Cooling assembly

Abstract

A cooling assembly includes a device chamber, a cooling chamber separated from the device chamber, a heat exchanger, a device chamber fan arrangement and a control unit. The heat exchanger includes a first portion located in the device chamber and a second portion located in the cooling chamber for transferring heat from the device chamber to the cooling chamber. The device chamber fan arrangement is configured to generate a device chamber cooling medium flow including a first partial flow interacting with the first portion of the heat exchanger. The cooling assembly also includes a first throttle arrangement for regulating the first partial flow. The control unit is configured to reduce a cooling power of the heat exchanger as a response to predetermined operating conditions by decreasing the first partial flow with the first throttle arrangement.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A cooling assembly comprising: a device chamber;
 a cooling chamber separated from the device chamber;   a heat exchanger;   device chamber fan means; and   control means, wherein:   the heat exchanger comprises a first portion located in the device chamber and a second portion located in the cooling chamber for transferring heat from the device chamber to the cooling chamber;   the device chamber fan means are configured to generate a device chamber cooling medium flow including a first partial flow interacting with the first portion of the heat exchanger;   the cooling assembly comprises first throttle means for regulating the first partial flow;   the control means are configured to reduce a cooling power of the heat exchanger as a response to predetermined operating conditions by decreasing the first partial flow with the first throttle means.   
     
     
         2 . A cooling assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the cooling assembly comprises a humidity sensor configured to detect a humidity level in the device chamber, and
 wherein the predetermined operating conditions comprise a situation where the humidity sensor detects a humidity level exceeding a predetermined threshold value in the device chamber.   
     
     
         3 . A cooling assembly according to  claim 2 , wherein the cooling assembly comprises a temperature sensor configured to detect a temperature in the device chamber, and
 wherein the predetermined operating conditions comprise a situation where the temperature sensor detects a temperature below a predetermined threshold value in the device chamber.   
     
     
         4 . A cooling assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the cooling assembly comprises a temperature sensor configured to detect a temperature in the device chamber, and
 wherein the predetermined operating conditions comprise a situation where the temperature sensor detects a temperature below a predetermined threshold value in the device chamber.   
     
     
         5 . A cooling assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the first throttle means are configured to regulate the first partial flow by adjusting a bypass flow of the cooling medium, the bypass flow being a portion of the device chamber cooling medium flow that bypasses the first portion of the heat exchanger without interaction. 
     
     
         6 . A cooling assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the first throttle means comprise a generally planar first valve plate configured to pivot about a pivoting axis extending substantially parallel to a plane defined by the first valve plate. 
     
     
         7 . A cooling assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the first throttle means comprise a cylindrical valve whose valve surface has a general form of a cylindrical segment, the valve surface being configured to pivot about a pivoting axis extending substantially parallel to an axis of the cylindrical segment. 
     
     
         8 . A cooling assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the first throttle means comprise a first adjustable grill with a plurality of louvers. 
     
     
         9 . A cooling assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the first portion of the heat exchanger is in an operating situation located lower than the second portion of the heat exchanger. 
     
     
         10 . A cooling assembly according to  claim 9 , wherein the heat exchanger comprises a passive heat exchanger. 
     
     
         11 . A cooling assembly according to  claim 10 , wherein the heat exchanger comprises a thermosyphon heat exchanger. 
     
     
         12 . A cooling assembly according to  claim 1 , comprising:
 second throttle means for regulating a cooling chamber cooling medium flow interacting with the second portion of the heat exchanger,   wherein the control means are configured to reduce a cooling power of the heat exchanger as a response to predetermined operating conditions by decreasing the cooling chamber cooling medium flow with the second throttle means.   
     
     
         13 . A cooling assembly according to  claim 1 , comprising:
 an electrical apparatus in the device chamber, the electrical apparatus having apparatus cooling fan means configured for cooling the electrical apparatus, the apparatus cooling fan means constituting at least part of the device chamber fan means.   
     
     
         14 . A cooling assembly according to  claim 13 , wherein the device chamber fan means consists of the apparatus cooling fan means. 
     
     
         15 . A cooling assembly according to  claim 13 , wherein the electrical apparatus comprises one of a frequency converter and an inverter.