitudinal edge of the upper wall 7 is provided with a bent down part 7a which consists of an angle member, one end of which is connected to the upper wall 7 by means of welding, riveting etc. The parts 5a and 7a are arranged spaced apart, and preferably parallel to one another, in order to provide an air diverting slot 8. The walls 5 and 7 are furthermore connected to each other by means of bolts 9 with appertaining nuts 10.Each bolt and its respective nut-secure the parts 5a and 7a together, there being a spacer plate 11 on each bolt to maintain the parts 5a and 7a at the appropriate spacing.

In Fig. 3, in which is shown one form of cooling apparatus in accordance with the invention, the base structure is denoted by reference 12. On the base there is mounted a rack 13 or several racks in a row. The racks can be of a design known per se and which is presently used as a part of a telephone exchange for its telephone technical equipment and contains electronic components arranged on circuit boards. These boards are arranged vertically adjacent to each other in the rack. In Fig. 3 the boards are symbolised by reference 14. The boards could be provided with printed circuits on which electronic components requiring cooling are arranged. Each of the racks is on its outside provided with an air collecting plate 15 which is extends substantially parallel to the bease structure 12 at the lower part of the rack.

The principle of design of the air collecting plate and its attachment to the outside of the rack at the lower part of the rack are shown in Fig. 4. The air collecting plate has a substantially plane lower part 1 5a running along the upper part of the base structure. The part 1 5a is essentially parallel to the adjacent outside portion 1 3a of the rack and is arranged at a relatively large distance from that portion so that the air is collected from the air diverting slot 8.The upper part of the air collecting plate has a sloping part 1 5b and a further vertical part 1which is substantially parallel with the outside portion 1 3a and the vertical part 1 spa. The air collecting plate is attached to the rack, for instance by means of bolts 16 nuts 17 and spacer means 18 on the bolts, so that a slot 19 is provided between the air collecting plate and the side wall of the rack.

Opposite the vertical part 1 5a each rack is formed with one or several openings 1 3b. By means of the air collecting plate, air under overpressure will be forced through the slot 8 and be collected by the air collecting plate which is designed in such a way that part of the air is directed into the rack via the opening 1 3b and the remaining part of air will be directed upwards through the slot 1 9 to flow up along the outside of the respective rack. In Fig. 4 the over pressure air is indicated by the arrow 20, the first part of the flow is indicated by the arrow 21 and the remaining part of the flow by the arrow 23.The air collecting plate is furthermore arranged in such a way that the air flowing from the slot 8 to the respective rack is distributed in such a way that the first flow of air represents 60-80 per cent, preferably approximately 70 per cent of the total flow, and the remaining air 40-20 per cent, preferably approximately 30 per cent, of the total flow of air. Thus, the remaining part of the air flow is considerably less than the first part. As appears from Fig. 3, the first flow 21 of air is forced upwards between the circuit boards 14 and their components and furthermore to the upper part of the rack from which it is diverted to the room. The second part 23 of the air flow forms a cooling curtain which efficiently contributes to lowering the tempera- ture of the rack. This air flow is also diverted to the room at the upper part of the rack.In this way a circulation of air is obtained in the room following a path which passes through the underpressure inlet of the cooling unit, the air course, the racks, and out of the cooling apparatus.

In Fig. 3, reference 24 denotes a schematically shown cooling unit. The cooling unit can be of a type known per se, comprising means for supplying air under pressure into the channel 1. The cooling unit is thereby arranged so as to give the over pressure air a temperature lower than the temperature of the air in the premises where the racks are arranged. The cooling unit is dimensioned in such a way that the velocity of the air flow and the cooling is made dependent upon the air channels, the racks, the volume of the room, the power generated by the technical equipment, etc., so as to obtain the most suitable working temper- ature for the electronic components involved.

Fig. 5 schematically shows a suitable arrangement for use when cooling components which are arranged in double rows of racks, whereby the first row is indicated by 13' and the second row is indicated by reference 25.

The base structures in both rows are denoted 12 and 12'. The air courses formed by the base structures run parallel to each other and are by their ends connected to respective cooling connections of a common cooling unit 24'.

The rows of racks are arranged at a certain distance from each other so that in between them a slot shaped space 26 is formed. The air diverting slots in both bases are opposite one another as well as the outsides of the racks in the respective rows, so as to be situated on opposite sides of the cooling apparatus. The first flows 21 and 21' of air, which in the respective rack is directed into and upwards in the racks, will flow towards the space 26 which is open at the upper ends of the racks from where the first flows of air are reverted to the room. The cooling unit 24' is provided with a purifying filter and its capacity concerning air flow velocity etc., is chosen in dependence on the actual requirements.

