Electronic equipment cabinet

Abstract

There is provided an electronic equipment cabinet including a cabinet carcass ( 15 ) mounting fan cooled equipment ( 16 ) venting to the cabinet rear. A hinged front closure assembly ( 11 ) includes a frame ( 14 ) and an outer filter and perforated metal screen assembly on the outer face of the frame, and a lower condensation trap ( 20 ). The frame 14 supports an evaporator assembly ( 11 ) connected to a remote compressor/condenser assembly (not shown). The evaporator assembly includes a combined dew point sensor and thermostat ( 13 ). A non-woven filter web ( 19 ) acts a micro-droplet catcher on the inner face of the door assembly.

1 . An electronic equipment cabinet including:
 a cabinet body having a ventilated rear wall and a front opening providing access to rack mounted equipment within the cabinet of the type having an integral cooling fan venting through said ventilated rear wall;   a ventilated front closure assembly adapted to selectively close said front opening and including an air-to-coolant heat exchange panel and an air filtration medium adjacent the heat exchange panel on the equipment side thereof; and   forming a continuous air flow path from outside of the cabinet body through the ventilated front closure, said rack mounted equipment and said ventilated rear wall; and
 heat pump means connected to said heat exchange panel and operable to thermally condition air passing through said air flow path. 
   
     
     
         2 . Air conditioning apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the heat exchange panel and heat pump means are selected to condition air for cooling purposes. 
     
     
         3 . Air conditioning apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the air filtration medium is selected from woven or non-woven materials. 
     
     
         4 . Air conditioning apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein there is provided a condensation collection tray at the foot of the panel. 
     
     
         5 . Air conditioning apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein there is provided air curtain means adapted to pass air vertically downward across the face of the heat exchanger panel. 
     
     
         6 . Air conditioning apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the air curtain means is provided by a header fan assembly comprising housing for a barrel fan impeller and having a directional slot directing an air curtain across the face of the heat exchanger panel. 
     
     
         7 . Air conditioning apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein said support means includes a racking arrangement mounted within an equipment cabinet. 
     
     
         8 . Air conditioning apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the front closure assembly includes a frame member defining a front aperture into which is mounted the heat exchange panel. 
     
     
         9 . Air conditioning apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the front closure assembly is removably secured to the cabinet. 
     
     
         10 . Air conditioning apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the front closure is hinged to the cabinet in the form of a door. 
     
     
         11 . Air conditioning apparatus according to  claim 10 , wherein the equipment is stacked vertically in 19″ (480 mm) standard equipment racks in standard metal cabinets, wherein the front closure replaces the standard cabinet front door. 
     
     
         12 . Air conditioning apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the heat exchange panel includes separately cooled zones corresponding to the position of respective equipment items. 
     
     
         13 . Air conditioning apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the heat exchange panel is associated with one or more of filters including HEPA filters, adsorbents, and the like. 
     
     
         14 . Air conditioning apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the heat exchange panel and heat pump in assembly is selected from one or more of solid state cooling devices, Carnot cycle heat pump, phase change regenerative cooling and Siemens cycle heat pump. 
     
     
         15 . Air conditioning apparatus according to  claim 14 , wherein the heat exchange panel comprises the evaporator unit or reverse cycle evaporator/condenser unit of a conventional refrigeration plant. 
     
     
         16 . Air conditioning apparatus according to  claim 15 , wherein the heat exchanged by the heat exchanger panel is conveyed for remote disposal or recovery. 
     
     
         17 . Air conditioning apparatus according to  claim 15 , wherein the radiator of the heat pump may be co-located with the heat exchange panel and coupled to a heat disposal exchanger cooled by air or liquid coolant. 
     
     
         18 . Air conditioning apparatus according to  claim 16 , wherein conventional refrigeration plant is used, and the heat exchange panel is connected in circuit with a remote compressor/condenser assembly. 
     
     
         19 . Air conditioning apparatus according to  claim 15 , wherein said heat pump comprises remote refrigeration plant of single head or multi-head design to drive a single or multiple said heat exchange panels respectively. 
     
     
         20 . Air conditioning apparatus according to  claim 15 , wherein the heat exchange panel is associated with control means for monitoring and controlling the heat pump. 
     
     
         21 . A method of temperature-controlling electronic equipment of the type having a native thermal regulating air flow, including supporting the equipment relative to a heat exchange panel having a heat exchanging air flow path therethrough, and operating heat pump means connected to said heat exchange panel to thermally condition air passing through said heat exchanging air flow path, whereby temperature regulating air is drawn by said native thermal regulating air flow from said heat exchanging air flow path.