Environmental control kit for sealed cabinets

Abstract

A heat exchanger kit useful for installation in an existing electrical equipment cabinet, said cabinet having an enclosure adapted to contain heat-generating electrical equipment, at least one access opening, and a door providing a closure for said access opening; the kit including a replacement door for the cabinet and mounted thereon, a louvered shroud, creating an enclosure within said shroud defined by the replacement door and the shroud, an air-to-air heat exchanger mounted on the exterior of the replacement door, and supported thereby, for removing heat from the interior of the cabinet while maintaining the substantially closed environment within the cabinet. The heat exchanger has a first air flow path for air drawn from the exterior of said cabinet and a second air flow path from the interior of said cabinet, where the first and second air flow paths are perpendicular to one another and are substantially isolated from each other; and further including at least one fan for circulating air through at least one of a first and a second air flow paths.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A heat exchanger kit useful for installation in an existing electrical equipment cabinet, said cabinet having an electronic equipment compartment adapted to contain heat-generating electrical equipment, at least one access opening, and a door providing a closure for said access opening, said kit comprising a replacement door having interior and exterior surfaces for said cabinet having mounted thereon: 
 a shroud creating an enclosure within said shroud defined by said replacement door and said shroud,    an air-to-air heat exchanger mounted on the exterior surface of the replacement door, and being supported thereby, for removing heat from the interior of said cabinet while maintaining said substantially closed environment within said cabinet, said heat exchanger having a first air flow path for air drawn from the exterior of said cabinet and a having a second air flow path from the interior of said cabinet, said first and second air flow paths being perpendicular to one another and being substantially isolated from each other; and    at least one fan for circulating air through each of said first and said second air flow path.    
     
     
         2 . The heat exchanger kit of  claim 1 , wherein said fan comprises a pair of fans to be located adjacent to one another, and further comprises a baffle located between said pair of fans for dividing the flow path into two parallel air flow paths substantially isolated from one another.  
     
     
         3 . The heat exchanger kit of  claim 1 , further comprising upper and lower air flow plenums to be mounted to an exterior surface of said replacement door, said heat exchanger being supported between said air flow plenums.  
     
     
         4 . The heat exchanger kit of  claim 2 , wherein said pair of fans circulate air through the first air flow path.  
     
     
         5 . The heat exchanger kit of  claim 2 , wherein said pair of fans circulate air through the second air flow path.  
     
     
         6 . The heat exchanger kit of  claim 1 , wherein said fan is mounted on said exterior of said replacement door to perform air intake.  
     
     
         7 . The heat exchanger kit of  claim 1 , wherein said fan is mounted on said interior surface of said replacement door to perform air outflow.  
     
     
         8 . The heat exchanger kit of  claim 2 , wherein said pair of fans are mounted on said exterior of said replacement door to perform air intake.  
     
     
         9 . The heat exchanger kit of  claim 2 , wherein said pair of fans are mounted on said interior surface of said replacement door to perform air outflow.  
     
     
         10 . The heat exchanger kit of  claim 1 , wherein said heat exchanger enclosure extends outward from the replacement door to the louvered shroud, such that said enclosure does not protrude into said electronic equipment compartment.  
     
     
         11 . A heat pump kit useful for installation in an existing electrical equipment cabinet, said cabinet having an electronic equipment compartment adapted to contain heat-generating electrical equipment, at least one access opening, and a door providing a closure for said access opening, said kit comprising a replacement door for said cabinet having mounted thereon: 
 a shroud creating an enclosure within said shroud defined by said replacement door and said shroud,    a compressor driven heat pump mounted on the exterior of the replacement door, and being supported thereby, for removing heat from the interior of said cabinet while maintaining said substantially closed environment within said cabinet, said heat pump having evaporator and condenser sections, each section having at least one fan for circulating air through a flow path.    
     
     
         12 . An outdoor telecommunications cabinet having the heat exchanger kit of  claim 1  mounted on an access opening thereto.  
     
     
         13 . An outdoor telecommunications cabinet having a plurality of access openings, at least one of said access openings having the heat exchanger kit of  claim 1  mounted thereon.  
     
     
         14 . An outdoor telecommunications cabinet having a plurality of access openings, each access opening having the heat exchanger kit of  claim 1  mounted thereon.  
     
     
         15 . An outdoor telecommunications cabinet having the heat pump kit of  claim 11  mounted on an access opening thereto.