Claims

1. Apparatus for use in cooling, comprising an arrangement of at least one compartment for accommodating equipment to be cooled, the said arrangement extending along a horizontal axis, a passage located at a lower level than the said arrangement for conveying gaseous cooling medium, and means for distributing the pressure of the gaseous cooling medium along the passage, the walls bounding the passage having formed therein an elongated diverting slot extending substantially parallel to the said arrangement to divert gaseous cooling medium in an upward direction from the passage towards lower regions of the said arrangement, and the said arrangement being provided in lower regions thereof with at least one collecting plate arranged to divert gaseous cooling medium from said slot into the cooling compartment or compartments as a first flow and in an upward direction along outer surface regions of the Cooling compartment or compartments as a second flow.

2. Apparatus for use in cooling, comprising an arrangement of at least one compartment for accommodating equipment to be cooled, the said arrangement extending along a horizontal axis, a base structure on which the said arrangement is mounted, a passage in the base structure for conveying gaseous cooling medium, and means for distributing the pressure of the gaseous cooling medium along the passage, the walls bounding the passage having formed therein an elongated diverting slot extending substantially parallel to the said arrangement to divert gaseous cooling medium in an upward direction from the passage towards lower regions of the said arrangement, and the said arrangement being provided in lower regions thereof with at least one collecting plate arranged to divert gaseous cooling medium from said slot into the cooling compartment or compartments as a first flow and in an upward direction along outer surface regions of the cooling compartment or compartments as a second flow.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the pressure distributing means comprises a plurality of baffle plates arranged transversely in the passage, at spaced locations along the passage.

4. Apparatus according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the arrangement of the collecting plate is such that, in use, the second flow of gaseous medium constitutes approximately 30 per cent of the total quantity of air diverted by the collecting plate.

5. Apparatus according to claim 2, 3 or 4 comprising a second arrangement of at least one compartment for accommodating further equipment to be cooled, and associated second base structure, passage, pressure distributing means and collecting plate all arranged in the same manner as the corresponding, first, parts, the passages of the two base structures being connected to a single cooling unit and running substantially parallel to one another, the corresponding diverting slots associated with the two base structures being located towards opposite sides of the said apparatus.

6. Apparatus according to any one of claims 2 to 5, wherein the or each base structure has a substantially rectangular crosssectional area of which the shorter sides are upright sides provided by the side walls of the passage, one of which has a protruding part which is arranged at a spacing from an angle part associated with the upper wall of the passage to provide, alongside the edge between the said one side wall and the upper wall, the said diverting slot, the protruding part and the said angle part being connected together by fastening means and held at the said spacing by spacer means.

7. Apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the angle part consists of an elongated angle member attached along a longitudinal edge thereof to the associated edge region of the upper wall.

8. Apparatus for use in cooling, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figs. 1 to 4 or the modification of Fig. 5 of the accompanying drawings.

9. Device for cooling teletechnical equipment arranged in racks preferably in telephone exchanges, and by using a cooling unit and being arranged along the longitudinal direction of the rack or racks, respectively, said air course in its longitudinal direction being provided with pressure reducing means for distributing the pressure, said means for instance consisting of plates arranged along the air course, characterized in that a base for said rack or racks is arranged to form said air course, that said base is provided with an elongated air diverting slot so as to make over pressure air in the air course at the lower parts of the rack or racks to flow out from the air course and upwards and that said lower parts of the rack or racks is provided with an air collecting plate parallel to the longitudinal base, said plate diverting a first flow of air from said slot into the rack or racks and a second flow of air from said slot to divert upwards along the outsides of the rack or racks.

10. Device according to claim 9, characterized in that the air collecting plate is arranged to divert said over pressure air so that said second flow of air constitutes approximately 30 per cent of the total amount of air diverted.

11. Device according to claim 9 or 10, said device forming part of a cooling device for double rows of racks characterized in that the bases for both rows of racks form air courses connected to the cooling unit said courses running essentially parallel and said air diverting slots being located opposite to one another.

1 2. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that each base has a substantially four side cross-sectional area, one of the short sides of the socket in one corner being provided with a protruding part so as to form the air diverting slot which extends past the upper long side of the socket and is essentially parallel to a corresponding part of said long side and that said short side and said upper long side are connected to each other via said parts by connecting means which comprise a distance means arranged between said parts.

13. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said angle is formed by means of an angle attached to said upper long side at its end.