Electric Cooling System for Electronic Equipment

Abstract

A system for maintaining a temperature of electronic equipment within its normal operating temperature range is disclosed. The system includes a housing having an inner liner that behaves as a heat sink, an outer shell that protects the electronic equipment from weather or harsh environmental conditions and a thermal insulation material disposed between the outer shell and the inner liner to mitigate heat transfer between the interior cavity of the inner liner and the environment. The system may further include a heat transfer unit mounted to a rear portion of the inner liner so that heat is funneled through the rear portion of the inner liner when transferring heat between the interior cavity of the inner liner and the environment.

1 . A system for regulating temperature of electronic equipment, the system comprising:
 an outer shell for protecting the electronic equipment from environmental factors, the outer shell having an aperture;   an inner liner fabricated from a material having a high heat transfer coefficient, the inner liner disposed within the outer shell, the inner liner defining an interior cavity and an outer surface wherein the electronic equipment is disposed within the interior cavity;   a thermal insulation material disposed between the outer shell and the inner liner for mitigating heat transfer between an environment and the interior cavity of the inner liner; and   a heat pump thermally mounted to the inner liner through the aperture of the outer shell for transferring heat between the environment and the interior of the inner liner.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1  further comprising a heat transfer block defining first and second opposed surfaces, the first surface of the heat transfer block being thermally mounted to the outer surface of the inner liner and aligned to the aperture of the outer shell, the heat pump being thermally mounted to the second surface of the heat transfer block. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the inner liner is fabricated from aluminum. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1  further comprising a heat sink attached to the heat pump and a fan for blowing air onto the heat sink. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the heat pump is a peltier module. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the heat pump transfers heat out of the interior cavity of the inner liner. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 2  wherein the inner liner defines an end cap, the heat transfer block being thermally mounted to the end cap to flow heat through a rear of the inner liner. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1  further comprising a roof mounted atop the outer shell and gapped away from the outer shell. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1  further comprising a fan mounted to a mounting plate, the mounting plate being gaped away from a thermal plate attached to the inner liner by way of a spacer, rod and nut, the spacer being disposed between the thermal plate and the mounting plate, the rod being disposed through the spacer and fixed to the thermal plate, the locking nut threaded onto a threaded distal end portion of the rod to tighten the mounting plate to the thermal plate.